Son of a Merchant
Long ago, a merchant’s son purchased a book or rupees 150. The book has only single sentence, dam gets what he is destined to’. The merchant was annoyed at his son’s foolishness and asked him to leave the house. The poor boy went to another city and began a new life under the name Virat.
Sundarvati was the princess of the city. She deeply loved a handsome warrior and asked one of her servants to arrange a meeting with him. The servant secretly invited the warrior to the palace that night. She asked him to climb the palace wall with the help of a rope that would be hanging there. However, the warrior was not interested in meeting the princess and never turned up. In the meantime, Virat noticed the suspended rope. He climbed the wall and found himself in the princess’ bedroom.
The princess, mistaking him for the warrior, said to him, “0 my handsome warrior, I have fallen in love with you.” Virat replied, “Man gets what he is destined to”. The princess realized that he was not the one she was expecting. She asked him to leave. Virat left the palace and went to sleep at a temple. The Mayor of the city had come to hold a secret meeting there and told Virat to sleep at his house.
When Virat reached the Mayor’s house, his daughter mistook him for her future husband and arranged to marry him. Before tying the knot, she asked Virat to say something. He recited the usual sentence about destiny. His words annoyed her and she asked him to leave at once.
Once again, Virat took to the street. His eyes fell on a marriage procession in which an elephant had gone out of control and was charging at everyone. It was the marriage of the King’s daughter. However, the bridegroom and his party soon fled the scene of marriage.
Virat saw that the frightened bride was alone. He stepped forward and drove away the elephant courageously. Soon all returned to the site as soon as the elephant had gone. The bride told her father, “This brave man saved me from the mad elephant. I won’t marry anyone but him”. The King asked Virat to marry his daughter. He as usual replied the same sentence.
The sentence rang a bell in the princess’ head. She remembered who the man was. The King gave him a thousand villages as a wedding gift. Everyone agreed that God too cannot undo what is destined for man.
