22nd STORY OF BHETHALA

THE STORY OF DHARMA SARMA

As usual, Vikramadithya bound Bhethala, and Bhethala told a story.

Bhethala said, “Maharaja! Listen! …

Once there was a Brahmin colony by name Prathi Shala. There was living a Brahmin by name Sirojakudu. He had a son by name Dharma Sarma. He was at the age of 7 years and cute. Unfortunately he died. His parents had wept like anything. Their relatives had driven them to burial ground. They had made a pyre in the burial ground and kept Dharma Sarma’s dead body on it. But they were not able to put fire on the dead body. They were crying aloud. Fortunately, there came a saint. He had known the Parakaya Pravesa art i.e. education. [It was believed in ancient India that there was an education by name Para Kaya Pravesam. With the help of that, mantras i.e. magic words a person can leave his body and can enter into another dead body. By the way, temporarily their body becomes dead and the dead body of others in which they had entered becomes alive] He had seen the poor parents. He was pity on them. He had left his body in a hidden place. He had entered into the boy’s dead body with his Parakaya Pravesa Vidya i.e. education.

What a wonder! Within second, the boy i.e. Dharma Sarma had got up from the pyre as if he woke up from sleep. By watching this, his parents became extreme happy. They hugged and kissed the boy with joy. All the relatives felt wonder and happy. All of they had returned to their house. While returning, the boy i.e. Dharma Sarma first cried aloud and then laughed aloud.

Bhethala said, “Vikramadithya Maharaja! Why the boy had cried aloud and then laughed aloud? If you give reply, again I’ll escape from here. If you keep silence by knowing the answer, you know that your head will break into 1000 pieces. Hence, reply soon.”

Vikramadithya said, “Bhethala! The saint in the body of boy had cried by thinking as “What a fate! I had left my saint body which had given by my parents; and I myself had protected it.” Then he had laughed by thinking as “What a fun! That body was aged. Now I got a kid’s body to enjoy the life once again.”

Bhethala felt happy with this answer but vanished.