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.
Jallikattu (or Sallikkattu), also known as Eru Taḻuvuṭal and Manju-virattu, is a traditional event in which a zebu bull (Bos indicus), such as the Pulikulam or Kangayam breeds, is released into a crowd of people, and many human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape. Participants hold the hump for as long as possible, attempting to bring the bull to a stop. In some cases, participants must ride long enough to remove flags on the bull's horns.
Jallikattu is typically practised in some regions of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (peculiarly in Southern and Western Tamil Nadu) as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day, which occurs annually in January.
Because of incidents of injury and death associated with the sport, both to the participants and to the animals forced into it, animal rights organizations have called for a ban on the sport, resulting in the Supreme Court of India banning it several times over the past years. However, with protests from the people against the ban, a new ordinance was made in 2017 to continue the sport.
1. The people of Azhakapuri were happy. The reason for that is that the Pongal festival started on that day.
2. Paramarthar and disciples were also very active.
3. The next day – Cattle Pongal arrived.
4. Mandu came running shouting "Guru...Guru. "This evening, there will be a lot of racing in the town limits!"
5. “Race? What is it?” Guru and disciples surrounded him and asked.
6. “The cow's horns would be painted in multiple colors. Then, Jallikkattu will also take place. "Our king is going to give many villages to the victors," said Mandu.
7. Hearing this, Paramarthar's brain worked intensely.
8. “Disciples! If by some means we win this race…. I will become the leader of many cities! You will each get a position. Then we shall have no sorrow.”
9. Hearing the Guru's plan, the disciples jumped for joy.
10. “Master! Don't worry. Anyway, we will show you we will win!” said Muttal.
11. “If only our guru somehow became a king, we will be happy! We can go on a luxurious procession in a car drawn by different kinds of horses!” Mudan dreamed.
12. “Is that all? If we go on the street, everyone will fall at our feet and bow down!” Laughed, Matti.
13. “Yeah, yeah. I will also get a lot of free cigars. We could collect cigars instead of money as tax!” said Paramarthar.
14. “Master! Another command should be given. Madaiyan thought that if we say, "From now on, all the eggs laid by new horses belong to the king", then all the horses will be available to us.
15. “Disciples, wonderful ideas! Great future! Victory is ours! Don't let it slip by. Run..." he shouted furiously.
16. Saying “Jay to Guru” everyone left for the Jallikkattu venue.
17. An unexpected event happened to the Guru and his disciples on a street.
18. “Sir! "Catch that cow," shouted a stout woman, who was unable to carry her too heavy a body which was as big as a great pumpkin.
19. A cow limped along, foaming at the mouth and liable to roll three times even in the slightest breeze. It was trying to dodge the woman. Its chest showed the ribs were sticking out in line formation.
20. Since it was cow Pongal, the horns were painted and decorated with flowers.
21. After preparing Pongal, she kept it in a big bowl to feed her lovely cow. The bowl was often used to dissolve medicine and feed the cattle. So, thinking that she was coming to feed some medicine, the cow staggered, lost its step and started running.
22. In the meantime, the cow was startled to see Paramartha Guru, bearded and mustached, and billowing smoke, and his disciples coming towards them in the form of strange miracles.
23. “Here is a Jallikkattu cow! It has escaped from the stadium!” The disciples surrounded it.
24. “Don't let go! Don't let go! Hold the tail! We can subdue this and get a gift from the king!” All the disciples simultaneously grabbed the cow's tail and pulled it. The tail broke by half.
25. The cow raised her voice in agony and gathered the little strength she had and kicked like a donkey. Matti’s and Madaiyan’s noses got ripped. Both screamed and fell away.
26. “Is it a cow or donkey?” Astonished, the Guru saw the horn and said, "It is a wicked cow! Grab the horn! Only then will it be subdued!” he said nervously.
27. Muttal and Mandu fell on the cow. As they charged fast on the cow, they broke the two horns, which came off with the hands. The cow spread her legs and laid down.
28. “Ah...! The cow is subdued! It's gone!” The guru and disciples jumped.
29. “Oh! My eyes! My darling. Gone! You have killed a beautiful cow that milks in the amount of four containers a day! The rotund old woman burst into tears and started to wail and moan.
The below photo is from Wiki.
30. “Don't worry Grandma! We will tell the king about the heroic deed of taming the cow and compensate you with the prize money!” The disciples pacified her by saying that. They carried the dead cow in a cart and went to Jallikkattu ground. The cow has died.
31. The people gathered in the Maidan shook and laughed at the sight of the Guru and his disciples who took the life of the feeble cow thinking that it was a Jallikkattu buck of a bull.
32. But the Master and the disciples were flogged for the crime of killing a cow.