King Vikramaditya reached the peepal tree where the corpse was hanging. He pulled the corpse down and putting it on his shoulder started for the crematory. While walking King Vikramaditya said to Baital, “Do not have any false notions. I am going to take you to the hermit. So, you had better not run away from me.”
King Vikramaditya tightened his grip on Baital lest. Baital should try to run away with his sweet talk. But Baital said, “Do not worry, Vikram. I am not going to ditch you. But you will have to hear another story from me.” King Vikramaditya was silent. So, Baital started telling another story to him:
Once, in the city of Ujjaini lived a rich merchant. He had only one son. His name was Gandharvasen. He was a very handsome young man in his twenties.
One day, while Gandharvasen was riding near the river-bank, he came across a place where many washerwomen were washing clothes. As Gandharvasen’s was watching the washerwomen doing their jobs, his gaze fell upon a girl. She too was washing clothes. She was very beautiful. Gandharvasen could not move his eyes away from her. She looked like a princess despite being a washerwoman. Near the river was a temple. Gandharvasen sat outside the temple and kept looking at the girl.
Finally, all the washerwomen stopped work and left for home. Even the girl left for home along with the members of her family. After that, Gandharvasen got up with a heavy heart and went inside the temple. He stood before the idol of the goddess and took an oath, “O Mother! If I am able to marry this girl within a month, I will sacrifice my head at your feet.” Saying this, a sad Gandharvasen returned home. He was in a very odd state. The girl’s face kept appearing in front of him. He could not forget her.
The next day, Gandharvasen locked himself in his room. He did not eat anything nor did he drink anything. His poor parents could not understand what was happening. Since he did not confide in them, they, at last, called Deva Datta. He was a close friend of Gandharvasen.
Gandharvasen told Deva Datta about his new-found love. He also told him that he wanted to marry her. Deva Datta asked his friend to be patient. Then he went away. He visited the girl’s house and spoke to the parents of the girl in this regard.
The girl’s name was Roopmati. He told them about the marriage proposal of Gandharvasen. The parents were very happy to hear about the marriage proposal. Roopmati was also very happy. A happy Deva Datta went and told Gandharvasen everything. Gandharvasen was ecstatic.
On an auspicious day, Roopmati was married to Gandharvasen. He thought of himself to be the luckiest man on the earth. Time flew by. It was more than a month since they got married. Everything was going well when suddenly, one day, Gandharvasen remembered the pledge he had made before the goddess. He had sacrifice to his head in case he was married to Roopmati within a month.
Gandharvasen decided that it was time to fulfil his promise. So, he went to the temple. Roopmati and Deva Datta also went with him. But Gandharvasen did not tell them about his oath. Reaching the temple, Gandharvasen asked Roopmati and Deva Datta to wait outside and he himself went inside the temple.
Then, in the temple, Gandharvasen chanted his prayers before the goddess and then sacrificed himself by cutting off his head with his sword. After a lot of time had passed and Gandharvasen did not come out of the temple, Roopmati and Deva Datta got anxious. So, a worried Deva Datta went inside the temple to look for him. To his shock, he found his friend with his head cut off lying on the floor. He did not understand why Gandharvasen had done this. But a terrible thought entered Deva Datta’s mind.
He thought that people might think that he had killed his friend so that he might marry Roopmati. So, in order to be on the safe side, Deva Datta also cut off his head with his sword. After some time, Roopmati herself went inside the temple to see what was wrong. She was shocked to see both her husband and Deva Datta lying on the ground. She decided to take her own life and begged the goddess to give her the same husband in the next life.
The goddess was pleased and stopped her from killing herself. She asked Roopmati to join their heads and bodies so that she might grant them life. Out of excitement, she attached her husband’s head to Deva Datta’s body and Deva Datta’s head to her husband’s body. When she realized her mistake, she looked at the goddess for help but the goddess said that it was not possible to exchange the heads.
Here Baital stopped and asked, “Now tell me, Vikram, whom Roopmati should choose as her husband. Was it not a crime if she chose a wrong body and head? Tell me. Speak or I shall break your head into pieces.” King Vikramaditya replied, “Roopmati should accept the head of Gandharvasen as her husband.” But Baital said, “Do not forget that it had the body of Deva Datta.” “That does not matter. The head is the most important part of the human body. The head is the ultimate identity of a person,” said King Vikramaditya.
Baital said, “You are absolutely right. Yet, you have spoken again. You have broken the silence, so it is time for me to fly.” And before King Vikramaditya could react, Baital flew off his shoulder leaving him with no other choice but to chase him again with his sword.
