Mahamantri and King Vallabh

Dilemma of Mahamantri and King Vallabh

Betal adored Vikram’s courage as yet again in the dark night he came to get him. As usual, Betal started another story. This story was of King Vallabh of Punepur. The King was very wise, brave and intelligent but the only problem with him was that he used to spend a lot of money from the state treasure. Once two musicians came and played the Sitar for the King. King Vallabh was very happy and asked his minister to fill up their Sitars with gold coins. Later, a painter came with his paintings to gift the King. King Vallabh was so overwhelmed to see these paintings that he ordered his minister to weigh the painter and gift him gold coins equal to his weight. The minister warned the King that at that rate the state treasure would get over very soon but the King did not listen to him. Later in the day, while the King was roaming around in the garden, he liked the place so much that he announced to build a palace there. Once more the minister warned him but King Vallabh got angry with him saying that he should not instruct him every now and then and that he was the King and not his servant. The minister kept quiet at this. The minister was very much worried for the state and so could not sleep at night. When his wife asked him about what was he so worried about, he said that being the minister of the state it was his duty to see that the money is used in the right way or else he should quit his post. His wife suggested him to take a leave for few days and go for a pilgrimage with her. The minister agreed and both of them started for their pilgrimage. On their way they sat down to have food besides a lake. Just as they started eating an island came out of the lake and a girl was sitting on it playing the flute. The minister and his wife were shocked to see this.

The minister immediately thought of informing the King as this was something unusual and it was his duty as a minister to inform the King about anything that happened in the state. He went and told the King Vallabh and he was surprised and expressed his wish to see it with his own eyes. The minister asked him to take soldiers along with him but the King refused and he went all alone. Just as he reached there, once again the island came out and the same girl was playing the flute. As soon as the girl saw him, she asked him to go away. When Vallabh asked who she was, she said that she was the daughter of King Gandharva. A demon harassed the Gandharvas and her father had lost the battle against the demon. Since then on, on every new moon day they had to give gifts to the demon and keep it on that magical island. Sometimes it was clothes, sometimes food and sometimes slaves. She refused to get married to the man of her father’s choice and so her father was very angry with her and sent her as the food for the demon. That is why she asked Vallabh to go away from there as the demon would be come. But Vallabh refused saying that as a King he had to be brave and have respect for ladies and so he could not leave her alone and go away. He promised the girl that he would fight with the demon. The girl said that if he won over the demon, she would dedicate the rest of her life to him. Just as the demon came, King Vallabh shot an arrow at him and the demon fell down. Vallabh and the girl were about to run away when the demon came in front of them. Just when the demon was about to kill King Vallabh he was shot dead by the arrows of the soldiers who had come secretly with the minister. King Vallabh was very pleased with the minister. They came back and King Vallabh announced his marriage with the Gandharva princess. He ordered to call for musicians, poets, painters and entertainers from all over the country and give them the highest remuneration from the state’s treasure. He also ordered that the messengers must leave the next day to invite Kings from nearby states, each and every person of the state should attend the ceremony and the whole city should be decorated and whatever money was required should be taken from the state treasure. The minister was very much worried on hearing this and died in the court itself.

Saying this, Betaal stopped and asked Vikram that the minister should be happy with the news of the King’s marriage, instead he was shocked and lost is life. Why did that happen? He pestered Vikram to reply or else he would behead him. Vikram replied that the minister was worried about the state’s treasure. The way King Vallabh had made the announcement, as a minister, if he followed that, the treasure would be empty and if he did not follow King Vallabh’s instructions, the King would loose respect in the society. Thus the minister was in a dilemma and could not take any decision. As a minister, it was his duty to think for the state first. Thus due to the pressure he lost his life. Betaal was very much pleased with his answer and further ended the story saying that King Vallabh realized his mistake, that all his life the minister tried to explain that the state’s treasure was for the benefit and welfare of its subjects and not for the luxury and personal pleasure of the King but he never understood and only after the minister’s death he realized so and he got married in a sober way. Saying this Betaal made Vikram realize his mistake of speaking and flew away.