Ravina Sewani

King Vikram was given the duty of bringing Betal to a tantric. Betal traditionally means ‘evil spirit’. Each time Vikram tried to capture Betal, it told him a story that ended with a riddle. If Vikram could not answer the question correctly, Betal agreed to remain in captivity. But, if the king knew the answer and still kept quiet, his head would burst into a thousand pieces. And if King Vikram spoke, Betal would escape and return to his tree.Betal told another interesting story, as King Vikramaditya carried him on his shoulders.Many years ago, there lived a king named Badsa. He was a great ruler and was loved by all his subjects. He had a son named Agni, who was wicked and had many vices. Unlike his father, he would not make a good ruler. This worried Badsa very much.One day, while the king was holding court, Agni burst into the room and announced, “I feel I am ready to take over the throne. You are old and I suggest you step down. If you do not, I will form an army to overthrow you.”Badsa was a peace-loving man and knew his son would go to great extents to take the throne. Ashamed that he was giving up the throne to his son without a fight, he denounced his title and decided he would spend his life in the forest in meditation.Meanwhile, in his kingdom, Angi tormented his subjects and the kingdom grew very unhappy.One day, as Badsa sat in meditation, he heard an old woman sobbing loudly. When he asked what the matter was, she replied, “I have only one son and a demon has vowed to eat him tonight!”Disturbed by what he had just heard, Badsa offered to sacrifice himself to the demon.The old woman and her son tried to convince him to change his mind but the king was adamant to help her out.As per his plan, when the demon arrived later that night, Badsa offered himself. The demon did not think twice before quickly eating the king. Thus, the old woman’s son was saved.Here, Betal asked King Vikramaditya, “What do you think of the old king’s sacrifice?”King Vikramaditya thought for a moment and then replied, “There is no sacrifice here. This was not a selfless act by the king. He felt guilt for leaving his subjects at the hands of his unworthy son and offered himself to the demon in the hope of achieving moksha.Betal replied, “I think you are right in your judgement. But since you have spoken, I will fly back to my peepul tree.”Saying this, Betal flew away, leaving King Vikramaditya to draw his sword and chase him once more. Moral:Always be ready to take accountability of your actions.

This is a story of king, demon, salvation and Vikram Betal.Moral(s) of the story: sacrifice

King Badsa and His Son

Wisdom

happiness

hard work

passion

Gratitude

Bravery

Courage

loyalty

Responsibility

helpfulness

kindness

Respect

knowledge

smartness

foolishness

pride

sadness

love

Friendship

idiot

Family Value

satisfaction

Effort

hope

determination

sharing

self worth

promise

confidence

pretention

Obedience

naughty

Patience

unity

Trust

Empathy

compassion

Selfishness

faith

Understanding

Honesty

greediness

confession

precaution

repentance

karma

benevolence

routine importance

justice

penance

sacrifice

caring

carelessness

strength

Cooperation

discipline

health hygiene

poverty

dedication

betrayal

control

equality

fear

morning person

arrogance

regret

over confidence

devotion

peace

jealousy

anger

Generosity

perseverance

boasting

lying

self love

doubt

alertness

cheating

Forgiveness

uniqueness

tolerance

success

struggle

competition

modesty

failure

acceptance

Curiosity

inclusivity

Optimism

laziness

motivation

ignorance

salvation

judgement

mean

weakness

salvation stories

Kids moral stories help in improving their imagination & relate to real-world life. Here are age-specific bedtime stories for children by renowned storytellers.

King Badsa and His Son

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