THE STORY OF YOGI GNANA SEELA

He performed continuous Yagna to Goddess kalika Devi. She was pleased with his effort and appeared before him. She had asked him “Oh Gnana Seela! What do you want?” He said “Oh! Jagan Matha! [i.e. Mother to this universe] You always be please with me. The Bhethala on the tree should become sub-ordinate to me. I should become the emperor of this country. I should rule this country by sitting on the throne of Vikramadithya without old age and death. This is my desire.”


Goddess Kalika Devi said, “You are desiring very tough thing. To fulfill this, you have to cut the heads of 1000 kings and you have to drop those heads in the fire of this Yagna. If it is not possible you have to offer the head of a saint who is equivalent to you in the fire of Yagnam.”


By saying like this, Goddess Kalika Devi vanished. The saint, Gnana Seela decided to offer 1000 king’s heads instead of one saint’s head, because it was impossible to get a saint who was equivalent to himself. He had deceived 999 kings and put their heads in the fire of Yagna. Only one head was needful to do so. The saint decided Vikramadithya’s head as 1000th one.


Next day he approached the court of Vikramadithya and offered a pomegranate to him. Without saying single word, he left there. He repeated the same continuously for several days. One day, the saint had given the fruit to Vikramadithya and left. The king had kept it aside. A monkey came there through window from the garden beside. It jumped on to the fruit and bitten it to eat. What a wonder! From that fruit, the diamonds had fallen on to the floor like water from fountain. Everybody in that court was shocked. The king, Vikramadithya ordered the servants to bring the other fruits, which he kept a side in the palace. When they cut the pomegranate fruits, there were bright diamonds in those fruits instead of seeds.


By watching this, Vikramadithya felt wonder. He thought about the saint who was giving the fruits every day. He felt sorry, as he didn’t deal the saint. Next day, when the saint came and gave the fruit to Vikramadithya, the king well treated him. Vikramadithya offered seat to the saint and honored him as guest. He asked “Oh, Saint! What do you want from me? Please let me know to fulfill it.”


The saint said, “Oh, the best king! Since many days, I have a desire. If you promise me to fulfill it, then only I can reveal it.”


The king Vikramadithya said, “I’ll do as you like.” Then the saint said, “Oh, Rajendra! [Means you are like Indra among the kings.] My name is Gnana Seela. I’m performing a yagna at the temple of Kalika Devi in Bruhadaranya. You please do come to that yagna on the day before coming new moon day. There you have to perform a work for me. Hence, I can finish the yagna.”


Vikramadithya accepted it. The saint left from there. Vikramadithya had gone Bruhadaranya, [Means thick and big forest] on the day before New moon day. The saint was extremely happy about it. He said, “Oh king! You stand for the truth. Why I ask you to come is, there is a big Moduga [Leaf plates making one] tree. Bhethala was hanging to its branch vertically inverted in the form of a corpse. He won’t obey to anybody. You are capable to control him. You have to bring him here by any means. This work you have to perform for me.”


The king Vikramadithya said, “Okay!” He left to bring Bhethala. The saint was happy and engaged in the work to complete yagna. He selected Vikramadithya as 1000th king for this purpose only.


Vikramadithya had reached the tree and watched the corpse. He had climbed up the tree and brought down the corpse. He had kept it on shoulder and started towards the Kalika Devi’s temple to reach yagna. Bhethala in the corpse observed Vikramadithya. He said, “Oh king! Why are you taking me? I won’t obey anybody. I’ll tell you a story. I’ll ask a question on that story. You have to answer it. To answer it, if you break the silence, I can’t come with you. By knowing the answer if you keep silence, your head will break into 1000 pieces. This is the condition.”


Vikramadithya silently accepted this by nodding his head. Bhethala started to narrate the story.


[Here an interesting point is – Vikramadithya has to solve the puzzle given by Bhethala through his story. But if Vikramadithya break the silence i.e. by saying answer to the question, Bhethala will disappear from his shoulder. Again, he will be on the branch of tree like corpse. If Vikramadithya won’t give answer by knowing it, his head will break into 1000 pieces. Because Vikramdathiya is scholar in all subjects, generally he can give reply to any question. Then silence will break. Then Bhethala will escape. The only way is Vikramadithya should not know the answer to Bhethala’s question. Here, knowledge became disadvantage.]