The Veiled Chronicles of Vikram and Vetal

King Vikramaditya used to rule in a state named Ujjayani. King Vikramaditya's justice, dutifulness and charity were famous throughout the country. This was the reason that people from far and wide used to come to his court seeking justice. The king used to listen to the problems of the people in his court every day and solve them.

His kingdom grew day by day and he became the king of entire Jambudweep . One day it came to his mind that he should take a trip and see the countries whose names he had heard. So he handed over the throne to his younger brother Bhartrihari, became a yogi and left the kingdom.

A Brahmin was meditating in that city. One day, the God was pleased and gave him a fruit and said that whoever eats it will have a long life. The Brahmin brought that fruit and gave it to his wife and also told the deity's words.

The Brahmin's wife said, "What will we do after becoming immortal? We will keep on begging. It is better to die. You take this fruit and give it to the king and get some money in return."

Hearing this, the Brahmin went to King Bhartrihari with the fruit and narrated the whole situation. Bhartrihari took the fruit and sent the Brahmin away after giving him one million gold coins.

Bhartrihari loved one of his queen very much. He went to the palace and gave the fruit to her. The queen has an affair with the city policeman. She gave that fruit to the policeman. Inspector used to go to a prostitute. He gave that fruit to that prostitute thinking that it's just a normal fruit and queen is trying to trick him. The prostitute thought that the king should eat this fruit.

She took it to King Bhartrihari and gave it to him.

Bhartrihari gave her a lot of money; he recognized it. He was badly hurt, but he did not say anything to anyone. He went to the palace and asked the queen what she did with that fruit. The queen said, "I ate it." The king took out the fruit and showed it. The queen got scared and told everything truthfully. When Bhartrihari inquired, he came to know the whole matter correctly. He became very sad. He thought, this world is an illusion. No one belongs to us in it. He came out with the fruit, washed it and ate it himself. Then he left the kingdom, disguised himself as a yogi, and went to the forest to do penance.

Vikram's throne became vacant after Bhartrihari went into the forest. The king of devas, deva Indra was a good friend of King Vikram. When he got this news, he sent a deva guard to guard the city of Dhara. The deva guard started staying there day and night.

When Vikram came to know about Bhartrihari leaving the kingdom and going to the forest, he returned to his country. It was midnight. When he started entering the city, deva guard stopped him.

The king Vikram said, "I am Vikram. This is my kingdom. Who are you to challenge my entry?" Vikram asserted.

Dev said, "King Indra has sent me to guard this city. If you are the true King Vikram, then come and fight with me first."

"Are you sure you want to fight me " Vikram laughed.

The deva guard, steadfast in his duty, responded, " Prove yourself, O Vikram, by engaging in combat with me.This is the only way i can confirm that you are true Vikramaditya " said Deva guard.

Vikram, with a confident smile, accepted the challenge. "A fight it shall be, then. Let's see if celestial might can withstand the valor of a mortal king."

Vikram, though human, stood undeterred, his own sword drawn. The clash began, a dance of mortal and celestial forces. The temperature dropped, an icy aura enveloping the battlefield. Vikram's breath mingled with the cold air as he parried the Guard's strikes, determination etched on his face.

The Deva Guard, a celestial embodiment of duty, pressed on, each stroke resonating with celestial power. Vikram, fueled by the spirit of a sovereign, fought back with earthly grit. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, echoing through the silent battlefield.

Suddenly, Vikram seized an opening, a swift maneuver that left the Deva Guard momentarily off balance. The temperature plummeted further as Vikram's blade met the celestial armor with a resounding clash. The air crackled with tension, and for a heartbeat, the celestial and the mortal locked eyes in a silent standoff.

A frigid wind swept through, carrying the whispers of a challenge faced and met. The Deva Guard, recognizing the indomitable spirit of Vikramaditya, sheathed the celestial sword, bowing in acknowledgment. The gates slowly creaked open, revealing the city beyond—a testament to the resilience of a mortal king against celestial scrutiny.

Then the god said, "O king! You defeated me. I will tell you a secret in return ."

After this the deva guard said, "O king, three men were born in one city and one constellation. You were born in the house of a king, the second one of an oilman and the third one of a potter. You rule here, Oilman used to rule the underworld. The potter, after practicing magic became a yogi, killed Oilman and hanged him on a banyan tree in the crematorium, turning into a ghost. The yogi is now trying to kill you. Be careful of him."

Saying this, the deva left and the king came to the palace. The return of the king made everyone very glad. The city celebrated joyful moments. The king started to rule again.

One day a yogi named Shantishil came to the king's court and gave him a fruit and went away. The king became suspicious whether he was the same person whom Dev had told him about. Thinking this, he did not eat the fruit but gave it to the steward. Yogi used to come daily and give a fruit to the king.

Coincidentally one day the king had gone to see his stable. Yogi reached there and handed over the fruit to the king. When the king tossed it, it slipped out of his hand and fell on the ground. At the same time a monkey pounced on it, picked it up and broke it. A red diamond emerged from it, whose brilliance dazzled everyone's eyes. The king was astonished.

The king called the steward and ordered all the fruits from the back. When broken, one red diamond came out of each. The king was very happy to see so many red diamonds. He called the jeweller and asked their value. The jeweler said, "Maharaj, these Diamond are so precious that their value cannot be measured even in millions of gold coins. "Each red diamond is equal to one state."

"Why do you gift me these precious red diamonds?" Vikram questioned to yogi, his eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and suspicion.