Crying, and dancing…

Read the previous part here

“So tell me, o King, why did the sanyāsi first weep before entering the young man’s body? And then why did he dance? I am very curious to know the answer…”


Illustration by the renowned Karatholuvu Chandrasekaran Shivashankaran

इति वेतालतः श्रुत्वा शापशङ्की स भूपतिः ।
विमुच्य मौनम् एवं तम् अवादीद् धीमतां वरः ॥ १२,३०.४४ ॥

शृणु तत्र बभूवास्य यो ऽभिप्रायस् तपस्विनः ।
सह वृद्धं चिरायेदं शरीरं सिद्धिसाधनम् ॥ १२,३०.४५ ॥

पितृभ्यां लालितं बाल्ये त्यजाम्य् अद्येति दुःखितः ।
स जरत् तापसो ऽरोदीद् देहस्नेहो हि दुस्त्यजः ॥ १२,३०.४६ ॥

नवं देहं प्रवेक्ष्यामि साधयिष्याम्य् अतो ऽधिकम् ।
इति हर्षाद् अनृत्यच् च कस्य नेष्टं हि यौवनम् ॥ १२,३०.४७ ॥

एतत् तस्य वचो निशम्य नृपतेर् अंसत् स भूयो ऽप्य् अगाद्
वेतालो मृतपूरुषान्तरगतस् तं शिंशपापादपम् ।
राजा सो ऽपि तम् अन्वधावद् अधिकोत्साहः पुनः प्रेप्सया
कल्पान्ते ऽप्य् अचलं कुलाद्रिविजयि स्थैर्यं हि धीरात्मनाम् ॥ १२,३०.४८ ॥

When King Vikram heard him speak this way, he broke his silence again, and said –

“Hear o Vetāla, what the sanyāsi’s feelings were…”

“At first he cried because he was sad that he had to abandon his body, one that had grown with him in his many years on earth, one that his parents had fondled when he was a child, and one that he had used during tapasyā to obtain many siddhis…”

“For the love of one’s body is deep-rooted.”

“He then danced for joy because he was about to enter a new body, one that he could use again to acquire even more siddhis…and tell me, o yogeshwara, to whom is youth not pleasing?”


Because, the resolution of men who are determined surpasses the mighty mountains in firmness, and remains unshaken in all circumstances.

to be continued…