00Vikram&BetaalIntroduction
Somdev Bhatt 11th Century. Original in
Sanskrit.
English Translation: C. A. KINCAID, c. v. o.
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ackground. "Vikram Aur
Betaal" is a series of enchanting tales derived from the
11th-century work 'Betaal Pachisi' by Kashmiri poet Somdev Bhatt. The
narrative follows the wise and adventurous King Vikramaditya of Ujjain.
When a mendicant consistently gifts him fruits containing rubies, the
king's curiosity is piqued. Meeting the mendicant under specific, eerie
conditions, Vikramaditya learns of a task only he can perform: to
retrieve a corpse, Betaal, from the moringa tree for the mendicant's
mystical rituals. As King Vikramaditya carries the corpse, Betaal's spirit tells him tales, concluding each with a riddle. If Vikramaditya knows the answer but stays silent, his head will shatter. But answering breaks his vow of silence, and Betaal returns to the tree, making the king restart his mission. After 25 stories, Betaal reveals the mendicant's ulterior motive: to gain unparalleled powers by sacrificing the king. Forewarned by Betaal, Vikramaditya confronts the mendicant and, through his wit, triumphs over the deceitful ascetic. Vetala Overview Origins of Betaal (vetāla) Ref: Wikipedia The term "vetala" (Sanskrit: वेताल, romanized: vetāla) signifies a class of knowledgeable, fortune-telling paranormal beings said to inhabit charnel grounds. They bear a resemblance to Western vampires. They employ reanimated corpses as their mode of transportation. These spirits can occupy and desert a dead body whenever they desire. Characteristics In Hindu legends, vetala spirits are typically malicious and haunt burial grounds, possessing corpses. Their presence is often signaled by causing discomfort to humans, leading them to madness, killing offspring, or causing miscarriages. However, they also serve as protectors for some villages. These spirits are trapped in a transitional state between life and the afterlife. Repelling them requires the recitation of mantras. To liberate them from their spectral state, one needs to conduct their funeral rites. Due to their unique positioning in the realms of existence, they possess profound knowledge of past, present, and future events and have a deep understanding of human behavior. This insight makes them highly sought after by sorcerers aiming to enslave them. The Konkan region acknowledges the presence of the Vetala cult, recognized by names like Betal, Vetal, and Vetoba. A temple dedicated to Betal, said to be the sibling of the goddess Shantadurga, can be found either within Shantadurga's temple premises or nearby. Notably, a temple dedicated to Betal is located in Amona, Goa. Betal represents a form of Bhairava and is regarded as the chief of all spirits, ghouls, vampires, and all sorts of ghosts. Literary Representation The Vetala Panchavimshati, part of the Kathasaritsagara, is a series of twenty-five tales with a vetala as a pivotal character, compiled no later than the 11th century. It spins the tale of a sorcerer instructing King Vikramaditya to retrieve a corpse from a tree in a cremation ground. This corpse, possessed by a vetala, promises to share a story with the king. After each tale, the vetala poses a riddle. Every correct answer by Vikramaditya leads to the vetala's return to the tree. After twenty-four cycles, the king fails to answer, leading the vetala to disclose the sorcerer's malicious intent, offering Vikramaditya a gift to defeat this adversary. Pop Culture Adaptations Vetala legends have been adapted into various media, including the 1986 film "Vikram Vetal", the TV show "Vikram Aur Betaal", and animated versions like "Vikram Betal". They've also been included in other entertainment platforms like "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel", "Supernatural", "Sleepy Hollow", and the web series "The Vetala". The Indian zombie series "Betaal" from 2020 references a Vetala curse. A 2018 novel by Phillip Ernest titled "The Vetala" delves into an academic's encounter with this mythical being. |
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"Vikram Aur Betaal" is a series of enchanting tales derived from the
11th-century work 'Betaal Pachisi' by Kashmiri poet Somdev Bhatt. The
narrative follows the wise and adventurous King Vikramaditya of Ujjain.
When a mendicant consistently gifts him fruits containing rubies, the
king's curiosity is piqued. Meeting the mendicant under specific, eerie
conditions, Vikramaditya learns of a task only he can perform: to
retrieve a corpse, Betaal, from an ancient tree for the mendicant's
mystical rituals. As King Vikramaditya carries the corpse, Betaal's spirit tells him tales, concluding each with a riddle. If Vikramaditya knows the answer but stays silent, his head will shatter. But answering breaks his vow, and Betaal returns to the tree, making the king restart his mission. After 25 stories, Betaal reveals the mendicant's ulterior motive: to gain unparalleled powers by sacrificing the king. Forewarned by Betaal, Vikramaditya confronts the mendicant and, through his wit, triumphs over the deceitful ascetic. More details. The Devil is in the Details. The mythical King Vikramāditya pledges to a tantric magician that he'll seize a vetala, a supernatural spirit known for occupying deceased bodies and hanging inverted from trees. Despite multiple challenges, King Vikrama struggles to bring the vetala to the sorcerer. Every attempt to capture the spirit leads to a story with a concluding riddle from the vetala. The spirit agrees to remain captured if Vikrama fails to solve the riddle. However, if Vikrama knows the answer but refrains from speaking, his head would shatter into fragments. If he answers correctly, the vetala slips away, returning to its tree. Vikrama seems to always know the answers, thus the cycle of capture and release repeats twenty-four times. In the vetala's concluding tale, a father and son encounter a queen and her daughter amidst the remnants of a war. As time passes, the son marries the queen, while the father weds the princess. The subsequent generations consist of a boy from the son and queen, and a girl from the father and princess. The vetala challenges Vikrama to determine the relationship between the two children. Unable to answer, Vikrama finds himself in the vetala's favor, and the spirit agrees to accompany him to the sorcerer. During their journey, the vetala reveals a past dark tale: His birth was a result of a tantric's blessing, which came with a condition of their education under the sorcerer. While Vetala was granted vast knowledge but faced mistreatment, his twin brother received basic education but was treated kindly. The vetala later learned of the sorcerer's evil plot to sacrifice him for immortality and global dominance using dark arts. Now, the sorcerer aimed to decapitate Vikrama in worship and seize control of the vetala's spirit for his wicked objectives. Heeding the vetala's advice, Vikrama tricks and defeats the sorcerer. Gratefully, the spirit bestows a boon upon Vikrama. The king wishes for the sorcerer's purification from wickedness and for the vetala's assistance when summoned. |
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IT is stated in the introduction to the
Marathi version of the Vetal Panchvishi that the book
was translated into Hindi from Sanskrit, when the Marquis of Wellesley
was Governor-General of India, by one Lalulal. In 1830 A. D. Mr.
Sadashiv Chatre made a Marathi translation. My friend Mr. Healy of the
Bombay District Police first brought the Marathi version to my notice. I
was then unaware that there was any other. l read it through and
was so pleased with it that I decided to translate it for the benefit of
my own children. After I had finished my translation, I learnt
for the first time that Sir Richard Burton had rendered the Hindi
version into English. Unwilling to enter into competition with so
pre-eminent a scholar, I obtained Burton's book (Vikrama and the
Vampire) and examined it carefully. I found, however, that the Hindi
version either differed so widely from the Marathi version or that
Burton had expanded it so much that there was very little resemblance
between his. translation and mine. Moreover, he translated only eleven
stories, whereas I have rendered into English all the
twenty-five. . I have, therefore, decided to publish my version in the hope of affording Indian school children a pleasant English reading book on familiar and well beloved themes, and also in the hope of enabling English children to read the tales which are told year in year out in the Deccan villages. VIII PREFACE The Deccan Nursery Tales which I published in 1914 * are the joy of the Brahman children. Owing to the differences between modern and ancient taste, I have here and there taken some slight liberties with the text. The last chapter is not to be found in the Vetal Panchvishi. This is taken from the sequel known as Sinhasan Battishi. I am indebted to Mr. Shombe for his translation of the Sanskrit text made by him at my request. |
| TALES OF KING
VIKRAMA INTRODUCTION THERE was once a city called Dharamanagar. In it there ruled a king called Gandharvasen who had four wives. By them he had six sons, all wiser and braver, the one than the other. When King Gandharvasen died, his eldest son succeeded him. But not long afterwards, he fell into evil ways. His younger brother Vikramajit, therefore, slew him and became king in his stead and began to rule his kingdom with the truest wisdom and piety. So just, indeed, was h is rule that from day to day his kingdom grew, until at last all India was beneath his sway. When his empire had thus been firmly established, the king conceived a strange longing to see with his own eyes the various lands which owned his sway, and the names of which he was always hearing. To compass his wish, he made his youngest brother Bhartrihari regent. Then donning the garb of an anchorite, he began to wander from forest to forest and from country to country. Now while the Prince Bhartrihari was ruling, there lived, in Dharamanagar a Brahman who practiced austerities in a temple to Parvati. The goddess pleased with his devotion, gave him one day the fruit which bestows immortality. He took it home and showed it to his wife, saying: "He who eats of this fruit Tales of King Vikrama will become immortal.” The wife replied: “Immortality for people like us would be as bad as the punishment for some terrible sin. For, if we become immortal, it means that we shall have to beg our food through all eternity. Any death would be better than that.” The Brahman said, “Your words have troubled my mind. I brought this fruit, meaning to eat it. But now I shall do whatever you tell me to.” His wife said, “Take the fruit to the king and ask great wealth as the price of it. So we shall be true to our religion and escape the torments of poverty.” The Brahman went to the Prince Bhartrihari and blessed him. Then he told him about the fruit of immortality and begged him to take it and give him money instead. “If you, O king, live for ever,” he said, “your subjects will rejoice and I with them.” The prince accepted the fruit and giving the Brahman a hundred thousand rupees, dismissed him. He then went into his palace and offered the fruit to his favorite wife. ‘! Beloved," he said, "eat this and you will live and be young forever." The princess took the fruit gladly; but she did not eat it herself. She gave it to one of whom she was fonder than life itself. He in turn gave it to a dancing girl. The dancing girl was pleased at the gift. But afterwards she took the fruit to sell it to the regent. He gave her a large sum of money and dismissed her. Then he grew very sad and cried: “A plague on this world! Hell is better than a life like mine! Happiness lies only in the worship of God and in the life of an Introduction anchorite!" With these words he went into the palace and asked the princess what she had done with the fruit. "I ate it," she said (a lie). But when the Prince Bhartrihari showed it to her, she grew afraid and could say nothing. The prince flung himself out of the palace, ate the fruit himself, donned the garb of an anchorite, left the capital and fled into the woods. The god Indra heard of his flight and posted an immortal in his train to guard Dharamanagar. Day and night the immortal stalked up and down outside the town-walls. But the news spread all over India. Thus King Vikrama * came to hear of it and at once set forth to return to his own country. When he reached Dharamanagar it was midnight. As he was about to enter the main gate, the immortal challenged him, "Who are you," cried the immortal, "and whither go you?" The king replied, "I am King Vikrama and I am going back to my own city. But who are you, and why would you stop me?" The immortal told him that Indra had sent him, ‘’he added, "you are truly King Vikrama, then before you enter, wrestle a fall with me." The king girt up his loins and shouted back., "Come on". Then the two, king and immortal, wrestled. After a fierce struggle the king overcame his foe and threw him down and sat upon his chest. The immortal said, "O king, ·you have overcome me, yet I shall spare your life." The king laughed and said, "Methinks you are a *-'Vikrama is the same Vikramajit. Vikrama means va lour and Vikramajit means valour unconquered. THE IMMORTAL GUARDS DHARAMANAGAR Introduction 5 • fool. How can you, who are beaten, talk of sparing my life " "I can save you from death," said the immortal, "listen to me and I shall bestow on you the empire of whole earth." Hearing this the king freed the immortal and prepared to listen attentively to his words. The immortal said, "Listen, King Vikrama. Once in this city there lived a great and generous king called Chandra bhan. One day he went into the woods and saw an anchorite, who by way of penance was hanging head downwards over a fire. Next day he for fun said to his attendants, "I shall give a lac of rupees to anyone who will make that anchorite return to the worldly life". A dancing girl said, "O king, if you will permit me, I shall bring that anchorite to this very spot. I shall bear him a son and he will come here, carrying the child on his shoulders". The king said, "I shall be much surprised if that happens". But he let the girl take up the betel-nut roll* and leave the palace that she might take captive the anchorite. The dancing girl went to where the anchorite was hanging. He had ceased to eat or drink anything. Thus he had dried up until he was only skin and bone. The girl went to him and gently placed a sweetmeat between his lips. He liked it and ate it. Seeing this, she gave him other sweetmeats which he also ate. In this way she fed him with sweetmeats for two days. Thus, the anchorite *This is the betel-nut roll or Vida which the king lays down when he calls for volunteers. He who volunteers takes it up. 6 Tales of King Vikrama recovered a little of his strength and coming down from the tree, asked her who she was and why she had come. The dancing girl answered, "I am a god's daughter. I used to practise austerities in heaven, but now I have come to earth to do penance here". The anchorite asked her where she lived. Now as the girl went to seek the anchorite, she had stopped on the way and built a little hermitage. She showed it to him and cooked him there a dinner of six courses. So delicate was the flavour of the dancing girl's cookery, that the anchorite then and there gave up his austerities and began to eat, drink and be merry. And in no long time, he had lost his heart to the dancing girl. Nor was she cruel. So it fell out that the anchorite married her and they began to live together as man and wife. Thus he lost all the merit that he had acquired by his penances. In course of time the dancing girl bore the anchorite a son. When the boy was a few months old, the dancing girl said to the anchorite, "let us go to some holy shrine, that we may cleanse our bodies from sin". Tempted by the idea of the pilgrimage, the anchorite agreed. As he walked beside her, she put their son upon his shoulders. Thus, she led him, as she had promised to do, into the king's palace. When she came close to the king, he recognized her and said, "I think that is the dancing girl whom I sent to bring the anchorite." His courtiers said, "Yes, 0 king, you speak truly, it is she." Introduction 7 Then the dancing girl came up and told the king the whole story and claimed her reward. The anchorite saw that she had deceived him and that the king had sent her merely to stop his penances and rob him of his merit. In a great wrath he turned on his heel and fled from the city. As he went, he killed his son and again entering the forest, began anew his penances. Not long afterwards, both the king and the anchorite died. Now all three, the king, the anchorite and the child, have been born again in this city. You, O king, are the king. The child has been born again as the son of an oilman. The anchorite has been born in the house of a potter. You have acquired this kingdom. The oilman's son was to have become a great magician. But the anchorite by means of his own magic slew the oilman's son, and having made a ghost of him has hung him upside down from a tree. He seeks to slay you also. If you can escape him, you will reign for ever. Be, therefore, on your guard, for I have warned you." So saying, the immortal rose into the air until he reached Indra's heaven. The king went into his palace and lay down to rest. Next morning, the citizens heard that he had returned; and young and old, rich and poor, thronged to the palace to see him and offer him presents. And the sound of music and dancing, merriment and rejoicing filled the whole city. (Anchorite-potter killed his son again. Krishnaraj) Some days later a certain anchorite called Shantashil came to the king's palace, and placing an apple in the king's hand, sat down and a few 8 Tales of King Vikrama minutes later left without- speaking. When he had gone, the king guessed that this must be the anchorite, his enemy, who sought to kill him. He did not eat the apple, but gave it to a servant and bade him keep it carefully. Next day the anchorite came again and placed another apple in the king's hand. This he did every day for several weeks. But one morning the king went with his ministers and his attendants to his armory. The anchorite followed him there and, as usual, put an apple in his hand. It fell. An ape, that was close by, snatched it up and tore it open. As the ape did so, there fell from it a ruby of such brilliance that none of those standing by could bear to look at it. The king asked the anchorite why he had given him so priceless a jewel. The anchorite replied, "0 king, it is written in the sacred books that one should never approach with-empty hand either a priest, a king or a god, because by offering gifts to them one obtains gifts in return. You talk, 0 king, of one ruby, but I put a similar ruby, in each one of the apples that I gave you." On hearing this the king sent for his servant and bade him bring all the apples given him to keep. The servant did so, and the king broke them open and found a similar ruby inside each. He then sent for a jeweller 'and bade him test them. "In this world," said the king, "the greatest of all things is truth. Therefore tell me their true value." The jeweler looked at them carefully and replied, "What you have said, 0 king, is just. Where there is truth, there will be found all the virtues. Introduction 9 Truth serves a man in this world and in the next. Hear me, 0 king, these jewels are all exactly alike in colour, size and lustre. Together they are worth- far more than singly. Yet singly each is worth more than a lac of rupees." The king was very pleased. He dismissed the jeweler •with a handsome present. Then he turned to the anchorite and taking him by the hand, seated him on throne. "0 king of anchorites," he cried, "the value of your gift is almost equal to the whole worth of my kingdom. Pray tell me what was your purpose in making me such a splendid present." "0 king," said the anchorite, "the future, family quarrels, money matters, spells, love affairs, medicines, gifts, a man's honour and dishonour should never be discussed in public. I cannot tell you what you ask me in the presence of your household. For it has been said that a secret heard by six ears ceases to be a secret; whereas a secret heard by only four ears remains secret. When only two ears have heard it, God himself cannot guess it." The king then drew the anchorite aside and bade him test him any way he pleased. The anchorite replied, "0 king, on the banks of the Godavari there is a great burning ground. I wish to complete my incantations there and thus become master of the eight* magical powers. Therefore, I want you •The eight magical powers are: 1.Anirna or the power to make oneself invisible. 2.Mahima or the power to make oneself infinitely big. 3.Garirna or the power to make oneself infinitely heavy. 4.Laghirna or the power to make oneself infinitely small and light. 5. Prapti or the power to obtain everything. 6. Prakamya or irresistible will power. 7. Ishitva or universal supremacy. 8. Vashitva or the power to hold others in subjection. 10 Tales of King Vikrama to spend a night with me there, for so I shall achieve my object". The king said, ''Certainly, any night you please." The anchorite chose the fourteenth of the dark half of Bhadrapad* and bade ·- the king join him armed that evening. He then went to his hermitage and thence to the burning ground where he made the preparation. When the appointed day came, the· king' girt on his sword and dagger and went out alone to join the anchorite. He bowed to him saying, "O king of anchorites, I am at your service." The anchorite said, "O king, sit down." The king sat down and as he did so, he looked round and saw numerous ghosts, phantoms and vampires, all of hideous I size and shape. They were dancing in a ring round the anchorite, who was seated in the middle and played hellish music on a droning pipe. The king felt no fear, but asked the anchorite what his orders were. The anchorite said, "Four miles to the south of this is another burning ground. In it you will find a corpse hanging. from a tree, bring it to me."The king started on his journey. It was a dark and gloomy night * The Indian year consists of twelve months: , Chaitra, Vaishakh, Jeshta, Ashad, Shravan, Bhadrapad, Ashwin, Kartik, Margashirsha, Paush, Magh, and Falgun. North of the Narbada the first month is Kartik. South of the Narbada the year begins with Chaitra. Bhadrapad corresponds with August-September. Introduction 11 and heavy rain was falling. All round him he heard the voices of ghosts and corpses gibbering and whispering to each other. Yet he strode on boldly. Serpents coiled themselves round his legs, but he drove them off by uttering mighty spells before they could bite him. At last he reached the other burning ground. There he saw vampires who were devouring men whom they had dragged there and witches who were tearing in pieces the hearts of little children.Tigers stood and lashed their flanks with their tails. Wild elephants rushed madly from side to side; and the whole air seemed filled with noise and horror. In the burning ground he saw a tree that seemed to be on fire. Round it voices cried, "Kill him, catch him, eat him, tear him, look out stop him." Yet the king felt no fear, for he' guessed that the anchorite was the very potter about whom the immortal had warned him. Boldly going close to the tree, he looked and saw a dead body that swung by a rope from one of the branches. He climbed the tree and drawing his sword, cut the rope so that the body fell. As it fell, it shouted, "Kill him, kill him." The king was pleased when he heard the voice, because he thought that the body still lived. He got down and asked the body who it was. The corpse laughed hideously and rising off the ground, again began to hang from the tree. The king marveled, but he again ·climbed the tree and seizing the body round the armpits forced it on to the ground, "Vile wretch," he cried, "tell me and heavy rain was falling. All round him he heard the voices of ghosts and corpses gibbering and whispering to each other. Yet he strode on boldly. Serpents coiled themselves round his legs, but he drove them off by uttering mighty spells before they could bite him. At last he reached the other burning ground. There he saw vampires who were devouring !)-len whom they had dragged there and witches who were tearing in pieces the hearts of little children. Tigers stood and lashed their flanks with their tails. Wild elephants rushed madly from side to side; and the whole air seemed filled with noise and horror. In the burning ground he saw a tree that seemed to be on fire. Round it voices cried, "Kill him, catch him, eat him, tear him, look out stop him."Yet the king felt no fear, for he'guessed that the anchorite was the very potter about whom the immortal had warned him. Boldly going close to the tree, he looked and saw a dead body that swung by a rope from one of the branches. He climbed the tree and drawing his sword, cut the rope so that the body fell. As it fell, it shouted, "Kill him, kill him." The king was pleased when he heard the voice, because he thought that the body still lived. He got down and asked the body who it was. The corpse laughed hideously and rising off the ground, again began to hang from the tree. The king marvelled, but he again ·climbed the tree and seizing the body round the armpits forced it on to the ground, "Vile wretch," he cried, "tell me 12 Tales of King Vikrama who you are or it will be the worse for you." The dead body made no answer. The king then guessed it must be the oilman's son, whom the anchorite had killed and put in the burning ground. He tied up the dead body with his shawl and throwing it across his back, set forth to carry it to the anchorite. Now it is written that the brave man surely wins to glory. When the king lifted the dead body, it began to speak. It asked the king who he was and where he was taking it. The king explained. The dead body replied, "If you obey my orders, I shall go with you. On the way do not speak a single word; if you do, I shall at once go back to the burning ground." The king agreed. He walked on a few steps. Then the dead body said, "O king, the sages and the wise pass their time gaily with song and laughter, whereas, fools spend their days slumbering ceaselessly. There fore to shorten our road, I shall tell you a story. Give heed to it. |