As King Vikramaditya was carrying Baital, he started telling another story as follows:
Many years ago, in Himachal Pradesh ruled a king named Jeemutwahan. He was very proficient and had a religious bent of mind. The King had a son named Agniwahan. Unlike his father, he was of wicked nature.
One day, as the King was holding his court, Agniwahan came charging and disturbed the meeting. He said to his father, “I want to sit on the throne, so you had better step down from it.” The King was absolutely shocked to hear this and so were the others gathered in the court.
Now, Jeemutwahan was a peace-loving man. He also loved his son, so he quietly stepped down from the throne. After that, he renounced his throne and went to the forest to meditate for the rest of his life. Agniwahan started troubling his subjects as soon as he became the king. People became very unhappy. Meanwhile, as Jeemutwahan was meditating in the forest, he heard an old woman crying. He got up and asked the woman why she was crying. The old woman replied, “I have only one son. A demon has threatened to eat my son tonight.” The King thought for a while and then said, “Tonight, I shall pretend to be your son and offer myself to the demon.” the old woman was hesitant about this. But the King did not change his mind.
So, as per the plan, when the demon came to eat the son, the King offered himself. The demon ate the King right away. Thus, the old woman’s son was saved.
Here Baital asked King Vikramaditya, “What do you think of the King’s sacrifice? ” King Vikramaditya kept silent for a while, and then said, “Baital, I find no sacrifice here. King Jeemutwahan’s sacrifice was motivated by his wish to achieve moksha. Giving the reign of his kingdom in the cruel hands of his son, he had thrown his innocent subjects to innumerable hardships and tyranny. Can Jeemutwahan be forgiven for his thoughtless act?”
Baital thought over his story for a while and then said, “I think you are right in your judgement. But since you have spoken again, I must fly off your shoulder.” Saying so, Baital left the shoulder of King Vikramaditya and flew off straight to his peepal tree.
