Bed Time Story: Betal asks – ‘Who’s committed the sin?’

Betal Pachisi originally is Betal Panchavimshati which is in Saskrit. As an ancient Indian story collection belonging to a King and a Ghost it goes too entertaining at the same time a source of wisdom. Internationally renowned , the stories are known as Vikram Betal Stories. Let us explore this collection of very well known stories depicting Indian folklores and sanathani life style.

This story is Betal asks the King – ‘Who’s committed the sin?’

There in Banaras once upon a time lived a prince whose name was Vjramukut.  There was another person in the city who was the Royal Minister’s son and a very good friend of Vjramukut.

One fine morning both the friends thought of going to the Jungle. There they found a beautiful pond in the Jungle. They saw a princess who was bathing with her female friends. The moments Vjramukut’s eyes met with princess eyes, they immediately fell in love. The Princess while leaving gave him a cryptic gesture and then left for her kingdom with her friends.

The Prince kept on thinking on the gesture given by the princess, and finally succeeded in decoding the meaning with the help of his friend. He then found out that she belongs to Karnataka.

They did not wait a moment and left for Karnataka. Upon reaching there they realized that the King of Karnataka is not going to agree to marry the prince to her daughter. Both the friends then worked out a plan and framed the princess in a royal palace robbery.

Then the King could not believe his daughter could do something like this. Disappointed with his daughter, the King ordered the immediate deportation of his daughter. The princes within no time was deported outside the kingdom.

There the prince was awaiting her arrival who received the princess and returned back to his kingdom Banaras. Then thereafter both of them lived happily for good.

Now, this was as usual time for Betal to ask a question. He asked, – ‘‘King Vikram, now tell me in this case who is the sinner?”

The wise king Vikram replied – “The sinner is the King of Karnataka. On one hand the Prince did everything to get his lady love, on the other hand the King didn’t even have trust on her own daughter and he too easily fell prey to the Prince’s plan then got trapped to do what the prince wanted.”

Encountering the correct answer again, Betal did not wait and fled back to the tree trunk again as always.