King Vikram, to fulfil his promise to the muni, climbs back on to the tree and manages to subdue the betal and latch him on to his shoulders. Thus done, the betal once again starts off with a story.
“Listen on great king Vikram, in the far away land of Angadh, lived a brahmin by name Adhi Vishnu and his three sons. All 3 of them were well educated and intelligent. The father was extremely proud of all 3 of them and the unique qualities. The qualities of each being unique was just not the case. The case was that the qualities was so unique that Adhi Vishnu believed that the 3 of them should meet the King and impress him with their qualities and win a place in the Kings court. And thus, he impressed upon all 3 of his sons the need to impress the king and off they went to meet, greet and win over the king.
They reached the palace of the King Yogadhaanan and sough out his audience. After much waiting they finally gained the kings audience. The King, true to his dharma, enquired about the unique qualities of which all the 3 brahmin boys were so proud of.
The first son said that he has the unique ability to taste and critic food. The second son states that his unique quality is in his ability to seek pleasures from a woman and the third son states that he can experience the best sleep in the world.
The king is now angry that the above mentioned qualities can be stated as being “unique” as all humans can eat, sleep and derive pleasure. But, be as they were brahmins claiming as such, the king decided to test them.
To test the brahmin with a taste for good food, the king sent him to his royal kitchen to have feast. The brahmin obliged and went to partake in the feast. Upon having seated, the brahmin was served the best food. Food that was fit for the king himself. But the brahmin did not even eat. He walked out. The king was puzzled and enquired as to the reason. The brahmin responded “O king, the food was smelling of corpses. I believe that the rice could have been growing in and/or around a grave yard.” The king immediately ordered for an enquiry and it was identified that the ashes from a nearby graveyard was mixed along with the compost to fertilise the land where the rice was reaped from. The king was amazed at the ability of the brahmin to identify such minute details just by smelling the food.
To test the second brahmin, the king ordered one of his courtesans to pleasure the brahmin. The courtesan, who, without a word, was one of the most beautiful maidens in the land, bathed in water laced with perfumes, wore the best garments and perfumes and went to meet the brahmin. The attire and perfumes used were the ones that she would normally use when she was to meet royalty. The brahmin exited the room as soon as she entered, refusing any advances from the beautiful nymph who was there a pleasure him. The king now puzzled, enquired the reason to the brahmin. “O king, yes, she is the most beautiful of all the women I have met in my life. But, unfortunately, she is of a lower caste that I am. And that prevents me from engaging with her in any act of pleasure.” The king was surprised that none of the nobilities earlier had noted that and wanted to discuss the matter with the courtesan herself. Upon challenging her origins, it was learned that she was indeed of a lower caste and had cheated her way through because of her good looks, in to becoming a courtesan. The king was immensely pleased with the keen senses of the second brahmin.
[Caste system as still prevalent at that time and people of upper caste would never indulge with lower caste.]
To test the third brahmin, the king ordered a mattress to be made of the best silk cotton to be wrapped in the best silk and laden with jasmine and roses. The same was done and the third brahmin was invited to sleep for one night on the same. The brahmin could not find sleep on the best mattress in the country. This surprised the king to no end. The brahmin, pointing to one corner of the immensely broad mattress, “O king, there is something itching me from that corner of the mattress and hence I am unable to sleep.” The king asked the chamber maids to look in to the said corner. The maids did the same and found that there was one strand of hair entangled with a rose. The brahmin said, “ That must have bothered me”. Having said that went to sleep, without effort on the mattress. The king was now really surprised at how keen his senses could be.
“Now King Vikram, tell me, who of the 3 have the most keen senses of all.?” enquired the betal to Vikram.
“The brahmin who had a taste for food and the one with the taste for woman, both though initially had some sense either of smell or touch, both their decisions were made using a though process. However, the brahmin with a sense of sleep being disturbed, depended only on his senses through. And hence, this senses are the most keen of all 3.” replied king Vikram. As the response was correct, the betal released itself from Vikram’s grasp and flew back to the tree top, making way for Vikram to climb up and capture him and for another story in that manner.
