6th STORY OF BHETHALA

THE STORY OF PARROTS

Vikramadithya had gone to the Moduga tree and without any tiresome or bore he caught up Bhethala. He was walking towards Bruhadaranyam. As usual, Bhethala started to tell a story.

Bethala said, “Vikramadithya! Listen.”

He continued…

Once there was a city Patali Puram. [The meaning of this name is city of Patali flowers. The ancient name of Patna is Patali Puram] King Vikrama Kesari was ruling it. [The meaning of this name is a person who is ferocious like lion] He had a son, called Parakrama Kesari. [It has some meaning as above.] The Prince Parakrama Kesari had learnt all arts and education. He was famous for his worrier ship, adventurous nature and dare. He was bringing up a beautiful 5-colored parrot. It was a male parrot. It had the ability to tell past, present and future happenings.

One day the Prince Parakrama Kesari had asked the parrot “Oh Parrot! You are telling the past, present and future happenings in life to any person. Tell me, when my marriage will be happen?” The parrot said, “Oh Prince! There is a city Veda Puri. The king of that city is Gadadhara. He had no children. Hence, he had done penance about God Shiva. God had appeared to him and said “Oh King! I’m appreciating your penance. I want to give boon to you. Say what do you want?” Gadadhara felt extreme happy and praised God in many ways. He asked “God! I want children.” God blessed him. Later the king Gadadhara got a girl child. He had put the name ‘Ratna Valli’ to his daughter. [The meaning of this name is ‘diamond garland’] He had brought up her with affection. She is now in the age about to marry. She is very beautiful and good-natured girl. One more interesting feature is here. She is also growing up a 5-colored parrot. It is female parrot. It is also able to tell past, present and future happenings. That means, it is also ‘Thrikala Vedi’ like me. Just like you, the princess Ratna Valli had asked her parrot about her marriage. To such question, the female parrot had told, “Oh beautiful Princess! You are like diamond among young girls. The king of Patali Puram is Vikrama Kesari. He has a son by name Parakrama Kesari. He is right person to marry you.”

Ratna Valli informed this to her father Gadadhara. He had decided to give Ratna Valli to you. They are coming to Patali Puram. Ratna Valli is in the Palanquin where as her parents are coming by chariot. This team is near to your city entrance.”

Parakrama Kesari had felt excitement and informed all this to his father Vikrama Kesari. His parents felt very happy and welcomed GadaDhaara and his team. They performed the marriage of Parakrama Kesari and Ratna Valli. Everybody had admired the pair of bride and bridegroom. After marriage, on the first night the new wife and husband i.e. Ratna Valli and Parakrama Kesari were enjoying each other’s company in their palace.

Parakrama Kesari said, “My dear wife. We are happy now. Because of our parrots, our marriage has been happened. Let the two parrots be happy. Mine is male parrot. Yours is female parrot. Let us keep them in a single cage to enjoy each other’s company.” Ratna Valli happily accepted this. They had kept the two parrots in a big and beautiful cage. When the male parrot tried to pet the female, it said with anger “Why are coming near to me. We should not believe male.” By hearing this, the male parrot said, “We should not believe females.” Both the parrots were quarrelling with loud voice.

The prince and princess got disturbed from sleep. They asked, “Why are you quarrelling with each other.”

Both the parrots had explained what had happened. They asked the prince and princes to solve their dispute. Ratna Valli and Parakrama Kesari had asked the female parrot “Why did you say to do not believe males?”

The female parrot started to tell.

“Oh Prince Parakrama Kesari! Listen. There was a city by name Abhaya Satyam. [The meaning of this is assured truth] In that city there was a Vysya i.e. businessman by name Valmikudu. He had a son by name Tharka Kesari. [The meaning of this name is a person who is like lion in logic] Because Valmika Setti was rich enough, he had brought up his son with affection. The son, Tharka Kesari became indiscipline, luxurious and prostitute addicted. Valmika Setti tried in many ways to keep him in righteous path. He had counseled him with moral values, but in vain. As alternative, Valmika Setti had driven out his son from the house. Tharka Kesari had wandered here and there. He reached this village and that village. Finally, he reached a town Alaka Puri. There he approached a Vysya i.e. businessman by name Nishada Setti for work. He had taken care of Tharka Kesari for some time. Then he had given his daughter Alankari to him as wife. He performed their marriage and made his son-in-law i.e. Tharka Kesari as boss of his business.

Some days had passed. One day Tharka Kesari had approached his father-in-law Nishada and said, “Oh uncle! I had came out of my house and from my parents since so many days, with anger. Now I want to go them with my wife. I want to visit them once. After spending some days with them we’ll be back here.”

Nishada Setti had accepted the proposal. He had given new clothes, ornaments and gifts to the parents of Tharka Kesari. He had given new clothes and ornaments to his daughter Alankari and Tharka Kesari. Both Alankari and Tharka Kesari had taken send off from Nishada Setti and started to Abhaya Satyam to reach Tharka Kesari’s parents. On the way, Tharka Kesari had recalled his memories with the experience with prostitutes. In that past, he had enjoyed the limitless and indiscipline luxuries. He didn’t work sincerely. But now he was doing work at father-in-law’s house to look after the business. Now he was memorizing all of that. He got ideas to deceive his wife.

He said, “Oh my dear wife! Here, there is a talk about thieves. It is dangerous to wear all the ornaments on body. Hence, keep them in a bag and give me. I’ll take care of them.” she had done so. Immediately he had pushed her into an old well in that forest way and went to the prostitutes with whom he enjoyed in past. With high afford and with the help of travelers Alankari managed to reach her father Nishada Setti’s house. Nishada Setti had surprised by watching his daughter as returned lonely. He had asked her for reason. She said, “Oh father! While we were going, some thieves attacked on us. They had taken all the money, valuables and ornaments from us. They had beaten me and drive from there. But they had taken my husband along with them.” Nishada Setti had consoled her and said, “Don’t worry my dear daughter! I’ll send people to search your husband.”

Tharka Kesari had enjoyed with prostitutes. Some days were passed. The money was finished. The prostitutes had beaten Tharka Kesari and driven him out. He cried about it. In helpless situation, he returned to his father-in-law’s house. When he reached there, his wife Alankari was in front of him. Tharka Kesari felt fear. He thought, “She might tell what happened to her father. Then my father-in-law will kill me.” Alankari had sensed his fear. Because she was very kind and affectionate on her husband, she said, “You don’t fear. Don’t cry for what happened in past. At last, you had realized your fault and returned home. I’m happy about this. I didn’t tell what happened on the way to my father.”

By saying like this, she had explained him what she told to her father. She said, “My parents are waiting for your arrival with eager.” She had taken him to her parents. They had consoled him. They were well treating him as in past. Some days passed. Tharka Kesari’s desire to enjoy with prostitutes was pulling him. One day he proposed his wife to go to his parent’s city Abhaya Satyam. But she refused it. She was not able to believe him. One-day night, he had killed his wife Alankari and took her ornaments. He had ran away from Nishada Setti i.e. his father-in-law’s house. Like this, the man had killed his wife who loved him and trusted him. Hence, I said as we should not believe males.”

Then the wife and husband, Ratna Valli and Parakrama Kesari had asked the male parrot “Why did you say to do not believe females?”

The male parrot said, “Oh King! Once there was a city Arishta Puram. [The meaning of this name in unfortunate city] There was a king by name Dharma Kesari, ruling that city. [The meaning of this name is a person who is like lion in performing Dharma i.e. moral duty] In that city, there was a Vysya man, by name Kiri Varthaka. He had a daughter by name Lalasa. [The meaning of this name is desire] She was at marriage age. Another Vysya young man by name Vara Keerthi asked her father, Kiri Varthaka to give her to him. He had accepted the proposal and performed the marriage of Lalasa with Vara Keerthi. After some days, he had left her at her parents’ house and went on business tour. Because Lalasa was in the younger age, her husband was not with her, as he had gone on business, Lalasa was not control herself and her sexual desires. She had attracted a Brahmin young man who was living near to her house and enjoying sex with him. She kept this extra marital affair secretly. Some days passed. One day her husband Vara Keerthi returned home with high earnings in business. He was happy. He brought so many valuable gifts, dress and ornaments to his wife and her parents. That night, Lalasa had served her husband and made him happy. After he had slept, she called on her close servant-maid who know about her extra marital affair and told her to bring her lover i.e. Brahmin young man.

After some time, that Brahmin young man had reached behind the wall of Kiri Varthaka’s house. It was midnight by that time. The city security guards had came on their way in the part of their duty. They had watched somebody behind the businessman’s house. They thought that he was a thief.

They had shot an arrow to him. The Brahmin boy had been injured by the arrow and became unconscious. But he didn’t cry out with loud voice due to the fear of expose of his extra marital love affair with Lalasa. Because there was no sound, the security guards had gone on their way. Lalasa didn’t know what happened. She approached him. She called him. He didn’t give reply. She thought that he might anger with her because she was late. To cool him and to please him, she tried to hug and kiss him. By that moment, her nose got into his mouth. Because he was in unconscious state, he had bitten her nose and lost life. With shock, she tried to get up. Alas! Her nose was cut off. The cut off piece was in the mouth of corpse i.e. dead body of Brahmin young man. She was in great worry and fear. She returned to bedroom. She thought for a while. She had taken a betel nut from the handbag of her husband and cut off it. She applied some blood to a knife. She cried out with loud voice. Her husband got up from sleep. Her parents had ran into their bedroom. Lalasa said, “My husband had cut off my nose.” They complained to the police. The police i.e. soldiers had taken them to the king’s court. The king Dharma Kesari had asked Vara Keerthi, “Why did you cut your wife’s nose?” He said, “Maha Raja! I don’t know anything. I got up when my wife was shouting loud.” The king enquired Lalasa. She said, “Oh Maharaja! I never do any harm or bad to any body and to my husband. Then why should I lodge such allegation on him?”

At that time, the security guards reported to the king “Oh! Maharaja! Last night when we were guarding the city, while patrolling on the streets, we had watched somebody hidden at the back of this Vysya man’s house. By thinking that was thief, we had shooting as arrow. Because there was no sound we left from there.”

The king, Dharma Kesari had ordered the soldiers to search there. The soldiers had done so. They had brought the corpse of Brahmin young man. There was the cut off nosepiece of Lalasa in the mouth of corpse. In the enquiry, it was came to know that the corpse was of Brahmin young man who was living near to Kiri Varthaka. It was known that Lalasa had extramarital affair with him. The king had enquired in all the possible angles including the servant-maid of Lalasa. The king, Dharma Kesari said, “Oh Vysya girl, Lalasa! Tell me truth. Otherwise, I won’t leave you.” She had accepted her guilty. The king had released her husband and punished her to death by cutting her head off.

Oh, Prince Parakrama Kesari! Oh, Princess Ratna Valli! Look! How much immoral is this? That’s why I said, to do not believe females.”

The prince Parakrama Kesari and Princess Ratna Valli had counseled the both parrots by projecting right arguments and made them to live together.

Bhethala said, “Oh Vikramadithya Maharaja! This is the story. Can you tell what is the logic presented by the prince and princess to convince the parrots?”

Vikramadithya said, “Bhethala. In my opinion, it might be like this. The good and bad nature or morality and immorality are beyond the limits of male or female. The nature of human being does not depend upon gender but on personality and character. In case of Tharka Kesari and Alankari, Tharka Kesari had cheated his wife and killed her. Being innocent and good, she was deceived by her husband. In case of Lalasa and Vara Keerthi, Lalasa was very bad and cruel. Due to her immorality the Brahmin young man had died. Without feeling fear, guilty and repentance, she tried to blame and to do allegation on her husband. By knowing and with clear mind, she had planned to kill Vara Keerthi, her husband. Tharka Kesari had killed his wife with sudden and temporary emotion. Whereas, Lalasa had planned the coup to kill her husband to prevent the expose of her immorality. Hence, she was more bad and guilty. Naturally, woman will be kind, good and affectionate. Being woman, Lalasa should not do like that.”

With this answer, the silence was broken.

Bhethala vanished.

OUT COMING SKILLS: By reading this story, children will convince with the logical and sensitive analysis of Vikramadithya. By the way, they can inspire to learn it. Children enjoy the thrill and humor when the nose of Lalasa was cut-off and preserved in the mouth of Brahmin young man’s corpse. It leads them to think that if we do any bad or immoral, then there will be the risk to get expose of it.