King Vikramarka, gets on to the tree one more time to bring Bhethal. Bhethal started saying a new story again. He repeats his condition before telling the story that if he says answer Bhethal will fly back to tree and if he didn’t say answer even though he knows his head will be cracked into 1000 pieces.
Long Back a country named Varanawathi was ruled by VeerDev. In it a Brahmin named Praveena was living. He was blessed with a son named Arjun. Brahmin in Pride married his son in his 14th year to a girl named Utsahavathi.
One day
Arjun was playing with his wife nearby a lake and suddenly a demon has taken
away his wife. Arjun informed all the people and started searching for her. He
was not able to find her anywhere. Then he wished to go out of village and
search for his wife though his parents didn’t agree for it.
He reaches out all countries in search of her and finally
reaches Vangadesh. He visits a Brahmins house named Padmanabha and requests for
food. Padmanabha asks his wife to give him required food and leave house in
work. Padmanabha’s wife cooked food for him and when she invites to eat. Arjun
says,” Mother..! I need to fulfill my rituals ( Sandhya Vandanam- A salute to
Lord Surya in evenings) during the evening. Please give me the food, I will have
it after the rituals are complete.
Padmanabha’s
wife packs the food for him with all she cooked and gives him. Arjun visits a
near by lake. Performs the ritual and opens the packet of food. Feeling thirsty
he visits the lake again for drinking water.
Meanwhile
a garuda(Eagle) which is hungry grabs a snake and eats it over the tree. The
snake in pain spits the poison which drops into the food. Arjun who had the
food dies at the lake.
O King VIKRAMADITYA..!! now tell me whose mistake it is in
real. Who is responsible for death of the Brahmin Child- Arjun…… Is that the
Brahmin who ordered his wife to give food? Is that the Brahmin’s wife who
cooked and gave food? Is that the Garuda which killed the snake? Is that the
snake which spitted poison in food??
King Says, “ Asking food is Dharma. Following the word of
husband is wife’s Dharma. Hunting the snake is Garuda’s Dharma. In a position
of death snake spitting poison is common. So it’s no ones mistake.”
Listening to the answer Bhethal flies again back to the
tree.
---Next
story Continues