Second Tale 

When King Vikram looked around, he realized that Vethal had escaped again. He immediately went back to the tree where he had found him before. Reaching the place, he climbed the tree, tied the corpse to himself, lifted it onto his shoulders, and started walking again.

As they traveled, Vethal said, "O King, listen to my second story."

The Brahmin's Beautiful Daughter

On the banks of the Yamuna River stood a city called Dharmasthal. Its king was named Gunadhip. In that city lived a Brahmin named Kesava. He regularly performed his religious duties on the banks of the river. He had a daughter named Madhumavati, who was extremely beautiful. When she became old enough to marry, her father, mother, and brother all began looking for a suitable husband for her.

One day, her father had gone away to attend a wedding ceremony, and her brother had gone to another village to study with his teacher. While they were away, a young Brahmin visited the house. Madhumavati's mother was impressed by his good looks and character and told him, "I will give my daughter in marriage to you." The young man agreed.

However, unknown to her, the father had already promised Madhumavati to another young Brahmin while away on his journey, and her brother had also promised her hand in marriage to a third Brahmin during his studies. As a result, three separate promises had been made to three different men.

Three Suitors Arrive

A few days later, the father returned with the young man he had chosen, the brother returned with the young man he had chosen, and the first young man chosen by the mother was already waiting at the house.

The three suitors were:

Trivikram

Vaman

Madhusudan

All three were equally handsome, learned, virtuous, and of similar age. Seeing them together, Kesava became worried. 

He thought: "I have only one daughter but three promised husbands. My wife, my son, and I have each given our word to different men. What am I supposed to do now?"

The Tragedy

While he was still worrying about this problem, disaster struck. A snake bit Madhumavati, and she died.

When everyone heard the news, her father, her brother, and the three young Brahmins rushed about searching for help. They brought snake charmers, magicians, healers, and experts in removing poison. However, after examining the girl, every one of them declared that she could not be saved.

One healer said, "Anyone bitten on the fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, or fourteenth day of the lunar month cannot survive."

Another said, "A person bitten on a Saturday or Tuesday cannot be saved."

A third said, "When poison rises through the body under certain unlucky star positions, it never leaves."

A fourth said, "A bite on important parts of the body such as the face, neck, stomach, or navel is fatal."

Finally, a fifth healer said, "Even Brahma himself could not restore this girl to life. Perform her funeral rites. We can do nothing."

The healers left. Kesava then took his daughter's body to the cremation ground, performed the funeral rites, and cremated her.

What the Three Suitors Did

After the funeral, each of the three young men reacted differently.

The First Suitor: One young man gathered her burned bones. He carefully tied them together and then became a wandering holy man, traveling from forest to forest while carrying them.

The Second Suitor: Another young man collected her ashes. He tied them into a bundle and built a small hut beside the cremation ground. He stayed there, keeping vigil beside her ashes day and night.

The Third Suitor: The third young man became a wandering devotee. Carrying a beggar's bag and religious beads, he traveled from country to country.

The Book of Resurrection

One day, during his travels, the third Brahmin went to a Brahmin's house seeking food. The householder welcomed him and said: "Stay and eat here today." The guest sat down. When the meal was ready, his hands and feet were washed, he was seated in the dining area, the host sat nearby, and the host's wife began serving food.

As she was serving, her youngest child began crying and grabbed her clothing. She tried repeatedly to calm him down, but he only became more stubborn. Finally, in anger, she picked up the child and threw him directly into the burning fireplace. The child burned completely to ashes.

A Terrifying Sight

The visiting Brahmin was horrified. He immediately stood up and refused to eat. The householder asked: "Why won't you eat?"

The guest replied: "How can I eat in a house where such a terrible crime has been committed?"

The householder calmly stood up, went to another room, and brought back a special book containing the science of restoring the dead to life. He read a spell from the book, chanted sacred words, and restored his son to life. The child returned completely alive.

The Theft

The visiting Brahmin was amazed. He thought, "If I could obtain this book, I might bring my beloved Madhumavati back to life."

He stayed the night in the house. Everyone eventually went to sleep, but the Brahmin remained awake. When he was sure everyone was sleeping, he quietly entered the householder's room, stole the book, and escaped. After several days of travel, he finally returned to the cremation ground where Madhumavati had been burned.

The Resurrection

There he found the other two suitors. The three men greeted one another and exchanged news of their journeys. The two who had remained asked, "Brother, you have traveled widely. Have you learned any special knowledge?"

He proudly replied, "I have learned the science of bringing the dead back to life." Excited, they said, "Then restore our beloved to life."

He agreed and said, "Gather together her ashes and bones." The other two did so. The bones that had been preserved and the ashes that had been guarded were placed together. The third man opened the stolen book, recited the spell, and chanted the sacred words. Immediately, Madhumavati was restored to life.

The Dispute

As soon as she was restored, all three men claimed her as their wife. A fierce argument broke out among them, and each believed he had the greatest right to marry her.

Vethal's Question

After telling the story, Vethal asked King Vikram: "O King, answer this riddle. If you know the truth and remain silent, your head shall burst into a thousand pieces. But if you speak, I shall escape and return to the tree."

"O King, tell me: to which of the three men does this woman rightfully belong?"

King Vikram replied:

"She belongs to the man who built the hut and remained beside her ashes."

Vethal asked, "But if one man had not preserved her bones, how could she have been restored? And if another had not learned the science of resurrection, how could he have brought her back to life?"

The king explained, "The man who preserved her bones fulfilled a role traditionally associated with a son caring for the remains of a deceased family member. The man who restored her to life became like a father because he gave her life again. Therefore, neither of them can be considered her husband.

The man who faithfully stayed beside her ashes, living there in devotion and grief, is the one who truly acted as a husband. Therefore, she rightfully belongs to him."

Upon hearing this answer, Vethal once again escaped from the king's grasp, flew back to the tree, and hung himself from it. King Vikram followed him, captured him once more, placed him on his shoulder, and continued his journey.

Author's Note

When read through a modern lens, stories such as this one may appear to raise difficult questions. They were shaped by ideas about duty, family roles, and relationships that may differ from contemporary perspectives.

King Vikram's judgment is based not on who loved Madhumavati the most, but on the roles each man fulfilled. One preserved her remains like a son, another restored her life like a father, while the third remained devoted to her memory and grief, a role Vikram associated with that of a husband.

Whether one agrees with this conclusion or not, the value of the story lies in its reasoning. Vethal's riddles were meant to test wisdom and judgment rather than provide universally accepted answers. The true question raised by this story is not, "Who should marry Madhumavati?" but, "What defines a relationship, and what responsibilities come with it?"