Singhasan Battisi and Magical throne of King Vikram
We all knew about boons and various stories of Samrat Vikram of Ujjain. One of them is about magical throne of Vikramaditya. What happened to it after his death ? It was burried in ground but did it came up ? Let us tell you the whole story of Singhasan Battisi and why it is called so ?
King Bhoj started ruling Ujjain
It is a matter of ancient times when King Bhoj used to rule in Ujjain. He was a great donor and a pious person. He was famous about him because he used to do justice in such a way that milk and water get separated. A farmer had a field in the city. In which he had planted many vegetables.
Once upon a time, there was a very good crop in the field. There were plenty of vegetables on the whole land, but a little land in the middle of the field was left empty. Although the farmer had sown seeds on that land also. But nothing grew there. The farmer made a scaffold there to guard the field. Whenever the farmer used to climb the scaffolding, he would automatically start shouting- ‘Anyone is there? Catch Raja Bhoj and punish him. Take my kingdom from him. Go, go fast.’
Unusual thing happened with Raja Bhoj
This thing spread like fire in the whole city and reached the ears of Raja Bhoj. The king said, ‘Take me to that farm. I want to see everything with my eyes and hear it with my ears.’ When Raja Bhoj reached that place, he also saw the same farmer standing on the scaffold and saying- ‘Get hold of Raja Bhoj immediately and take my kingdom from him.
The king got worried after hearing this. Returned to the palace quietly. He could not sleep the whole night. As soon as the morning broke, he gathered the astrologers and knowledgeable pundits of the state. He found out from his secret knowledge that something is hidden under that scaffolding. The king at the same time ordered that the place should be dug up.
Magical throne of King Vikram came up
When a lot of soil came out while digging, suddenly a throne appeared. There were eight mannequins around the throne i.e. a total of thirty-two mannequins were standing. There was no place for everyone’s surprise. When the king got the news, he asked to take out the throne, but even after the insistence of many laborers, the throne did not budge.
Then a pundit said that this throne was made by the Gods. Will not move from its place until the king himself worships it. The king did the same. As soon as the worship was done, the throne rose as if it was made of flowers. The king was very happy.
Many types of gems were studded in the throne, whose shine was unique. There were 32 effigies made around the throne. They had a lotus flower in his hand. The king ordered that the throne be repaired by taking money from the treasury.
King Bhoj started preperation to sit on Singhasan
It took five months to get the throne beautiful. Now the throne was shining. Whenever anyone sees, they keeps on seeing. The pupils look as if they are about to speak. The king called the pundits and said, ‘ You guys find a good time. That day I will sit on this throne.’ The day has been fixed. Invitations were sent to people far and wide. Different instruments started playing, happiness started being celebrated in the palace.
And the magic happened…
After worship, as soon as the king wanted to extend his right leg and put it on the throne, all the pupils laughed out loud. People were very surprised that how these lifeless puppets started laughing. The king pulled his leg and asked the mannequins, ‘O beautiful mannequins! Tell the truth why you laughed?’
It was the name of the first puppet Ratnamanjari who spoke to King first. After listening to the king, she said, ‘Rajan! You are very bright, rich, and strong, but you are also proud of all these things. The king who has this throne,King Vikram was humble even though he was charitable, brave, and rich. He was very kind. King Bhoj got very angry.
Singhasan Battisi started
Putli explained, Maharaj, this throne belongs to the most glorious and knowledgeable king Vikramaditya. The king said, how can I believe that King Vikramaditya was more virtuous and mighty than me?
Putli said, ‘Okay, let me tell you a story of King Vikramaditya.’ Ratnamanjari, the first pupil of Singhasan Battisi narrated a story. And the day went off. King decided to sit on next day and another day also went off. After this, one by one 32 pupils told the stories of the greatness and education of King Vikramaditya each day .
The names of 32 pupils in throne
1. Ratnamanjari
2. Chitralekha
3. Chandrakala
4. Kamkandla
5. Lilavati
6. Ravi Bhama
7. Kaumudi
8. Pushpawati
9. Madhumalati
10. Prabhavati
11. Trilostane
12. Padmavati
13. Kirtimati
14. Sunaina
15. Sundarvati
16 Satyavati
17. Vidyavati
18. Taravati
19. Ruprekha
20. Gyanvati
21. Chandra Jyoti
22. Anurodhvati
23. Dharmawati
24. Karunavati
25. Trinetri
26. Mriganayani
27. Malayavati
28. Vaidehi
29. Manvati
30. Jayalakshmi
31. Kaushalya
32 .Rupavati
What happened on last day story ?
Rani Roopvati, the thirty-second pupil, was surprised to see Raja Bhoj showing no interest in sitting on the throne. He wanted to know why there is no anxiety in Raja Bhoj today. Raja Bhoj said that after listening to the stories of King Vikramaditya’s godly qualities, he felt that so many qualities are impossible in a human being and believes that he has many shortcomings.
So they thought that the throne will be buried again in the same place from where it was taken out. Raja Bhoj had to speak so much that all the effigies came to their queen. He happily thanked Raja Bhoj for his decision.
Raja Bhoj was partial master of qualities of Vikram
Pupils told them that from today they too became free. From today onwards, this throne will not have any statues on it. He told Raja Bhoj to be a partial master of the qualities of Vikramaditya and said that due to this ability, he could see this throne. He also told that from today the aura of this throne will decrease and like all things on earth, it will also be destroyed. Will have to go through the process of being destroyed after getting old. Having said this, those puppets bid farewell to the king and flew toward the sky. In the blink of an eye, all her pupils merged into the heavenly sky.
Throne losses its powers
After the pupils left, Raja Bhoj called the workers and instructed them to dig the pit. When laborers were called to dig the pit, they buried the throne in the pit in the presence of the whole people after reciting Veda’s mantras.
A similar mound was built again by pouring earth on which the shepherd used to give his decisions, but the new mound could not show the miracle that the old mound had.
Epilogue of this story
A story in the form of an epilogue in every popular version with some variations and meets. It describes what happened after being pressed again with the Singhasan. This epilogue story may not be found in the official Sanskrit version, but it is very popular among the general public.
Many years passed. That mound had become so famous that people used to come from far-off places to see it. Everyone knew that a throne with supernatural qualities was buried under this mound. One day a gang of thieves decided that the throne should be taken out and sold in pieces. They dug a pit miles before the mound and after many months of hard work dug tunnels to reach that throne.
Thieves and throne
Bringing the throne out of the tunnel at a deserted place, they wanted to break it with hammers. As soon as it was hurt, such a terrible spark used to come out that it used to burn the person who broke it. The throne was studded with so many precious gems and rubies that the thieves were not giving up the temptation to separate them from the throne. The throne was completely made of gold, so the thieves thought that even after selling all the gold, they would get thousands of gold coins. Will go and they will accumulate so much money that no one will need to do anything for many ancestors in their family.
The Singhasan seems to be haunted
They kept trying all day but their attacks did not harm the throne even an iota. On the contrary, his hands got scorched by the sparks and his eyes started hurting from seeing the sparks again and again. They sat down tired and after thinking concluded that the throne was haunted. Raja Bhoj did not keep it for his use because of being haunted.
The Singhasan travelled to south
He must have had some trouble keeping it in the palace, that’s why he buried such a valuable throne again in the ground. They were thinking of giving up their fascination like Raja Bhoj. Then their chief said that the throne cannot be broken, but it can be taken to another place in this condition. They decided to move. They reached a kingdom in the south after traveling for a few months with the throne. No one there knew anything about that throne.
They dressed up as jewelers and prepared to meet the king of that kingdom. Showing the golden throne to the king, he said that he was from a faraway place and he had prepared this throne by spending all his money.
The king got the purity of that throne checked by the big goldsmiths and jewelers of his kingdom. Everyone praised the beauty and purity of that throne and advised the king to buy that throne. The king gave the thieves the price he asked for and took the throne for himself.
South King was able to sit on the Singhasan
When that throne was installed in the court, the whole court started shining with supernatural light. A very charming aura was emanating from the diamonds and rubies studded in it. The king’s heart was also very pleased to see such a throne. Seeing the auspicious time, the king got the throne worshiped by learned pundits and started sitting on that throne daily.
The discussion of the throne started spreading far and wide. Kings from far and wide started coming to see that throne. All those who came called the fate of that king blessed because he had got the opportunity to sit on such a wonderful throne. Gradually this fame reached even the kingdom of Raja Bhoj. Hearing the description of the throne, he felt that Vikramaditya’s throne might not be there. He immediately called his employees and discussed and got the laborers to dig the mound again.
Suspecion turned reality
On getting it dug, his suspicion turned out to be true and after seeing the tunnel, he came to know that the thieves had stolen that throne. Now he was surprised that how did he ascend the throne of King Vikramaditya? Is that king really of equal qualities to Vikramaditya? He decided to go to that state with some employees and see everything. When he reached there after traveling for many days, he reached his court to meet the king. That king felicitated him completely and asked the purpose of his arrival. Raja Bhoj told everything about that throne to the king. That king was very surprised. He said that he never had any problem sitting on the throne.
Singhasan was powerless
When Raja Bhoj consulted astrologers and pundits, they concluded that the throne might have lost all its magic. He said that the throne may no longer be of gold and the gems and rubies may be mere pieces of glass. When that king heard this, he said that it is impossible. He had got the thieves thoroughly examined before buying it, but when the jewelers examined it again, they were in for a surprise. The luster of the throne had faded and it had become completely brass. Instead of gems and rubies, there were colored pieces of glass.
The king sitting on the singhasan was also very surprised. He consulted his astrologers and pundits and asked them to calculate. After a lot of study, he said that this miraculous throne is now dead. It was desecrated and lost its effect.
He said- ‘Now this dead singhasan should be cremated according to the prescribed method. It should be flown in water. That king immediately called his servants and called the laborers and amidst the chanting of mantras, that throne flowed into the river Kaveri.
Believe of people
Time kept on passing by That Singhasan remained contained within the pages of history. He continued to be discussed in folk tales and public legends. Many kings stationed more than one diver in Kalantar to get the throne of Vikramaditya and the Kaveri river was filtered. But till today no one could get a glimpse of him. People believe that even today if there is a ruler with the qualities of Vikramaditya, that throne will come out with all its glory and power..