Folktales of Mothila

By Yogendra Pathak Viyogi

Mithila, the birthplace of Sita, is well known from Vedic times for her learning, scholarship and spirituality. But it is not much known that she is also rich in the traditions of rural culture. Folktales, folk art, folk dance, folk songs, paintings etc. are very much part of a vibrant social life in Mithila. While in ancient times, Mithila had an independent political and geographical existence, today it forms only a cultural region, extending to two countries, India and Nepal. Its southern part is now merged with the state of Bihar in India and the northern part with the Terai region of Nepal.

Folktales have been passed from one generation to the next by mostly oral tradition. We all have heard tales about the kings and queens, gods and demons, animals and birds in our childhood from our grandparents. The tales are mostly told to children at bed time or at other leisure hours. In the modern society with nuclear families and with the absence of elders, the tradition of telling the tales has been on the decline. People are forgetting the tales altogether. This has necessitated that they be compiled and preserved for the future generation. While there are several good compilations of folktales in Maithili language and a few in Hindi as well about the tales having their origin in Mithila’s culture, the English version is almost non-existent. In the modern age of e-books, it is totally absent on that platform.

I have attempted to bridge this gap by providing a modest collection of folktales, retelling them in English, for the benefit of society at large where neither Maithili books are available nor it is possible for people to read them. No compilation of folktales can ever be called exhaustive. While I have benefitted from earlier compilations in Maithili and Hindi, I have added several tales which I had heard in my childhood but did not find them in the available compilations in any language.
A very brief introduction to Mithila and its culture has been included for the benefit of the readers who cannot find easily accessible material on the subject. This also provides background material to help appreciate the subject matter of the tales.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yogendra Pathak Viyogi
• Release date: Dec 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005989613

Yogendra Pathak Viyogi

Dr. Yogendra Pathak Viyogi is a retired scientist from the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the National Academy of Sciences (India). He specialises in writing popular science articles in Maithili, which have regularly appeared for the past decade in Maithili magazines, mainly ‘Mithila Darshan’ published from Kolkata and ‘Ghar Bahar’ published from Patna. He has to his credit two novels, a collection of short stories, a travelogue (account of his visits abroad over a period of four decades), three drama (of which two have already been staged in Kolkata), a translation of Karel Chapek’s famous drama R.U.R. in Maithili and book compilations of his science essays under the title “Vigyanak Batkahi” in two parts. Several of his satirical writings, travel accounts and translation of English short stories in Maithili are also published in various magazines.The books are available as self-published paperback version.In addition to writing, he is engaged in mentoring students in rural areas in Mithila region of Bihar in India and imparts lessons in science practical to school students.

Book preview

Preface

Mithila, the birthplace of Sita, is well known from Vedic times for her learning, scholarship and spirituality. It is also rich in the traditions of rural culture with its folktales, folk art, folk dance, folk songs, paintings etc. which makes a vibrant social life in Mithila. It is necessary to have a good compilation of folktales to be passed on to the future generation. While there are several compilations of folktales in Maithili and a few in Hindi as well about the tales having their origin in Mithila’s culture, the English version is almost non-existent.

I have attempted to bridge this gap by providing a modest collection of folktales, retelling them in English. I have benefitted from the compilations by Ram Lochan Thakur, Yoganand Jha, Lalita Jha (all in Maithili) and by Vibha Rani (in Hindi). I have added several tales which I had heard in my childhood but did not find them in the available compilations in any language. A very brief introduction to Mithila and its culture has been included which provides background material to help appreciate the subject matter of the tales.

I am thankful to Shri Navin Chaudhary and Shri Anil Das for going through the manuscript and giving useful suggestions. I acknowledge the use of a photo of Madhubani painting of an unknown artist.

(Yogendra Pathak Viyogi)

Kolkata, Deepavali, 2021

About the Author

Dr. Yogendra Pathak Viyogi, INSA Emeritus Scientist, was born in 1948 at Laufa village in Madhubani district of Bihar in India. He is a retired scientist of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the National Academy of Sciences (India) and a recipient of Helmholtz-Humboldt Research Award of Germany. He specializes in writing popular science articles in Maithili which appear in various Maithili journals regularly. In addition he has written short stories, novels, drama, science fiction, satires and travelogue in Maithili which have been also published in Maithili journals. He has translated the Maithili novel ‘Bhartik Biladi’ in English under the title ‘Bharti’s Cat’. He has so far published ten books. He is a recipient of ‘Tirhut Sahitya Samman’ of Mithila Sanskritik Parisad, Hyderabad, Sahityiki Samman and ‘Sulabh Samaj Seva Puraskar’of Chetna Samiti, Patna. He is also engaged in mentoring school students and giving them lessons in laboratory techniques in his home district of Madhubani in Bihar (India).

Contents

(Approx. percentage for kindle book)

Mithila – An Introduction (2%)

Tales

The Cycle of Life(4%)

The Shepherd King (6%)

The Miracle Bag(10%)

Two for the Neighbour (12%)

Maharaja Vikramaditya (13%)

Sheat-Basanta (17%)

Hansaraj-Bansaraj (20%)

A Parrot Called Hiramani (24%)

The Clever Twins (28%)

Diljan Sahu (35%)

Fate (37%)

Eating Donkey is No Crime(37%)

Mr. Know-all(39%)

Sage Narad and the Python(39%)

Who is Lazy?(40%)

Test of Devotion(41%)

A Bird’s Predicament (42%)

Monomania of anOld Woman (43%)

Kajal (44%)

A Merchant’s Destiny(45%)

A Clever Boy(46%)

A Disease Called Worry(47%)

A Virtuous Woman (48%)

Mahakali (49%)

Friendship (51%)

A Carpenter Named Mohan(53%)

Twins of Opposite Nature(57%)

ASeth Dies of Hunger (58%)

A Nymph’s Daughter (59%)

The Ogress Queen (59%)

A Brahman Takes a Bath (61%)

Destiny(61%)

AnInexhaustible Pot(62%)

Jackalthe Saviour (64%)

TheMagnolia Tree (65%)

Four Rupees, Four Advices(66%)

Revenge(67%)

TheOne Footer (68%)

An Extra Cake(69%)

Greed for Diamond (70%)

Misuse of Learning(71%)

A Cow and a Tiger(71%)

The DesirableSon (72%)

A Flying Horse(73%)

The Curse of Poverty(76%)

A Maiden Named Moti(78%)

Lord Shiva’s Boon(79%)

A Clever Woman(80%)

TheBrahmarakshasa (80%)

A Witch Meets Her End(82%)

Fate and Lakshmi (84%)

Search for an Heir (84%)

The Power of Karma (85%)

Tiliya and Chavaliya (87%)

The Wood Girl(87%)

Escape from Certain Death(89%)

Blessing for a Paternal Home (89%)

Amamai Tale(90%)

The Eagle and Jackal Tale (92%)

The Vat Savitri Tale (94%)

Sapta Vipta Tale (95%)

Mithila – A Brief Introduction

History and Geography

In the Indian landscape Mithila has been an ancient territory. Description about Mithila by various names like Videh, Teerbhukti (a distorted modern name being Tirhut) etc. appear in many old texts dating back to the Vedic period. Satpath Brahman and Brihdaranyak Upnishad are the main texts where even the geography of the territory is described as being bounded by the Himalayas on the north and by the rivers Gandak on the west, Koshi on the east and Ganga on the south. Of course rivers have been changing their course and naturally they do not provide a good reference point for the borders over a long period.

The most important description of Mithila is found in the Ramayana. Mithila is in the centre of this epic, being the birth place of Sita. Janakpur, the capital of Janak dynasty, is now in Nepal. Sita was born at Punaura near Sitamarhi (in Bihar). Mithila and its Janak kings are again prominently mentioned in the Mahabharata also.

Mithila is known to have ‘philosopher kings’ in contrast to the ‘warrior kings’ in other regions of the world. Being protected by the rivers, this land was safe and did not get influenced by foreign invasions for quite long. This comparative tranquility led to the development of very high levels of intellectual activity in Mithila. This land produced some of the greatest scholars, philosophers and sages, consisting of persons of both sexes, contrary again to other world regions. King Seeradhvaj Janak, father of Sita, was one of the best known philosopher kings. Yajnavalkya, Gautam, Kanad, Kapil, Kumarila, Mandan, Vachaspati, Udayan, Gangesh, Chandeshwar, Vardhaman and Vidyapati are some of the illustrious sons of the soil of Mithila. These are joined by Gargi, Maitreyi, Bharti among the female scholars. Schools of philosophy like Purvamimansa, Uttarmimansa (Vedanta), Nyaya, Vaishesika, and Sankhya were developed in Mithila. It was in Mithila that Yajurvedasamhita of the Vedas was composed which contains the celebrated Upnishad Ishavasyam – the foundation of the Vedanta philosophy.

After the fall of the Janak dynasty (the last king being Karal Janak), Mithila became a part of the Lichhavi republic. This republic existed around the time of Gautam Budhha and Mahavir. Around 300 BC, this republic also disintegrated and the region became part of Magadh rulers. During the rule of Maurya and Gupta dynasties, Mithila was also under the rule of those kings.

In the medieval period Mithila is recorded as being a sovereign state ruled by the Karnat dynasty from around AD 1097 till AD 1323. Nanyadev was the first king and his capital was at Simarangarh (now in Nepal). This was the golden period in Mithila again after a gap of about more than a millennium. Harisinghadev (accession to the throne circa AD 1307), the last king of this dynasty, is considered one of the most important social reformers in Mithila. After Muslim rulers of Delhi invaded Mithila, Harisinghadev is known to have fled to Nepal around AD 1323. He ruled Nepal also for some time.

After the decline of the Karnat dynasty, for about three decades there was anarchy, with local governors of Delhi sultanate ruling in pockets. Then Mithila was ruled by the kings of the Oyinvar dynasty from around AD 1356 till AD 1526. In this period Mithila’s rule went into the hands of Delhi’s Muslim rulers. Firoz Shah Tuglak appointed Pandit Kameshwar Thakur as the ruler of Mithila. The Oyinvar dynasty is proud to have kings like Kirti Singh, Bhav Singh, Dev Singh, and Shiv Singh. Shiv Singh is said to have revolted against the Delhi rule in order to have independent status for Mithila. This led to war. Shiv Singh’s fate after the war is not known. It is well known that the poet Vidyapati was contemporary of the famous king Shiv Singh. The rule of this dynasty is supposed to have extended from 1353 till 1526.

After this period Mithila was also disturbed under the influence of local Muslim governors. The whole region was divided into small zones ruled by local satraps. Later Akbar gave charge to Pandit Mahesh Thakur, who started the Khandavala dynasty. This dynasty essentially ruled till the British period, but with shrinking influence.

During the British rule in India, by a treaty held at Sugauli (presently in East Champaran district of Bihar) in 1816, the British gave a part of Mithila region to the Gorkha rulers of Nepal. Since that time Mithila has been divided, part in the bordering Terai region in Nepal and part in the state of Bihar in India. That is the reason for Janakpur and Simarangarh now being in Nepal.

A number of rivers flow through Mithila, prominent among them being Koshi, Kamla-Balan, Bagmati, Kareh, Budhi-Gandak and Mahananda. All these rivers originate in the Himalayas and have a large number of tributaries making the land fertile yet vulnerable to floods.

Mithila today is not a geographical entity but only a cultural region. There has been a demand for a separate Mithila state within India based on its linguistic identity but the demand has not yet been fulfilled. The Maithili language however has become part of the constitutionally recognized languages in India. In Nepal it is the second official language. Social bonding between the two parts of Mithila (India and Nepal) is very strong, even today a large number of marriage relations exist and new relations are getting added every year. A map of the proposed state of Mithila in India along with the adjoining regions in Nepal is given here for illustration. For details on history, one can refer to [1-4].

Culture and Literature

Even though Mithila lost her political sovereignty in the 14th century, it retained the intellectual supremacy for a long time. The intellectual persuit of Sanskrit scholars consisted of Navya-Nyaya, Nibandha, juridical literature, dramas, lyrics etc. These were carried throughout India by the visiting scholars.

Karnat king Harisinghadev was a great social reformer. He started the classification of Maithil Brahmans and also a procedure for the registration of marriages. Detailed genealogy of Maithil Brahmans is available even today.

The world’s first prose ‘Varna Ratnakar’ is supposed to have been written by Jyotirishwar in the 14th century who was contemporary of Harisinghadev. During the reign of Oyinvar dynasty the famous poet Vidyapati was born. His contribution to Maithili literature is unparalleled. Maithili literature is a vibrant field even today and each year scholars are recognized for their contributions by the Sahitya Academy, which is an affiliate organization of the Government of India. In Nepal too, there are several such awards given through both Government and private agencies. A good account of the history of Maithili literature can be found in [5-6].

Mithila has been a seat of learning from old age and scholars from all around the country were coming here to learn and also for Shastrarth (academic discourse) to enrich their knowledge. Students from Bengal were particularly attracted to the Gurus in Mithila for their studies. It is the general belief that there were ten thousand students in the ashram of Pandit Bhavnath Mishra (popularly known as Ayachi Mishra) who was a great scholar and an exponent of Navya Nyaya.

The society in Mithila, as elsewhere in India, is divided into castes and sub-castes. The main economic activity is agriculture. An account of the economics of the region can be found in [7]. The social customs, festivals and rituals are all a byproduct of this agrarian lifestyle centered in villages. Very elaborate ceremonies are held for the child birth, naming ceremony, mundan (shaving of birth hair), upanayan (sacred thread ceremony, for Brahmans), marriages, death etc. Marriage ceremony, in particular among the Brahmans and Kayasthas in Mithila, is not just a day’s affair. Its various rituals continue for almost one full year both for the bride and the groom. A brief description of marriage rituals along with a translation of folk songs for various occasions can be found in [8]. Because of abundance of ponds, lakes and rivers, people of all castes in Mithila, including Brahmans, have been traditionally fish eaters. Fish plays a central role in many folktales.

Festivals

People in Mithila celebrate various festivals with great fanfare. While many are celebrated at the community level, some others are celebrated only in individual homes. After the rainy season is over, one begins with Durga Puja in the month of Ashwin (a ten day gala affair beginning on the day after new moon till the tenth day), Diwali (on the new moon day in the month of Kartik), Govardhan Puja and Chitragupta Puja (next day after Diwali), Chhath (on the sixth and seventh day after Diwali), Makar Sankranti (on January 14th/15th) Saraswati Puja (also called Vasant Panchami, on the fifth day after new moon in the month of Magh), Shivaratri (on the 14th day after full moon in the month of Phalgun), Holi (on the full moon day in Phalgun), Ramanavami (on the ninth day after new moon in the month of Chaitra), Kark Sankranti and Juri Sheetal (14th and 15th April), Nag Panchami (on the fifth day after new moon in the month of Shrawan) and then Krishna Janmashtami (eighth day after full moon in the month of Bhadra). For the newly married women the one-fortnight long Madhushravani Puja in the month of Shravan is considered very important. Similarly the Kojagari Purnima (the full moon day in the month of Ashwin) is an important event for the newly married men when they receive handsome gifts from the bride’s father.

People worship rivers as they worship the Sun, the Moon, the banyan tree, and the snakes. On certain auspicious occasions, like Kartik Purnima, Magh Purnima etc., people congregate at the river banks for a holy bath. Fairs are usually organized on such occasions on the river banks. One of the famous places for such a fair is Simariya near Barauni on the bank of River Ganga.

Women, being traditionally very religious, observe vrat (fasting) on the Ekadashi (eleventh day after new moon and full moon each month), several Sundays, all Mondays in the month of Shravan etc. and on several other occasions. In addition married women specifically observe vrat (fasting) on various occasions, important being Vat Savritri (in the month of Jyestha) and Jimutvahan Vrat (in the month of Ashwin).

Art and Craft

Mithila has a very highly developed and rich folk art and craft culture. Madhubani paintings are famous for their minute details and combination of bright colours. Folk art from bamboo, straw and other reeds, cotton, wood etc. have been quite popular. Several authors have described them in detail in various publications. See [9].

Folk Tradition and Story Telling

Mithila has had a long tradition of folklore, folk songs and storytelling. Since olden days stories have been woven around gods and goddesses, animals and birds, fairies, ogres and ogresses, pretatma (souls of dead people before liberation through the ritual of Shraddha), cursed princes and princesses, poor Brahmans and kings etc. A typical aspect of Maithili folk story is the presence of a pair of god-characters, Bidh (female) and Bidhata (male). The pair keeps traveling in the form of birds and usually takes rest during the night on some trees when someone in distress is located by Bidh under the tree. Generally Bidh is very compassionate and prevails upon Bidhata to somehow help the person in distress. An account of the nature of folktales is given in [10].

Further Reading

[1] Upendra Thakur, History of Mithila, Mithila Institute, Darbhanga, (1988).

[2] Radhakrishna Chaudhary, Mithila in the Age of Vidyapati, Varanasi, (1976).

[3] Stephen Henningham, A Great Estate and Its Landlords in Colonial India, Darbhanga, 1860-1942, Oxford University Press, Delhi, (1990).

[4] Jatashankar Jha, History of Darbhanga Raj, Journal of the Bihar Research Society, vol. XLVIII, Patna, (1962).

[5] Jayakant Mishra, A history of Maithili literature, Tirabhukti Publications, Allahabad, (1949).

[6] Radhakrishna Chaudhary, A survey of Maithili literature, Deoghar, (1976).

[7] Narendra Jha, Mithila Rising, Sasta Sahitya Mandal, New Delhi, (2014).

[8] Ram Dayal Rakesh, Marriage Songs of Mithila, Pilgrims Publishing, Varanasi, (2016).

[9] Upendra Thakur, Madhubani Paintings, New Delhi, (1982).

[10] Ram Dayal Rakesh, Folktales from Mithila, Nirala Publication, New Delhi (1996).

*****

The Tales

The Cycle of Life

Long ago, there lived a king named Subhadra. Stories of his compassion, religious behaviour, humility and righteousness spread far and wide. Peace and prosperity reigned throughout his kingdom. Learned persons from distant places used to travel to his court and the king always received them with great honour and respect.

Once there was a great famine. It did not rain for years together. Everywhere there was scarcity of foodgrains. People had been starving. Cattle had been dying. But to everyone’s surprise King Subhadra’s kingdom had plenty of timely rains every year and farmers harvested a bumper crop year after year. So plentiful was this kingdom that people from other places came and settled here to save themselves from starvation and death. King Subhadra used to go around his kingdom and inquire about the people’s conditions. He had ordered his ministers and officials to always assist his subjects in any difficulty.

One day after making rounds of his kingdom when the king settled in his chamber and was all alone, he asked himself, What is the reason that while there is a large scale famine all around, my kingdom has been specifically spared? He could not find a suitable answer except that this could be due to the good works done by him in his previous life. But was it really true? If so, in which earlier life had he performed those good deeds that his subjects were reaping the fruits now. He had no answer.

The following morning when the court assembled and all the ministers and army generals were seated, he asked his prime minster to come to his private chamber for an important consultation. This was no surprise to anyone there as the king used to have such private consultations once in a while. The prime minister was famous for his wisdom, knowledge and humility. King Subhadra told him about the question which had been haunting him and requested him to find a suitable answer. The minster asked for seven days time.

Now the minister became worried. He was not able to find any answer to the king’s question. The more he thought the further it got entangled. He left eating properly and lay restless all day long. His wife, seeing his deteriorating condition, also became worried. Six days had passed and no solution in sight. Just then the washerwoman of the city entered their house. She was known to be a wise woman. She saw the minister’s wife and immediately sensed that all was not well. She asked her the reason for her worry. The minister’s wife narrated the story about the king’s question. The washerwoman told her that she knew the answer. The minister was listening to the talk between the two women. He came out running and asked the washerwoman, Do you really know the answer? She politely replied, Yes Sir, please tell the king to talk to me tomorrow. The minister was surprised but happy that at last he could tell the king on the seventh day that he found something.

The following day he reached the court much earlier and went directly to the king’s inner chamber. Being the prime minister, he had access to the king’s inner chamber without any hindrance. The king looked at the minister with great expectations. The minister told him, Maharaj, the reply to your question will be given by the city washerwoman. She knows the reason. The minister left for the court.

The king was surprised and became more curious. He summoned the washerwoman immediately. She knew there would be a call from the palace. She came without delay and requested the king to listen to her in an isolated place. The king took her to a separate room and ordered that no one should disturb them.

The washerwoman told the king, "Maharaj, hundred yojan (an old measure of distance roughly eight miles) north from here in a desolate place there is a huge kadamb tree which is full of flowers all the year round. A puspak viman (a mythological aircraft described at various places in the Ramayana, the Mahabharat and other scriptures) from heaven lands there every night about three hours after dusk. A fairy with unmatched beauty accompanied by her friends alights there. After spending some time in singing, dancing and other leisure activities, they settle for food in which dozens of choicest dishes are served. They return after food by the same viman. That fairy is the right person to give you proper reply. Kindly remember that you should reach there and start your question just at the time they have settled for taking food, neither before nor after. In addition you must go there alone, not accompanied by anyone."

The washerwoman departed. The king began preparing for his journey. He could not sleep in the night as he kept thinking about his journey and how he should present himself to the fairy so that he would get his reply without annoying anyone. The following morning the king saddled the horse, took some provisions and left without speaking to anyone.

He reached near the said kadamb tree by evening. He found the location exactly in the same condition as had been described by the washerwoman. There was still a few hours left for the fairy to appear there. He tethered the horse to a tree some distance away and waited there.

Exactly at the appointed hour a viman descended from the sky. The fairy surrounded by several other ladies came out and proceeded towards the kadamb tree. When they were about to settle for food, the king made his appearance there. He politely explained his mission to the fairy and requested her to help. He also mentioned that he had been guided to this place by a washerwoman in his kingdom.

The fairy smiled after listening to the king’s questions. She told him, "Now that you have come this far, you should travel one hundred yojan further north. There you will find a sage in meditation under a big peepal tree. You should explain your problems to him. He is the right person to help you. Now that you have travelled whole day, you must be very tired and hungry. Please be seated and have food with us. You can go on your journey after that."

The king was certainly hungry. In addition the request came from the fairy with such respect and humility that there was no question of denying it. He ate his meal with them and after a little rest departed for the next leg of his journey.

The following day he reached the said peepal tree by morning. He found the sage in meditation as had been described by the fairy. He dismounted the horse and waited there. After some time, the sage opened his eyes. As if he knew everything, he told the king, "King Subhadra, so you have arrived. Good, but your journey is not yet over. One hundred yojan further north is the kingdom of king Vinayasen. King Vinayasen is also very religious, wise, righteous and truthful to his subjects. But he is not happy as he has no children. Please go there and talk to the king. I am giving you a little sacred ash. Please give this to the king and tell him that both he and the queen should apply this ash on their foreheads and on their breasts before going to bed. The queen will surely conceive that night and they will have a son. But please make him agree to the condition that after the sixth day, he should hand over the newborn to you for a few moments. You should whisper your question to the newborn in his ear. He will give you the answer." The sage gave the sacred ash to King Subhadra and again went into meditation.

King Subhadra was now at a loss. The answer to his question was nowhere in sight. From the washerwoman to the fairy to the sage and now to the unknown king and still further to the unborn son – this seemed like a long riddle. He still did not know whether the so-called son, who was yet to be conceived, let alone born, would give him the answer or tell him to go to someone else further down in the chain. He was very tired after riding almost non-stop two hundred yojans over the last two days. But he did not want to return. He continued further north.

A few hours into the night he reached King Vinayasen’s palace. As if it was expected, he was taken to the inner chamber and warmly received by the king. The two kings started conversation and soon became good friends. King Subhadra told his new friend, The sage has already told me all about your problems and also given me the sacred ash to carry. Both of you apply this ash on your forehead and breast before going to bed. The sage assured me that the queen would surely conceive and would give birth to a son. But the only condition is that the newborn should be handed over to me for a few moments after the sixth day of birth. He gave the ash to King Vinayasen, spent the night there and returned to his own kingdom.

After ten months, king Vinayasen got a son. There was jubilation all around in his kingdom. The news also reached king Subhadra. He reached there on the sixth day. The naming ceremony of the child was held with great fanfare. The royal pandit chose the name Vijayasen for the child.

King Vinayasen also remembered the condition laid by King Subhadra earlier. He gave the newborn, now called Prince Vijayasen, into the arms of King Subhadra.

King Subhadra went aside and whispered his question into the ear of the newborn prince. The baby laughed loudly and told him that he would get the reply from the same woman whom he knew as the washerwoman. King Subhadra was furious. When that washerwoman knew the answer, why did she force him to follow such a circuitous route and a wait of ten months? But he controlled his emotions, gave the newborn back to his father and returned to his own kingdom.

He straightway reached the house of that washerwoman, even cutting short the normal protocol of his being the king and that woman simply an ordinary subject. The washerwoman smiled. The king was further infuriated and started shouting at her, When you knew the answer yourself, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why did you send me on such a long and futile journey which not only made me exhausted but also had to wait for almost one year?

The washerwoman kept her cool and replied, Maharaj, first excuse me for the way things have been handled. This was the order I had received and also its time hadn’t come. In this process something important got executed by you. If I had told you earlier, that mission would not have been accomplished. Anyway, now please listen attentively to the story.

She continued, "There was a poor Brahman who used to live on alms. He had a small family – himself, wife, a son and a daughter-in-law. Once there was a great famine, just like the one in other parts this year. People were dying of hunger. In such a situation who would give alms to that Brahman? But he still used to visit people’s houses in the hope that someone would be charitable enough and give him a handful of some grain. Once after several days, a person gave him a little rice. His wife cooked that rice. After his usual puja etc., when he sat down for lunch, there appeared a beggar in his house. The beggar looked as if he didn’t have any food for months. The Brahman got up and gave his share of food to the beggar. The beggar ate all and was still hungry. He remained seated. By that time his wife got her share of food and served the beggar. The beggar ate that also but would not get up. Then his son brought his share of food and served the beggar. After the beggar ate that portion, he felt satisfied, got up and washed his hand. In the meantime the daughter-in-law of the Brahman became uneasy. She did not want to part with her share of food. She went to a corner inside the house and quickly ate her share of food, lest even that would be given to the beggar.

Actually that beggar was none other than God himself who had come down to test the characters of the Brahman’s family members. God was so pleased with the Brahman’s virtue and charity that he blessed him to be a king in the next life. Maharaj, you are the same Brahman in this birth. Your virtue from previous life and your good work in this life have been the reasons that your kingdom is free from all kinds of problems."

And the Brahman’s wife?, asked the king.

Ah, you met with her, she fed you with so much respect, but you could not recognise her. That fairy was your wife in the previous birth. And your virtuous son is none other than the sage himself you met. He is destined to become a king in his next life. He was so devoted to you that he wanted you to be the medium of his next birth. The sacred ash which you carried was in fact the soul of that sage – your son of previous birth. Now he is born as Prince Vijayasen, the washerwoman replied.

The king got overwhelmed by the story narrated by that washerwoman. He could not control his inquisitiveness. He asked, And what about the daughter-in-law of that Brahman?

The washerwoman replied, Everyone has to face the consequences of one’s virtue and vice. Her soul was not clean. So she took birth in a family where she is now washing the dirt of an entire city. Maharaj, I am your unfortunate daughter-in-law of previous birth.

The king took pity on this wise woman. He told her, Your bad days are over. Now you will no longer be a washerwoman. The palace will look after you. You are my own family member.

The king used to visit his son of previous birth, now born as Prince Vijayasen, frequently. Both King Subhadra and King Vinayasen had become inseparable friends.

*****

The Shepherd King

Once upon a time there lived a poor Brahman in a certain village. He used to beg around in villages. Although not so educated, he was clever. But his biggest drawback was his laziness. Due to this he never went far even for begging. He was content with whatever little he used to get by begging in nearby villages.

He had a daughter of marriageable age. His wife always used to tease him, You are a lazy and worthless person. Don’t you know that girls about the age of our daughter are all married and have children by now? But you take no notice of your daughter growing. The villagers are now making fun of us. I feel ashamed to talk to any of them.

One day the Brahman took his wife’s complains seriously. Although he didn’t want to venture far in search of a job, he decided to do something. He applied thick bright chandan (sandalwood paste) on his broad forehead, put up his best dress and wore a garland of rudraksh beads. With such an imposing look, he visited a rich Seth in the nearest town.

He recited some obscure Sanskrit shlokas in a loud voice and blessed the Seth for his prosperity. Poor Seth hardly understood anything but was pleased to learn that anyhow it was a blessing. So he received the Brahman respectfully in his chamber, served him a good meal and finally gave betel leaves with nuts and some cardamom and cloves. Before leaving his chamber the Brahman raised the issue of his daughter’s marriage and asked the Seth to lend him five hundred rupees. He promised that after the marriage of his daughter he would go to some town for earning and return the borrowed sum with interest without much delay.

The Seth considered the pros and cons of the proposition before lending such a large sum to a complete stranger. He also feared the wrath of the Brahman, if he got angry and cursed him in some way. He had heard many stories in his childhood of Rishi Durbasa getting angry and cursing kings and queens and gods as well. He brought five hundred rupees and gave it to the Brahman. The Brahman again recited some shlokas and blessed him. He then left his chamber.

That day when he returned to his house rather earlier than usual, his wife was surprised. At the same time she found her husband very cheerful. She asked him, What’s the matter? You have returned early and also you seem to be so happy as if you got a pot of gold somewhere.

The Brahman replied, You have always admonished me for my laziness and inaction concerning the marriage of our daughter. Now see how I am going to perform the marriage of our daughter this season in a grand fashion.

The wife was not convinced but the Brahman began searching for a suitable groom the very next day. He soon