The Unanswered Riddle, the Ascetic's End

Vikram could not find the answer to the last tale's riddle, and just then the vetala told him the ascetic Shantshil's real plot — how did the night in the cremation ground end?

The Unanswered Riddle, the Ascetic's End is chapter 12 of Vikram and Baital. Source: Baital Pachisi, tale 25 and the ending. It is told in 2 scenes — The twenty-fifth tale: two princesses, two kings; The vetala's warning — followed by 10 quiz questions.

The twenty-fifth tale: two princesses, two kings

Vikram took the vetala down from the tree again, set him on his shoulder and walked on. 'Now hear the twenty-fifth and last tale, King,' said the vetala.

In the south there stood a city called Dharmpur, ruled by King Mahabal. One day a rival king of that same country marched against his capital and laid siege to it. After several days of fighting, part of Mahabal's army went over to the enemy and many of the rest were cut down. With the city lost, he slipped away by night with his queen and daughter and fled into the forest. After many kos of walking, day broke and a village came into view. The king seated the queen and the princess under a tree and went toward the village to find something to eat. Meanwhile a band of men surrounded him and ordered him to lay down his arms. The king shot arrows at them and they shot back, and the fight lasted three hours. At last an arrow struck the king's forehead and he died on the spot.

The queen and the princess saw the king dead and went back weeping into the forest. After many kos they grew tired, sat down and sank into anxious thoughts. Just then King Chandrasen, hunting with his son, came into the same forest. He noticed two sets of footprints and said to his son, 'How can human footprints have come here, in this deep forest?' The son said, 'Maharaj, these are women's footprints. A man's foot is not so small.' 'True,' said the king. 'No man has feet so delicate.' The son said, 'They have only just passed this way.' The king said, 'Come, let us look for them in the forest. If we find them, I will give you the one with the larger foot and take the small-footed one myself.' With this agreement they went on and found the two sitting. They seated them on their horses and took them home. As they had agreed, the son took the queen and the king took the princess.

When he had finished the tale, the vetala asked, 'King, tell me: what will be the relationship between the children of these two?' The king said nothing, for he could not find the answer.

The vetala's warning

Then the vetala said gladly, 'King, your patience and courage have greatly pleased me. I will tell you something now; listen carefully. A man whose body hair is like thorns and whose body is like wood, whose name is Shantshil, has come to your city. It is he who sent you to fetch me. He himself sits in the cremation ground performing his rite, and he means to kill you. So I warn you now: when his worship is done, he will say to you, "King, prostrate yourself so that all eight limbs of your body touch the ground." You must answer, "I am a king of kings, and every ruler bows to me. To this day I have bowed to no one and I do not know how. You are a teacher; show me how it is done, and then I will do it." When he bends down, strike him with your sword so that his head is cut off. Then you will reign without interruption. If you do not, he will kill you and reign himself.'

Having warned the king in these words, the vetala left the corpse and went on his way. With some of the night still remaining, the king carried the corpse to the ascetic and set it before him. The ascetic was glad to see it and praised the king warmly. Then he recited his spells and brought the corpse to life, made a fire offering, sat facing south and offered to his god all the materials he had prepared: betel, flowers, incense, lamps and sacred food. Then he said to the king, 'Bow down. Great honour will be yours, and the eight supernatural powers will always dwell in your house.'

The king remembered the vetala's words. He folded his hands and said humbly, 'Maharaj, I do not know how to bow. But you are a teacher; if you will kindly show me, I will do it.' At this the ascetic bent his head to prostrate himself, and in that instant the king struck him with his sword. The ascetic fell where he stood, and the vetala came and showered flowers on the king. It is said that there is no wrong in killing one who would himself have killed another.

Then Indra and the gods, who had seen the king's courage, came in their chariots and raised shouts of victory. Indra said gladly, 'Ask a boon.' The king folded his hands and said, 'Maharaj, let this story of mine become famous in the world.' Indra said, 'As long as the moon, the sun, the earth and the sky endure, this story will be famous, and you will rule over the whole earth.'

With these words Indra returned to his heaven, and the king threw the two corpses into a cauldron of oil. Two heroes appeared and said, 'What are your commands?' The king said, 'Come when I call you to mind.' Having taken their promise, the king returned home and took up the work of government.

Note: This chapter is written from tale 25 and the ending of the popular Hindi tradition of the Baital Pachisi (Lallu Lal's text, in John Platts' 1871 English translation). In the text the riddle of the twenty-fifth tale is not answered; here too it is not. King Mahabal's death is in the text as an arrow wound and beheading in a battle; here it is told with restraint and briefly. The identity of the two corpses and the two heroes at the end is not clear in the text, so here too only as much is said as the text says. Names are as in the text: Mahabal, Chandrasen, Shantshil.

Source: Baital Pachisi — Lallu Lal's Hindi Baital Pachisi (1805), in the text rendered by Duncan Forbes, The Unanswered Riddle, the Ascetic's End