Vikram Betal Stories in English

The Miracle Man And His Son

The Vampire started: In Vaishali lived a Brahmin named Shur Sharma. He was a priest by profession and quite well off. But he was far more learned than any ordinary priest. He was unhappy that his learning brought him no extra benefit. He felt envious of those scholars who were honored by the king. Shur Sharma had only one child, Krishna Sharma by name. He successfully completed his studies in the Vedic school and began assisting his father in the priestly duties. Shur Sharma saw that his son was quite efficient. It would not matter much if he absented himself from home for a few days." "I am going on a pilgrimage," he told his son and left the town. He walked into the Himalayan region, determined to locate a Yogi who had mastered supernatural powers. Luckily he met such a Yogi before long. He remained with him and served him with great care. A few months passed. One day the Yogi said, "Look here, Brahmin, you have left your family behind. I do not think that you came here because you lost all interest in worldly affairs. I have a hunch that you are here in order to get some desire fulfilled. Should I teach you a secret by which you can have your desire satisfied?" "O great soul, I should not hide anything from you. I desire fame and wealth. Pass on to me a secret that would enable me to have them," said Shur Sharma, his hands folded. "Brahmin, it would have been creditable for you to rise above such vain desires. Since you cherish them, I should oblige you. I can teach you a hymn by which you can bring down rain and again stop it too. This will naturally bring you both fame and wealth. But, be on your guard. Let not your greed make you blind to your circumstance," warned the Yogi.

The Brahmin jumped with joy. "I will be grateful to you O noble Yogi if you impart such a hymn to me!" "Very good. But do not forget my warning. You shall be in grave danger if you let your greed possess you!" After this caution, the Yogi taught the Brahmin the promised hymn. Shur Sharma was back in Vaishali. To his joy, he found that his own country was seething under a terrible drought. The king had already performed many rites but to no avail. It had just been announced that anyone who can bring down rain will be honored and rewarded. "My son," Shur Sharma told Krishna Sharma, "I know a hymn by which I can bring down rain at wish and can stop it too. Let me impart it to you lest I forget it in the future. You have to face north and stand on one leg and recite the hymn thrice, both for bringing the rain and for stopping it." Shur Sharma taught the hymn to his son. "Father," said Krishna Sharma, "Why don't you recite it in the proper way, facing north, so that there is rain immediately? Drought is destroying the crop and almost killing the people!" "Don't speak like a fool. I perform the rite here and bring down the rain, how will the king know that it is my power that brought the rain? Did I take so much trouble to learn the hymn for nothing? The king must know that I am performing a miracle so that he rewards me," said Shur Sharma. Krishna Sharma kept quiet. Shur Sharma proceeded to meet the king. "The rains will come at my calling!" he announced in the king's presence with confidence.

The king could not believe him, but said, "Brahmin, I shall give you a reward of ten thousand gold coins immediately if you do so. Afterward, you'll be honored in public." "Very well. You will see what I can do within an hour," said Shur Sharma. "Let one of your courtiers follow me." In order to create an impression that what he was doing was not at all easy and it could be done only at some special place, he went near a deserted temple outside the town. After taking a dip in the water, he made postures and gestures that were really not necessary. The king's emissary observed him with a keen eye. Then he stood on one leg facing north and recited the hymn thrice. At once dark clouds were seen gather in the sky. In ten minutes a heavy downpour began. The emissary ran and informed the king where the Brahmin was performing his penance. The king, followed by his ministers and courtiers, came to meet Shur Sharma, unmindful of the rain. In fact, the people were dancing in the streets enjoying the shower. The king handed over to Shur Sharma a casket containing his reward and bowed down to him.


Others touched Shur Sharma's feet. "Your Majesty, I shall be waiting here. When you are satisfied that there had been enough rain, send me word so that I can stop it," said Shur Sharma. "Thank you. Let it be so," said the king and he left the place with his party. Left alone, Shur Sharma went inside the deserted temple and began counting the coins with great excitement. Excitement also ran high among the people. They were praising Shur Sharma to the sky everywhere in the town. After four hours of non-stop rain, the king thought that more might be harmful. He sent a delegation of his courtiers to ask Shur Sharma to stop the shower. But, to their horror, the courtiers saw the Brahmin lying dead inside the deserted temple. The gold coins were missing. He had been stabbed. The lonely place was the regular haunt and shelter of some bandits. They had committed the crime. The news shocked the king. How to stop the rain? He was at his wit's end. Carrying the king's condolence the chief minister went to meet Krishna Sharma. Krishna Sharma stood speechless at this most unexpected tragedy. 

The minister said, "Your father's murder is a matter of great sorrow. But that is not all. The question is, how to stop the rain?" "What can we do except praying to God?" said Krishna Sharma. Then he faced north and stood on one leg and recited the hymn thrice. The minister thought that this was Krishna Sharma's style of praying. He went away. Within minutes the rains stopped. Nobody of course knew that Krishna Sharma stopped it. The vampire paused and demanded the King Vikram in a challenging tone, "O King, how could Krishna Sharma, the son of as clever a man as Shur Sharma, behave so foolishly? Had he told the minister that he knew the hymn and proved his claim, he would have been rewarded. Why did he not do so? Was it because of his fear that he too might be assassinated? Answer me, if you can. Should you keep mum despite your knowledge of the answer, your head would roll off your neck!" King Vikram answered forthwith: Far from being foolish, Krishna Sharma was truly wise. He had asked his father to bring down the rain immediately, without coveting the reward. 


His father called him a fool. Soon it became evident that Shur Sharma himself was a fool when he began counting the coins in the deserted temple instead of coming home. He had mastered power but had not developed any control over his impulses. Krishna Sharma had no desire to win fame and wealth. That is why he did not feel it necessary to declare that it was he who was stopping the rain. It was not out of fear, but out of his detachment that he kept the secret to himself." No sooner had King Vikram concluded his answer than the vampire, along with the corpse, gave him the slip.

More Vikram Betal Stories Below:

The Magic Ring

The Wonder Parrot

The Saint's Double Standard

The Simpleton And The Demon

The Young Sorcerer

The Demon's Dilemma

No Admission!

The Strange Judgement

The Revenge

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