Paramārthar
Guru Stories
Constantine Joseph Beschi (8
November 1680 – 4 February 1747), also known under his Tamil name
of Vīramāmunivar
(வீரமாமுனிவர்),
was an Italian Jesuit priest,
missionary in South
India,
and Tamil language littérateur (a
literary person, esp. a writer of literary works)..-Wiky
He mastered the Tamil language and published many books with Christian
teachings in Tamil under the name Vīramāmunivar.
His narrative poem "Dembavani" is famous. In the 18th century, he
translated books such as Tirukkural, Devaram, Thiruppugazh and Athichudi
into Latin and other languages. Parmathaguru Kathas, which he wrote in
Tamil culture, adapted from the comic stories popular in Europe at that
time, were famous for their humorous nature and were translated into
many Indian languages.
Vīramāmunivar
wrote the Paramārtha
Guru stories in Tamil, steeped in humor. The naïve Guru and his five
disciples, Matti, Madaiyan, Pēthai, Mūdan, Milēcchan engage in acts,
which
Paramārtha
guru narrates in a story-form with humor. Their names are
everyday pejorative monikers in Tamil Nadu to describe people with
varying degrees of stupidity.
2. However, the horse was old and decrepit. It was blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, lame in one of its front legs, and had swollen hind legs.
3. Its body was covered in sores and looked unsightly. Despite its appearance, Paramartha Guru and his disciples were overjoyed. "We got it for free without spending any money!" they thought.
4. "Guru, there's no rope to tie it down. So let's wrap it with straw," said Matti, and he did just that.
5. To create a seat for the Guru, Mandu placed a torn old sack on the horse and decorated its neck with a garland made of Erukku flowers (Indian Madder), acting foolishly.
6. The whole village gathered to see their actions. Finally, the horse was fully decorated.
7. Paramartha Guru, plump and pot-bellied, proudly mounted the horse. And that was it!
8. Unable to bear the weight, the horse started to neigh in pain and eventually lay down.
9. "Ah, what obstinacy is this?" Guru dismounted, annoyed.
10. The fool had an idea. He took a burning stick and placed it near the horse's leg. Immediately, the horse kicked up and stood up, then ran a little distance before stopping.
11. Guru sat on it again. Now, Matti twisted its tail. Angered, the horse kicked out.
12. The kick knocked Matti to the ground, breaking four of his teeth and causing his mouth to bleed.
13. Seeing all this, Guru was shaking with fear.
14. "Disciples! I am scared. I am getting off!" he said.
15. "Guru, don't worry. Just sit tight. We'll take care of everything," replied the fool.
16. Mandu and the idiot had another idea.
17. Standing in front of the horse, they contorted their faces, rolled their eyes, puckered their lips, and made "Aa...Oo...Oo..." sounds to scare it.
18. This startled the horse, and it began to walk backward slowly. To Guru and his disciples, this was both surprising and delightful. Those around them started clapping and laughing.
19. The horse then started to run backward.
20. "A lame horse! A blind horse! A perfect horse for the Guru! Kicks like a donkey! Bites like a dog! Move aside! Make way!" sang the disciples as they went along.
21. The horse got used to running backward.
22. When they reached the border of the next town, the toll collector stopped them.
23. "You must pay a tax for this out-of-town horse. Pay ten coins," he said.
24. "Tax? Should I pay tax for a horse I'm riding? Moreover, this horse came to us as a gift. We won't pay tax for it!" declared the Guru.
25. "No matter what, I won't let you go without paying the tax," insisted the toll collector, blocking their way.
26. "If we are parsimonious, this man is even more unyielding!" they thought and gave him five coins.
27. "Give five more coins."
28. "Isn't the tax for a horse just five coins?"
29. "That's for a horse that goes forward. Your horse goes backward too!"
30. "What injustice!" they lamented, but gave five more coins anyway.
31. "How much money has this horse cost us already?" they wondered as they continued their journey.
32. Finally, they entered the village and headed to a monastery. It was night, and everyone was too tired to tie up the horse, so they went to sleep.
33. In the morning, they went looking for the horse in different directions.
34. At last, they found the horse tied up next to a field!
35. "This horse entered my field last night and ruined all the crops. I will only release it if you pay me ten coins," said the farmer who had tied it up.
36. They bargained with the farmer and gave him four coins before taking the horse and leaving.
37. "Shame...Shame! This horse has brought us nothing but trouble. My honor is lost! Let's abandon it," lamented the Guru.
38. Then, someone there mentioned that the horse was possessed. That's why it behaved this way. "If we perform an exorcism, everything will be alright. For my expenses, give me five coins," he suggested. Guru and his disciples, crying, gave him the money.
39. Later, grabbing one of the horse's ears, the swindler said, "Ah! All the evil spirits are contained within this ear. That's why they had already cut off the other ear. Now, if we cut off this ear as well, everything will be fine!"
40. Immediately, Matti, rolling around on the ground, cried out, "Hurry up and cut off the ear!" A fool brought a sharpened knife for the task.
41. While everyone held the horse down, the swindler cut off its ear! The horse, unable to bear the pain, collapsed to the ground and wailed. Then, it died.
42. They took the cut-off ear, dug a deep hole, and buried it.
43. "The evil has been eliminated! No more worries now!" declared the swindler.
44. Filled with joy, Paramartha Guru and his disciples set off to the next village.