Categories
Folk Tales & Other Evergreen Stories of India Immortal Sanskrit Literature & Scriptures

Vetala Panchavimshati: Unforgettable tales of extraordinary wit, wisdom, and courage from ancient India

Spread India's Glorious Cultural & Spiritual Heritage

ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः ॐ श्री शिवानन्दाय नमः ॐ श्री चिदानन्दाय नमःॐ श्री दुर्गायै नमः 

Source of all Images in this Blog-post : Google Images : ‘Google Image Search’ will reveal the multiple sources of every single image shared here. For more details, kindly see ‘Disclaimer

Ancient India’s thought-provoking stories of extraordinary wit, wisdom & courage, written in Sanskrit Language : ‘Vetala Panchavimshati’ ( Sanskrit : ‘वेतालपञ्चविंशति’ ) / Tamil : ‘Vethaalam Chonna Kadai’ / Hindi : ‘Betaal Pachisee’ / English : ‘Vikram & Vampire’

Vetala Panchavimshati ( Sanskrit : ‘वेतालपञ्चविंशति’ ) or Tamil : ‘Vethaalam Chonna Kathai’ /or Hindi : ‘Baital Pachisi‘ / or English : ‘Vikram & Vampire’ (Meaning : Twenty-five (tales) of Vetala), is a collection of 25 tales and legends within a frame story from ancient India.

Vikram Vetal : Google Books

It was originally written in Sanskrit, one of India’s classical languages.   The story is about the mighty courageous & most chivalrous legendary king of ancient India, King Vikramaditya & the Vampire / Pishacha Vetala.

Vikramaditya was a legendary emperor of ancient India. Often characterized as an ideal king, he is known for his generosity, immense courage, and patronage of scholars.

According to popular tradition, Vikramaditya began the Indian era Vikrama Samvat in 57 BCE. Other scholars believe that Vikramaditya is a mythical character, since several legends about him are so fantastic in nature.   

Whatever said and done, ‘Vetala Panchavimshati’  is a collection of enjoyable ancient stories of immense wit & wisdom, and of course courage too, and is a MUST READ for children & grown-ups alike.

In fact, in this 21st century, we should have fun-filled cartoons and animation movies made for children, based on such witty & wisdom-rich stories written by the wise ancients.

This was for imparting practical wisdom, courage & quick wit to the readers, instead of showing the children some silly show or serial  just for pure entertainment, where one gains nothing other than giggling for a few minutes, and of course some amusement.    

The Vetala stories are extremely popular in India, and have been translated into many Indian languages. Several English translations too exist, based on the original Sanskrit literature, and also basedon Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Marathi versions.

The best-known English version is perhaps that by Sir Richard Francis Burton which, however, is not a translation, but a very free adaptation.

Here is a List of the 25 Vetala Tales from Vetala Panchavimshati  taken from the Grand & Inexhaustible Sanskrit literature of India.    

The legendary king Vikramaditya promises a Tantric sorcerer that he will capture a Vetala , a celestial spirit, a Pishacha, a Vampire in the language of Western literature, who hangs upside-down from a tree and inhabits and animates dead bodies.  

King Vikrama faces many difficulties in bringing the Vetala to the Tantric. Each time Vikrama tries to capture the Vetala, it tells a story that ends with a riddle.

If Vikrama cannot answer the question  in the riddle correctly, the Vampire consents to remain in captivity. If the king knows the answer but still keeps quiet, then his head would burst into thousand pieces, warned the Vetala.

And if the King answers the questions correctly, the Vampire would escape and return to his tree. Vikrama knows the answer to every question.

Therefore the cycle of catching and releasing the Vampire continues twenty-four times.  

During the twenty-fifth attempt, the Vetala tells the story of a father and a son in the aftermath of a devastating war.

The Vetala puts before the King one more riddle as usual. The question stumps Vikrama. Satisfied, the Vetala allows himself to be taken to the Tantric ( Practitioner of Hindu Tantra).  

On their way to the Tantric, Vetala tells the King his unfortunate story of how he became a Vetala.

‘Vikram Vetal’ in Hindi on Amazon India

English Books on ‘Vikram Vetal’ on Amazon India : Click here to buy
‘Vikram & the Vampire’ on Amazon India, including books by Sir Richard Burton : Click to buy

Vikram Vetal in Hindi on Amazon India

Vetala Panchavimshati’ ( Sanskrit : ‘वेतालपञ्चविंशति’ ) English : ‘Vikram & Vampire’

Buy Vikram and the Vampire (Illustrated): Tales of Hindu Devilry Kindle Edition by Richard F. Burton (Author) on Amazon India

Vikram and the Vampire (Illustrated) by Richard F. Burton and Ernest Griset on Amazon

‘Vikram & the Vampire’ on Amazon India, including books by Sir Richard Burton : Click to buy


Spread India's Glorious Cultural & Spiritual Heritage

By Mala Chandrashekhar

Introducing Blogger Mala Chandrashekhar - a specialist academically trained in modern Western sciences, yet deeply enamored with India's timeless ethnic arts, crafts, and textiles. Her heart beats for the rich and glorious cultural and spiritual heritage of India, and she has dedicated her entire blog to spreading the immortal glories of ancient India worldwide. Through her simple yet impactful blog posts, Mala aims to reach every nook and corner of the globe, sharing India's beauty and wisdom with the world.

But Mala doesn't stop at just sharing her own thoughts and ideas. She welcomes constructive criticisms and suggestions to improve her blog and make it even more impactful. And if you share her passion for India's culture and heritage, she extends a warm invitation for high-quality guest blog posts.

Ready to dive into the world of India's ageless beauty? Follow Mala on LinkedIn and join her in spreading the magic of ancient India to the world.

LinkedIn Profile : https://in.linkedin.com/in/mala-chandrashekhar-04095917a