Vikram Betal - The Sacrifice Dilemma

Dadi: "Guddu, here's a riddle for you. A bodyguard sacrifices himself and his entire family to save his king. Then the king, learning of this, sacrifices himself too. Whose sacrifice was greater?"

Guddu: "Hmm... the bodyguard? He gave up more - his whole family!"

Dadi: "That's one answer. But let me tell you the full story first, and then you can decide again."

Guddu: "Okay, Dadi. Tell me everything."

Dadi: "A noble king hired a bodyguard named Veervar who charged an enormous fee - more than any other guard in the kingdom. When the king asked why he was so expensive, Veervar replied: "Your Majesty, a lesser rate would insult your worth. You deserve the best protection.""

Guddu: "That's actually a good answer!"

Dadi: "The king thought so too. Time passed, and Veervar served loyally, always alert, always professional. But one night, something terrible happened. A goddess appeared to Veervar with a warning."

Guddu: "What kind of warning?"

Dadi: ""A demon who feeds on royal flesh is coming for the king. The only way to stop him is to offer another sacrifice - you and your entire family.""

Guddu: "His whole family? That's horrible!"

Dadi: "Veervar faced an impossible choice. Refuse, and the demon would kill the king. Accept, and his wife and children would die with him. He chose to sacrifice everyone to save his master."

Guddu: "Did he even ask his family?"

Dadi: "The story doesn't say. Perhaps he did. Perhaps they agreed, understanding his sense of duty. Either way, Veervar and his family walked into the demon's cave and gave their lives."

Guddu: "And the king was safe?"

Dadi: "For a moment. But when the king learned what had happened - that his bodyguard and an entire innocent family had died for him - he was overcome with grief and guilt."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "He couldn't bear to live knowing such a price had been paid. So the king walked into the same cave and offered himself to the demon as well."

Guddu: "But that means everyone died! The sacrifice was wasted!"

Dadi: "Now you understand the riddle. This is the question the Vetala asked King Vikram: Whose sacrifice was greater?"

Guddu: "I said the bodyguard before. But now I'm not sure."

Dadi: "Tell me your thinking, beta."

Guddu: "Well... Veervar was the king's bodyguard. Protecting the king was literally his job. He was paid for it. It was his duty."

Dadi: "Go on."

Guddu: "But the king? He wasn't obligated to die for his servant. He was the ruler! He could have lived on, honoring Veervar's memory, ruling wisely. Instead, he chose to sacrifice himself out of pure love and guilt."

Dadi: "So whose sacrifice was greater?"

Guddu: "Maybe... the king's? Because his sacrifice wasn't duty - it was conscience?"

Dadi: "That's exactly how Vikram answered! He said the king's sacrifice was greater because it came from the heart, not from obligation."

Guddu: "But Dadi, I feel like something's wrong with that answer."

Dadi: "Tell me."

Guddu: "The bodyguard's family - they weren't paid to protect anyone. His wife and children died too. That wasn't their duty. So their sacrifice was definitely not about obligation."

Dadi: "Excellent point! And here's another - the king's sacrifice accomplished nothing. Everyone was already dead. He died from guilt, not to save anyone."

Guddu: "So maybe Vikram's answer was wrong?"

Dadi: "Or maybe there is no right answer. That's the beauty of these stories, beta. They don't tell us what to think - they teach us how to think. They show us that morality is complicated, that good people can disagree, that the same action can look different from different angles."

Guddu: "So the story is the teacher, not the answer?"

Dadi: "Now you're understanding like a true philosopher! Every time you revisit this riddle, you might see something new. That's why these tales have lasted for a thousand years - they keep revealing new truths as we grow wiser."