STORY OF RAM

The son of minister, Ram went towards the south side on the tree branch. He walked easily for four days and with difficult for two days until he saw the end of the tree branch. It was a mountain area. Ram wanted to see the place and its worth seeing attributes. So he started walking in that area and stopped when he saw an even more taller mountain. He started climbing that mountain.

He climbed the mountain for six days but still could not reach the top of the mountain. He decided to rest for the night and start climbing again and that if he didn't reach the top tomorrow, he would abandon climbing the mountain and go back. But the next day he saw a cave in the mountain.

He gathered up his courage and entered the cave. He went inside until the way was barely enough for him to squeeze in. He couldn't go front where the way is more smaller or could he turn back. He blamed himself but still went forward into the cave. Soon, he saw the lights in the other side of the cave. It was a brightly lit room where a saint was doing meditation. Ram got on his knees and prayed the saint. Saint opened his eyes and asked who he is. Ram told his whole story and asked the saint to help him.

Saint : I see the outside world once in every twelve years. Co incidentally it was today and so you are able to live. If not, you could have died without reason. So what do you wish for?

Ram : What more can I ask you than making me get out of this place?

In a blink of an eye, Ram is out on the opposite side of the mountain. Instantly he regretted not asking the saint to send him to the start of the big tree where he separated from his friends. He continued his journey until he reached a mango tree. He rested under the mango tree for some time. Then two eagles came and sat on that tree branch and started talking.

Female bird : Dear! You traveled many lands. Did you come across any new things??

Male bird : I can say that there is nothing new. But at a distance of two yojan from here there is a city. That king has a beautiful daughter. She somehow lost her sight few days ago. The whole kingdom is sad because of that. Not just her parents but the whole kingdom lost appetite while scolding god for her lose. King tried many means to bring her sight back but didn't succeed.

Female bird : Then what did the king do?

Male bird : He gave a notice that if any one could bring her sight back, without regarding his background, the king would wed his daughter to him and give his kingdom to him.

Female bird : Oh! It is such a pity that such a beautiful girl had to face the darkness. Isn't there any person who could bring her sight back?

Male bird : There is a special type of sandal wood in our nest. By making it into powder and apply it on her eyes, her eyes can regain its sight. She can not get her sight in any other way.

..

Ram who knows the bird language heard the whole conversation. When the dawn broke and the birds went on search for their food, he climbed the tree and took the sandal wood the male bird mentioned and reached that city by the evening. He slept on a front verandah of a brahmin house. Since the city didn't sleep yet, he could listen to their talks and heard about the beauty of their princess. The next morning when he said he can treat the princess eyes, he was immediately fetched by few guards and with in some time he was in front of the king.

King sneered at the young man saying many people tried to treat her but failed. But he had to bow down to the convincing power of Ram and his eloquent way of talking. He sent ram to the princess chamber. Ram asked all the maids to leave the room and then he applied the sandal wood powder to the princess' eyes. She soon got her sight and saw Ram in front of her and fell on his foot. " You are my husband. I am lucky to get you."

King wed them grandly on an auspicious day. After spending few days with her, Ram told her the story of his friends and that he would meet them and come back again. The princess denied in the beginning and soon gave up.

On a midnight, Ram took a good breed of a horse and started his journey into the forest. He went on for a day until he got tired and took rest by the side of a lake. He drank water from the lake when he heard a big sound out of no where. He had no weapons on him and so he climbed on to the tree. Soon a lion came and ate the horse which was tied to the tree.

When he made sure that lion went far away, he got down the tree and started walking slowly. It became darker and darker and rain started pouring down heavily with thunders. In the lighting of thunder he saw a temple and ran into that temple and started drying his clothes by squeezing the water out of the clothes. Then he heard cries of a woman and talks of two men. He got scared and hid behind the statue of the goddess of the temple.

Soon two thieves with knives in their hands entered the temple dragging a beautiful woman. The thieves were very scary to look. They started talking.

First thief : We gave lives of 99 virgins for the goddess till now. Our prayer ends tomorrow with this girl. After that the goddess will appear and fulfill our wishes.

Second thief : This was possible only because it is us both. No one else could do this hard task of killing hundred virgins for goddess.

First thief : Out of all the girls we killed, this girl is the most beautiful.

Second thief : Six months ago, her father called many princes for match making this girl. But she was so proud of her beauty that none of those princes felt worth of her beauty to her. So she didn't choose any of them. Then itself i targeted this girl.

First thief : She is destined to be given this way for goddess which is why she didn't choose any of those princes.

Second thief : I feel the itch to have her before giving her to goddess.

First thief : Wouldn't the goddess get angry and burn us both to ashes??

Second thief : Then we will not give her to goddess. I will marry her and we can give another girl for goddess.

First thief : Then even i can claim to take her as my wife. We have the same rights to take her.

Second thief : Don't go so far as to talk about the rights. Alright, we will just give her to goddess.

First thief : Good then.

The thieves soon slept. Ram heard the whole conversation and he felt that it is injustice to kill people in their sleep and so took away their knives and didn't sleep the whole night waiting for the thieves to wake up.

Dawn broke and thieves woke up. They couldn't find their knives and thought goddess took them away. They Ram came before them and said " you people thought dirtily of the girl who was meant to be given to goddess. I am her servant and she sent me to kill you people. "

The thieves stood shocked while Ram sliced their throats. Then he went into the temple and woke the girl up and told her that the thieves died. She opened her eyes and saw Ram. She bowed to him respectfully and asked him his story. After he told her his story, she started narrating her own life story.

"I am the daughter of the king Sruta keerti of kuntala city. My name is Kanaka prabha. Even since I reached the marriageable age, many princes came to wed me but none of them looked like they are my destiny. I think one of those princes got angry and appointed those thieves to take me away this way. You saved me. I never saw some one as handsome as you. Please marry me. It is not a new thing to marry their savior. Even my cousin padma gandhi also married the person who brought back her eye sight."

Ram hugged her saying, " So you are my cousin in law. I was the one who brought back the eye sight of padma gandhi and married her. "

They traveled in the forest until they reached a tribe.

Only the house of tribe head was a little bigger. All other houses were really small. They went to tribe head house and asked for shelter for that night. Tribal head loved t he beauty of kanaka prabha and wanted to make her his wife. He gave some food to them and they ate and slept deeply because of the exhaustion from journey.

Tribal head knew some magic. He changed Ram into a dog. Kanaka prabha started to worry unable to see her husband.

Tribal head : Kanaka prabha! I like you. Marry me and you can rule this tribe. I changed your husband to a dog.

Kanaka prabha felt sad but had to get out of this problem right now. So she started scheming against tribal head.

Kanaka prabha : Tribal head! It is my good luck that i came across you. But you already have a wife. I don't think we would get along. So we will leave this tribe and then we can marry.

Tribal head who was blinded by lust believed her and left his wife and kids in tribe and started his journey with her. Kanaka prabha held the dog in one hand and a sword in other and started walking beside tribal head. After two days she asked the tribal head where that way leads to.

Tribal head : This way leads to Helapur city in the kingdom of Vanga. I send the forest products to that country. So i know this way a lot.

Kanaka prabha : Your magic is really good. You could change a human into a dog. I want to see your magic skills. Can you change this dog into human again?

Tribal head : I didn't learn that magic. In helapur there is a satram* where a saint lives. He didn't teach me the method to turn him back to human. Anyway, when should we marry?

Kanaka prabha : Today is an auspicious day. According to our methods, you should first pray to a tree. Bring some flowers first.

Tribal head brought some flowers. Kanaka prabha tied the dog to near by tree. She prayed to the tree and bowed wholly to the tree. She told him to repeat the whole process. When he bowed his head down, she immediately cut his head with her sword. She thought 'My beauty is bringing me lot of troubles. It is better to change into a male costume.' and so she changed into male clothes and left to Helapur.

...

"It is time for our journey. Let's go" said mani to kota. Kota followed while Mani walked in the front.

After they reached their next resting place, Mani resumed his story.