King Vikramaditya returned to the Shishapa tree, brought down the corpse in which Vethala dwelt and placed it upon his shoulder. Then he set out once more through the dark cremation ground. As they went, Vethala began another story. “O King, listen to another tale while we travel.”

In Ayodhya there ruled a mighty king named Veeraketu. In the same city lived a wealthy merchant named Ratnadatta and his wife, Nandayanti. They had a daughter named Ratnavati.

Ratnavati grew in beauty. When she came of age, wealthy merchants sought her hand, and even kings wished to marry her. But Ratnavati had no desire for marriage and would not listen when anyone spoke to her about it. Her father tried many times to persuade her, but she remained firm.

At that time, a thief had become a terror to the people of Ayodhya. Night after night, houses were robbed, yet no one could discover who the thief was or where he lived. At last, the citizens went together to King Veeraketu and said, “O King, every night we are robbed. We cannot even sleep without fear, yet no one has been able to catch the thief.”

Veeraketu ordered guards to watch the streets and search throughout the city at night. Still, the thief could not be found. The king then decided to search for him himself. One night, he took his weapons and went alone through the dark streets of Ayodhya.

Near the city wall, Veeraketu noticed a man moving through the darkness. Watching him, the king thought, “This must be the thief who has been troubling my city.” He approached the stranger without revealing who he was.

The man noticed him and demanded, “Who are you?”

“I am a thief,” Veeraketu replied.

“Then fortune has sent me a friend tonight. Come with me to my house.” Veeraketu agreed and followed him out of the city and into the forest.

There, the thief brought him to a large house surrounded by a wall. Inside were many costly objects. Veeraketu was given a place to sit while the thief went farther inside. After a short while, a maidservant secretly approached the king.

“O noble man,” she whispered, “how have you entered the very mouth of death? This man cannot be trusted. If you remain here, he will kill you. Leave this place while you still can.”

Veeraketu understood her warning and quietly left the house. He returned to Ayodhya, gathered his soldiers and came back before dawn. The house was surrounded on every side so that the thief could not escape. When morning came, the thief saw the soldiers and came out with his sword.

He fought fiercely, though he stood alone against the king’s men. At last, Veeraketu himself faced him in combat. Skilled with the sword, the king knocked the weapon from the thief’s hand and captured him alive.

The next morning, the thief was led through the city to the place of execution, where he was to be put upon the stake. His body was covered with dust after the struggle, and death awaited him. As he was being taken through the streets, Ratnavati happened to see him from the balcony of her house. The young woman who had rejected wealthy merchants and kings chose the condemned thief as her husband.

She hurried to her father and said, “Father, the man being taken to execution is the man I have chosen as my husband. Save him from death. If he dies, I shall follow him in death.”

“Daughter, what are you saying? This man is a thief who has robbed the people of the city. He has been condemned by the king. How can I possibly save him?”

But Ratnavati would not change her mind. Seeing that nothing he said could persuade her, Ratnadatta went to King Veeraketu and begged him to spare the thief. He offered the king a crore of dinaras for the man’s life. Veeraketu refused, and Ratnadatta returned home in sorrow.

Ratnavati then went herself to the place of execution. When the thief learned who she was and heard that this merchant’s daughter had chosen him as her husband, he laughed, and then tears came to his eyes. Soon afterward, his punishment was carried out, and he died upon the stake.

His body was taken down, but Ratnavati would not leave him. She took his body and prepared to enter the funeral fire. Her father could do nothing to turn her away from her decision.

Lord Bhairava, who dwelt in that cremation ground, was pleased by her devotion. A voice came from the sky: “O faithful woman, I am pleased with your devotion to the husband you chose for yourself. Ask me for a boon.”

Ratnavati bowed and said, “O Lord, grant my father a son.”

“So be it,” Bhairava replied. “Your father shall have a son. Ask me for another boon.”

Ratnavati said, “Let this man whom I have chosen as my husband return to life as a righteous man.”

Again, the voice of Bhairava came from the sky. “So be it. Let your husband rise alive, and let him follow Dharma. King Veeraketu too shall look upon him with favour.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the dead thief rose from the ground alive. Ratnadatta accepted him as his son-in-law, and Ratnavati was married to the man for whom she had been ready to give her life. In time, Ratnadatta was also blessed with the son for whom his daughter had asked.

When King Veeraketu heard what had happened, he appointed the man commander of his army.

Vethala’s Question

When the tale was finished, Vethala asked Vikramaditya, “O King, when the thief heard that Ratnavati had chosen him for her husband, why did he laugh, and why did he weep? 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 replied, “He wept because Ratnadatta had tried to save his life by offering a crore of dinaras, yet he had no way to repay that kindness.

“But he laughed at the strange nature of Ratnavati’s choice. She had refused wealthy merchants and even kings, yet she chose as her husband a thief who was being led to the stake.”

As soon as Vikramaditya had answered, Vethala slipped from his shoulder and returned to the Shishapa tree. Vikramaditya turned back and went after him once again.

Author’s Note

Ratnavati had refused every worthy suitor brought before her, yet one glimpse of a condemned thief changed what no argument from her family could change. The thief himself could only wonder at it. His tears, however, came from another thought: a merchant had tried to save his life, and he was about to die without being able to return that kindness.