The Feast And Demise Of Pratapbhanu

When it was convenient Kalketu came to Pratapbhanu and told him the story of how he had been lost in the forest, and the Muni had helped him. So, thinking that the Muni was in disguise as the royal cook, the king presumed that all was well. Little did he know how the day would turn out!

The king, promptly invited a hundred thousand Brahmins and their families for a royal feast.The cook prepared a feast, with six different tastes for the palette, and four courses, just how the menu is laid out in the Vedas. The illusion, of hundreds of dishes that no body could count, was being projected. The rakshas wickedly prepared all kinds of different meats, and added the meat of Brahmins to the pot as well. We all know about the strict vegetarian diet that the Brahmins have, so we can only imagine what will happen next!

The Brahmans were then welcomed, and asked to sit down to eat. As soon as Pratapbhanu started serving them, a voice rang out from the skies and warned them not to eat, as it would be very harmful for them, and to leave and go home. It said that the food that was being served was the meat of their own clan. Believing the voice, the brahmins got up. The king was in a state of panic. Still, under the fake muni's spell, he could not even say anything.

Being disgraced like that, and seething with anger, the Brahmins without thinking, cried out condemning the king and his whole family to become rakshas.They cursed him that he along with his entire family would perish, and his kingdom would be in utter ruin within a year.

This time another sweet voice rang out, telling the Brahmins that they were hasty in cursing the king. However, it was too late now they thought. What could they do, they could not take the curse back? They could only console the terrified king. By now, he had checked the kitchen, only to find out that their was no brahmin cook.The king had been duped. He knew that even though it was not his fault, a Brahmin's curse was a terrible thing and it would not go away.

The town was abuzz with how their king who should have turned into a Devta, had met his unfortunate fate!!

That demon Kalketu and the fake muni, on the other hand, joined forces with other disgruntled rajas, attacked the capital, and took Pratapbhanu by surprise.

Everyday small battles were fought in which Pratapbhanu's forces were killed. Slowly the king and his brother perished too. No body in the king's family survived.

The moral of this story is, according to me, that greed is not going to get us anywhere. It was Pratapbhanu's greed, to be Emperor of the whole world for ever, that, ultimately brought him to his demise. So, remember to be grateful for what you are, and what you have everyday, and then you will have RAM RAJYA. JAI HO!