Three Suitors and Somprabha

There was once a great and prosperous city, and in it lived a wealthy merchant named Hariswami. He had a daughter, Somprabha, beautiful and clever, skilled in dance, music, and the scriptures, a woman who had mastered nearly every art worth learning.

When the question of her marriage came up, Somprabha told her father plainly, "I won't marry an ordinary man. Whoever he is, he needs something real about him, some skill, some courage, something that sets him apart. Otherwise what's the point of marrying at all."

A demon overheard this, living as he did in a dark mountain range not far from the city. He decided then and there, "If she's so particular, I'll be the one to take her. No mortal man will have her."

Three young men in the city wanted to marry Somprabha, and each set out to prove himself.

The first was Vir Singh, a fearless warrior. One day, in front of a gathered crowd, he sliced a coin clean in two mid-air with his sword, without a moment's hesitation. The second was a poet, a master of words, who composed such a moving tribute to Somprabha's beauty that the entire court broke into applause, and even Hariswami's own eyes welled up. The third was an engineer, who had spent months building a flying machine with his own hands, wood and metal, and when it lifted off the ground before the whole city, everyone stood in stunned silence.

None of the three lacked anything, and the whole city buzzed with the same question, which of them would Somprabha choose.

Preparations for the wedding began. The mandap was decorated, relatives arrived from distant towns, drums began to play. But on that very day, with everything ready, the sky suddenly turned black. A thunderous roar tore through the air, and the demon, enormous, terrifying, eyes burning like fire, appeared right in the middle of the ceremony.

People screamed and scattered. The demon snatched Somprabha, who was too frightened even to cry out, and vanished into the sky in an instant.

The whole household broke down in grief. Hariswami sank to the ground, unable to think, not knowing where to turn or who could possibly help.

That was when the three young men stepped forward, no fear on their faces, only resolve.

The poet spoke first. "I know from old texts where demons like this tend to live. I can find the way, if I'm given a little time with the ancient scrolls." The engineer said, "My machine can get us there, however far it is, just point me in the right direction." Vir Singh said only, "And once we're there, fighting the demon, that part is mine, whatever it takes."

The three of them boarded the flying machine. They flew through the night, the poet piecing together the route from old signs, the position of the stars, half remembered legends. By morning, a dark, barren mountain came into view in the distance, a place with no birds, no green anywhere.

Inside the cave, Somprabha sat huddled in a corner, frightened but still holding onto her courage, telling herself quietly that someone would come.

Vir Singh went into the cave alone. The demon was enormous, immensely powerful, and its roar shook the entire mountainside.

The fight went on and on, sword and claw colliding, dust and sparks flying through the air. More than once it looked like Vir Singh might lose, but he held his ground. Finally, with one true strike, his sword found its mark, and the demon fell, gone for good.

The three of them freed Somprabha and returned home. The whole city celebrated, lamps were lit, sweets were shared all around.

But now a real question remained, which of the three should marry Somprabha? Without the poet, they would never have found the way there at all. Without the engineer's machine, knowing the way would have meant nothing. And Vir Singh had fought the actual battle, risking his own life to do it.

All three had played their part, and without any one of them, Somprabha would never have come home. So who truly earns the right?

If this decision were yours to make, who would you choose, and why?

My Thoughts on This Story

Honestly, it's a hard one to call, and I think the real answer is that it should be Somprabha's decision, after everything that happened, whoever she feels is right for her. But if I have to actually pick one, I'd say Vir Singh, since what the other two did was help them reach the demon, while Vir Singh was the only one who actually put his own life on the line.

Do you agree with me, or would you choose differently?