Sapna: "Tell the rest of the story while we keep walking."
Everyone agreed and started climbing again.
Adhir: "There are many stories about Asuri from the Satya Yuga until today, but now I will tell you the latest one, which happened only about 400 years ago.
There once lived a king named Vikram. His kingdom extended from Devagiri to the forests in the east.
King Vikram was very brave, and his people were very happy with him. The king had two queens — Sharda and Vishwa.
Sharda was his first wife and the daughter of his father's friend. His second wife, Vishwa, was the daughter of the neighboring king Vishwajit. After winning a war, King Vishwajit made peace and married his daughter to Vikram.
But Vishwa did not agree with this marriage. She was already in love with someone else, but for the honor of her father she married Vikram against her will.
By fate, the person she loved was Vikram's commander, Ajitsinh. Even after the marriage, Vishwa and Ajitsinh continued their love relationship. King Vikram was unaware of all this.
Vikram had four children. Sharda had one daughter and one son — Sharad and Sarita, both older than Vishwa's two sons Jayraj and Vijayraj. But in truth, Vishwa's sons were born from Ajitsinh.
Just as qualities pass through lineage, Sharda's children were virtuous and strong, while Vishwa's sons were unrighteous and uncultured. Because of this, people in the family, court, and among the public treated them differently.
Vishwa and Ajitsinh kept trying to make Sharda's children look bad in front of Vikram.
This story takes place when the princes were about 20 years old. Jayraj and Vijayraj used to exploit beautiful girls in the kingdom every other day.
At that time, near the foothills of Asuri, about 50 meters above, there was a settlement called Kakhuva. Those people had come from outside the kingdom long ago and Vikram's grandfather had allowed them to live there.
In the kingdom they were considered a lower caste. They mainly hunted animals in the forest and made items from their body parts to sell. Sometimes the king also used them as soldiers in war because they were physically very strong.
Jayraj and Vijayraj mostly exploited the girls from that settlement, so the news never reached the king. And even if someone complained, the complaint only reached Ajitsinh.
One day both princes went toward the foothills of Asuri to satisfy their desires. On the road near Kakhuva, they saw a family resting under a tree — a mother, two daughters, and a son. The daughters looked about 16–18 years old, and both were extraordinarily beautiful, like celestial nymphs. They wore saffron sarees and their youth could enchant even the gods.
Seeing them awakened the demons inside Jayraj and Vijayraj, and they approached them to make them victims of their lust.
Jayraj: "Who are you? Where do you come from?"
Ankhada Devi: "O prince, my name is Ankhada Devi. We are Brahmins from a neighboring kingdom. We are traveling on a pilgrimage to the four dhams, the 12 Jyotirlingas, and the 51 Shakti Peethas."
Vijayraj: "Do you have permission to enter this kingdom? And who are these girls with you?"
Ankhada Devi: "These are my daughters and this is my son. We are travelers. My husband Ankhaday has gone to the nearby settlement to ask for alms so that we can survive tonight."
Vijayraj: "Your husband went begging? With whose permission? You entered the kingdom without permission and started your business here?"
Ankhada Devi: "O prince, what are you saying? Does even a traveler or a Brahmin now need permission to beg in this kingdom?"
Jayraj: "Be quiet, Brahmin woman! You entered without paying tax and now you lecture me?"
Ankhada Devi: "What tax? If the king of this kingdom survives by taking tax from Brahmins, then tell me."
Jayraj: "Can you even pay this tax? Do you have that much wealth?"
Ankhada Devi: "Today I will pay every last coin of your tax before leaving this kingdom. My Brahmin husband will come and pay it. Tell me how much it is."
Vijayraj: "Foolish Brahmin woman. What tax will your beggar husband pay? We will take it ourselves."
Saying this, both princes grabbed the Brahmin daughters and dragged them toward their horses. The Brahmin woman and her son tried to stop them, but in the struggle the son received a sword blow on his head and fell unconscious.
The princes took the girls deep into the forest and began to violate them.
Meanwhile the Brahmin returned and learned what had happened. He left his wife and injured son at a host's house and went searching for his daughters in the forest.
By evening he finally found them. The two demons had tortured the girls the entire day and destroyed their bodies. Hearing the Brahmin approaching, the princes ran away.
When the daughters saw their father, they clung to him crying in agony and died in his arms.
Seeing this, the Brahmin was filled with uncontrollable rage. Carrying the bodies of his daughters on his shoulders, he walked toward the royal court.
Meanwhile the news of the crime had already reached the king. Vikram immediately called a royal assembly.
The Brahmin arrived outside the court carrying the bodies.
Ankhaday: "O king, I have come to pay your tax. If anything still remains unpaid, collect the rest."
King Vikram ran forward and fell at his feet.
Vikram: "O revered Brahmin, forgive my lineage. Perhaps these are the fruits of my own past sins."
Ankhaday: "King, you should have thrown away those poisonous fruits earlier. If you had done so in time, this kingdom would not be rotting today."
At that moment both queens and the four princes arrived. Ajitsinh and other courtiers were already there.
Vishwa: "Brahmin, think before making accusations! These are the princes of this kingdom."
Ankhaday: "So you are the mother of these monsters? You want proof? My wife and unconscious son are at a host's house in Kakhuva, with a wound from your prince's sword."
Hearing this, Ajitsinh quietly left the court.
Vikram: "No, revered one. Even without proof, punish us. Tell me how we can atone."
Ankhaday: "King, looking at these two princes and your other two children, I feel pity for you even in my grief."
Vikram: "Then please show mercy."
Ankhaday: "Do you know why I pity you?"
Vikram: "If you wish, please tell me."
Ankhaday: "These two cannot be your sons. Their foreheads clearly show they are not from your lineage."
Vikram: "No, they are the poisonous fruits of my own tree."
Ankhaday: "If my knowledge is wrong and they truly are your sons, then I forgive them. But after I leave, find out the truth. If they are not your sons, give them death."
Saying this, the Brahmin left with his daughters' bodies.
Meanwhile Ajitsinh found the house where Ankhada Devi and the son were staying and killed them along with the host.
When the Brahmin later learned that the king's commander had done this, he believed the king himself was deceitful. After performing the funeral rites of his family the next morning, he went to the top of Asuri mountain to perform penance and seek revenge.
Later Vikram discovered the truth by questioning Vishwa and Ajitsinh. He sentenced all four of them to death.
Then Vikram searched for Ankhaday for six months, but failed to find him.
Meanwhile the Kakhuva settlement was also angry because their girls had been exploited and one of their families had been killed.
Vikram gave the throne to his son Sharad and personally went searching for Ankhaday with soldiers.
Eventually he learned that Ankhaday was living in a cave on Asuri mountain.
When Vikram reached there, Ankhaday was deep in meditation. Around him were bones and flesh of animals — and even one or two human corpses. Ankhaday himself had changed greatly.
Vikram fell at his feet and begged forgiveness. But blinded by rage, Ankhaday opened his eyes and immediately cut off Vikram's head with a sword.
Before the soldiers could attack, he controlled them with his powers and made them kill each other. Through tantric practices, Ankhaday had become extremely powerful.
After this Sharad became king. To avenge his father, he attacked the mountain many times, but Ankhaday defeated even his large armies. It was said that he had gained the power of the spirit of Asuri.
Frustrated, Sharad believed the Kakhuva people were helping Ankhaday, so he burned their entire settlement.
After that no one came to this mountain again. No one knows what happened to Ankhaday, but people believe he still lives in Asuri's cave.
So this is the story of King Vikram and Ankhaday."
Jyot: "So according to this story, Sharad burned the whole settlement in anger, then forgot about it and left Ankhaday alive. And even after 400 years, Ankhaday is still alive? For what? His revenge was already complete."
Ansh: "Exactly. It's a completely pointless story. There is no real ending, and in the end the two people who committed the worst crimes were never properly punished."