STORY SEVEN
The king again went to the Shimshapaa tree and placed the Vetaala on
his shoulder and started walking. Vetaala addressed him and said-
“King! I will again relate you a story for your
entertainment, Listen!”
On the western coast of the ocean there is a city named TaamraLipti. It
was ruled by a king named ChandaSimha (a lion in valor). He was averse to the
wives of other men; but not to the battle-fields. He destroyed all the enemies;
but not the wealth of other men.
Once, a prince named SattvaSheela (man of good-character), who was
favored by all the people arrived at the gate of the king. He pleaded with the
king about his poverty-stricken state and asked for help; but the king sent him
away without responding to his pleas.
Then he thought-
“When I am born
in the royal family, still why should be so poor? Even when I have no wealth,
why did the Creator filled my mind with such high ambitions? I have been
serving the king for so long; I am wearing tattered clothes; I never have enough
to eat; yet the king disregards me like this!”
As he was lost in thoughts like this, the king left for hunting.
The ‘prince in tattered clothes’ ran at the front holding a club; the
king followed him accompanied by many horse-men and foot-soldiers.
As the king kept searching for animals to hunt, he saw a wild boar and
followed it immediately and went into the deeper regions of the forest. The
boar entered some bushes and disappeared. The king was very tired and did not
know which path led towards the city. Only the ‘prince in the tattered clothes’
disregarding his own lives had ran behind the king riding the horse which was
moving with the speed of the wind and was tired, hungry and thirsty.
The king saw him, and feeling relieved asked him gently-
“Good man! Do you
know the path we should take to go back?”
The ‘prince in tattered clothes’ folded his hands and replied-
“Lord! I know the
path. But the Lord should rest for a while here. The ‘lover of the lotus’ (sun),
the ‘central gem adorning the upper- garment of the sky-bride’, has increased
the heat of his rays and is burning fiercely.”
The king decided to follow his advice and said-
“Then search for
some water here.”
The ‘prince in tattered clothes’ replied- “So be it!”
He climbed the tallest tree there; looked all around from its top; saw
a river nearby; got down from the tree; took the king there.
He also removed the harness of the horse, gave it some grass and water
and allowed it to rest.
Meanwhile the king finished bathing and came out of the river. The
prince took out some gooseberries tied to the end of his cloth; washed them
well; and offered those tasty fruits to the king.
The king asked him-
“Where did you
get them?”
The prince folded his hands and said-
“Lord! For the
past ten years I have been living on this much salary only. Serving His
highness, I follow the life-style of a Sage where food is not available daily.”
The king said-
“SattvaSheela!
Your character proves your name! What shall I say!?”
The king felt very remorseful and ashamed of himself. He thought-
“Fie on the kings
who do not know the difficulties undergone by their servants!
Fie on his
attendants who do not inform the king of everything!’
The king somehow took just two gooseberries after getting requested many
times by the prince. He ate them; drank some water and took rest for some time
along with the ‘prince in tattered clothes’ who also ate some gooseberries and
drank water.
Then the ‘prince in tattered clothes’ got the horse ready to ride for
the king; guided the king in the correct path; sat behind him on the horse as
ordered by the king.
Soon they were met with other soldiers. They all returned to the city
together.
The king praised the ‘prince in tattered clothes’ in front of
everybody; gave him lot of wealth. Still the king did not feel satisfied. He
appointed him as his close attendant. SattvaSheela now got rid of his tattered
clothes and lived happily, with all his wishes fulfilled.
Once, the king sent SattvaSheela to the Simhala Island
But suddenly from the middle of the ocean an elephant came out shocking
everyone on the ship. The elephant was very huge; its head touched the sky; it
was made of pure gold; it was adorned by moving flags with varied colors.
Immediately huge clouds appeared in the sky and poured waters heavily. A heavy storm
started to blow.
The elephant was dragged forcefully as if by the elephant-driver and
got stuck to the ship's mast. The elephant started to sink along with the ship
into the ocean turbulent with waves. Then those Brahmins started cursing their
king ChandaSimha with bad words.
SattvaSheela unable to bear the insulting words spoken against his
master, tied up his garment well; took the sword in the hand; without seeking
help from anyone else, jumped into the ocean where the flagpole was sinking
with the elephant, intent only on taking revenge on that elephant.
As he disappeared into the waters, the ship was tossed by the stormy
winds to a great distance and it broke into pieces; all those who were in it
were drowned and eaten by the ocean creatures.
SattvaSheela went deep inside the ocean and to his amazement saw a
beautiful city there and not the ocean waters. He saw the houses shining
lustrously with gem-studded pillars; a beautiful lake with stairs made of excellent
gems and beautiful gardens there.
A temple of goddess Kaatyaayini shone there standing tall like the
golden Meru Mount. Its walls of stone were all studded with excellent gems of
various hues. A flag flew high on top of the temple.
SattvaSheela entered the temple; saluted the Goddess; recited hymns;
worshipped her; and sat there itself in front of the Goddess, wondering what
magic it was all.
The door of the temple opened at that time. Some beautiful girl with
the eyes of the lotus, with the face like the moon, with the smile like a
flower, with a body delicate like the lotus-stalk, along with thousands of her
maids, entered suddenly the inner sanctum sanctorum of the temple and also
SattvaSheela’s heart.
She worshipped the goddess and went out of the sanctum sanctorum; but
not from the heart of SattvaSheela. And she disappeared inside a forest of
lustrous sphere.
SattvaSheela also followed her. He saw there a mansion which appeared
as a model for all the wealth and pleasures that were there in the world. There
he saw that girl sitting on a bed made of precious gems; approached her; sat
next to her with his eyes fixed on her face as if he was just a painted
picture.
The maid who was standing there saw him looking at the pretty girl with
love-lorn eyes and suffering from the pangs of passion; and understanding his
plight well, she said to him-“O Good man! You are our guest now. Accept the
services offered by our Mistress!
Get up! Take
bath! Eat some food!”
Feeling hopeful, he reached a pond in the garden as guided by her; got
inside the waters and dipped himself fully; and when he came out of it the next
second he found himself in a pond in TaamraLipta, the city ruled by
ChandaSimha.
Amazed by all the happenings he thought-
“Aha! What is
this? Where is that divine garden? Where is that sight of that girl equaling
the essence of nectar? And what is this poisonous experience of her separation,
the very next moment? Is it a dream? No! I am not sleeping! That maid has
deceived me and has given me this illusion!”
So thinking, driven insane by the separation of that girl, he ran here
and there lamenting loudly, stuck by passion. The yellow pollen floating
everywhere in the garden fell all over his body making him appear as if he was
burning in the blazing fire of separation. Seeing him in that condition, the
garden-keeper reported this to King ChandaSimha.
The king feeling worried came there; saw him; consoled him and asked-
“Friend! What is
this? Where did you go? Where did you reach? Where did you stay? Where did you
fall?”
SattvaSheela told him everything that had happened.
The king thought-
“Alas! This
valorous man went to fulfill my mission and is now stuck by passion for some
girl. Time has come now for me to show my gratitude for him.”
He thought like this and said to him-
“Friend! Stop
grieving like this! I will take you to the very same place in the ocean and
make you meet that demon-girl.”
The king made him take bath; fed him food and got him rested well.
Next day the king left the minister in charge of the kingdom; and
journeyed in a ship along with his friend; reached the very same place as
guided by him; and saw the elephant with the flag rising out of the ocean
there.
SattvaSheela said to the king-
“Lord! The huge
elephant with divine powers has risen out of the ocean. I will dive into the
ocean here; you follow me.”
SattvaSheela went near the sinking flag and dived at the place where
the elephant was sinking. The king also dived into the ocean following
SattvaSheela. Both of them went to the city under the ocean. The king was
surprised very much by seeing that. They both went to the temple, saluted
Goddess Paarvati. Then that girl, who was like a form made of light, came out
of the sphere of luster accompanied by her maids.
SattvaSheela said-
“This is that
girl with the beautiful face.”
The king understood that SattvaSheela was deeply in love with her.
She also saw the king who shone with extraordinary features belonging
to his royal status; and thought-“Who is this extraordinary man?” and
entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to worship the Goddess.
The king purposely disregarded her and went off to the garden with
SattvaSheela.
The girl finished her worship of the Goddess; prayed the Goddess to
grant her a good husband; came out of the temple and said to her maid-
“Friend! Find out
who that great man I saw today is and where he stays! After finding
him, invite him to our palace and say-‘Accept our hospitality. We want to
entertain you.’ Whoever he is, that excellent man has to be worshipped by us”
The maid searched for the king as ordered by her Mistress; found him in
the garden and told him what her mistress had said and invited him to the
palace.
The brave king disregarded her words and said-
“O Good lady!
Words are enough; no other hospitality is needed!”
The maid went back and reported this to the demon princess. The
princess understood him to be a noble person of extraordinary character.
Though the king was a human, he had expressed no desires for the
pleasures of the palace. Attracted by his courageous disposition, the demon
princess thought that her prayer for a good husband has been fulfilled by her
Goddess; and went to the garden herself; approached the king; and humbly
requested him to accept the hospitality.
The king pointed out SattvaSheela to her and said-
“O Good lady! I
came here to visit the temple of the Goddess informed by him about this place.
Following the path shown by the wondrous flag, the Goddess has been seen and
also you.”
The princess said-
“King! Then, why
don’t you see our amazing city which is like the three worlds put together and
satisfy your curiosity?”
The king laughed aloud at her words and said-
“He told me that
also and also about that bathing pond!”
Embarrassed, the princess said-
“Lord! Do not
speak that way! I am not a deceitful person. How can I cheat a person who is so
noble and worship-worthy? I have become your servant because of your noble
qualities. Please do not disregard my request.”
The king said-“Let it be so” and entered the sphere of luster
along with SattvaSheela, as guided by her.
A door made of light opened. When they entered inside, they saw another
amazing divine city inside. It was filled with all the fruits and flowers of
all seasons. All the buildings were constructed by using gold and diamonds. The
city shone like the summit of Meru
Mountain
The princess made the king get seated on a diamond throne and
worshipped him duly offering Arghya etc. She said-
“O Noble
one! I am the daughter of the great
demon Kaalanemi. Lord Naaraayana killed him with his discus and sent him to the
heaven. These two cities were built by the divine architect VishvaKarma. Any thing one wishes for can be had here. No
one suffers here from old age and death. Now you are the Lord of the two cities
along with me.”
As she expressed her surrender to him completely, the king said to her-
“If that is so,
then you are my daughter now. I offer you to this SattvaSheela who is my close
friend, my relative and a very courageous person.”
That good maiden, accepting the king’s words as the boon obtained by
the Goddess, said-“Let it be so.”
She was married off to SattvaSheela who felt highly satisfied. The king
made him the lord of the entire demon clan and said to him humbly-
“Friend! I have
repaid the worth of one gooseberry I ate that day; still I owe you the
repayment for the worth of another gooseberry.”
He told the demon princess-
“O good lady!
Show me the way back to my city.”
The princess gifted him a sword named APARAAJITA (undefeatable) and a
fruit which would free him of old age, death and re-birth when eaten.
The king took them, went to the pond shown by her; dived inside and
came out of the pond in his city. He attained success in all undertakings and
lived happily forever.
SattvaSheela also lived happily with the demon princess and ruled the
demon kingdom.
END
Vetaala finished the story and asked the king-
“King! Who was
braver between these two when they dived inside the ocean?”
The king remembering the curse predicted by the Vetaala, answered-
“SattvaSheela
alone is the braver of the two. He jumped into the ocean, without any desire as
such, and he had no idea of what fate awaited him. The king jumped into the
ocean behind him only.”
The king broke his silence; Vetaala was back in the tree the very next
moment; the king tirelessly treaded again towards the Shimshapaa tree to bring
back the corpse.
न हि प्रारब्धे असमाप्ते धीराः शिथिलीभवन्ति॥
The brave ones never become
dis-heartened by the difficulties met
in completing the tasks which
they have undertaken.
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