(3) Who are more wicked, men or women?

STORY THREE

Again the king went to the shimshapaa tree to bring the corpse possessed by the spirit.

He placed the dead body on his shoulder and silently started walking towards the fig tree where the mendicant was waiting.

Then the Vetaala spoke to him again-

“King! You are suffering a lot by moving to and fro in this forlorn ground at this night time. I will entertain you with a story. Listen-

There is a renowned city named PaataliPutra on this earth. There lived once a king named VikramaKesari (A lion among brave men). Lord Brahma had bestowed him gems equaling his virtues too. He owned a male parrot named ‘VidagdhaChoodaaMani’ (Crest jewel of wisdom) which was in that form because of a curse. It had divine knowledge and was well-versed in all the scriptures.

The king’s son named Shashee (handsome like the Moon) married ChandraPrabhaa

(beautiful like the moonlight) the daughter of the king of Magadha country, as advised by the parrot. She also owned a female magpie bird named Somikaa (Moon) which was very wise and well-versed in all the sciences just like the parrot owned by the prince. Both the parrot and the magpie lived in the same cage in the king’s palace.

As days passed, the parrot developed a desire for the magpie’s company and said to the magpie-

“Good lady! Please give me company always while sleeping, sitting and eating and playing.”

The magpie said-

“I do not like the company of any male member. The men folk are always wicked and ungrateful.”

The parrot contradicted the magpie by saying –

“Men are not wicked. Only females are wicked and cruel-hearted.”

A dispute started between them. Both of them decided that the loser of the dispute will become the slave of the other and approached the prince to give the judgment.

The prince who was seated in the king’s court questioned the magpie-

“How can you say that men are ungrateful? Tell me the reason!”

Then the magpie related the story depicting the wicked nature of men to prove her point of view and said-

“Listen Prince!

{STORY TOLD BY THE MAGPIE}

“There is a city named Kaamandakee. There lived a rich merchant named ArthaDatta.

He had a son named DhanaDatta. After the father died, young DhanaDatta became completely wayward spending his time in gambling etc. Many wicked youth joined him and led him to his ruin.

  दुर्जनसङ्गतिरेव व्यसनवृक्षस्य मूलं ||

The company of the wicked alone is the root cause of all vices.

Soon DhanaDatta lost everything by a life given to vices. He was moneyless and poor.  Feeling embarrassed to live in the same country as before, he left that country and went to live in a city named ChandanaPura.

He entered a merchant’s house there to eat some food. That merchant saw the young man; enquired about his family name; felt satisfied that he was from a good family; offered him food etc with affection; thought that it was the play of the divine destiny that such a young man of a good family came to his house; gave his daughter Ratnavati in marriage to him along with some money. DhanaDatta after marriage stayed in his

father-in law’s house itself.

As days went by, he forgot all the sufferings of the past; again was desirous of the old vices; and wanted to return to his country.

That rogue somehow convinced his father-in-law who had no other progeny than the daughter; got his permission to visit his country; made Ratnavati wear all ornaments; and along with her and an old lady to serve his wife, left the home and started for his country.

By evening they reached a forest on their path. He told his wife that there was danger from thieves and made her give him all the ornaments.

Observe O King! The heart of those ungrateful men interested in gambling and prostitutes are sharp like the edge of the sword.

That wicked sinner only intent on gaining wealth wanted to kill his good wife and threw her into a hollow pit along with that old lady. He ran away immediately feeling assured that they both would be dead in no time. The old lady died the moment she fell into the pit. Ratnavati held on to some grass roots grown in that pit and somehow managed to climb out alive. Wounded all over her limbs, crying pitifully, asking passersby for the correct route to her city at every step, she returned to her father’s place.

“How did you get into such a horrible state?”- enquired her parents looking at her pathetic condition.

The devoted wife of DhanaDatta hid the true facts and replied-

“We were robbed by some thieves on the way. My husband was taken away by them. 

The old lady was pushed into a pit and she died. I am alive somehow by the grace of God! Some kind passerby lifted me out of the pit.”

The parents consoled her with great concern; and Ratnavati who loved her husband as her life, stayed in her father’s house.

As days passed, DhanaDatta lost all his money in gambling once again.

He thought-‘I will go again to my father-in-law’s house; bring some money; I will tell my father-in-law that his daughter is safe and happy in this country.’

He reached again his father-in-law’s house. Ratnavati, the devoted wife saw him coming at a distance; ran towards him; fell at that wicked man’s feet; told him about the false story she had related to her parents.

The minds of devoted wives do not change their affection even if the husband is proved to be wicked. Now the wicked man entered his father-in-law’s house without any apprehension and saluted the father-in-law. The old merchant welcomed his son-in-law heartily; was very happy that he had escaped from the thieves and returned home alive; celebrated the event with great festivities along with his relatives. Then DhanaDatta happily lived there in the company of his wife Ratnavati enjoying the riches of his father-in-law.

Oh! What that wicked soul did on that night, I feel is too horrible for words; yet I relate it to you so as not to bring a break in the story.

Listen, O Prince!

At that night he murdered his wife Ratnavati, took all her ornaments; ran away to his country unseen by anybody.”

That is why I say that these men are wicked and ungrateful.”

The prince laughed aloud when he heard the story related by the magpie.

He said to the parrot- “You tell your story now.”

The parrot said-

“Lord! Women are cunning, characterless and sinful creatures. Listen Prince, I will tell you a story proving my point.

  

{STORY TOLD BY THE PARROT}

“There is a city named Harshavatee. There lived a renowned merchant named DharmaDatta. He owned wealth equaling millions. He had a daughter named VasuDattaa. She was unparalleled in beauty. She was dearer to him than his own lives.

She was offered in marriage to a merchant’s son named SamudraDatta living in the city of TaamraLipta. He was equal to her in wealth, age and family. He was very handsome, oozing nectar of moonlight for the eyes namely the pair of Chakora birds.

VasuDattaa had once come to visit her parents leaving her husband in his own city. She chanced to see a handsome young man near her father’s house. That wayward lady was stuck by passion the moment she set her eyes on him; sent her maid to bring him to her   secretly; and hiding him in her room, she enjoyed his company. Infatuated by that youth, she spent every night in his company in this manner.

After some days, her husband visited his in-laws and pleased them with his good behavior. The day was spent in festivities. At night, her mother decorated her with all ornaments and sent her to her son-in-law’s room to give him company. Her thoughts lost to her paramour, the girl refused her husband’s requests for her company and pretended to fall asleep. The husband engaged himself in drinking liquor; soon fell asleep exhausted by the journey to his in-law’s place. 

Everyone in the house had finished eating and drinking and fell asleep soon. At that time a thief entered that house making a hole in the wall. The merchant’s daughter heard her paramour calling her from outside. She secretly left the house without seeing the thief in that house. The thief was disappointed at heart.

He thought-

“I had come to loot the ornaments of this girl and she is going elsewhere now wearing those ornaments. I will follow her.”

He followed the girl unknown to her.

VasuDattaa was accompanied by her friend carrying a basket of flowers and fruits. She soon entered a garden nearby.

She was in for a shock. Her paramour was hanging dead from a tree. The police soldiers had captured him roaming alone at night; had mistaken him for a thief; punished him by tying a noose around his neck and killing him.

VasuDattaa screamed-“Ha! Alas! I am ruined!”

She cried aloud; fell on the ground and wept pitiably.

She got the dead body of the paramour down; and sitting next to it decorated the dead body with perfumed pastes and flowers.

Stuck by passion, she lifted his face by her hands and tried to kiss him.

At that moment a spirit filled with passion entered the dead body, and bit her nose with the teeth. 

She was shocked again and ran away from that place; yet wondering

“Oh! Is he alive by any chance?”

She returned again and saw the dead man lying on the ground motionless without the spirit-possession; decided that he was dead for sure; returned home with slow steps, humiliated and frightened.

Unseen by her and hiding behind some tree, the thief saw all that had happened.

He thought-

“Alas! What has this wicked woman done! Ha!  How terrifying is the heart of a woman! What will she be doing next?”

Curious to see what she would do next, the thief followed her from a distance.

That wicked lady started crying loudly the moment she entered the house.

She said-

“Save me! This enemy in the form of my husband has bit off my nose though I am innocent and did not do any mistake.”

Hearing her screams and shouts everyone in the house got up to see what was the matter. Her husband also got up. Her father came there; saw her wounded nose; got angry with his son-in-law and tied him up in ropes. The son-in-law remained silent not knowing how to face that situation. He did not say anything. Everyone slowly heard from her what had happened; the thief who knew the true facts disappeared from there.

In the morning the merchant’s son was dragged to the king’s court by the father-in-law. VasuDattaa with the broken nose also followed him.

The king heard about the events that had occurred at night; decided that the merchant’s son had acted against his wife; ordered the merchant’s son to be killed.

The poor innocent son of the merchant was getting dragged to the place of punishment along with the drummers who were announcing his cruel act.

The thief came there and told the king’s men-

“Lord! Why are you taking him to punish him when he has not done any wicked act?

I know the true events that happened. Take me to the king. I will tell him everything.”

The king’s men took him to the king’s court.

The thief reported to the king every thing that had happened at that night and said-

“Lord! If you do not trust me, check the corpse lying in the garden and you will find a piece of nose stuck in its teeth.”

The king sent his soldiers to the garden where the corpse was lying. They found the piece of nose stuck in its teeth. The thief’s words were proved to be true. The king released the innocent merchant’s son; got VasuDattaa punished by her cutting off her ears also; punished her by throwing out of the city also; punished her father by taking away all his wealth; appointed the thief as the chief of the city.”

“Prince! That is why I say women are by nature wicked and deceitful.”

So saying the parrot turned into the king of Gandharvas (God-like beings) named

ChitraRatha and freed of Indra’s curse flew away to the heaven with a lustrous form.

The magpie also turned into the divine damsel Tilottamaa and freed of the curse flew away to the heavens. Their dispute never got solved in that court.

END 

The spirit possessing the corpse finished the story and questioned the king -

“King! Tell me please!

Who are more wicked- men or women?

If you know the answer and yet do not speak, your head will burst into hundred pieces.”

The king heard the words of the Vetaala and answered the spirit who was a master of Yoga thus-

“Vetaala! May be sometimes some man might have acted wicked like that; but usually women are always seen and heard as filled with deceit.”

The moment the king broke his silence, Vetaala disappeared from his shoulder along with the corpse. The king again walked towards the shimshapaa tree to bring the corpse.