part 10

Princess Lilavati spoke in an indignant tone, "Deepak is speaking falsely. Being lifeless, he takes the side of the body. The decision to marry is made with wisdom. Not just humans, but all living beings are controlled by the brain. The senses are merely mediums; pleasure and pain are governed by the mind. The mind is the true experiencer of all emotions.

After her husband's death, a wife holds his head in her lap. A woman who performs Sati also does so with her husband's head, not his torso. Therefore, the body that bears the husband's head is Chandranayani's rightful husband."

King Vikramaditya laughed and said, "I admire your wisdom."

To announce that Princess Lilavati had spoken, a drum was struck, and a proclamation was made:

The affectionate friends played the drum,

Lilavati has spoken her first words.

Emperor Vikramaditya realized the key to victory—Princess Lilavati never accepted falsehood. Therefore, he needed to narrate such intricate stories that ended with a question.

King Vikramaditya then summoned the Yaksha Vetala and commanded, "Vetala, go and enter the flower vase. Remember your duty."

Vetala responded, "I will remain vigilant, my lord."

Following Vikramaditya's command, Vetala entered the flower vase.

The king then addressed the flower vase, "Flower vase! The first quarter of the night has passed talking to the lamp. Now, you too must assist me."

The flower vase replied, "Oh noble one! It is my fortune that you wish to converse with me. Though I remain amidst the fragrance of flowers, I lead a lonely existence. A deep emptiness pervades my life. You are wise; tell me what you wish to say. Listening to you will bring me joy."

Princess Lilavati was astonished. What mystery was this? First, the lamp spoke to this man, and now the flower vase was speaking too. However, she was unable to voice her thoughts.

Vikramaditya said, "Flower vase! Let me tell you a story."

The flower vase responded, "It is my privilege. Please narrate."

In the town of Champapur, there lived a wealthy Kshatriya named Raj Singh. His wife's name was Ganga. They had a son, Narayan Singh, and a daughter, Sumati.

Raj Singh's wife's brother, Shyam Singh, also lived with them.

Sumati had just stepped onto the threshold of youth. Her beauty was so extraordinary that even celestial maidens would pale in comparison. The entire town was abuzz with talk of Sumati's beauty. Suitors, enamored by her charm, eagerly sought her hand in marriage.

Realizing the urgency, Raj Singh and his wife decided to arrange their daughter's marriage at the earliest. Raj Singh entrusted his son Narayan Singh and his brother-in-law Shyam Singh with finding a suitable groom for Sumati.

Given Raj Singh's prestige and Sumati's beauty, finding a groom was no challenge. The father, brother, and uncle each finalized a match and even conducted an engagement ceremony on their own accord. Meanwhile, Sumati's mother also chose a groom for her daughter and arranged an engagement ceremony.

By coincidence, all four engagements were scheduled for the same auspicious day—Basant Panchami—only eight days away. However, none of them disclosed the names or villages of the grooms to each other. Each one assumed that they had all chosen the same groom.

With little time left, the family began wedding preparations in full swing.

Finally, the auspicious day of Basant Panchami arrived.

On that day, four wedding processions entered Champapur.

When asked whom they had come to marry, each groom's party responded the same way: "We have come to wed Raj Singh's daughter, Sumati."

The entire town was in uproar. People laughed, exclaiming, "One bride and four grooms! Who will Sumati marry?"

The situation was dire—these were Kshatriya warriors, and none would leave without a bride. It seemed that the land of Champapur would be drenched in blood.

A well-wisher informed Sumati's father of the predicament: "What is happening? You have only one daughter, Sumati, yet four wedding processions have arrived!"

The father, brother, uncle, and mother all realized their blunder. They began blaming each other.

Sumati's mother intervened, "Why quarrel among ourselves? We must find a way out of this crisis."

Who among the four will marry Sumati? And how will the remaining three grooms and their wedding parties be sent back peacefully? Sending a Kshatriya's wedding procession back empty-handed is impossible.

To be continued…