The innumerable stories my grandparents narrated and sang, amma's vivid narration of Russian stories, father's stories of Raman, the monkey and Tenali Raman. Love for story-telling is in my blood. Over the years the collection of stories inside my head has grown and now I am bursting to share it with everyone.
Here's my first story!
Parayi petta panthirukulam (Twelve born to the Pariah) is an evergreen myth from Kerala. It tells the story of twelve children who are abandoned at birth by their parents. All except one of these are brought up by twelve families of different castes along the river Nila (Bhārathapuzha). The twelve are Agnihotri, Rajakan, Perunthachan, Vallon, Nāranathu Bhrānthan, Uppukkoottan, Vaduthala Nāyar, Pānanār, Pākkanār, Akavoor Chāthan, Kārakkalamma, Vāyillakunnilappan.
Today's story is from Pākkanar's life. Pākkanar was brought up by a Paraya, whose trade was making household articles, esp Muram, using bamboo.
Pākkanar learns the trade of his family, grows up, marries a Paraya woman and leads a content life. He was a philosopher of much depth as many of his stories illustrate.
One day, as Pākkanār and his wife, Theyi, stood collecting firewood from the forest, a Namboori, came walking by. As was the custom of those times he ordered them to move away. Pākkanār's wife snidely whispered, "Why should we move away for this man who is keeping his own daughter as a mistress?" Pākkanār exclaimed, “Oh, don't say that. Now the last leech is yours!" They hurriedly move away and the Namboori goes his way.
When asked what he meant by the "last leech" Pākkanār narrates, "Once when the Namboori's wife was cooking rice, a leech fell into the vessel. She fearfully tells her husband of the mishap. The miser that he was, the Namboori arranges for the rice to be given to his servants.
No mortal's actions go unnoticed by Yamadharma, the lord of death. To atone for his sin, a mountainous heap of leeches are kept ready in the nether world for the Namboori. Yama has decided to make him eat the heap when he reaches the nether world after death.
It so happens that the Namboori is a devotee of Chitragupta, Yama's book-keeper. He recites 'chitraguptāya namah' every night before sleeping.
Chitragupta, soft at heart, seeing the fate in store for his devotee decides to visit him. So he takes human form and approaches the Namboori. Perceiving that it's not a mere mortal he is seeing, Namboori asked, " Respected sir, I do not know who you are and what you need. Please do tell me."
Chitragupta replied, “I am Chitragupta whom you bow to every night. I have come to warn you of the ill-fate that is in store for you in the nether world."
Fear-struck, the Namboori asked, "Ayyo! Please do tell me more."
Pityingly Chitragupta says, "Alas, you were too shortsighted the day you fed the unclean rice to your servants. To atone for that sin, Lord Yama has arranged a heap of leeches in the nether world. If you don't take any steps to counter your sin you will have to eat your way through the whole heap."
Namboori desperately asked, "Oh Lord, due to my ignorance I committed this grave mistake. Kindly advice me as to what can be done to escape this curse."
And this what Chitragupta tells him, "I understand that you have a young daughter. Do not marry her any time soon. From tomorrow, have her attend to all your personal needs. That will do. But do not tell any one of this meeting."
Thus saying Chitragupta disappears.
As per his instruction the Namboori asks his daughter to attend to his personal needs right from fetching everything for his morning ablutions, preparing his pān, serving him food, preparing his bedding etc. He also exhibited more affection towards her than usual. As the days went by everyone started feeling that something immoral was going on. And here and there people started murmuring about the Namboori's conduct. Gradually it became the topic of gossip all over the region.
All the while there never was any immorality even in the Namboori's mind towards his daughter. So, what came about was, in the nether world Yama started to divide up the leeches from the Namboori's heap between the people who were bad-mouthing the innocent Namboori.
So, what I meant was that in this way the heap diminished and by today there was only one leech left which is now yours to eat, my dear wife."
Hearing Pākkanār's story Theyi rues the folly of having earned a sin by slandering someone.
What do you all think?
Note : Namboori - Short for Namboodiri, Brahmin in Kerala
chitraguptaya namah - I bow to Chitragupta
