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 through the cremation ground. As the king walked on in silence, Vethala said, “O King, listen to another story.”

“There was once a city said to have been created by the gods themselves. In the Satya Yuga, it was known as Bhogavati; in the Treta Yuga, as Hiranyavati; and in the Kali Yuga, it became famous as Shobhavati. There ruled a king named Veeradeva, whose chief queen was Padmavati.

“For a long time, the king and queen had no children. Desiring a son, they went to the bank of the Mandakini and performed severe penance, worshipping Lord Hara. At last, Shiva was pleased, and a voice from the sky said, ‘O King, a brave son who will uphold your family shall be born to you. You shall also have a daughter whose beauty will surpass that of the Apsaras.’

“The king and queen returned to their city. In time, Queen Padmavati gave birth to a son named Shooradeva and later to a daughter named Chandra-prabha. As the girl grew, her beauty became so great that she seemed to outshine even the moon. When she reached marriageable age, King Veeradeva began searching for a suitable husband for her.

“The king summoned painters and had them bring him portraits of a thousand famous princes from across the earth. He showed them all to his daughter, but not one of those princes pleased her. At last, he said, ‘Daughter, since none of these thousand princes has pleased you, I shall invite the kings to a Swayamvara. There you may choose the man you wish to marry.’

“The princess replied, ‘Father, I shall stand in the Swayamvara pavilion, but I do not desire a husband merely because he is a king by birth. I shall marry only a man who is young, handsome, and accomplished in some special art or knowledge. I will not marry a man who lacks these qualities.’ Hearing her words, the king began searching for such a man.

“News of the princess and her condition spread, and four men came from different directions to the court of King Veeradeva. Each wished to marry Chandra-prabha and claimed to possess a special skill. The king received them and asked them to speak before the royal assembly.

“The first said, ‘I am Naka, a Shudra and a weaver, known as Pancha-buddhi. Every day, with my own hands, I make five garments. One I offer to the Deity, another I give to a Brahmin, the third I keep for myself, and the fourth I give to my wife. I sell the fifth and use what I receive from it for food. Therefore, let your daughter be given to me.’

“The second man said, ‘My name is Bhashajna. I understand the languages of birds and beasts. Therefore, O King, let the princess be given to me.’

“The third said, ‘I am Khadga-dhara, a Kshatriya who trusts in the strength of his arms. In the science of the sword, I have no equal. Therefore, O King, let your daughter be given to me.’

“The fourth man said, ‘O King, I am a Brahmin named Jivadatta. I possess a Vidya by which I can restore even the dead to life. Before your own eyes, I can make a lifeless being rise and live again. Therefore, let your daughter accept me as her husband.’

“King Veeradeva heard the claims of all four men but could not decide to whom his daughter should be given.”

When Vethala had finished the story, he asked Vikramaditya, “O King, you have heard of these four men and their abilities. Tell me: to which of them should the princess be given? Which one is the proper husband for her? 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.”

Vikramaditya broke his silence and replied, “The princess should be given to Khadga-dhara. Jiva-datta has departed from conduct proper to a Brahmin, while Khadga-dhara is a Kshatriya accomplished in the sword and therefore the proper husband for the princess.”

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.