The story of Dhanadha as told by Pankakajavalli doll

The story of Dhanadha as told by Pankakajavalli doll

Retold by
P.R.Ramachander

On the twenty second day Bhoja raja after his morning duties again started climbing on to the throne of Vikramadhithya. He was stopped on the twenty second step by Pankajavalli doll. It told him that he does not have great qualities of the king Vikramadhithya and is not fit to occupy the throne. Then king Bhoja asked that doll, “Doll please tell me about the greatness of Vikramadhithya. The doll started telling the following story:-

When Vikramadhithya was ruling over Ujjaini, there was a very rich merchant called Dhanadha in Ujjain. There was no limit to his wealth and so people called him Dhanapathi. Though he was rich, Dhanadha always felt that all this wealth is transient.
So one day he called all learned people of the world and gave away almost all his wealth. At that time he wanted to go Dwaraka temple and worship Lord Krishna there. When he started many of the people of Ujjaini wanted to accompany him. Along with all those people he arranged for many ships and started his journey towards Dwaraka. On the way, in the sea, they saw a huge mountain and on its top a temple. Dhanadha wanted to pay his respects to the deity of the temple. When he climbed up and went inside the temple, he saw the cut body of a young man and woman lying there. There was a board there in which was written, that this young man and woman would get back their life, if a good man with charitable disposition cuts off his neck and drench the bodies lying there with his blood.
Dhanadha continued his pilgrimage to Dwaraka and after Darsan of the lord returned back to Ujjain. There he presented the Prasad of Dwaraka to King Vikramadhithya and told him about the strange temple on the hill in the sea. On his next sojourn of six months in forest, king Vikramadhithya went to the temple and started cutting off his head so that the unknown young man and woman would be alive again. The goddess appeared before him and gave back the life of the young man and woman. My king Vikrama was that great.
The doll then told, “Oh king Bhoja, this is the greatness of Vikramadhithya who occupied this throne. If you think that you are equal to him, then you can definitely go up. Bhoja returned back that day without further climbing