Betaal Pachisi - Story 1 - Girl and Best Friends

This is the first story of Vikrama Vetala series. Vikrama after trying hard is able to catch vetala and starts taking him to the ascetic. Vetala starts narrating him a story so that they can easily complete the long journey.

It is a story of 2 friends - Suryamal and Chandrasen who one day travel to a village Pataliputra for worshipping the deity. As soon as Suryamal completes the prayers, he sees a beautiful girl in the temple and wishes to marry her. He expresses his wish to his friend Chandrasen. Chandrasen at once agrees and suggests him to meet girl’s parents. On Chandrasen’s insistence they go and meet girl’s parents with alliance proposal. Girl’s parents agree for the wedding but present one condition that girl should be allowed to worship the deity both in the morning and evening as she has been doing the same since childhood. Suryamal agrees to the same and very next day wedding is arranged.

After wedding when they are on their way back to palace, robbers attack them. They rob all the jewelry, precious diamonds, etc. and behead both Suryamal and Chandrasen. On seeing this girl gets devastated and attempts to behead herself. At that very instant, the deity appears in front of her and stops her from doing the same. She asks the girl that she will bring them alive, however she should place correct head with each body. Girl gets excited on hearing this and by mistake she puts the head of Suryamal on Chandrasen’s body and Chandrasen’s head on Suryamal’s body. Now she is confused whom to accept as her husband. At this point Vetala asks Vikrama that since he is a wise king and has solved so many complex cases, so suggest who should the girl accept as her husband.

Vikrama replies that all the body parts have a certain defined function which cannot be performed by other body parts. However, all of them are controlled by the head. So, girl should accept the man who has Suryamal’s head and Chandrasen’s body. Vetala appreciates Vikrama for his presence of mind. However, since Vikrama breaks the promise of keeping quite for the whole journey, Vetala flies back to his abode and Vikrama watches him helplessly.

Moral : Head has complete control on our body and actions. So, we should be watchful of the same.