This is another story from Vikram and Vetaal. For people who are new to Vikram and Vetaal stories, it is recommended to read the introductory story here.

When King Vikram gave the correct answer to the question asked by the Vetaal (who had possessed the corpse), it flew back to the banyan tree and hung upside down. “Hooo hooo hooo”, it laughed eerily.

Now, out of experience, Vikram knew he had to deal firmly with the Vetaal since it would easily escape from him. So in the very first instance, he climbed the tree and gripped the corpse tightly and shoved it on to his back, clutching its hands firmly.

He began walking back to the sorcerer with the Vetaal clinging to his back. The Vetaal started talking again.

“You have managed to capture me again to take me to the sorcerer” said the Vetaal. “But the path is quite long and so I have decided to tell you another story. The story will have a question at the end. I know that you are extremely intelligent and so, if you know the correct answer and yet keep quiet, your head will break into a thousand pieces. On the other hand, if you tell me the correct answer, I will fly back to the tree.”

Vikram had no choice but to agree to this condition, and the Vetaal started the story.

‘In a certain town, there lived a man by name Dhanagupta. True to his name the man was extremely wealthy and everyday he gave alms to the poor. It was his everyday routine. One day, a holy man who was on a Yātra along with his disciple came to the city. Dhanagupta heard about the man and went and invited him to stay in his house. The holy man obliged and stayed for a few days as Dhanagupta’s guest. He was keenly observing Dhanagupta giving alms to the poor. The holy man and his disciple were also taken care of  extremely well by Dhanagupta.

On the day the holy man decided to move on with his Yātra, Dhanagupta wanted to take his blessings and approached him with his palms joined in obeisance. The holy man looked at him and said, “You have taken care of me very well and so I intend to give you a boon. I will grant you anything you ask with sincerity”.

Dhanagupta was very happy to hear this. He said, “O Holy sir, my sincere prayer is of the  improvement of the financial condition of the poor people. So give me a boon that I have enough wealth to give them alms everyday”. The holy man smiled and raised his hand in blessing.

After they left the city and were walking in the woods, the disciple asked the holy man, “Master, will the boon you have granted to Dhanagupta be effective? Will he be rich forever?” The holy man nodded his head in the negative. “No” said he. “Not at all”. True to his words, the wealth of Dhanagupta slowly dissolved till a point where he had to stop his charity.’

The Vetaal stopped the story. “Vikram” it said, “Dhanagupta was a good person after all. Then why did the boon not be effective? If you know the correct answer and yet keep quiet, your head will break into a thousand pieces. On the other hand, if you tell me the correct answer, I will fly back to the tree”

King Vikram, without hesitating for a moment replied “The holy man had said he would grant anything Dhanagupta asked with sincerity. Dhanagupta said that his sincere prayer was that the financial condition of the poor should be improved. But he asked for himself to be wealthy all the time to keep giving alms. This means that was his ego that he was sincerely concerned about  rather than the ‘sincere prayer’ to  improve the financial condition of the people. So the boon did not work”

The next moment, King Vikram heard an eerie cackle and Vetaal had slipped out of his hold.

“Vikram” it said. “I told you that I will go back if you told the right answer! And here I go, hohoho…….”