The Sun Pendant

The Dilemma of the King

King Maciilava of Mahendrapuri had four sons: Virendra, Rajendra, Narendra, and Surendra. All four were valiant and resourceful. The king loved them equally, but when the time came to choose a successor to the throne, he found himself faced with a dilemma—whom should he choose?

Perplexed and lost in thought, the king spent hours without sleep or food. Finally, a plan struck him. He called his sons before him and said, “My dear sons, I have been pondering for days on who should succeed me. I love you all equally, and my choice must be impartial. Hence, I have devised a test to determine the most suitable heir to my throne. Do you remember how, long ago, someone stole the precious sun pendant from the palace? As long as we possessed the jewel, our land thrived, but since its loss, we faced famine and hardship. I entrust you all with the task of finding the pendant. The one who recovers it will sit upon my throne.”

The Quest Begins

At once, the four brothers set off in different directions to find the amulet. Virendra rode toward the seashore, where sailors mentioned the possibility of the jewel being on a distant island. He set sail and landed on a desolate isle. As he stepped ashore, an enormous elephant emerged from the bushes and approached him. Expecting an attack, Virendra drew his sword, but the elephant knelt and adorned him with a garland. Suddenly, a crowd erupted in joyous cries of “Long live the king.”

An old man then stepped forward and explained, “Long ago, our king possessed an invaluable jewel, which brought prosperity to our island. However, the jealous king from the neighbouring isle sent spies to kill him. Our king countered by sending spies of his own, leading to the demise of both rulers. Without a king, the people have decided to garland the first stranger who arrives.” When Virendra learned of the deaths caused by the sun pendant, he resolved to forgo his search, becoming the ruler of that island, and sent word to his father about his decision.

A New Destiny for Rajendra

Meanwhile, Rajendra, the second son, set out in search of the pendant and eventually arrived in the city of Kamalapuri. There, he discovered that the princess would choose a husband from invited princes at her Swayamvara ceremony. Though not invited, Rajendra attended and was pleasantly surprised when the princess chose him by throwing a garland around his neck.

With the old king of Kamalapuri having no heir, Rajendra ascended the throne shortly after and informed his father that he had abandoned the search for the pendant. He felt there was no need to covet his father’s throne when he had already acquired a kingdom of his own.

Discoveries of Narendra

Narendra, the third prince, travelled south and eventually reached Rajendra’s island. Rajendra had no information about the pendant, so Narendra continued his journey. While traversing a forest, he spotted a dazzling hill made of pure gold. As he admired its beauty, he sensed that someone was close. Drawing his sword, he began to strike blindly at the unseen threat.

A cry of agony erupted as he struck down a demon, and a round pebble fell from the demon’s head. Seizing the moment, the prince kept it hidden. Soon after, a group of villagers approached, hailing him as their saviour the demon had long terrorized their land. Knowing the local tradition, they decided that he must be their king, as he had eliminated the threat.

Surendra’s Initiative

Surendra, the youngest son, embarked on his journey to find the missing jewel. Arriving in Swarnapuri, he was welcomed by Narendra, who shared the round pebble he had discovered from the demon. “Keep this pebble in your mouth, and you will become invisible,” he advised. “You can eavesdrop on conversations and discover the pendant’s whereabouts.”

With the pebble in hand, Surendra travelled westward to Kanchanpuri, where he learned that the king possessed the precious stone. Hearing that the king would offer his daughter in marriage to whoever could recover the pendant, Surendra was determined to uncover the truth behind the theft.

The Truth Revealed

Disguised as an invisible observer, Surendra listened to the townsfolk and soon discovered a hermit speaking with a group of bandits. They discussed the king’s secret regarding the pendant, suggesting he might be lying to divert suspicion from himself. Armed with this knowledge, Surendra confronted the king, who denied the claims and attempted to arrest him.

In a bold move, Surendra pointed his sword at the king’s chest, demanding that he return the pendant and marry his daughter to him. Realizing he had no choice, the king agreed, trembling in fear.

As Surendra received the sun pendant, he threw it into the fire, saying, “This jewel has caused much trouble. It is best destroyed for peace to reign.” The king, realizing the wisdom in his words, relinquished his claim on the pendant and offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to Surendra. Together, they returned to Mahendrapuri, where Surendra recounted his journey to King Maciilava.

The Legacy of Wisdom

The old king patted his son on the back, saying, “Well done, my boy. You have proven yourself worthy to be my heir.” Following his father’s passing, Surendra ascended the throne, ruling wisely and justly over his kingdom.