The King was ecstatic. The hermit said, “Master the mantra by heart. Then recite it for thirty days standing in cold water and then again for thirty days sitting in the fire.” The King promised the hermit that he would follow his instructions. He learnt the mantra by heart. Then he recited it for the first thirty days standing in cold water and then again for another thirty days sitting in the fire. But before showing his powers to the hermit, he decided to test the powers of the mantra by calling the same young girl, whom the hermit had sent. So, the King uttered the mantra. Sadly, the mantra did not create any woman. The King was very disappointed.” Having ended the story here, Baital asked King Vikramaditya, “Answer me as to why the mantra did not work. Was the hermit at fault?”
The Disappointed King
