Sham S.Misri
A Brahmin lived on the banks of Yamuna River. He had an extremely beautiful daughter. Her name was Madhumalithi. When she grew up, the Brahmin wanted a good husband for his daughter. He started searching for a handsome, intelligent and well-mannered boy befitting his daughter’s immense beauty.
After some time, three friends visited the Brahmin’s house. All of them were handsome and intelligent. They had seen the girl at a fair. Each one of these boys felt that they would give up their lives for the sake of Madhumalithi. They approached Brahmin, the father, and requested for the hand of Madhumalithi in marriage. Brahmin was in fix. Neither he nor his wife could decide upon any of these three young men. They, therefore, left this decision to their daughter.
After some time, three friends visited the Brahmin’s house. All of them were handsome and intelligent. They had seen the girl at a fair. Each one of these boys felt that they would give up their lives for the sake of Madhumalithi. They approached Brahmin, the father, and requested for the hand of Madhumalithi in marriage. Brahmin was in fix. Neither he nor his wife could decide upon any of these three young men. They, therefore, left this decision to their daughter.
One day, the Brahmin invited the three boys to his house. As all the three young men were equally good-looking and intelligent, the girl also found it difficult to decide whom to wed. When Madhumalithi was sitting in her room thinking about her decision, a snake suddenly entered the room and bit her. Unfortunately, she died. Her young suitors were extremely grieved.
These three young men had loved Madhumalithi very deeply and so, they decided to spend their lives in her memory.
After Madhumalithi was cremated, one of the young men collected her ashes, immersed them in the river Ganges and started living close by.
The second one built a hut at the place where the cremation took place, and spread the ashes, and lived there.
The second one built a hut at the place where the cremation took place, and spread the ashes, and lived there.
The third one roamed from one holy place to another, all the time remembering Madhumalithi, her beauty and her grace. He led the life of a saint. One day when he was travelling, he happened to stay for one night with a Tantric (a style of religious ritual and meditation). The Tantrik’s wife was very short tempered. That night, while she was preparing food for the guest, her baby started crying. In a fit of rage she threw the baby into the fire. The baby’s body turned into ashes.
Disgusted with what he saw, the Youngman wanted to leave. The Tantric asked him to stay for the night. The Tantrik then took some red clay in his hands and offered some prayer from his book. He then sprinkled the red clay on the ashes of his. His son came to life again. The Tantrik left the prayer book on the table and asked his wife to feed the guest and went to sleep.
Disgusted with what he saw, the Youngman wanted to leave. The Tantric asked him to stay for the night. The Tantrik then took some red clay in his hands and offered some prayer from his book. He then sprinkled the red clay on the ashes of his. His son came to life again. The Tantrik left the prayer book on the table and asked his wife to feed the guest and went to sleep.
The young man who watched this with astonishment wanted to bring back Madhumalithi to life. So, when the Tantric and his family were asleep, he stole the Magical spell Book and hurried back to his place. He managed to meet his other two friends to discuss about what he saw. They were very happy at the thought of bringing Madhumalithi to life again.
The man who had some of the ashes of Madhumalithi stored, brought them. The second young man who had been living on the banks of the Ganga sprinkled some Holy water of the Ganga. The third one, who had the Magical spell book in his possession, recited the Magical prayer. The Magic worked and Madhumalithi stood up from the ashes, more beautiful than ever.
The man who had some of the ashes of Madhumalithi stored, brought them. The second young man who had been living on the banks of the Ganga sprinkled some Holy water of the Ganga. The third one, who had the Magical spell book in his possession, recited the Magical prayer. The Magic worked and Madhumalithi stood up from the ashes, more beautiful than ever.
The three suitors were thrilled. But then, they started fighting with each other. Each was claiming her as his own. One suitor claimed,” I chanted the magical spell, that’s why she got back her life”. Another one said, “I sprinkled the holy water on her and gave her a new life, she belongs to me”. The third one declared “after all I preserved her ashes all these years, otherwise how could she be made alive? Madhumalithi would become my wife”
This story was told by a vampire Betal to King Vikram. Betal wanted The King to resolve this problem. Who was the right suitor for the girl? King Vikram answered, that the Young man who gave her life by reciting the Magical Prayer would be like a father to her. And the suitor who immersed her ashes in the river behaved like a son towards a mother. The young man who led the life of a saint, renouncing everything and sleeping on the bed of ashes was the right suitor for her.
“You are absolutely correct” said Betal. Saying this, Betal sprang out of Vikram’s grasp and returned to the tree.
*(Adapted: Betal Pachesi)
