PADMAVATI

Thousand years ago there lived a king Pratapamakuta in Varanasi. He had a son, Vajramakuta, Bhuddhishareera was his close friend. He was the son of the minister. Both Vajramakuta and Buddhishareera went for hunting animals one day. They had gone a long distance. They saw a pond in the forest.

A beautiful lady had come there to take bath. She saw Vajramakuta. She was fascinated by

his beauty. She loved him. Vajramakuta also liked her. While returning, the lady took a jas mine flower from the bunch of flowers on her head and kept it on her ear. She took out one more flower and bite it. She wore a lotus flower in the hair and kept her hand on her chest. Except this, she didn't speak anything.

Vajramakuta returned to the palace. He was now worried of her. He did not understnad the signs made by her. His inti mate friend Buddhishareera spoke: "friend, she didn't speak. But the signs made by her indicate about her- you see, she kept a flower on her ear. It means she is from the country ruled by the king Karnotpala. She bite a flower. It means she is the daughter of an ar tisan who works on Ivory. She wore lotus. Therefore her name is Padmavati. She kept her hand on her chest which means she loves you."

Immediately Vajramakuta along with Bhuddhishareera went to the country Kalinga

where Karnotpala was the king. Soon after he reached Kalinga he searched the house of Dantaghataka who was the artisan. Both Vajramakuta and Buddhishareera resided in a house close to Dantaghataka's house. An old lady was living in that house. She was none other than the maid servant of Padmavati.

Vajramakuta told the old lady to inform Padmavati that the prince she saw few days back near a pond has come. The old lady went to Padmavati's house and informed her about the Prince. But Padmavati got angry and beat on her cheeks. The old lady returned. Buddhishareera saw the finger prints of Padmavati on the cheeks of the old lady. He grasped the meaning and told his friend that there are ten more days for the completion of the bright fortnight and he should wait till its completion.

Tendays passed. Again, on the request of the prince the old lady went to Padmavati and

informed her about the prince. This time Padmavati beat on her chest and there were impression of three fingers. The old lady when returned the minister's son understood its meaning. He told his friend to wait for three more days.

Three days over. The old lady again went to her house. This time Padmavati treated the old lady well. She served her good food. The old lady remained there till evening. At that moment Padmavati was made known that an arrogant elephant is bellowing, Padmavati got frightened told her maid servant to get down from upper window with the help of the rope ladder and go to the garden and there her friends will help.

The old lady returned.

Buddhishareera got the details from the old lady.

"Friend, your desire is being fulfilled you may go to Padmavati's house and enter her room with the help of the rope ladder" he said.

Vajramakuta thanked his friend and reached Padmavati's house. Her friends were waiting for the prince. Padmavati was happy to receive the prince. Both were together and happy for some days. One day Vajramakuta remembered his friend and told Padmavati that he is going to meet Buddhishareera, his friend.

"Oh! did your friend give the meaning for the signs I made or did you asked. understand?" she

Vajramakuta said what happened. After a short time Padmavati said: "All these days you didn't inform me about this. It's alright, your friend is like my brother. I would like to honour him."

The prince returned and met his friend. He reported him the things happened. Nextday Padmavati's friend arrived there and enquired Buddhishareera about his health and handed over him the sweets and cooked rice she had brought. In order that the prince

should not eat them she told him that Padmavati is waiting for him and asked to h come early. Then she left from there. "Friend, your love has felt that I am a

wicked man and therefore she has sent cooked 1= rice mixed with poison. Do you know the rea son? Suppose I stay here, she thinks that your would return to Varanasi with me" Bhuddhishareera thus said, threw little cooked rice to a dog in order to prove that the rice is mixed with poison. The dog ate it and died soon. Then he spoke to Vajramakuta: "Friend, you go today to Padmavati's house. You persuade her to drink more. She will be unconscious. Then you make a mark on her waist with a small trident. Bring all her jew els" thus said Bhuddhishareera gave him a small trident.

The prince followed what his friend said and brought the jewels of Padmavati.

Bhuddhishareera wore the dress of a her mit and made Vajramakuta his disciple. He went to a cremation ground and sat there. He handed over a valuable necklace that was worn by Padmavati to Vajramakuta.

"Friend, go to market and sell this neck lace. Nobody would buy it. But the servants of the king arrest you. Then you tell them the necklace has been given by the teacher to sell. Do not fear. Then they would come to me" he said.

The servants of the king were in search of the thief who might have stolen the jewels of Padmavathi. They arrested Vajramakuta who was trying to sell the necklace in the market. He was brought to the municipality. There the prince told the president that the neck lace was given to him by his teacher and he may be enquired. The president arrived at the cremation ground Buddhishareera was in meditation.

"Sir, how did you get this necklace?" the president asked him.

Bhuddhishareera opened his eyes and said:

"Sir, after all I am a hermit. Yesterday night was here. Few young women had come here i One of them had brought a prince. She re moved her heart and offered it to the lord Bhyrava. She was drunken. She tried it to pull out my rosary. It was not possible. While she went back with her face in hideous form I pierced her waist with my trident and took her necklace. What can I do with that neck lace? I gave it to my disciple to sell it."

The president informed all these to the king. He summoned Padmavathi and asked his maid servants to examine her. There was a mark on her waist. The king decided that Padmavati has killed his son. He deportated her.

Padmavati was to be in forest. She cried there. Nobody helped her. Nextday Vajramakuta and Bhuddhishareera saw her and took her to their town. Padmavati mar ried Vajramakuta and the couple lived hap pily. Dantaghataka and his wife thought

their daughter might have been eaten away in the forest by wild animals. They died in misery.

The Betala stopped his narration and asked king Vikram: "please clear my doubt, Dantaghataka and his wife died. Does this sin stick to the prince, the minister's son or Padmavati? If you know the answer and yet choose to remain silent, your head will split into a thousand pieces!"

Then answered king Vikram: "Betal! this sin does not stick to any body. Because the minister's son has done his duty to keep the prince happy. So he has not done any mis take. He is not the sinner. Padmavati and Vajramakuta loved each other. They wanted to get united. They didn't think other things. Therefore they are also not the sinners. Actu ally the king Karnotpala is the sinner. He should have sent his secret agents and through them he was to be aware of his subjects. He forgot polity. He kept Padmavati in exile without enquiry. He is the root cause for the death of the couple. He never thought about his action."

No sooner had king Vikram given the an swer than the Betala slipped from his shoul der and glided back to the tree.