The Sixth Statue: Prabhavati & The Poisoned Lake

On the sixth dawn in Dharanagari palace, golden sunlight streamed across the white lotus marble dais toward the thirty-two-step throne.

Draped in sacred saffron robes, King Bhoja walked with solemn, measured stride toward the sixth step of the golden throne.

As King Bhoja lifted his right foot toward the sixth step, the marble floor erupted with brilliant solar-amber and golden radiance!

The sixth carved statue—**Prabhavati (प्रभावती)**—opened her glowing solar-golden eyes, laughing with celestial temple-bell resonance!

King Bhoja paused in deep reverence with folded hands, gazing in awe at the living celestial bronze maiden holding a golden lotus chalice.

Prabhavati raised her golden lotus chalice, speaking with sovereign authority:

At the foot of Mount Nilgiri, a sacred mountain pilgrimage lake foamed with lethal purple venom under dark storm clouds.

Hundreds of poor pilgrims, women, and ascetics lay shivering along the rocky shore with burning venom fever after drinking from the cursed waters.

Beside the lake, the frail ninety-year-old blind sage Mahamuni Somapa sat weeping, raising trembling hands in desperate prayer for the dying pilgrims.

At that decisive moment, Emperor Vikramaditya arrived on his white stallion at top speed, carrying leather pouches of Himalayan medicinal herbs.

Vikramaditya knelt beside the blind sage, examining the foaming purple water and checking the fading pulses of the dying pilgrims.

Sage Somapa warned with trembling voice:

Vikramaditya made a fearless vow: *"A righteous king never gives medicine to his people that he has not tested upon his own body first!"*

Vikramaditya dipped a brass chalice into the foaming purple lake and drank the lethal venom without a single tremor of fear!

The dark venom surged through his veins; his bronze skin turned indigo as he entered deep yogic breath retention (*Kumbhaka*).

In deep yogic concentration, Vikramaditya crushed the rare golden *Soma-Vallari* herb, drinking the extracted nectar.

A surge of pure solar heat erupted from his heart chakra, completely neutralizing the dark venom and restoring his radiant vigor!

Vikramaditya stood tall with blazing eyes, having proven the exact dosage and perfection of the alchemical antidote!

Vikramaditya dissolved large urns of the golden antidote into the mountain spring feeds, feeding the healing nectar to every dying pilgrim.

Hundreds of revived pilgrims opened their eyes, weeping in joyful relief as their burning fever vanished completely!

Enraged that its poison was broken, the forty-foot subterranean dragon-serpent *Kala-Sarpa* burst from the lake bed with an explosion of water!

Vikramaditya leaped into mid-air with his Wootz steel blade, cleanly severing the serpent's glowing crest horn, subduing the beast without pointless slaughter.

Humbled by the Emperor's pure aura of Dharma, the serpent drake bowed in reverence and retreated peacefully into the deep earth.

The lake turned crystal clear and turquoise, as celestial gods showered flowers from heaven, manifesting the radiant golden **Sanjeevani Crown** of immortality upon the shore!

The grateful pilgrims begged Emperor Vikramaditya to wear the divine Sanjeevani Crown of eternal youth and immortality.

Vikramaditya smiled with serene spiritual detachment: *"True immortality is earned through selfless righteous deeds, not magical crowns!"*

Vikramaditya walked to the frail, blind ninety-year-old sage Mahamuni Somapa, gently placing the radiant Sanjeevani Crown upon the hermit's head.

Instantly, the sage's blindness vanished, his wrinkled skin became young and radiant, and celestial divine sight opened in his eyes!

Gazing upon the warrior with divine vision, the sage fell to his knees in tears: *"You are Emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjayini himself—the living avatar of selfless Dharma!"*

Emperor Vikramaditya bowed to the sage, departing in humble silence into the golden sunset, leaving behind a land of health and peace.

Back in the grand audience hall of Dharanagari, the living statue Prabhavati looked directly into King Bhoja's eyes with penetrating solar radiance.

Prabhavati delivered her decisive challenge:

King Bhoja lowered his head in deep humility and introspection:

King Bhoja stepped down from the sixth step, ordering pure drinking water reservoirs and free medical dispensaries established in every village across Malwa.

Public healing wells and medicinal herbal sanctuaries were established across all districts of the kingdom.

Twilight conches echoed across Dharanagari as Prabhavati smiled warmly and froze back into silent speculum bronze. **The sixth day of *Singhasan Battisi* had concluded!**