23rd STORY OF BHETHALA

THE STORY OF VANAJAKSHI

Vikramadithya climbed up the tree to carry down the corpse for 23rd time. He bound it with a rope and kept it on shoulder. He was moving towards Bruhadaranyam. He was waiting with curiosity and interest for Bhethala’s story.

Bhethala started a story. He said, “Vikramadithya Maharaja! Hear this. In a city by name Sekhara Puram, there was a king by name Nakshatraka. He was ruling his kingdom with good administration. People like him.

One day he was on tour on his country to know the wonders. He was travelling from one town to another and from one village to another. On the way, he came across a beautiful young girl by name Vanajakshi. The king was in love with her. He had expressed his love to her. She had accepted him and agreed to marry him. On the way in the forest, some thieves had attacked on them. The king had fought with them and killed them. Then they had reached a city. They had seen an old temple at the end of the city. The king had asked Vanajakshi to wait there and he went to the market street to bring food for them. A servant-maid had seen him. She was servicing to a prostitute. She said to the king “Oh brother! Why are you taking pain to fetch food in this market street? If you come with me to my house, I can give you delicious food.” The king accepted her deal and went with her. She had taken him to her mistress i.e. prostitute. The prostitute was young, beautiful and talented. By watching the handsome king, the prostitute woman felt crazy on him. She had treated him like anything. Since then, he was enjoying with her dance, music and company. By the way, the king had forgotten Vanajakshi who he had kept in the olden ruined temple. Vanajakshi was waiting for the king with eager and anxiety. There came a Vysya businessman. He had seen Vanajakshi and consoled her. He had taken her to his house and protecting her with comfort. One day, a rat came into their house. The Vysya businessman had killed that rat. Then he was putting self-boosting. Vanajakshi said, “The king who brought me to this city had killed four thieves at a time. But he didn’t present self-boosting. You are waste fellow. The life with you will be dangerous to me. It is better to die while compare with living in your governance.” Vanajakshi committed suicide. The Vysya businessman felt sad and thought, “How sorrowful this is. This beauty had died due to myself boosting.” He had donated all of his wealth to poor and he also committed suicide. The king Nakshatraka had heard all of this. Then he realized his mistake i.e. what he had done by sinking in the crazy of prostitute. He felt grievance about the death of Vanajakshi. He felt fear of sin and blame of people. He also committed suicide. By knowing all of this, the prostitute felt sorrow. She had thought that herself was the root cause to all these deaths. She also committed suicide.

Bhethala said, “Oh King! Among these 4 people i.e. Vanajakshi, Vysya business man, the king and the prostitute, who is great?” Vikramadithya said, “Bhethala! Vanajakshi had gone to Vysya’s house as he convinced her. Because she reached to an incapacity person, she died. Because of that businessman died. The king had died by realizing his own mistake. But the prostitute died with self-claim. She had mesmerized the king with her talents as per her prostituting profession. It was not immoral to her. Hence, the prostitute is great in this story.”

Bhethala had disappeared from there once again because the silence had broken.