· Krishna-Clones-and-Seven-Bulls
·
சிறுகதை
Posted Date : 06:00 (14/06/2007)
கண்ணன் கதைகள்
Kaṇṇaṉ
Stories
This story reminds me Jallikkattu in Tamil Nadu.
ஜல்லிக்கட்டு jalli-k-kaṭṭu.
Bull-baiting festival. |
Kaṇṇapirāṉ
Subdued seven bulls at Satya’s Svayaṁbara!
பி.என்.பரசுராமன்
P.N.Parasuraman
|
Nagṉajit
is the upholder, propagator of Dharma and the king of Kōsala
country of subjects who willingly followed the king’s prescriptive code
of conduct. The king had a daughter Satyā
of divine beauty, grace and Sattva guṇa.
Satyā
had a patronymic name,
|
Multiple suitors from various countries competed to win the hand of Satyā.
When they came to Kōsala, there awaited a bulletin.
Nagṉajit declared, “Whosoever subdues my seven brawny
testosterone-supercharged bulls can marry my
daughter Satyā.
The competing princes did not back down. Each prince boasting of his
muscle mass, beating his chest and slapping the thighs came forward and
approached the bull with spiral serpentine horns.
The princes with garlands on the neck and chest bit the dust as their
shoulders and chests were gored and the abdomens were ripped open and
disemboweled. The indomitable bulls know the princes by sight and smell.
This forbidding gory news reached Kaṇṇaṉ.
Kaṇṇaṉ
announcing that he will subdue the bulls, make them behave like steers and take the hand of the
divine damsel,
came to the country with Arjuna and his army.
Nagṉajit received Kaṇṇaṉ
with stately honors and worshipped him. Kannan spoke to him in kind
words and made the king feel joyous.
Satyā
saw Kaṇṇaṉ
with sidelong glances from her private quarters.
That moment her body, mind and soul supplicated to the Lord, “O God, Here
is the man of my dreams. If my prayers are sincere, my supplication must
come true.
Nagṉajit
said, “O Kaṇṇā,
Making everyone joyous, you remain always in a state of complete bliss.
What a humble fellow like me is going to do for you?”
Kaṇṇaṉ
said, “King! It is my desire to marry your daughter Satyā.”
Nagṉajit
said, “You are the Inner Abider in the soul of Mahalakshmi. Who else can I
choose as the fit husband of my daughter? But…” So saying, Nagṉajit
hesitated and his tongue froze.
Kaṇṇaṉ
encouraging him said, “King, tell me without hesitation what you began
to tell me. I will do what I willed. You can bet on that.”
Nagṉajit
said, “Kaṇṇā!
Please do not misunderstand me! I know your supreme powers. My seven
bulls were not subdued by
anyone. I feel bad for my daughter now thinking about it. I sincerely
wish you are the winner destined to marry my daughter. That is my wish
and prayer. All
the princely competitors sustained serious injuries and disgrace. If you
subdued the seven bulls and marry my daughter, there is no luckier person
than me.”
|
Kaṇṇaṉ
said, “Drop your doubts, dithers and worries! I will subdue the bulls.” He entered the
hero’s arena. The bulls charged towards Kaṇṇaṉ in a fit of animal rage. Having danced on the hood of Kāliṅgaṉ and killed Kamsa and his warriors, will he fear these bulls? He became seven clones of himself, subdued the seven bulls, tied them all up and pulled them to the king’s stand. It was like a child dragging wooden elephants on strings. The king was ecstatic. Satya jumped for joy and said, “My prayers have come true.” The made-in-heaven wedding of Kaṇṇaṉ and Satya took place. Vedic chanting and the sound of auspicious drums and musical instruments pervaded the air.
The king of Kōsala
Nagṉajit
bid good-bye to Kaṇṇaṉ
and Satya seated in a decorated chariot. A
large contingent of warriors accompanied the couple.
The erstwhile defeated princes green with envy joined together and declared war on Kaṇṇaṉ
saying, “Kaṇṇaṉ
won her hand. We are not letting him savor his success.”
Not joining hands for the good of the world, look at the melodrama of
humanity coming together for evil purposes and nefarious deeds. Arjuna successfully
stopped the warriors and sent them running for their lives. Soon after,
the divine couple were on their way to Dwaraka.
Our ancient Tamil works elaborate this story. Having subdued the
bulls, the damsel he held in his hands is Nappiṉṉai,
say the Tamil works. She goes by several names: Piṉṉai,
Piñjai,
Nīḷai… Kumbhakaṉ’s daughter Napiṉṉai, Kaṇṇaṉ married by subduing the seven bulls. Napiṉṉai is actually an incarnation of Nīla Dēvi.
The seven sons of demon Kālanēmi came to the home of Kumbhakaṉ as seven
bulls. The Dictionary of Famous names says that Kaṇṇaṉ, having subdued
the seven bulls married Kumbhakaṉ’s daughter Nīḷai. |
Krishna Clones Dancing
with Gopis. |
Notes by Krishnaraj.
Kālanēmi,
son of Virōcana, an uncle and minister in the court of Rāvaṇa was a
Rākṣasa, son of Mārīca, incited by Rāvaṇa to kill Rāma’s friend Hanuman,
who set Lanka on fire after meeting with Sita and Ravana as a parting
message to Ravana. Kālanēmi had a stake in killing Hanuman: Ravana
promised half his kingdom on completion of the task.
(Mārīca became the minister of Rāvaṇa. To help Rāvaṇa to abduct Sita, he
assumed the form of a deer to lure Rama from his hermitage. Rama finding
the trickery killed the deer, from which Mārīca emerged in his previous
Rākṣasa form.)
During war, Hanuman flew to Himalayas to bring a life-saving herb
(Sanjeevani) from mount Dunagiri to revive near-death Lakshmana.
Kālanēmi in the guise of a sage had a hermitage on Gandhamadana hill and
promised to identify the magical herb and offered meal, rest and
relaxation. Hanuman refused to eat his meal and instead went into the
lake for bathing. Hanuman was dragged into deeper waters by a croc.
Hanuman killed the croc.
An Apsara emerged from the dead croc and told she was cursed by Dakṣa
long ago to become a croc for redemption by Hanuman. She further added
that Kālanēmi planned to delay his arrival at his destination to revive
Arjuna before sunrise and to kill him (Hanuman). Hanuman caught Kālanēmi
by his feet and flung him so hard he landed in the court of Rāvaṇa.
Kālanēmi incarnated as Kamsa, the mortal enemy and maternal uncle of
Krishna and also as Kāliya snake.
The seven bulls were the seven sons of Kālanēmi in the previous birth. |