Shanta-Shil Gives Vikram a Gruesome Task

As promised, King Vikram and Dharma Dhwaj arrived at the cemetery on the evening of the 14th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadra. It was a terrifying place, strewn with human bones. All sorts of wild animals chewed on the remnants of the dead bodies.

In the midst of the ground, the devotee Shanta-Shil sat before a sacred fire, his face smeared with ashes. He was pleased to see the father and son.

"What do you want us to do?" Vikram asked Shanta-Shil.

"O King, about two kos (a measure of length, approximately 3 to 3.22 kilometers) south of here, there is another cremation ground. There, you will see a mimosa tree on which a corpse is hanging. Bring me the body at once."

Vikram was now certain that Shanta-Shil was the anchorite who had sworn to kill him and his son. Nevertheless, he had promised to perform Shanta-Shil's task, so he set out, taking Dharma Dhwaj with him.