Baital asked, “Was the snake guilty then?” The King replied, “Snakes have a natural tendency of spitting venom here and there. So, it is quite foolish to pass a judgement against these creatures.” Baital asked, “Then ultimately, who is to be held guilty?” The King replied, “Bhadraavat is the one who is guilty. But he cannot be blamed fully as he was not in his right state of mind. A mentally unsound person cannot distinguish between good and bad. So, in this particular case, no one is to be held guilty.” Baital laughed and said to Vikramaditya, “You are right but since you have broken your promise of keeping silent, I am going back to my abode in the peepal!” Saying so, Baital slipped out of King Vikramaditya’s firm grip and flew away. Poor King Vikramaditya again cursed himself for not remaining silent and ran after Baital.
Guilty Bhadraavat
