THE STORY OF KANTHI RUPUDU AND KANTHI RUPINI

The curtain said …

Oh great man! Listen. The past-happened story I’m telling now. In ancient time, there was a king by name Gandheswara ruling Chandra Giri Kingdom. He had 120 wives. But he had no children. To have children, he had done penance to God. With God’s boon, his first Queen had given birth to a male child. The prince was cute. The king and his Queens were bringing up the prince with great love and affection. He was growing like moon in the bi-week before full moon day. They were calling him by name Kanthi Rupudu. [The meaning this name is light in the form of boy] When he was at the age of 5 years, his parents had sent him to a Gurukulam. [Gurukulam is the school cum college of those days. It was residential. Every disciple including rich and poor or from prince to poor should obey the rules of Gurukulam. They should obey their teacher. They should lead ordinary life by doing physical industry] Within 10 years, Kanthi Rupudu had learnt all Sasthras, arts and worrier qualities. By that time, he was at the age of 15 years. King Gandheswara was very happy with his son. He was worried to locate suitable match to him. One day he had called on his wives and said, “My dear Queens. Our child Kanthi Rupudu is very handsome. He became 15 years old. It is a tough task to locate a suitable girl to him. She must be equally beautiful to our handsome prince. She must be equally talented and learned to our boy. That’s why now itself we have to start to locate an appropriate bride to our son.”

All of his wives had supported him. They loved their son very much. The king had sent skilled Brahmins to neighboring kingdoms and all over the world. But they were not able to locate a suitable girl. They didn’t satisfy with any match.

Then the king had ordered painting artists to draw his son Kanthi Rupudu’s picture. They had done so. It was beautiful and lively. The king Gandheswara had given it to his ministers and sent them along with army troops to search for a suitable girl. They had visited so many kingdoms. But they didn’t satisfy with any princess, so that they didn’t locate any match to their prince. They felt sad and desperation. They had returned to their native Chandra Giri. On the way, they had reached a city called Thanthra Puram. Beside that city, there was a beautiful garden with flowers and fruits bearing plants and shady trees. The lake was filled with sweet and cool water. By that time, all the ministers and their soldiers were tired. They had constructed some tents on the bank of the lake and taking rest there.

In fact, there was a city by name Mahendra Giri at certain distance to this lake. King Maheswara was ruling it. He had 21 wives, but no children. He had done penance to have children. With God’s boon, his last Queen had given birth to a girl. The baby was like full moon. They had brought up her with great love and affection. They were calling her by name Kanthi Rupini. She had learnt all Sasthras i.e. subjects and 64 arts like music, dance, painting etc. Now she was at tean age. Her parents had wished to perform her marriage with any prince who should be equal to her in appearance, education and talents. They had sent Brahmins to neighboring kingdoms to locate a suitable prince to their princess. But they could not. Then the king Maheswara had sent his ministers along with army troops by giving the painting of their princess; to locate a right prince all over the world. They had searched wide but in vain. With desperation, they were returning to their native Mahendra giri. On the way, they had reached Thanthra Puram. They had constructed tents on the other bank of the lake to take rest in the mid of their journey.

By morning, both the teams of Chandra Giri and Mahendra Giri had watched the other party. The ministers of both kingdoms had sent messengers to enquire about the others. The messengers met on the way. The messengers of Chandra Giri had asked “Oh man! Who are you? Where is your native? Why did you stayed here. Let us know. Our ministers were interested to know.” The messengers of Mahendra Giri said, “We belong to Mahendra Giri. Our king has a princess. To locate a suitable prince to her to get marry, we are searching. But we are not able to achieve our task. With desperation, we are returning to our native. Who are you? Why are you staying here?”

By hearing that, the messengers of Chandra Giri said, “Good! This is like the appearance of God to whom we are going to pay our tributes. And this is like the winding of creeper to our feet for which we are searching. There is same case with us. We are searching for a suitable princess to our prince to marry. We have his painting. Let us inform this to our ministers.”

The messengers of the both kingdom felt happy and encourage. The ministers had met and exchanged their information. They had observed the painting of the prince and princess by keeping side by side. By watching the beauty of pair, they felt wonder. When they had known the names and the birth stories, they felt as if it was a miracle of God. The ministers of Mahendra Giri said, “The meeting of our teams is just accidental and un-expected. With desperation, we are returning to our native. There is same case with you. By luck, we met here. Really, God is great. This is his wonderful creation.”

The ministers of Chandra Giri had accepted this opinion. They had exchanged their painting and decided that Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu were made for each other. The ministers of both kingdoms had taken send off mutually and left to their natives. They had informed to their respective kings.

By watching the painting of Kanthi Rupini, Gandheswara felt very happy. They had decided that she was the only choice to Kanthi Rupudu. By watching the painting of Kanthi Rupudu, Maheswara felt very very happy. Everybody had accepted the decision of performing marriage of Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu. Both the kings had decided an auspicious day to perform the marriage, by Brahmin scholars. They had done all arrangements for that celebration.

They had invited all of their relatives and friends. When time approached, king of Chandra Giri, Gandheswara had started to Maheswara Giri, with his Queens and bridegroom Kanthi Rupudu. The Brahmin scholars, artists, people, ministers, sub-ordinates, relatives and friends all were there. By staying at suitable places, they had reached Mahendra Giri within few days. King of Mahendra Giri, Maheswara had welcomed them on grand scale. He had treated them with respects and love. He had given gifts to all the invitees. He provided comfortable guesthouses to all of them. On the auspicious day, Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu were made in beautiful and valuable dress with gold and diamond ornaments. The city was decorated with flowers, Pandyals and lights. The marriage was performed with Veda Mantras and sweet music. There was a great feast to all. Including people, everybody had enjoyed the occasion. The kings had donated valuable gifts to Brahmins and poor people. They had gifted all the invitees. There was no in-satisfaction in any body. Few days passed.

Then Gandheswara had taken leave from Maheswara. The marriage party was arriving Chandra Giri. People were waiting for the new pair. All of the city was decorated. The entrance of the fort was delighted with flowers and pearls garlands. They reached the city. People received their prince and newlywed princess with heart. They welcomed Kanthi Rupini, a bride to their kingdom with great love and affection. As per their tradition, the newlyweds had paid their holy round visit to the city and then entered into the city temple. They had performed devotional programs there. Then they reached their palace. They had taken rest there. The king Gandheswara had given gifts to the invitees and people. All of they had returned to their houses.

Since then, Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu were living together. They loved each other. There was limit less love, affection and friendship in between them. Whatever they do, always they were together. They were enjoying with each other’s company. They were very good looking pair. They were like Rathi Manmadha who were famous as beautiful pair in deities. People were comparing them with Sachi Purondaras [Purandara i.e. Devendra is the king of deities and Sachi Devi is his Queen] and Rohini Chandras [Rohini is the name of star and Chandra means moon.]

Because Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu were famous as most beautiful couple, people were coming to see them from near and far away places. Hence, their daily life was not peaceful. The king Gandheswara had watched all of this. He thought, “I had no children for long time. As a rare child, I got Kanthi Rupudu by the boon of God. With great effort, I made his marriage with Kanthi Rupini. Now their life is not with leisure and peacefulness. I have to prevent this problem.”

He had constructed a 7 stared building with height compound walls. The compound walls were as height as palm trees. The 7 stared palace was surrounded with beautiful garden, lakes and swimming pools. The garden was furnished with beautiful flower plants and fruits bearing trees. It was filled with colored flowers, sweet smells and butterflies. The lakes were furnished with lotus, water lilies and water birds. The entire construction was in the mid of hills beside the capital city, Chandra Giri.

Because of these arrangements, Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu were enjoying life peacefully and happily. The required servants, servant-maids, guards and soldiers were appointed to serve them in their palace. Days were passing like this.

One day, it was full moon day. The full moon was bright in the sky like a golden plate. The white full moon light had spread like silver powder all over the earth. The entire world was sleeping with peace and comfort in the lap of Goddess ‘sleep’. There was a hills range beside Chandra Giri at certain distance. Among that range, there were 3 hills. In between them, there was beautiful lake. On every full moon day, 7 Yakshinies used to come on to the earth and take bathe in that lake. [Indians believe that Yakshaw world is one, among 14 worlds on this universe. The Yakshaw had magical powers. The females among Yakshaws were called as Yakshinies.]

Since long time, these 7 Yakshinies were coming to have pleasure bathe in that lake. On this full moon day also, they had came and had bathe. They had seen the 7 stared palace of Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu. They had thought, “Since long time we are coming here. But we didn’t notice this beautiful palace till now. It is so nice and attractive. Even in our rich world also, we didn’t notice this type of palace. We don’t know who is living in that palace. They might be deities or snake Gods. Unless we see this, we should not go to our world. Let us go to see that palace”. They had expressed this opinion among themselves. Then they had reached on to the terrace of the palace.

By that time, Kanthi Rupini and Kanthi Rupudu were sleeping on a beautiful bed i.e. Hamsa Thulika Thalpams [The bed made up of pure and soft silk, cotton and with Swans’ feathers] on the Terrace. The 7 Yakshinies had seen the beautiful couple. Later they had seen the entire palace in invisible form. They didn’t like to go to their world. They had pride, as they were most beautiful women in the universe. Now they had thought, “Oh God! Being human beings, this prince and princess are very attractive and this pair is very beautiful. Just they are looking like ‘Made for each other! God Brahma had created them and made them as a pair with most care. Though we are beautiful, but it is no use of our beauty unless we had the love of this prince. He is not eligible to be on this earth. He is eligible to be in our world and to enjoy with us.” They had shared their feelings among themselves. They had committed as “Let us enjoy sex with this prince on the base of turns. If we find a sweet fruit, we have to share among ourselves. It is not correct for one person to enjoy the fruit. And it is not correct to give the entire fruit to only one person. Unity is strength. Our elders used to tell this. [In fact, they had applied the elder’s words to the selfish things] If we live together with unity, we can achieve all comforts and luxurious. By leaving this, if we oppose one another, nobody can enjoy.”

Then they had applied Sammohana Mantra [a magic power by which we can make the others to loss self-consciousness and obey us] on Kanthi Rupudu. He lost self-consciousness. They had taken him to their world of Yakshaws. They had thought about unity among them; comfort of themselves and their luxuries. That’s why they made commitments to enjoy the Prince Kanthi Rupudu’s company on turns. But they didn’t think about the princess, his wife Kanthi Rupini. They didn’t concern about the sin of separating the loving wife and husband. Who is there to think about the other’s benefits by leaving their own benefits? Who is there to work for others by leaving self-benefits. People are there who are thinking to fill their bellies. People are not thinking about others. People are not concern about others. There are so many people like that. Rajendra! Won’t you see such people? You asked me to tell a story. I spaid that I can tell the story up to I know. I know this much story only. I don’t know the remaining story. In whichever manner you force me to tell the remaining story, it is of no use. Actually, some days back, I was not at a corner. Some people had spread me on floor like mat and sat on me. One of them had told this story. I was hearing if with interest and curiosity. By that time, a servant came there like God of unlucky i.e. Shani God to me. He was searching for me i.e. curtain. He had seen the people who were telling story by sitting on me. He said, “Enough! Enough! Stop your stories and chatting. While we are searching for this curtain, you are chatting here by sitting on this with leisure. It’s all enough. Get up.” Without giving sufficient time to them to get up, he had dragged me from there and taken me away. That’s why I didn’t hear the complete story?”

By saying like this, the curtain cloth kept calm. By hearing this Hela Rambha, servant-maids, king, Queen, ministers and others felt so much surprise. They felt sad for the in-completion of story. They were curious to hear the remaining story. With all these emotions, they didn’t notice that the curtain called the Vysya businessman as Rajendra i.e. king. They were waiting to hear the remaining story with eager and anxiety.

Then Vikramadithya who was in the disguise of Vysya businessman said, “Oh curtain cloth! Good! Good! What a good talk you had! Who had asked you to tell half story or in-completed story? If you don’t know this story completely, you have to say the same, in the beginning itself. You should not do like this. What is the use by giving half food to anybody to satisfy his hunger? Do you know how your work is now? While we are cheering the curd, by the moment when we are going to have butter, then if the pot get break, how it will be? Your story telling is like that! We should not work like that. If we do any work, it should be like lifting of butter from curd. However times you say that you don’t know the remaining story, I won’t leave you.”

The curtain said, “Oh Maharaja! It is no use to ask me repeatedly to tell the remaining story. After the servant had taken me from there, the people who were enjoying the story by sitting on me until then, they had continued to talk. But I was not able to hear. Then, this light stand on which the light is burning in the middle of yourself and the princess Hela Rambha, was there on that day. It had heard the reaming story. You ask the light stand to tell the story. It can tell you and you can enjoy it.”

Then Vikramadithya said, “Oh light stand! Can you tell me remaining story?” The light stand said, “Oh king! Don’t you have concern on me? I’m bearing this burning lamp on me. It is hot and oily. Actually, I was a tree branch in the forest. The royal carpenters came there, cut me off and carved me into this light stand with beautiful sculpture. You are enjoying my sculpture beauty and lighting service. But I’m suffering from hot and oily touch. I know the remaining story. But I can’t tell you.” All the listeners had felt wonder. They thought, “What a wonder is this? Till now, the curtain had told a story. Now this light stand is speaking. We didn’t hear about such wonders in previous. Where is light stand, how it is telling a story?”

By thinking like this, they were eager to hear the rest of story. Then Hela Rambha ordered her servant-maids to keep the burning lamp on some other stand and wipe it with cloth. They had done so.

Vikramadithya said, “Oh light stand! This princess Hela Rambha is so kind. She had lifted you from sufferings. Now let me hear the story. Please tell me the remaining story. I’m very eager to hear it.”

The light stand said, “Oh king of kings! I know the rest of story to some extent, which the curtain had told you. If you want, I tell you. Listen with care.”