2nd STORY OF BHETHAL

THE STORY OF ‘MANTHRA VADI’
Vikramadithya had again climbed on to the branch of Moduga tree and brought down the corpse in which Bhethala was there. He was carrying the corpse i.e. Bhethala by keeping the corpse on the shoulder towards the Bruhadaranyam Kalika Devi’s temple. Bhethala said, “Oh Vikramadithya, I tell you a story and put a question to you. But don’t give answer to me. Then I’ll obey you. I’ll become as your subordinate. But, by knowing the answer, if you don’t give answer to me, your head will break into 1000 pieces.”

Bhethala continued …

Once in a village of Brahmins by name Brahma Chakram: there was a Brahmin Jataa Gopudu. He had a beautiful daughter, called Mrude Bhashini. [The meaning of this name is a girl who talks with sweet and delicate words] She was beautiful and famous for her good behavior. One-day three Brahmin young men came to marry her. One man approached Jataa Gopudu and said, “Oh elder man. Please let me marry your daughter.” Jataa Gopudu had promised him to give his daughter to him. Another man approached Jataa Gopudu’s wife and begged for her daughter, Mrudu Bhashini’s hand. She had promised him to do so. Third man approached Jataa Gopudu’s elder son and asked for his sister Mrudu Bhashini to marry with him. He promised the third young man to give his sister to him.

When they came to notice, Jataa Gopudu, his wife and his elder son were quarreling with one another to fulfill their promise to the young men. By watching all this, Mrudu Bhashini felt sad and died. Everybody wept for her. They cremated her body at the burial ground. As per Indian Hindu culture, they had burnt her body with wood. The three young men were very sad. One man had taken Mrudu Bhashini’s body ash and bones left at burial ground. He had gone to Kasi, the holy pilgrim centre of Hindus in India. [At Kasi, the famous Annapurna Visweswara Gods’ temple is there. It is holy and very famous to Indians.] The second man had felt detachment on this world and gone on tour in the country. The third man didn’t go anywhere. He was crying at the burial ground.

The second man who was wandering had reached a village on the part of his tour. He requested for food in a Brahmin’s house. They accepted him as a guest. He had taken bathe with the water from the well at their background. After bathe, he was taking rest under a mango tree there. The kitchen of the host was in his visibility.

In that house, there was a baby of 1+ year age. The kid was troubling the housewife, while she was cooking food. She had prevented him several times. The kid continued to trouble her. She had lost patience and thrown the kid into fire. Within minutes, the kid turns into ash. By watching all of this, the guest [Our 2nd man who came to marry Mrudu Bhashini] shouted as “Oh God!” by closing his eyes to prevent the look on her cruelty. He got up from there with extreme anger. He said, “Oh. Brahmani [That means oh Brahmin’s wife!] you are sin holder. You are cruel. You killed your own kid. You are like a demon or ghost. I should not eat the food at your house. Oh, devil. You have killed your own little kid by throwing him in the fire. It is sin if I see your face. I won’t take food from your hand. I want to go somewhere.”

That Brahmin woman, being his host, prayed him to have patience by falling on his feet. She had gathered the ash and bones of her kid as a heap and said magic words i.e. Sanjeevani mantra. [It is believed in Ancient Indian Sanskrit culture, there are certain mantras like that] Wonderful! Her little son was alive and playing happily. The Brahmin young man was amazing at it. He had fallen on her feet and prayed “Oh Mother! Please let me know that mantra i.e. magic word.” She said, “Oh guest! You please have lunch. Then I’ll tell It.” He had taken lunch there. He played with the kid as petting. His Brahmin host had told the magic word to him. Because he got the magic word, he became as Mantra vadi. [That means a person who can say magic words] With extreme happiness, he had returned to Brahma Chakram village to make Mrudu Bhashini alive. When he had reached the burial ground, there was no body, except the third young man who wished to marry Mrudu Bhashini.

Mantra Vadi had examined the ash of Mrudu Bhashini. Alas. There were no bones. He felt sad. By that time, the first man who had taken the ash and bones of Mrudu Bhashini to Kasi had reached there. He had deposited some of ash and bones in the river Ganga at Kasi and brought the remaining as per their tradition. He had given the ash and bones to Mantra Vadi. Mantra Vadi kept the ash and bones of Mrudu Bhashini as a heap and said the Sanjeevani Mantra. Mrudu Bhashini was alive there as if she woke up from sleep. Again the quarrel was started. The three young men were quarreling with one another. Mrudu Bhashini parents and elder brother were quarrelling with one another.

Bhethala said, “Vikramadithya! You are very adventurous. To fulfill the desire of the saint, you are taking me by tying this corpse on to your shoulder. You decide! Who is eligible to marry Mrudu Bhashini?”

Vikramadithya said, “Oh Bhethala! The young man who had taken Mrudu Bhashini’s ash and bones to Kasi is equivalent to her son [In Indian tradition, when a mother dies, her sons used to go to Kasi by taking her ash and bones to mix in the holy water of Ganga River]. Hence, he should not marry her. The young man who had made her alive by using Sanjeevani Mantra is equivalent to her father [In fact, father gives birth to anybody. In such a case, Manthra Vadi who had given birth to Mrudu Bhashini became equivalent to her father]. Hence, he should not marry her. The young man who wept at burial ground is eligible to marry her.” The silence was broken. Bhethala disappeared from the shoulder of Vikramadithya and reached Moduga tree.

OUT COMING SKILLS: By reading this story, children can learn analytical and logical thinking. Generally, we used to think who ever effort for a task, they are liable to enjoy the fruit. In such case, Manthra Vadi had afforded to make Mrudu Bhashini alive. Another man afforded to do something by taking her bones and ash to Kasi. One man didn’t afford. He was at burial ground with grievance of her death. He became husband to her. The logic is convincible. This makes children to analysis the things with deep vision.