STORIES TOLD BY BHETHALA TO VIKRAMADITHYA

1. PADMA VATHI’S STORY


Once there was a city by name Deva Puram, [It means city of deities]. The king to that city was Pratapa Vanthudu [The meaning of this name is ‘a person who is a worrier]. He had a son, by name Vajra Kutudu [The meaning of this name is ‘diamond equivalent’]. His minister also had a son who was at equal age to prince. Both the prince and Son of Minister were close friends.


They used to go to forest for hunting for one day in every month. As usual, one day they had gone to forest for hunting. On the way, they had seen a lake in the forest. In that lake, a beautiful young woman was taking bathe. The prince had fallen in love with her at first sight. The young woman had seen the prince. She admired the handsome prince. She also felt love with him.


She had plucked a lotus flower from the lake. She had pressed the lotus on her two eyes, bitten it with teeth and dropped it on her feet. She had plucked another water lily from the lake, pressed it to her breast, wore it on her hair and left on her way. The son of king asked the son of Minister “What are the meanings of the actions done by that beauty?”


The Minister’s son said, “Oh Prince! That young girl had pressed the lotus on her two eyes. By the way, she told you that her residence is at Nethra Puram. [The meaning of this name is city of eyes.] She had bitten the lotus flower. By the way, she had conveyed that her name is Padma Vathi. [In Sanskrit language, Lotus flower is known as Padmam] She had dropped the lotus on her foot. By the way, she had conveyed that her father’s name is Uttana Padhudu. [The meaning of this name is a person who has great feet] She had pressed water lily [It is described by Sanskrit language poets as lover to Moon; and as symbol of love] on her breast. By the way, she had conveyed you that she is in love with you. She had worn the water lily on her head and bowed to you. By the way, she requested you to meet her secretly. These are the meanings of those actions.”


The prince felt happy about it. They returned to their city Deve Puram. They left the servants and fellow men there. The son of king and the son of Minister had gone to Nethra Puram. There they came to know that Uttana Pada was the king of that city and Padma Vathi was his daughter.


Both the Prince and the Minister’s son had enquired about the servant-maids of PadmaVathi. They located an old woman who was in the service to give flower garlands every day to the Princess of that city i.e. PadmaVathi. They had managed to accommodate at her house. This old woman was doing service to public also as ‘Puta Kulla Avva’, means food and accommodation donor by taking money. [In olden days, hotels were maintained like that] With valuable gifts, they made the old woman i.e. Peda Rasi Peddamma [cousin to mother] happy.


They had narrated everything to Pedarasi Peddamma and sent the prince’s message to PadmaVathi. The old woman, Peda Rasi Peddamma had gone to PadmaVathi and told about the arrival of prince and other things regarding that. By hearing it, PadmaVathi had pretended anger. She had dipped her ten fingers in the Sandal powder paste, beaten the old woman on her cheeks and driven her out. The old woman, Peda Rasi Peddamma had frightened by that beats of princess and ran away from there like a deer from the paw of tiger. She had shown the beats on her cheek to the prince and said, “Enough! Enough! I think you have sent me by expecting this danger only. By having this much old age, I was deceived by you. This is not your fault. It is my fault to believe you.” Like this, she had swept with loud voice. The prince got shocked.


The Minister’s son had cooled Peda Rasi Peddamma. He had taken the prince to a lonely place and said, “Oh! Prince! That girl is not a normal girl. She is very wise. She had beaten on the cheeks of Peda Rasi Peddamma with ten fingers after dipping the fingers in the white sandal powder paste. By the way, she had conveyed the massage to you, as these days are moon light days. After 9 days, there will full moon day on 10th day. After that, nights will be dark. She asked you to come by that time.”


The Prince felt happy. He spent these 10 days in waiting. He felt these 10 days very long like eras.


On the 11th day, they had sent the old woman, Peda Rasi Peddamma by motivating her with valuable gifts. When Peda Rasi Peddamma informed the princess PadmaVathi, about the prince of Deva Puram, the princess again pretended anger. She had dipped her fingernails in the red saffron powder paste and beaten Peda Rasi Peddamma on her breast as three red marks were formed on her dress. She had driven Peda Rasi Peddamma through the back door of the Palace after scolding her. Peda Rasi Peddamma returned home and explained everything to the Prince and the son of Minister. Because this was happened second time, the prince felt sad. The Minister’s son observed it. He had made Peda Rasi Peddamma happy with money. Then he had taken the prince to lonely place and said, “Don’t worry my dear Prince! The girl asked you to reach her through the back door to her palace after 3 days, because now that girl is in her menstrual period. That’s why she had beaten Peda Rasi Peddamma on her breast to form as three red saffron marks and driven her through back door to her palace.”


The prince felt happy. On the 4th day night, the prince Vajra Kutudu had taken shower bathe and wore rich dress and ornaments. He reached the princess PadmaVathi through back door to her palace. Since that, they had enjoyed each other’s company for 10 days. The prince was extreme happy with his lover PadmaVathi. He almost forgotten his dear friend i.e. son of Minister. On 11th day, he could remember him. He felt sad about it. He thought, “How guilty I am. Since childhood, the Minister’s son and myself are living together like eye and eye-lid. We never departed from one another. Now, because of this love affair, or because of this young beautiful girl, we separated like this.”


By thinking like that, he was moody. PadmaVathi had observed this. She had asked “Oh Prince. You are not happy today like other days. Today you are moody and sad. Are you feeling bore with my company?” The Prince said, “No. No. Don’t think like that. I have no such opinion on you. I have a childhood friend. He is my Minister’s son. Since birth, that means since we were kids, we didn’t leave each other. Now since 10 days, because of your company I left him. That’s why I’m feeling sad and guilty. Nothing else!”


By hearing such, the Princess PadmaVathi pretended displease for few minutes. Later she had ordered her close servant-maids to bring Kheer [Sweet drink made up of milk and sugar] and poison. She had mixed the poison in the Kheer. She had given it to the Prince and said, “Oh Prince! You don’t worry. You go to your friend and give this Kheer as my gift. After he drink it, bring him here with you.”


The prince didn’t suspect anything wrong, because of his love on her. He had taken the kheer and approached his childhood friend, the Minister’s son. He had given the kheer to Minister’s son and asked him to drink. The Minister’s son had taken the vessel in to his hands and observed it. He said, “Oh Prince! Did you bring this poisonous kheer to kill me?”


The Prince felt shock. He thought, “How he is saying like this? With how much love I brought it, with that much love he has to drink it. Instead of drinking, he is suspecting me. He is opposing me.”


The Minister’s son observed all this. He came out the house to the street and called a street dog. He kept the kheer vessel in front of the dog. By drinking the kheer, the dog had died immediately. The prince said, “I didn’t suspect the coup.” They thought to take PadmaVathi to their city. The Minister’s son said, “Well, My dear Prince! Go to her and tell her that you had given kheer to me. Spend with her. When she is in deep sleep, you take her pearls garland from her neck. You pierce your three nails until the marks get print on her breast and come.” That night the Prince performed as said by the Minister’s son and brought the pearls garland.


Next day morning the Prince was in the disguise of disciple and the Minister’s son was in the disguise of his guru. Both of they sat near the Burial ground and pretending as doing penance. After some time, the Guru i.e. Minister’s son told the disciple i.e. the Prince as “You go to the Royal Street. Exhibit your pearls garland. When the king enquired you, you inform him about me and bring him here.”


The Prince had done like that. The king Uttana Pada came to notice that a Yogi’s disciple was exhibiting pearls garland to sell in the royal road. He called on him and enquired about its price. The prince in the disguise of disciple said, “Oh. King! I don’t know about it. My Guru i.e. teacher can tell you everything. You please come to visit him. He is doing penance near the burial ground.”


The King suspected that the garland belonged to his daughter PadmaVathi. Hence, he decided to visit the guru. He had gone to visit the Maya Yogi i.e. Pseudo Saint [Minister’s son] along with his minister. They had put Namaskar [wish] to the pseudo saint. The saint blessed them and asked them to sit near to him. The king enquired him about the peals garland. The saint said, “Oh king! I’m doing penance here. Every night I’m watching a beautiful young girl coming here. She is pulling out half burnt corpse from the fire and eating it by tearing it into pieces with crazy and hunger. After satisfying hunger, she is going towards your city. This is happening on every day night. To test her, I had objected her with my spear. I pierced my spear on her breast and asked her as ‘Who are you’. She was frightened. She had pulled off her pearls garland from her neck and given to me. She said, ‘Oh Saint! Please save me. Don’t reveal my secret to anybody.” I felt pity on her. I asked her “Oh girl! Who are you? Why are you doing this frightful act?” she said, “Oh Father! My name is PadmaVathi. Unless I do like this, my belly will not fill.” She ran away from me after saying this. That’s why this peals garland is not of mine. I had given this to my disciple to send it to its owner. Any way you came to notice. You please search for her and give this to her.”


The king Uttana Pada and his Minister had taken sendoff from that pseudo saint and his Pseudo disciple, returned to their city Nethra Puram. The king suspected his daughter PadmaVathi. After reaching the palace, he had called on his Queen and narrated all of the issue. He said, “Oh Queen! Go and check our daughter’s neck and breast.” She had gone to PadmaVathi and checked her neck and breast. There were 3 marks of injures. She asked her “PadmaVathi! Is this not your pearls garland?” PadmaVathi thought that her parents might inform about her love affair. With guilty fear and sad she down her head. The Queen returned to the king and informed everything. The king and Queen were shocked and sad. The king said, “Oh Minister! You make justice in this dispute. What can we do with the Princess PadmaVathi.” The Minister said, “Oh king! There is no other sin than killing of a woman. Hence, we can’t punish PadmaVathi with death sentence. Hence, drive her from our country. This is the right punishment to her”. The king ordered his soldiers, “Oh soldiers. Take our Princess PadmaVathi from her palace and leave her in the midst of thick forest.” The soldiers executed the king’s order and left PadmaVathi in the thick forest. She was crying there by scolding her fate. There the Prince Vajra Kutudu and his Minister’s son met her with their original get up. She recognized her lover. She expressed her repentance towards her attempt to kill the Minister’s son. They excused her. They had taken her to their city Devi Puram. There the parents of Vajra Kutudu accepted the marriage of PadmaVathi and their son, Vajra Kutudu.


Here in the city of Nethra Puram, the father of PadmaVathi, Uttana Pada died due to the grievance on his daughter. Her mother also died with the sorrow of husband death and daughter’s departure.


Bhethala told this story to Vikramadithiya and said, “Vikramadithya, in this story who is responsible to the sin of the death of King Uttana Pada and his wife? You have to give answer to this question.”


Vikramadhithya said, “Bhethala! The prince Vajra Kutudu, his Minister’s son and PadmaVathi had behaved according to their emotions. But being justice, while solving the dispute, the Minister of Nethra Puram didn’t perform his duty well. When the king deputed him to enquire into PadmaVathi’s case, the Minister didn’t allow her to present her argument. He didn’t give an opportunity to explain her version and her position. He had delivered his justice by base on one side version. Hence, this sin goes to the Minister of Nethra Puram.”


Bhethala had put the question. Vikramadithya had given reply to the question. The silence was broken. Immediately Bhethala along with the corpse on Vikramadithya’s shoulder disappeared. Vikramadithya noticed Bhethala again hanging from the Moduga tree.


OUT COMING SKILLS OF THIS STORY: When children read this story. They can thrill about the body language expressed by Padma Vathi and the analysis of that language done by the ministers’ son. Automatically they will learn to observe and analyze the body language of others in their surroundings. By the behavior of Peda Rasi Peddamma, children can understand the impact of money. When she had gone to the palace of Padmavathi as a messenger, the princess had pretended anger with her. Peda Rasi Peddamma felt grievance and shame for it. The same Peda Rasi Peddamma had forgotten the grievance and shame when the minister’s son had presented her money and gold ornaments. As well in this story. Vikramadithya’s reply is logical. Being Minister cum Justice, the minister of Nethra Puram should prosecute the case of Padmavathi. But he had delivered justice without enquiring into things. Hence, he became liable to the sin. This makes children to learn sensitive and logical thinking.