Vikram Betal | Stories of Vikram aur Betaal

Vikram Betal (Betal Pacchhisi) is an ancient Indian story collection of a King and a Ghost. Each story has a moral and is ideal for kids. Vikramaditya the king was a great leader. Every day, a man gifts fruits to him.

A day Vikram dropped fruit and a diamond fell out. The king thanked him for it and asked him, what he wanted in return.

He told Vikram to bring Betal, a ghost on a tree to the graveyard.

Collection of Vikram Betal Stories (Popular Bed Time Story for Kids / Short Stories)

The king was so brave that he went to the graveyard and pulled Betal down onto his shoulder.

As he started walking back, Betal said, “I will tell you a story and then ask a question. You must tell me the answer otherwise I will break your head. But if you speak I will fly back to the tree.” Vikram agreed.

This was the start of a series of stories Betal told Vikram, but each time Betal asked Vikram a question, Vikram answered and clever Betal flew back to the tree.

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Story 1 – Vikram Aur Betaal – Heart of Goodness (Popular Bed Time Stories for Kids)

Vikram Betal Story 1- 

Today Betal told a story of four princesses to Vikram. Four princesses were so delicate. The first one was so delicate that if she goes into the sunlight her skin would burn, So she always stayed at home and never went outside.

The other one is so dedicated that if she hears a loud sound she got fainted. The third one’s skin was so delicate that if you just touch her, she will get dark spots. Hence, no one ever touched him for the past many years. The last one was so soft that even a rose petal hurts her.

The king was so worried about his daughters. He knew that his daughters are so delicate and hence it’s impossible to get them married. 

One day, a servant came to him and told him that he knows a physician who has knowledge of Ayurveda and that with it, the princess can be surely cured. The king sends her to bring that physician.

The servant was going to a nearby village to invite the physician. On the road, she met a person who told her that he was ill and he is so poor that he can’t make her daughter’s marriage. The lady gave all her gold jewelry to him. Then she meets the physician and asks him to visit the palace.

When she came back, all 4 princesses who were sitting together, asked her in anger – “Where are your jewelry?”  She said she gave her jewelry to one poor farmer so that he could get his daughters married. Princesses however were not convinced by this answer and ordered her to move out of the palace.

The Next Day, The physician met the king and after listening to their illnesses, the Physician started Laughing. 

The Betal asked” Rajan – Why the Physician started laughing? Vikram said – “Physician Laughed because none of the above mentioned is actually a disease”?

Next Question –  “In the entire story, then who actually is delicate?”, Vikramaditya answered, “All princesses were delicate but they got angry about jewelry. The servant lady gave her jewelry to the poor man so that he could get his daughters married.

The servant was poor still she donated, so the servant lady was pure-hearted and actually delicate” And after hearing the correct answer Betal flew away.

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Story 2 – Vikram Betal – Who would be her husband?

Vikram Betal Story 2- 

As Vikramaditya put Betal on their shoulders from a tree Betal told another story that In Ujjain town a prince was great in every manner including his looks. Every lady in his town wanted to marry him but he doesn’t find them attractive and well-mannered.

One day he saw a lady and thought this is the right one. He went to goddess Kali’s temple and said that if he would not marry her he will cut his head in front of the goddess Kali and he would not eat anything too.

One of his friends came out to know this and started searching for the lady. He soon found her and arranged their marriage. Everything was going well but at a night a person in the prince’s dream said that Maa Kaali wants him to present his head to Maa Kaali. He thought it was the goddess Kali’s order and he cut his head in front of the Goddess.

His wife kept searching for him the whole night but couldn’t find the prince. She then sent the messenger for the prince’s friend and requested him to help her in finding the Prince. Both went to search for him. They found him dead in the temple.

Then the friend thought that people will think that he has killed a prince (His own friend) because of the lady. In this fear, he also killed himself. The princess cried ahead of goddess Kali and requested her to do something. Maa Kaali appeared and got convinced to join their heads again. Unfortunately, in hurry, both men’s necks were exchanged.

“So Rajan, tell me who would be her husband?” Betal asked. The king answered  “It is simple. A man has an identity by face so the body with the prince’s face should be her husband.” “You are always right Rajan.” said the Betal and flew away.

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Story 3 – Vikram Betal – The Blind Judges

Vikram Betal Story 3-

On king Vikramaditya’s shoulder, Betal started another story. There was a merchant who suffered a big loss in his business. He went to the town’s king with his two blind sons and took a loan of 500 gold coins against the guarantee of his son’s life.

It was agreed that if he fails to pay the loan, then the king can kill all three of them, the king accepted the deal. The merchant also said that his two blind sons have a special talent to analyze and judge horses and diamonds respectively. King got excited and asked them to stay in his palace.

One day a horse merchant came to the king and told him that he has the best horses and the king should buy them. The king decided to use the skills of blind sons. He ordered the one who was good at – Analyzing and judging the horses to check.

The son started his job and checked with his talented hands. He then went to the king and told him that the horse has an angry nature and he should not buy it because the horse will surely throw him off the back one day by standing on two hands. The horse merchant got angry and said that how can a blind man check a horse and hence questioned his ability.

The king decided to find out who is right and who is wrong, and ordered his soldier to ride the horse. A soldier followed the order but the angry horse stood on two legs and put the soldier down.

The king was now impressed with this blind man.

Another day, a merchant of diamonds came to the king’s court to sell his diamonds. He displayed his best diamonds. To judge them, the king ordered another blind man to check.

The blind man checked the diamond and told the king that although, diamonds are genuine but are unlucky. “How?” said the king. The blind man told him that two previous possessors of these diamonds were already killed in an accident and hence the king should avoid buying them. King crosschecked it and got convinced.

Now, after six months the father came back, returned the loan of 500 coins, and requested the king to allow him to take his sons back.

The king who was impressed by the abilities and skills of his two sons asked this father merchant if he also has some similar talent.

The merchant said – Yes and informed him that he has a special talent to read faces. King ordered to see his face. The merchant told the king that his mother was not Rajputana. The king got angry and punished him.

“So tell me Rajan was it a good decision by the king?” asked Betal. Vikramaditya answered if the king ordered to read the face, it is his mistake. The man was only showing his talent. Hence the king should not have punished him.

“Right.” said Betal and flew away.

Story 4 – Vikram Betal – The Ideal Husband

Vikram Betal Story 4-

“Oh, king Vikram! You look tired. I shall tell you one more story for your enjoyment. 

Long ago there lived a Brahmin, Agniswamy in the town Brahmasthala situated on the bank of the river Kalindi. He was loyal to his religion. His daughter’s name was Mandaravati. She was extremely beautiful. She was yet to be married. Agniswamy was in search of a groom who is educated, beautiful, and a man of good qualities.

One day, three Brahmins who were young arrived at Brahmasthala. All three of them were handsome and intelligent. They had come from Kanyakubja. They were all known to each other. 

All of them once saw Mandaravati and got fascinated by her beauty. Each one of them desired to marry her. There was a feeling of competition among the three brahmins now.

One day all of them approached Agniswamy one by one and requested him to get Mandaravati married to them. Agniswamy was in a fix. He and his family members were unable to take any decision. Finally, they decided that Mandarvati should herself select the groom out of the three Brahmins. But the three brahmins were worried. Every day they used to see Mandaravati’s beautiful face.

One auspicious day Agniswamy invited the three Brahmins to his house. Each one thought that Mandaravati would select him. They arrived at her house. Mandaravati saw all three. She was now in a fix. Whom should she select? She was upset. While she was sitting in her room, to her misfortune a cobra entered the room and poisoned her. She died. The Brahmins were so sad to see this. They were not in a position to leave her. 

However, Mandaravati was cremated.

One of the three Brahmins collected her bones and went to the river Ganga. The second one built a house at the place of the cremation and lived in it. The last one remembering Mandaravatri went on pilgrimage.

During his journey, he resided in a Brahmins’ house in a village. The Brahmins’ wife was wicked. One day her child behaved mischievously. She got angry and threw the child into the fire. The child was burnt into ashes. The young Brahmin felt that it is no good to stay in that house and therefore he just started to quit. 

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At that moment the owner of the house consoled him and he took a pinch of mud and put it on the ash reciting the ‘amrita sanjeevini’ hymn. The child got life and was alive again. Then the Brahmin kept the book containing the amrita sanjeevini hymn on a table. He asked his wife to serve food to the young Brahmin.

The young Brahmin ate well. Everybody slept in the night. At the midnight the young Brahmin took the book and rushed toward Brahmasthala. He wanted to reach as early as possible the place where Mandaravati was cremated. By the time he reached the cremation ground the Brahmin who had been to the river Ganga also returned. Another young Brahmin was there in the hut. All of them again assembled at one point.

The young Brahmin who had brought the book of hymn took a pinch of mud and put it on the ash reciting the hymn. Immediately Madaravati became alive. She was looking still more beautiful. All three were immensely joyous.

But they started quarreling to marry her.” I recited the hymn. That’s why she got life,” one of them said.”But I had been to the river Ganga and dipped her bones in the river that is the reason Mandaravati got back her life,” another Brahmin said. How is it possible? All these days I have protected the ash. Therefore Mandaravati is my wife” the third youth said.

Betaal asked king Vikram: “oh king Vikram! Now tell me. Who should be the husband of Mandaravati? Knowing the answer if you remain silent, your head will split into a thousand pieces!“

“The Brahmin who gave life to Mandaravati becomes her father. The person who took her bones to the River Ganges for dipping is supposed to be her son. The youth who made her ash as a bed and slept on it has loved her as a husband. Therefore he is the appropriate husband of Mandaravati” Vikram replied.

Vikram broke his silence by replying to Betal. Betaal glided back to the tree.

Story 5 – Vikram Betal – Strange Decision

Vikram Betal Story 5-

So Betaal starts his story. The ruler of Kishanagar, Rajendra, was a kind and strong King. He cared about his people very much. After a long period of marriage his queen, Prema, gave birth to a beautiful daughter, named Sona. As she was an only child, she enjoyed a lot of freedom.

She was clever not only in her studies but in the use of the bow and arrow and sword. When she reached marriageable age, her parents began searching for a suitable partner for her. But Sona disagreed with their proposal saying her parents that, “Father, I want that my husband should be more skilled in all activities and should defeat me me in a fight. So you may make an announcement”. King Rajendra was very proud to hear about his daughter’s thoughts.

The announcement was made not only in the King’s kingdom but also in the neighboring kingdoms. Thinking that Sona is a girl, many fighters came with the thought in the mind that they can easily defeat a girl and she is the only child they will get the whole kingdom after King Rajendra.

But Sona defeated everyone, and they had to go back disappointed. She was taking on the suitors one after another, among them, was Uday Varma, the prince of Ayodhyapuri. He watched the fight every day, by joining the crowd. He carefully watched how Princess Sona fought and the different strategies she adopted to meet the method of fighting followed by each prince.

Within a few days Uday Varma had learned all her strategies, and the next day he was ready to fight with her. He fought too cleverly. Soon Sona was defeated by Uday Varma. When Uday Varma came forward to present himself to the King and Queen, King asked Uday Varma from where he had learned to fight.

Uday Varma replied, “I have watched all strategies adopted by Sona, by watching her during a fight”. Listening to this, Sona suddenly said to him that “You have defeated me, but still, I can’t marry you”. King was surprised by Sona’s decision and asked her “why couldn’t you marry him?”

Sona turns back to Uday Varma and said: “Just think and find the reason”. Uday Varma thought something and said. “Yes, you are right. I should not marry you. “The king and queen were surprised that even Uday Varma too accepted Sona’s decision quickly. They were unable to find the reason.

The Betaal concluded the story and asked King Vikramaditya, “Why did she say he did not deserve to marry her? Tell me Vikram if you would not speak even if you know the answer you are not a King of Justice”. 

Vikram Replied ” Betaal Uday Varma had learned strategies by watching Sona’s strategies while fighting just as someone learns from his teacher. In Bhartiya Sanskruti a teacher cannot marry his student. In Bhartiya Sanskruti’s father, mother and teacher are all like a God.

As Sona realized that Uday Varma was first her student and then a suitor and she was not willing to accept that relationship for marriage. Uday Varma too thought in the same manner and realized that he could not marry Sona. As the king spoke a word so Betaal flew back to the tree carrying the corpse along with him. Vikram with his sword in his hand went after the Betaal once again.

Short Stories for Kids/ Bed Time Stories for Kids