Many questions have been asked by readers all over the world about Vikram and Betal. These range from its authorship to the number of stories, and the amazing riddle-solving questions within the stories. I have tried to answer all these questions in the hope that they will satisfy the curious minds of my humble readers.
Who is the author of Vikram and Betal?
The tales of Vikram and Betal are very old. They were originally written in Sanskrit. Vikram and Betal, also known as Vikramaditya and Vetal or Betal Pachisi, is a collection of ancient Indian stories. The original creation of Vikram and Betal is actually credited to Somdev Bhatt, who weaves a spellbinding narrative around encounters with King Vikramaditya and his mysterious ghost Vetal.
How many stories are there of Vikram and Betal ?
Somdev Bhatt’s “The Ocean of the Streams of Story” (Katha-Sarit-Sagar), compiled around 1070 A.D., contains the main story of Vikramaditya and 24 stories told by Vetala.
However, the most popular and famous version of Vikram and Betal was compiled and translated by Sir Richard Francis Burton in the 19th century. Burton’s translation was titled “Vikram and the Vampire or Tales of Hindu Devilry”, published in 1870.
What kind of king was Vikram (also known as Vikramaditya) ?
Betal Pachisi or Vetala Pachisi is a unique collection of 24 stories. In which the loveliness of the famous King Vikramaditya has been shown from different perspectives. For this reason he is known for justice all over the world. These stories introduce us to King Vikramaditya’s wisdom, justice, love for his people, bravery and noble rule. By reading these, readers will be able to understand the governance system of that time.
Who is ghost Betal (also known as Vetala or Betal) ?
Betal is a mysterious and magical ghost who resides in a dead body. He has amazing powers and knows a lot about the universe. No one really knows where Betal comes from, but his adventures with King Vikram are very famous and exciting. In this collection, Betal tells 24 stories to Vikramaditya. At the end of every story, a question is raised, which it is the duty of the king to answer. As soon as Vikram answers that question, according to the condition of the story, Betal gets angry with Vikram and hangs himself upside down on the tree again.
What is the short summary of Vikram Betal ?(The Legendary Encounter)
King Vikramaditya (Vikram) of Ujjain, known for his unparalleled bravery and wisdom, had promised the sage that he would bring Betal. The condition for bringing Betal was that King Vikram would remain silent all the way. If King Vikram speaks, Betal will go back to the Peepal tree. As King Vikram journeyed back to the kingdom with Betal, Betal would narrate a story along the way. Once the story concluded, Betal would pose a question to King Vikram, who would then provide an answer. As soon as King Vikram answered, Betal would break his silence and fly away, leaving King Vikram stranded midway in the middle of the forest.
What is the moral of Vikram Betal’s story?
The complex stories of Vikram and Betal contain a strange depiction of knowledge of public behavior, diplomacy, economics, religion, work and salvation. This also reveals how a man can differentiate between his friend and his enemy? Both Vikram and Betal together create such a mysterious and entertaining world that every time the curiosity and excitement for the upcoming story becomes stronger. By reading these stories, readers of every age group will gain knowledge and also get joy and healthy entertainment. Avoiding deception and fraud in life, doing good deeds, cleverly solving practical difficulties in social life etc. can be learned from these stories. It is believed that this collection of ‘Vikram and Betal Stories’ will not only provide healthy entertainment to every reader and listener but will also become a means of enhancing knowledge.
I am presenting a complete collection of unique and incredible stories of Vikram and Betal to voracious readers, where each story comes with a life lesson. This story collection is not only a dialogue between Vikram and Betal but also helps the reader to gain a clear view of justice in the modern society. This is the reason why readers of all age groups read them with great interest. I do hope that my humble readers, especially the young ones, will enjoy reading these stories as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
In all the stories of Vikram and Betal available to readers on this website, they will have ample opportunity to test their wits and intelligence by solving the riddles posed to Vikramaditya by the ghost Betal, and also have the chance to see if they can match their wisdom, power of reasoning, and judgment with King Vikramaditya.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the enchanting world of Vikram and Betal, which has spellbound the masses of yesteryears and will continue to do so now and in the future.
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- Baital Pachisi बैताल पचीसी in Hindi
- Bedtime Stories for All
- Panchatantra stories in hindi
- Stories in English from Panchatantra 2.0
- Vikram and Betal series: Riddle Solving Stories
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