King Vikramaditya once again went to the Shishapa tree. He took down the corpse in which Vethala dwelt and placed it upon his shoulder. He set out fearlessly through the cremation ground. As the king walked on in silence, Vethala said, “O King, you are resolute, and you have become dear to me. To lighten the weariness of your journey, I shall tell you another story. Listen.”

“There was once a city named Shobhavati, ruled by King Yashaketu. To the north of the city stood a famous temple of Goddess Gauri. Every year, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashadha, a great festival was held there. People from the surrounding villages gathered at the temple to worship the Goddess and take part in the festivities.

“One year, a young washerman named Dhavala came to the festival from a nearby village. At the entrance to the temple, he saw Madana-sundari, the beautiful daughter of another washerman. The moment he saw her, he was struck by the arrow of Kamadeva. When he returned home, his mother soon noticed his condition and asked what troubled him.

“Dhavala told her that he had seen Madana-sundari at the festival and wished to marry her. His mother spoke to her husband, Vimala, about their son’s desire. Vimala said to Dhavala, ‘Why are you afraid? This is not difficult. I know Ghatapati, the chief of the washermen and the girl’s father. We come from a good family and earn our living honourably. I shall ask him for his daughter.’

“The next morning, Vimala took Dhavala to Ghatapati’s house and asked for Madana-sundari’s hand in marriage. Ghatapati gladly agreed to the match. In due course, Dhavala and Madana-sundari were married. Dhavala brought his bride home.

“After some time, Madana-sundari’s brother came to visit them. His father had sent him to invite Dhavala and his family to their house for a festival of worship. Dhavala and his family welcomed him and gave him food and drink. The next morning, Dhavala set out with Madana-sundari and her brother for his father-in-law’s house.

“Their journey took them past the great temple of Goddess Gauri at Shobhavati. Dhavala wished to worship the Goddess before continuing and said to his brother-in-law, ‘You and Madana-sundari wait here. I shall go inside first and worship the Goddess.’ He then entered the temple alone and bowed before Goddess Gauri.

“As Dhavala stood before the Goddess, he thought, ‘How shall I please her? Shall I offer my own body to her?’ He took a sword from within the temple and cut off his own head as an offering. His body fell to the ground before the Goddess.

“Outside, Madana-sundari and her brother waited for him. When Dhavala did not return for a long time, her brother went inside to see what had happened. There he found Dhavala lying dead, his head severed from his body. Overcome with grief, he thought, ‘My sister has become a widow.’ He took up the same sword and cut off his own head.

“When neither man returned, Madana-sundari entered the temple. There she saw her husband and her brother lying dead before the Goddess. Crying, ‘What has happened?’ she fell to the ground beside them. After a while, she regained consciousness and began to lament.

“‘What is life to me without them?’ she cried. She decided to give up her own life and, turning toward the east, prayed to the Goddess. ‘O Goddess, how have my husband and my brother both been taken from me in a single moment? I have always been devoted to you, so hear this one prayer of mine. Wherever I may be born again, may these two always be my husband and my brother.’

“Madana-sundari then took up the sword and prepared to cut her own throat. Before she could do so, a voice came from the sky: ‘Daughter, do not act rashly. I am pleased with you. Place the heads of these two men upon their bodies, and by my grace they shall both live again.’

“Madana-sundari bowed to the Goddess and hurried to obey her command. In her excitement, she placed Dhavala’s head upon her brother’s body and her brother’s head upon Dhavala’s body. By the grace of Goddess Gauri, both men rose to their feet as though waking from sleep. They bowed before the Goddess and left the temple together.”

When Vethala had finished the story, he asked Vikramaditya, “O King, tell me this. The heads and bodies of these two men have been exchanged. Which of them is Madana-sundari’s true husband? If you know the answer and yet remain silent, your head shall split into a hundred pieces. But if you speak, I shall leave your shoulder and return to the Shishapa tree.”

Thus challenged, Vikramaditya broke his silence and replied, “The man who bears Dhavala’s head is her true husband. The head is the chief of all the limbs; therefore, the man who bears her husband’s head must be regarded as Dhavala.”

As soon as Vikramaditya had spoken, Vethala slipped from his shoulder and returned to the Shishapa tree. Vikramaditya turned back through the cremation ground and went once more to bring him down.