THE STORY TOLD BY LIGHT STAND

The light stand continued …

The 7 Yakshinies had taken Kanthi Rupudu to their world. Here on the earth, Kanthi Rupini had woken up after mid night. She didn’t find husband beside. She had watched 4 sides. He was not there. She had watched in the 7 stares of the palace. She was not able to find him. With helplessness, Kanthi Rupini had cried aloud. Her servant-maids had rushed towards her. They had consoled her first. Then she told them about the missing of Kanthi Rupudu. What the servant-maids could do? They had searched again in the 7 stares of palace and surrounding gardens. The Sun rose in the East. The servant-maids had searched every inch in the palace and garden. If Kanthi Rupudu had gone out of palace, the security guards should know it. With this logic, they had enquired the guards. But the security guards had confirmed that the prince Kanthi Rupudu didn’t go out of palace. They thought, “To play practical joke on us, the prince might hide somewhere.” With this thought, they had searched behind all plants and furniture. They were not able to find him.

Then they had gone to king to report it. By that time, the king Gandheswara was in his court. The ministers, scholars, courtiers and people were there in the court. By hearing the news of Kanthi Rupudu’s missing the king became un-conscious. Immediately his ministers rushed to him. They had served him, the servants and doctors had treated him with sandal powder, cool water and medicines. After some minutes, he came into conscious. He had seen 4 sides to recall his memory. Again, he remembered his son missing. He had wept with sorrow. He said, “My dear ministers! What you have done? Why did you get me to consciousness? Why don’t you leave me to die? When I lost my son, why should I live? What is the use of my life? Why should I have this kingdom? My life is waste.” Like this, he was crying. Our elders used to say that the sorrow of losing children or death of children is forever to any parent. This was circumstantial with the king Gandheswara.

By hearing this, his ministers said, “Oh, King! You have to cry like this if your son had died. But he is very much alive. Just he was missing. If he dead, we could find his dead body. But there is no such case. He can’t go to heaven with body because he didn’t know Anima etc Ashta Sidhi. [In Indians’ believes, there are 8 magical powers by name Animadi Ashta Sidhas. By doing penance people or saints can achieve them. With such magical powers, they can move in invisible form, travel through air, walk on water, psychologically over power others etc.] As well, he is not a devotee to go to heaven with body. However, devotees, people should leave this physical body on this earth. Only soul can go to upper worlds like heaven. On the other hand, our elders used to say that we should experience the result of our bad and good acts. Others will not experience the result of our works. Being knowledgeous, you know all these things. In spite of such, you should not cry like an ordinary man. We should not keep calm. Let us send our spies to all over the world to identify his whereabouts. You please give up crying. Please think about the appropriate work to do now.”

By the console of ministers, the king felt some peace. He had sent skilled spies to all over his kingdom and neighboring countries to trace his son. They had wandered all over. With desperation, they returned to report the nil result to the king. The king felt very sorrow. By watching the sorrow of Kanthi Rupini, he had forgotten his own sorrow, and he consoled her like her own father. He thought, “How cruel this fate is! She is so beautiful and young. I had searched for beautiful bride to my handsome son. But now she remained lonely.”

By thinking like this, Gandheswara ordered the servant-maids and security guards of 7 stared palace to protect her like a flower. In fact, oh, King, can anybody avoid the fate? It will happen at its time; however, it is bitter or sweet to us. On every full moon day, the 7 Yakshinies used to come to the lake. As usual they came. But this time, why should they come to the palace of Kanthi Rupudu and Kanthi Rupini, instead of going on their way? Okay! They came. But why should they feel lust on human prince? Though they felt lust, why should they taken him to their world? They didn’t consider the sin of separating the loving wife and husband. Being Yakshinies, why didn’t they concern about sin and faith, unless it was according to the fate of Yakshinies, Kanthi Rupudu and kanthi Rupini? The king Gandheswara kept them in the isolated 7 stared building to protect their privacy from public visit. It had lead to the separation of the pair. If they live in their old palace, might be the Yakshinies not seen him and taken him. All of this was according to their fate only. Without thinking about fate, people can say anything. But it is impossible for anybody to avoid the happenings of life according to their fate. Well, let’s come back to the story, by leaving this philosophical discussion.” By saying like this, the light stand was continuing the story.

At the world of Yakshinies, Kanthi Rupudu had woken up from sleep. He had seen all around. He didn’t find his loving wife beside himself. He noticed that it was new place. Mean while one of the Yakishinies came into that room. She had mesmerized him with her magical power. She had served him by fulfill his needs. She had given delicious food and drinks. She had entertained him with her talents of music, dance etc. She had decorated him with beautiful dress and ornaments. She made love with him. He had forgotten everything and enjoying.

Like this, every day, the Yakshinies were enjoying in his company on turns. Days were passing like this. One day, due to fate they had thought about kanthi Rupudu’s wife Kanthi Rupini. They discussed among themselves as “We had separated this handsome prince from his wife. We are enjoying with him by creating loneliness to his real wife. Our elders say that it is sin to snatch food from others and eat. His wife might love him. She might be chaste woman. She may curse us. It is not safe to us if we create tears in her eyes. Hence, let us provide her one turn after us.” [What a self deceive is this!]

By deciding like that, they had taken him on next full moon day and dropped him beside Kanthi Rupini on her bed. They had applied their magical power on the couple so that neither Kanthi Rupini nor Kanthi Rupudu could identify what was happening. With the magical sense, Kanthi Rupudu used to enjoy with his wife Kanthi Rupini on every full moon night. Because it was the magic power of Yakshinies, no human beings including Kanthi Rupini, servant-maids and security guards could notice what was happening. It had repeated for few months. After 5, 6 months Kanthi Rupini was conceived pregnancy. By watching the symptoms, the servant-maids felt surprise. They were murmuring among themselves as “She didn’t go anywhere at any time by leaving us. How she got pregnancy?” By watching their whispers, Kanthi Rupini asked “Oh dear servant-maids! You are friends to me. You are like my sisters. Why are you murmuring? What is the matter?”

They had expressed their doubts to her. She was shocked with fear and anger. She said, “Will the swans which swim in lotus lakes desire to eat ordinary snails? What are you talking? Do you think that I will be immoral to love others by leaving my husband? I will not look at Devendra even, except my husband. Will the bee which drink nectar from jasmines go to ---- flower? While you are guarding me and protecting me throughout day and night, how can I meet others by spraying dust in your eyes? You are saying that you sense symptoms of pregnancy with me. This is making me surprise and frightfulness. In fact, I don’t know this. By which mystery this happened, I really don’t know. The fate and God who had separated me from my husband may be driving me into this difficulty and blame. Oh, God! How can I escape from this blame? How can I protect myself? How can I prove my morality? How can I live with this blame?”

Kanthi Rupini was crying like anything. The servant-maids had consoled her. Later they gathered in a secret place. The leader of servant-maids said, “Friends! Our princess had no husband. When her husband is not here, how she conceived pregnancy? She is arguing that she didn’t know the reason of pregnancy. Is any thief say that he is a thief at any time? There must be some lover to her. It is no use of we argue with her. By any trick we have to trace him.” All others had accepted this deal. To find out the truth, they were spreading sand on the ways to Kanthi Rupini’s bedroom and on terrace on every night. They were observing for footprints. With much care, they were observing every day and night. As usual on full moon night, the 7 Yakshinies brought Kanthi Rupudu through air and dropped him on Kanthi Rupini’s bed. After their bathe in the lake, they had picked him up from the bed. That’s why on full moon night also, there were no footprints on the sand. Like that, the servant-maids efforts had failed. They were not able to trace out any body. Some more months were passed. By that time, Kanthi Rupini was pregnant by 8 months. The servant-maids decided to inform to the king about all of this. They feared about the king’s punishment for the delay. In their opinion, already they had delayed. That’s why, they had gone to the king’s court and stood there with folding hands. Their bodies were trembling with fear. Their faces were pale. The king asked “Oh servant-maids! What is the matter? Don’t fear. Say the truth?”

The servant-maids said, “Oh king! We are protecting your daughter-in-law like eyelids to eyes. From the day on which your son had disappeared, we are watching her, serving her and protecting her. No other men can reach the 7 stared palace. The security is very tight and perfect. By slipping the notice of security guards, even male bee could not enter into the palace. We don’t know what mystery had happened. Your daughter-in-law conceived pregnancy. Now she is with 8 months pregnancy. Since we noticed the symptoms of pregnancy, we had keenly observed. But we didn’t notice any person. We brought the truth to your notice. Now the issue is up to you.”

By hearing this, the king Gandheswara felt sad and shy. It was like the pestles’ beat on the injured finger. He said with his prime minister, “Oh Prime Minister! You are the justice of our kingdom. Your heard the servant-maids’ report. What we had to do?” The Prime Minster said, “Maharaja! We have to proceed according to Manu Dharma Sasthra. [It is the penal code of ancient India] In the administration and ruling of country, we have to decide punishment to people without showing the partiality of our people and other people. Then only people will accept the justice. Now your daughter-in-law had done most immoral and blamable act. This makes us blame in the world and public. Hence, at night about 15 Gadiyas time, you handover her to the soldiers and order them to leave her in the forest. This is the appropriate punishment to her.”

The king had ordered the soldiers to do so. The soldiers had dropped Kanthi Rupini in the thick forest and informed the same to the king. The king and his Queens had cried for their son’s missing and their daughter-in-law’s fate. They were leading life with prayers and devotion to God.

Kanthi Rupini had never gone out of royal palace since her birth. Such delicate and beautiful soft girl, how she had wept in that forest at that dark night, you can imagine. In that thick forest, at that dark night she was trembling by watching the trees, plants and ants. When the snakes moved beside her, her body was shriveling. She was frightening when the wild animals crying. When she tried to walk, her hair and dress had wound to thorn plants. She felt some body was dragging her. She was hurting by thorns pierced in her delicate feet. She was not able to see anything in that dark time. When she got strike against rocks, her delicate body was injured. Her body and feet became bleeding. She was crying with psychological hurt rather than the physical hurt. She had gone towards the wild animals by tracing them with sound, to offer her body as a bray to them. She wanted to commit suicide like that. She thought that it was better to die than living with blame. But when she had gone in front of wild animals, though the wild animals were cruel by virtue of their nature, by watching her pitiable face, the wild animals became kind and soft. They didn’t hurt her. Instead of hurting her, the wild animals had run away from her. Kanthi Rupini had cried like anything as the death also preventing her. While she was suffering like this, the mid might had passed. In the light of stars, she had traced a narrow way. Kanthi Rupini was walking on the way. She had watched a fire at far. She walked in that direction. By the way, she had reached the burial ground of Chandra Giri. She had seen an old woman there. That woman was burning a corpse. In fact, that old woman was a prostitute whose name was Soundarya Valli [The meaning of this name is a beautiful garland or creeper.] The corpse was of her daughter Chitra Valli [The meaning of this name is a wonderful garland] Chitra Valli was beautiful and young when she was alive. She was active in her profession of prostitution. She conceived the pregnancy. But the baby in her womb was dead. Hence, Chitra Valli’s delivery had turn as tragedy. She had died.

By the way, Soundraya Valli had lost her younger aged daughter at her old age. Because she had no relatives, she was burning the corpse of Chitra Valli herself.

By that time, Kanthi Rupini had reached there. She had seen the old prostitute and burning corpse there. She had thought “Well! The light I watched is from this burial ground. The body stood in front of the fire of corpse may be a ghost. If I go in front of that ghost, it will eat me. But such death is terrible. It is better to scarify life by entering into this fire, before this ghost kills me. Certainly it will be the appropriate act.” She had tied up her sari and Pallu tight. She had tied up her long and beautiful hair. By praying God with folding hands, she had paid 2 holy rounds around the burning corpse. After 3rd round, she got ready to jump into the fire. At that moment suddenly Soundarya Valli, the old prostitute woman had rushed towards her. Soundarya Valli had dragged Kanthi Rupini far from fire. She had taken the shocked young princess to other side of fire and made her to sit beside a tree. She had observed Kanthi Rupini and said, “Oh, Girl! You are like my mother. It seems that you are divine girl or princess. You are so beautiful and delicate. More over you are pregnant with matured months. In spite of carrying a baby in your womb, why did you try to jump into the fire of corpse?”

Kanthi Rupini said, “Oh Mother! If any person had the serious sorrows and difficulties, such person will take these types of steps. Others cannot understand this and others cannot experience it. Due to my fate, I’m facing unbearable sorrows and difficulties. That’s why, I want to die by jumping into that fire of corpse. You had spoilt my trial and saved me. May be you are thinking that you had done faith and good to me. But you had made me to suffer from terrible future. What you have done is not at all a holy thing. Is it not sin to throw a person from comfortable death to terrible future?”

With this conversation, the old woman had understood the desperation of Kanthi Rupini. She said, “Oh young girl. It seems that you are delicate and soft character girl. I had a daughter who was more beautiful than you are. Unfortunately, she had dead yesterday. I’m burning that corpse only here, into which you had tried to jump. My daughter had dead, because the baby in her womb had died before delivery. You are like my daughter. I have no other children and no body. I treat yourself as if my own daughter. I’ll take care of you in all sense. Please do come to my house. There won’t be any deficiency and difficulty to you in my house. You can think that it is your own house.”

By this way, the old woman i.e. prostitute Soundarya Valli had consoled Kanthi Rupini. She was convinced by the old woman’s words. Soundarya Valli had taken Kanthi Rupini to her house and treated her with medicines, food and other needs. After 4 days, she had enquired Kanthi Rupini for her personal details. Kanthi Rupini didn’t tell the truth. She said, “Mother! I’m an orphan. My name is Rupa Vathi. My husband had left me when I got pregnancy.”

Soundarya Valli didn’t stressed further. She was protecting Kanthi Rupini with all comforts. Days had passed. One day Kanthi Rupini got delivery pains. Soundarya Valli had called on a mid wife. She said, “Oh mid wife! If this woman gives birth to male child, kill him. I’ll give large amount of money and gold to you. If she gives birth to female child, protect the baby.” The midwife had agreed to this deal. Kanthi Rupini was suffering from pains. She was un-conscious. Soundarya Valli had tied a cloth across her two eyes. She had given birth to a boy. The kid was cute and bright like the sun in the sky. As per the deal, the midwife had taken the baby out along with her gift from Soundarya Valli.

After some time, Kanthi Rupini became conscious. She had opened the eyes and watched beside her. There was no baby. There was a wooden doll. She had asked Soundarya Valli, “Mother! What is this?” Soundarya Valli said, “I don’t know the miracle. But you had delivered this wooden doll only.” Kanthi Rupini had wept silently. She didn’t say anything. Soundarya Valli had cured Kanthi Rupini with medicines.

On the other hand, when the mid wife was taking the baby, on the way, she had seen the face of baby. The kid was smiling at her. The midwife had seen the glory of the baby. She thought, “This baby is very cute. What is the use of me by killing this innocent kid? Definitely l’ll gather sin by doing like that.” There was temple of Godden Durga at the end of that city, Chandra Giri. In the premises of that temple, there was a big anthill. In that, there was living a 5 headed king cobra. By that early in the morning, before sun rise there was semi dark at all. The mid wife had kept the kid beside the snake hill and gone away.

Oh king of kings! I know this story up to this only. I don’t know the remaining story. Hence, I can’t continue.”

The light stand said like that. By hearing this, Vikramadithya in the disguise of Vysya businessman said, “Very well light stand! What a story you told? The Prince i.e. father was in the world of Yakshaw. The princess i.e. mother was in the house of prostitute. Their baby was beside the snake’s hill. By leaving them like this, you had finished the story. For the remaining story, what I can do?”

The light stand said, “Oh king. Don’t be anger with me. What can I do? I heard the story upto this much only. While I was hearing the story with anxiety, somebody had taken me to another room. Won’t you know that I’m dependent on others. If you want to know the remaining story, this pillow had heard the remaining story. You can ask the pillow on which Hela Rambha had leaned, to tell the remaining the story.”

Immediately, Vikramadithya said, “Oh Pillow. I heard that you know the remaining story up to which the light stand had narrated. You must tell me the remaining story.” Co-ordinatively Bhethala had inserted himself in the pillow and said, “Oh Rajendra! Please consider my request. These people had filled me tightly with soft cotton and stitched with needle and thread. More over this beautiful young princess had leaned on me. In this situation, it is not possible for me to breathe even comfortable. While I’m suffering from these situations, you are insisting me to tell me the story. It seems that my work is like the idiom, ‘it is play to cat and the same is danger to life of rat’. Wont you have concern on me?”

By hearing this, Hela Rambha had thought, “This Vysya business man should not be a business man. He should not be deity or some other man. He might be Vikramadithya who is the emperor of Ujjain. Otherwise, how the curtain, light stand and pillow can tell stories? More over they are calling him as king, Maharaja, Rajendra etc. Let me verify it.”

By thinking like this, with pleasure, Hela Rambha had dropped the pillow in between their cots. The king Jambu Natha Varma and others who were surrounded that room, were eagerly waiting to know the rest of story. Vikramadithya said, “Oh pillow! This princess is so intellectual. She had concern on you. Hence, she had released you from your difficulties. Now let me hear the remaining story.”