Reminding himself of the promise given to the sage, King Vikramaditya returned once again to the peepal tree where Betal was hanging upside-down with a sheepish smile on his face. Vikram pulled the corpse onto his shoulders and started walking towards the cremation ground of the capital.
As always, Betal offered to narrate another interesting story to King Vikramaditya, but the king remained quiet since he was fed up with the repeated escapes from Betal, which made him mentally and physically tired.
Without waiting for Vikram’s response, Betal began his story:
Once upon a time, there was the kingdom of Mithila, ruled by a young and noble king named Dharmendra. The people of his kingdom loved him very much because of his generosity towards his subjects.
In his kingdom, there lived another young man named Jitendra, who lived in a remote place far from the hustle and bustle of the kingdom’s capital. He was very skillful and employable, but due to the lack of opportunity in his place, he remained jobless. It was his desire to serve King Dharmendra that led him to search for employment in the royal palace of King Dharmendra. However, the palace guards repeatedly turned him away, each time with a different excuse.
But determined Jitendra would not give up so easily. He was in search of a way to meet the king without drawing the attention of the royal guards. Luckily for him, he learned that King Dharmendra would be going on a solo hunting expedition in a nearby forest of his kingdom. Jitendra didn’t want to waste this opportunity, so he waited for the king at the outskirts of the forest. Soon, the king arrived on horseback, armed with a bow and arrows, and entered the forest, with Jitendra following on foot.
King Dharmendra had a disappointing day while hunting. By sunset, he had reached deep into the forest. He soon realized that he was lost, and since the forest was dense and visibility very poor, he decided to spend the night in the forest itself and leave for the palace the next morning. The whole day’s exertion had taken a toll on both the king and his horse. To quench the thirst of his horse and himself, he brought some water and collected some green grass for the horse to eat. He then slept on an empty stomach, as he had carried no food with him.
The moment the king was about to drift away into an exhaustive sleep, he heard a feeble voice coming from a nearby bush, ” Is that you King Dharmendra, my majesty?”
“Who are you? And what led you to be here in the middle of the forest at such an odd hour? asked King Dharmendra.
Jitendra came forward and said, “Your majesty, my name is Jitendra, and I am from the village of Panchavati in your kingdom. For many days, I have been searching for employment and wanted to meet you for that reason. As a result, I followed you from the outskirts of this forest.”
Jitendra then said, “My Majesty, you look tired. Can I offer you my simple meal which I saved for you?” The king gladly accepted his humble meal, which consisted of dry bread and curry, and ate it in no time as he was remarkably hungry. When the king finished eating, Jitendra asked King Dharmendra to sleep while he kept watch the whole night for the king’s protection.
The next morning, the king asked Jitendra to sit behind him on his horse. He rode towards the palace and offered him the post of the king’s adviser along with a spacious place to live. Jitendra accepted the offer and proved himself worthy of his new position. The king was very pleased with his service and praised him for being an efficient adviser.
One morning, Jitendra went for a walk and saw a woman named Nutan. Her beauty was matchless, but it was her sharp facial features that captivated the king’s adviser. Jitendra approached her and expressed his feelings to her. The woman said, “If you want to marry me, then come and see me tomorrow at the same place and time.” Jitendra agreed.
That same day, Jitendra went to the palace for his work. After discussing the matters of the kingdom with King Dharmendra, he couldn’t resist telling the king about the morning incident. King Dharmendra got curious about the morning incident and decided to go along with Jitendra to meet the girl named Nutan.
The next day, at the appointed time and place, Nutan arrived with her mother. Seeing that Jitendra was accompanied by another person, she inquired about him. Jitendra said, “He is my King Dharmendra, the king of Mithila.”
Upon hearing this, Nutan instantly bowed out of respect and said, “I don’t mind getting married to this king.”
Then Jitendra said, “I will happily step aside only if my majesty wishes to marry her, as my king’s happiness will reflect on the prosperity of my kingdom.”
To this, the king asked the girl, “Why do you want to marry me?”
The beautiful girl replied, “Your Majesty, don’t get me wrong. I am neither unfaithful nor selfish by nature. It’s just that I prefer my security and honor over any king’s treasure, even during times of war.”
The king then replied, “So, if I give Jitendra a palace, which he will own, and royal guards for complete protection, will you marry him?”
The girl nodded in affirmation.
Therefore, the marriage was solemnized, and Jitendra and his wife, Nutan, lived happily ever after in the palace.
Betal ended his story and said, “Vikram, on one hand, Jitendra was ready to step aside for his king if he desired to marry the girl, and on the other hand, King Dharmendra ensured that Jitendra married the girl he loved. So, my question to you is, according to your better judgment, who among these two is the most noble?”
Dear Readers, who do you consider the nobler of the two: King Dharmendra or his adviser, Jitendra? Make your choice before you read on.
King Vikramaditya replied, “Jitendra stepped aside out of loyalty to the king, as he is employed by him. However, King Dharmendra was the nobler of the two because he was under no compulsion and acted purely out of love.”
Betal applauded Vikram’s wise judgment and praised him wholeheartedly. However, he was not so kind in accompanying the king to the cremation ground.
So, Betal flew away into the sky from the king’s grip and proceeded towards the peepal tree, while Vikram chased after him to catch him.
- 14 Best Panchatantra stories in hindi
- 15 Best Children Stories in English from Panchatantra 2.0
- 16 Best Aesop's Fables in Hindi with moral lessons
- 17 Best Aesop's Fables with moral lessons for children
- Arabian Nights
- Baital Pachisi बैताल पचीसी in Hindi
- Bedtime Stories for All
- Vikram and Betal series: Riddle Solving Stories
You can join my WhatsApp Channel by clicking the link here
