The Girl in the Dream – A Lesson in Self-Realization

Betal began narrating another tale to King Vikram. In the kingdom of Manikdweep, there was a king named Mani Verma, whose son, Sudhir, was a dutiful but unmarried young man. Concerned about his son’s future, the king suggested that Sudhir should marry, but Sudhir was uncertain.

One night, Sudhir had a vivid dream. In his dream, he saw a beautiful girl with doe-like eyes, dressed in fine clothes, standing by a river with her arms outstretched toward him. Completely captivated by her beauty and the dream’s intensity, Sudhir awoke feeling that this girl was destined to be his wife. With his father’s blessing, he set off on a journey to find the girl from his dream, leaving behind his royal status and traveling as a commoner.

Sudhir wandered through towns and villages, searching tirelessly for three months but finding no trace of her. Exhausted, he stopped by a river to rest. To his surprise, he saw a girl standing by the river with her back turned to him—the very girl from his dream! His heart skipped a beat, and he approached her, proposing marriage.

The girl, taken aback, asked him, “Who are you, and why do you approach me with such familiarity?” Realizing he had let his emotions control him, Sudhir felt embarrassed and ashamed. He returned home and decided to marry someone his family chose for him, understanding that his dream was a reflection of his own desires rather than a destined reality.

At the end of the story, Betal asked Vikram, “Why did Sudhir feel ashamed?” Vikram replied, “Sudhir felt ashamed because he realized he had pursued a dream without understanding its meaning. He was driven by his desires without knowing the true identity of the girl or her connection to him.”

“Right again,” Betal said, and flew back to his tree.

**Moral:** This story teaches us the importance of understanding our motivations before pursuing our desires. True fulfillment comes not from blindly chasing dreams but from self-awareness and discerning the reality of our aspirations.