16th STORY OF BHETHALA

THE STORY OF ANAMATHI

Vikramadithya again caught up Bhethala. Bhethala again told a story.

Once upon a time, there was a city by name Avinasi. [The meaning of this name is a thing or living being which has no end of life] In that city, there was a Brahmin by name Devanadhudu. He had a son, Arjuna Swami. He was handsome and learned. He was grown up to marriage age. His father Devanadhudu had performed his marriage with a Brahmin young girl, by name Anamathi. She was very beautiful and good nature. Both the wife and husband Anamathi and Arjuna Swami were like ‘made for each other’ to the people. They were pretty couple. They were always with affection to each other, moving together, eating together and doing every work together. People were admiring their life style.

One night they had slept in their house garden to enjoy the cool breeze. It was mid night. A demon was going in the air. Demons used to move in nights only. This demon was very big and cruel. He had seen Anamathi. He had admired her beauty. He was crazy about her. Hence, he had taken away her with his magical powers.

In the morning, when Arjuna Swami woke up from sleep, he could not see his wife. All the family members had searched for her. Nobody noticed anything. Arjuna Swami was sad. He wanted to search for her all over the country. He had gone on country tour. He had searched in all possible places but in vain. He could not trace her. With despair, he returned to his native, Avinasi city.

On the way, he reached a village. He was very hunger. He asked for food in a Brahmin’s house in that village. The host had called on his own wife and asked her to give food to Arjuna Swami. She offered him meals in a leaves’ plate. Arjuna Swami asked her to give food packet. She had given rice, curries, sweets and fruits in a small basket of bamboos. Arjuna Swami had taken that basket and reached the river, which was flowing beside that village. On the bank of that river, there was a big banyan tree. Arjuna Swami had kept his food basket under the shade of banyan tree. He had a bathe in the river.

After bathe, he had started to eat the food. By that time, an eagle had caught up a black king cobra. It had sat on the branch of banyan tree and was tearing the snake to eat it. The snake had spitted the poison. Right beneath to this branch, Arjuna Swami sat. He was eating. The poison had fallen uniformly on the food. Arjuna Swami was hungry. Hence, he didn’t notice it. He had continued to eat the food. Due to the snake’s poison Arjuna Swami died immediately.

Bhethala said, “Tell me Maharaja! Who should bear this brahma hatya sin? {In Indian’s believes brahma hatya means killing of a Brahmin i.e. Satwa guna person. It is sin. Like that Sishu Hatya [Killing of kid], sthree hatya [Killing of woman], Gohatya [Killing of cow] also treated as great sins} Is this sin goes to the donors of food or someone else? Give reply. If you break the silence, I won’t obey you. If you keep silence by knowing it, your head will break into 1000 pieces.”

Vikramadithya said, “Bhethala! In this, nobody had done sinful act. Because Arjuna Swami asked for food, being hunger. The host i.e. Brahmin and his wife had given food to him. He was taking food under the shade of tree. The eagle was eating its own food i.e. snake. The snake was suffering from death pain. Hence, it had spitted poison. Hence, this sin goes to any person who says as ‘this sin goes to so and so’ without thinking properly. That’s why before saying something, we have to think properly.”

Bhethala admired Vikramadithya’s reply. But as the silence had broken, Bhethala disappeared from there along with the corpse.

OUT COMING SKILLS: By reading this story, children can learn to control their tongue while talking. It warns us to use our tongue after thinking. Otherwise, it will create more complications and problems in life. Another important feature is there, in this story. The root cause of the wandering of Arjuna Swami and his death was ‘the missing of Anamathi, his wife.” Hence, the name of this story was ‘Anamathi’. By the observing this children can inspire to think cause act relation.