||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter -67 – Dhoha -66

The havoc caused by the demon Kalakethu in the city of Kaikeya

The ascetic advised the King Prathapbhanu to get a good sleep and the wicked sage retired to his seat. The King Prathapbhanu was already tired, so immediately fallen asleep. The sage who was plotting against the King could not sleep that night.  At that moment a demon Kalakethu who was disguised as wild boar and enticed the King appeared before the Sage. Kalakethu was a close companion of the Sage; they both were efficient in all the deceitful deeds. He had hundreds of sons and ten brothers, all these demons were killed in the battle by King Prathapbhanu, all of them were extremely wicked, unconquerable, harassed the deities. All these days, these demons made close contact with the sage and were waiting for an opportunity to destroy their enemy; unfortunately the King Prathapbhanu was not aware of any of these.

Tulsidas Maharaj speaks “Oh! Mithra, never consider a powerful enemy as easy to win even he is all alone; the Rahu who had lost the body and remained with head, even now he is creating extreme trouble to Chandra and Surya.”

The wicked ascetic received his friend demon Kalakethu, with great delight; their meeting brought great pleasure in both of them. He filled the ears of demons what had happened to King Prathapbhanu and Rakshasa were extremely happy. The Rakshasa spoke “Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully, you have conquered your enemy with my ideas. Therefore leave all your worries and go to sleep; you have cured the enemy without the medicine. We can destroy Prathapbhanu and his entire clan; we will meet on the fourth day from today.” In this way that Rakshasa pacified the Sage and left the hermitage, he took the horse of the Prathapbhanu and tied it in the stable in his palace in a short span of time. He carried the King Prathapbhanu while deep sleep and placed him near the queen in her chamber. He abducted the Kulaguru/preceptor of King Prathapbhanu, he forced to lose the consciousness of his preceptor and hidden him in a cave.

The Rakshasa assumed the form of the royal preceptor and took rest on a divine mattress. The King was completely surprised to see him back safe in his palace, got up early in the morning; he remembered the greatness of the Sage met in the wood. He sneaked out of the chamber, took his horse, and returned to wood. The King returned to the Kingdom in the afternoon, was surprised to see the feel of celebration in the Kingdom, people were cheering and happily moving around. King met the Kulaguru, instantly remembered the words of the Sage, and looked at him in utter awe. The three days of separation from the wicked Sage made him feel like three Yuga, the preceptor reminded all that conversation took place between the Sage and King Prathapbhanu, he mistook the Sage in the disguise of the preceptor, King Prathapbhanu was completely under the control of the wicked Sage, his intellect did not co-operate with him. King invited hundred of thousands of twice-born with their families for the sumptuous meal in the palace. The preceptor cooked four types of meals and six kinds of taste as prescribed in the Veda. The Rakshasa cooked various types of sweets and savories using his illusionary powers, he cooked meat of numerous animals and even the meats of twice-born were added in the menu, and he invited all those Bhramins to take part in the meal. King washed the feet of the Brahmins and offered them seats, and prepared to serve the meal.  Alas! Immediately he could hear a divine voice from the sky that too produced by the Maya of the Rakshasa Kalakethu, “Oh! Bhramin, leave your seat immediately and return to your homes. You should not consume that meal; it will bring inauspiciousness to you. The food planned to serve is made of the meat of twice-born and various animals.” All the twice-born with their families assembled were raised from their seats abruptly in extreme terror, the King who was utterly confused listening to the divine voice, and he could not speak a single word.