ParamarthaGuruStories
PAR01-GuruAndHisDisciples
Paramartha Guru Stories were inspired by siruvarmalar.com in Tamil.  Presentation in English by Veeraswamy Krishnaraj

Paramārtha Guru Stories.  = Stories of Guru with no worldly experience

  1. உலக அனுபவமற்றவன்

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.  

1. Paramartha Guru Stories – Krishna! Gimme the sari! Home > Paramartha Guru Stories
2. Paramartha Guru and his disciples were returning to the monastery after buying and eating parched rice. At that time, a street performance was about to start in the neighboring street. A person dressed as Bhagavan Krishna was on his way to the street theater. Seeing him, the disciples believed the real Krishna was giving them Darshan.
3. "Look, Gurudev! Lord Krishna is coming!” exclaimed Matti (மட்டி = Fool).
4. “Yes, Guru! He even has a flute in his hand!” said Madaiyan (=மடையன் = Idiot).
5. Paramartha Guru also believed him to be God walking towards them! He immediately tore off his fine dhoti!
6. “Disciples, tear your clothes in the same way,” Paramartha Guru instructed.
7. "Tearing new clothes? Why, Guru?” asked Mudoodāl (Idiot).
8. "Man of perverse understanding! Don’t ask me why. Rip quickly! Only then will he believe that we are poor!” Paramartha Guru decreed.
9. The five disciples tore their dhotis into rags as per the Guru's instructions!
10. Immediately, Paramartha rushed and prostrated himself at the feet of the person playing the role of Krishna in a street theater presentation!
11. "O Krishna, you gave Panjali a sari and protected her honor! Similarly, you should give us a sari for each and protect our dignity!” Paramartha prayed.
12. “Master! Why do we need a sari?” asked Mandu (Dolt). The Guru: "Is that so?"
13. "We need Vetti (dhoti), don’t we!” Mudan (Fool) said.
14. “Karmekak Kannan (= dark-cloud-colored god as precious as the eyes = Krishna)!” Here, parched rice! Munch as you like!”
15. Even the one who acted as Krishna did not understand what was going on. “I am not God! It's time for me to go," he said.
16. "O Kanna! Don't think of cheating us," the fool begged.
17. "Kanna! Why do you hesitate to eat the parched rice given by this poor Paramartha, but you ate the aval (parched rice) given by Kuselar that day?” said the Guru. Notes: Krishna and Kuselar were classmates in Gurukulam (Academy). They parted ways. Kuselar lived in utter poverty. He went to see his old friend and classmate and carried parched rice tied at the end of his dhoti as a gift to Krishna, who enjoyed eating it. When Kuselar returned home, he saw a palace in its place, a gift to Kuselar by Bhagavan Krishna.
18. “Gopala Govinda! Please eat some parched rice,” said Madaiyan (idiot).
19. Thinking, "If he didn't eat the parched rice, they won't let him go," the street actor ate some parched rice.
20. “Thank you for giving me the parched rice! I'm leaving," the actor started moving.
21. “What? Eating parched rice and moving away? Give us the boons we need,” Paramartha insisted.
22. "Boons!? What boons?”
23. “Yes! Our Mutt (Monastery) should become gold just as Kuseler's house became gold. Gold coins and diamonds should sparkle everywhere!”
24. "Our rags must become leather," said the fool. "We will not let the man go unless he gives a boon!" said Madaiyan (Idiot).
25. “Okay! May it be as you think!” The street theater actor moved his hand as if he was blessing them.
26. “Āhā! Krishna gave gold in exchange for parched rice! The guru and disciples fell at his feet and worshiped him, saying, "Your mercy is the greatest mercy."
27. "The street actor ran away, thinking that it was a boon to be left alone."
28. “What a relief! Oh God, we have seen Him in person! Krishna Himself was deceived and gave the boon for mere parched rice!” Paramartha exclaimed.
29. “Guruji! When we go to the monastery, the monastery itself must have turned into gold. The entire monastery is full of gold coins! Guruji, you must not walk anymore!” said Matti (Fool).
30. "If you can find a pallak (Palanquin) somewhere, you can buy it," said Madaiyan. On the way, a man was carrying a bag. Seeing that, the fool said, “Master! Here's a picture of Poop-pallak (Flower-decorated palanquin)! You can buy this for a price!” said Madaiyan (Idiot).
31. Matti (Fool) went to the bier builder and asked, "What is the price of this pallak (Palanquin)?" "This is not a pallak," said the man who built the coffin.
32. “We are not fools! It's a palanquin. We will give you the money you need," said Madaiyan.
33. Unable to tolerate the foolhardy persistence of the disciples, he said, “I will make another one; you can have this,” he conceded.
34. Paramartha was ecstatic to sit on the bier. As it began to get dark, the fool marched ahead with a hoisted burning stick as the guiding light. Other disciples carried the bier.
35. After a short distance, the disciples put down the bier, saying, “I am thirsty.”
36. As the five disciples went in search of water, Paramartha woke up. “What? Everyone is absconding?” So, he went in the opposite direction in search of his disciples.
37. Then a dog came by and lay down in the coffin. The returning disciples, without noticing anything amiss, left, carrying the bier as before.
38. On approaching the monastery, they heard a dog bark. The disciples scrambled to locate the dog. After a futile search, they returned to find the dog was in the coffin with a lolling tongue and a happy visage.
39. That's it! The disciples dropped the bier to the ground with a thud and said, “Oh! What is this miracle? Our guru has turned into a dog!” They screamed.
40. "That Lord Krishna has cast some spell!" said Muttal.
41. "Even our monastery has not turned into gold but remains as before!" Mandu (Dolt) lamented.
42. Then Paramartha, who was running in the dark, said, “O foolish disciples! You left me halfway!” He scolded.
43. “Gurunatha! We believed in Lord Krishna! He ate our parched rice and abandoned us!” They cried dolefully and held a long wailing eulogy, as if they lost someone.
44. Paramartha joined his disciples and grieved.
PAR02-Guru et al GoFishing

Paramārthar Guru Stories.  = Stories of Guru with no worldly experience

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.

In this story, the name of the disciples are Mandu, Madaiyan, Moodan, Muttal, Matti... They are synonyms for a simpleton.

1. Matti had a desire to go to the sea to catch fish and expressed his wish to his guru.
2. Hearing this, Madaiyan said, "Guru! If we go during the day, the big waves will swamp us. Therefore, we must go at night."
3. "Yes, Guru! That's when the sea would be sleeping!" said Mandu.
4. "But it will be very dark, what should we do?" asked Moodan.
5. "I have a torch in my hand!" said Muttal.
6. The very thought of the sea frightened Paramarthar. However, he agreed because he did not want his disciples to think of him as a coward.
7. The disciples happily prepared a fishing rod for each person.
8. Night came. The guru and his disciples set out to fish in the light of their torches.
9. There was a boat at the shore. Paramarthar and his five disciples boarded it. Matti and Madaiyan started to row.
10. Madaiyan cast his line and caught a frog.
11. Seeing this, the disciples asked, "What is this? It looks strange!"
12. Forgetting it was a frog, Paramarthar explained, "This is also a type of fish. If it eats too much and becomes fat, legs sprout out like this."
13. "Then we can tie the legged fish and raise them at home!" said Matti.
14. After that, only a small fish caught on Mandu's line.
15. "Gurunatha! I have an idea. Even though there are many fish outside the boat, only a few come to us. Let's make some holes in the boat and place some insects next to them! The fish will come through the holes to eat the insects, and we can catch them easily!" said Muttal.
16. "Bravo! A brilliant idea!" Paramarthar praised Muttal.
17. As per his idea, they made a hole for each person in the boat using nails.
18. That was it! Immediately, sea water started gushing into the boat.
19. Seeing this, the disciples screamed "Aiyo" and jumped around, causing the boat to rock even more.
20. Soon, the boat was filled with water and sank into the sea. The guru and his disciples struggled in the water, shouting "Help, help."
21. Hearing their cries, some fishermen swam over and rescued everyone.
22. Once they reached the ashram, the disciples asked, "How did our boat capsize?"
23. "The sea and the fish conspired to overturn our boat!" said Paramarthar.
24. "Then, we must somehow subdue the arrogance of the sea and the audacity of the fish," said Matti.
25. "Guru! Let's kill and eat as many fish as we can," said Madaiyan.
26. "Yes! We shouldn't let them go. Let's catch fish again, come on," said Muttal.
27. They set out to fish again the next day.
28. Once in the sea, Matti said, "Guru! The fish are angrier with you than with us. Instead of using fishing rods, we'll tie you with a rope and lower you into the sea."
29. "All the fish in the sea will come to bite you. We will catch them all at once," said Madaiyan.
30. The guru thought for a moment. "What you say is right," he agreed.
31. Immediately, the disciples tied the guru with a rope and threw him into the sea. Paramarthar, who didn't know how to swim, struggled to breathe once submerged.
32. Seeing air bubbles on the water surface, the disciples exclaimed, "Wow! Our guru seems to be catching a lot of fish."
33. The bubbles stopped coming up as Paramarthar's stomach filled with water.
34. Thinking Guru had caught all the fish, the disciples pulled the guru out of the water.
35. But Paramarthar was unconscious.
36. "He's exhausted from fighting with the fish for so long!" said Matti.
37. When Paramarthar regained consciousness, he said, "Disciples! The sea's anger towards us has not subsided yet. Somehow, we escaped this time. Let's not go near the sea anymore!"
38. In the end, everyone cursed the sea and the fish as they reached the shore.
This story, with its blend of humor and folly, underscores the consequences of naive and absurd ideas when dealing with nature.
PAR03-KickingDonkeyAnIndustriousOne
PAR03KickingDonkeyAnIndustriousOne
1. "Gurudeva! Zamindar (Landlord) Jambulingam needs someone to wash clothes at his house," the disciples asked.
2. "To do the job of washing clothes, one must have a donkey to carry the load. We don't have one, what do we do?" Paramartha said.
3. "What if we don't have a donkey? We are here to replace it!" the disciples said.
4. "Still, it would be better to have a real donkey! Go and buy a good one," ordered Paramartha Guru.
5. That evening, a donkey arrived at the ashram.
6. Paramartha, upon inspecting the donkey, twisted its tail to check it. Angered, the donkey kicked him!
7. "Aiyoo!" Paramartha cried out as he was thrown a distance away. "Fools! Didn't you say anything about my greatness to the donkey?" he asked angrily.
8. "Gurudeva! We explained everything about you clearly! Maybe that's why it kicked!" said Madaiyan.
9. "Yes, Guru! That might be the reason," agreed Matti.
10. "It's alright. The hand that strikes is the hand that caresses. Similarly, the donkey that kicks is the one that truly works. Let this donkey stay!" Paramartha said.
11. The local thief, knowing that the guru and disciples had a donkey, planned to steal it somehow.
12. One day, the thief was untying the rope tied around the donkey's neck but hurriedly let the donkey run away upon hearing the disciples' approach, leaving himself in its place.
13. The disciples were surprised and shocked to see a man standing where the donkey was.
14. "What is this? Instead of the donkey, there's a man here!" said Moodan.
15. "Perhaps this is a donkey that knows magic!" wondered Mandu.
16. Paramartha arrived and Muttal asked, "We bought you as a donkey. How did you turn into a man?"
17. "I was originally a man. I became a victim of a sage's anger, who cursed me to become a donkey. Now, the curse has lifted, and I've turned back into a man," the thief lied.
18. Paramartha, not realizing the thief's lie, said, "We escaped because the sage turned the man into a donkey. Had he turned a tiger or a lion into a donkey, it would have eaten us all. Lucky escape!"
19. The disciples, relieved from trouble, rejoiced.
20. Without a donkey, the disciples, who joined the landlord's house for work, carried the clothes in bundles to a moss-filled pond.
21. "It must be as white as white can be," was the landlord's order. Matti rubbed the colored clothes on the stones to make them white and in their effort tore the clothes.
                                                                        
22. Madaiyan turned a white dhoti green by soaking it in moss.
23. Muttal and Mudan turned a single piece of cloth into several pieces by wringing and twisting it.
24. "Finally, we have managed to wash and bundle the clothes well!" they departed for the landlord's house, with happiness.
25. "You gave me one cloth, and here I have brought ten!" boasted Muttal.
26. "I turned the white into green!" exclaimed Matti.
27. The landlord was almost faint upon seeing the clothes they brought.
28. "You fools! You tore the good clothes into loincloths; I trusted idiots for this task!" he lamented as he chased the disciples away.
29. "Hmm... no one will ever understand our skills and talents!" the disciples returned to the ashram, disappointed.
PAR04-LongLiveRama
The story of Paramartha Guru and his disciples – Long Live Rama, Long Live Sita
1. Inside a temple, two thieves were stealing the idols after breaking the lock.
2. Paramartha and his disciples happened to pass by and saw them.
3. "Who are you? Why are you taking these idols?" asked Paramartha politely.
4. Initially scared upon seeing the guru and his disciples, the thieves regained their composure and said, "We are from another place. We are taking these idols there."
5. "Why to another place?" asked Matti.
6. "What's the use of these idols staying here? People elsewhere will also get to see them if we take them. That way, your village's glory will be known to other places too," said one of the thieves.
7. "Your service is greater than that of the Alwars and Nayanars. I admire your devotion," Paramartha praised.
8. But Matti was a bit suspicious, "You are stealing them."
9. Hearing this, the thieves responded, "If we were stealing, wouldn't we do it without anyone knowing? You know we are taking them, how can this be stealing?"
10. "Yes! Since it's happening in front of us, it's not theft!" Matti agreed.
11. The thieves again lifted the idols.
12. Seeing them struggle, the fool suggested, "Guruji, shall we help them a bit?"
13. "Let's help them generously," said the guru, and they began to carry the idols.
14. Eventually, they moved the idols of Rama, Sita, and Hanuman.
15. "Guruji, these idols have been in our village for so long. Now they will travel abroad. We must perform a special ceremony before sending them," said the fool.
16. The thieves, worried someone might come, urged, "Hurry up."
17. Paramartha quickly performed the ceremony while the disciples prostrated at the idols' feet.
18. After the ceremony, the thieves planned to load the idols into a waiting cart.
19. The excitement increased among Paramartha, Matti, the fool, and the simpleton.
20. They loudly bid farewell to the gods, chanting "Long live Rama! Long live Sita! Hail Hanuman!"
                                       

                                                                      
21. The thieves lost their patience with their shouting.
22. "Fools! You're ruining our plan with your noise," they scolded.
23. "What's wrong with making noise?" asked the simpleton.
24. As the thieves mounted their horses and drove away, they revealed, "Fools! We are stealing these idols. And you didn't even realize!"
25. Paramartha and his disciples were astonished to hear this.
26. "What? You're stealing them?" collapsed the fool in shock.
27. "Oh no, thieves! Thieves!" shouted Matti.
28. The simpleton chased the cart, fell, and rolled on the ground.
29. Paramartha stood still in shock, statue-like.
30. Near Paramartha's place, the thieves stopped the cart. They proceeded with the idols to the monastery.
31. Inside were the simpleton and the fool.
32. "We'll sleep here for a bit. Keep the idols safe until then. After we wake up, return them to us," the thieves commanded.
33. Terrified by the thieves, the simpleton and the fool agreed.
34. "How can we protect the idols? What should we do?" asked the fool.
35. "We can't guard them. Let's lose them, or else let's sleep. They went straight to the palace.
36. In the palace, Paramartha and the other disciples were crying.
37. Seeing the simpleton and the fool arrive with the idols, everyone, including the king, was amazed. After hearing the story, the king said, "You've inadvertently helped in the theft of these idols! Therefore, I'll neither punish nor reward anyone; I'll let everyone go."
38. Relieved to escape punishment, the guru and his disciples quickly left the palace.
PAR05-ParasiticFreeloaders
The Parasitic Freeloaders
1. Somehow deceiving the king, Paramartha became the chief minister of Mada Nadu, with his disciples appointed as palace officials.
2. "Now that our guru has become the prime minister, we need not worry," rejoiced the five disciples.
3. One day, the Mada king asked Paramartha about the strength of their country's army.
4. Seeing an opportunity, Paramartha lamented, "Oh, my lord! I hesitate to say this, but our nation's elephants have become so weak and emaciated from hunger, they now resemble pigs!"
5. The disciples agreed, warning, "Indeed, my king! If we neglect this, we will surely be defeated in battle."
6. Hearing this, the king commanded, "Bring two elephants here."
7. Matti and Madaiyan hastily brought two piglets into the palace.
8. The king, dismayed, exclaimed, "Oh dear! I can hardly bear to look! Are these our country's elephants?"
9. Initially, the Mada king was skeptical, "If these are elephants, where are their trunks?"
10. "My lord! These were indeed elephants with trunks initially. But due to starvation, their bodies and even their trunks have shrunk," explained Paramartha.
11. "What must we do to restore them to their original form?" asked the Mada king.
12. "My king! There is another matter to address first. Then we will discuss the treatment," said the guru.
13. "Our country's cavalry horses have also become weak and resemble lambs," added a fool.
14. "Really? That is surprising! Tell us what we can do," the king asked.
15. "My lord! We have an excellent plan that will cost a thousand gold coins. Just give us the thousand gold coins, and we will restore everything to its original condition!" declared the fool and the simpleton.
                                                 

16. The Mada king, being stingy, was reluctant to spend a thousand gold coins.
17. "If there is any other suggestion, let me know!" he commanded.
18. "Alas! Our plan has failed," lamented Paramartha, with the disciples also feeling frustrated.
19. "My king! Let all the elephants and horses graze in the country's fields. They will recover in a few days!" suggested the fool.
20. "We could try that," agreed the foolish king.
21. Following Paramartha's instructions, all the pigs and goats in the Mada kingdom were released.
22. They all went to graze in the people's fields, and within two days, all the crops were destroyed.
23. The following month, the entire country faced famine. Many people died from lack of food.
24. Seeing Paramartha and his disciples contributing nothing but becoming parasitic freeloaders, the king expelled them all.
25. "Ah! We thought we could somehow make a thousand gold coins. But in the end, everything was ruined!" they lamented as they returned to their old ways.
PAR06-TreasureGuardedByGhost
The ghost protected the treasure.
1. Paramartha Guru and his disciples were fast asleep.
2. In his sleep, Paramartha was mumbling, "Ah! Gold! Silver! Diamonds!"
3. The startled disciples, woke up and then woke him up by tapping on him, having discovered his mumbling.
4. Awakening, Paramartha scolded them, "Fools! Why did you wake me? I was having a wonderful dream. You've ruined it!"
5. Immediately, everyone surrounded him, asking, "A dream? What dream did you have?" After a moment, Paramartha exclaimed, "Treasure! Treasure!"
6. "Treasure? Where? Where?" the disciples jumped in excitement.
7. After looking around, Paramartha said, "In my dream, it was the garden behind this room. In the northwest corner of the garden, there lies a pot filled with gold and silver!"
8. Overjoyed, Matti exclaimed as he fell down, "A pot full of gold?"
9. They all asked Paramartha, "Master! What shall we do with this treasure?" Foolishly, one suggested, "We could buy a grand, beautiful horse for our guru, and each of us could also have a horse!"
10. "We could also each buy a horse for ourselves!" Matti said, delighted.
11. Another disciple suggested, "This place is not suitable. We should demolish it and build a palace fit for a king!"
12. "Then we will have no more worries. We can eat vadai and pāyāsam (sweet pudding) every day!" another exclaimed, jumping in excitement. Vadai: fritter, a deep-fried batter, made of green gram that looks like a doughnut with a central hole.
13. "Master! In that case, let's all go and dig up the spot right now!" the fool suggested.
14. "Indeed! That's a good idea. If we dig during the day, the whole village will find out. Then, everyone will want a share!" Matti said.
15. "Matti is right. Let's go dig it up right now!" they decided and headed to the garden.
16. The fool stood with a torch in hand, looking out for onlookers, then Paramartha marked a round spot on the ground with his hand cane.
17. Soon, Matti and Madaiyan began to dig with their bare hands, making the parak, parak noise. பரக் பரக் = onomatopoeic sound made when a person scratches the ground with the fingers to dig a hole.

                                                 

18. After a short while of digging, they complained, "Our hands are hurting!" They sat down to catch their breath.
19. "Master! We mustn't give up on the treasure!" they continued to dig as urged by the fool and another disciple.
20. As the foursome took turns digging, they suddenly struck something white.
21. "Ah! The treasure! The treasure!" Matti jumped and exclaimed, digging even faster.
22. Paramartha reached into the hole and found something round.
23. They all eagerly brought it into the light to see.
24. In Paramartha's hand was a human skull. That was all! "Oh no! Oh no!" they screamed, each scattering in his chosen cardinal direction.
PAR07-BellyMeltingHerbals
Paramartha Guru Stories - The Belly Melting Medicine!
1. Suddenly, Paramartha's belly started growing bigger and bigger. He couldn't sit because of it, nor could he stand comfortably after sitting. Seeing this, his disciples started to worry a lot.
2. "Guru! Your belly is growing a little every day! It's scaring all of us," said Matti.
3. "Your stomach is so big! Could it be that you're about to give birth to a child?" wondered Mūdan, astonished.
4. "Guru! You must not ignore this. Otherwise, one day your belly might just explode with a 'Damār' sound!" exclaimed Madaiyan, expressing his fear with the onomatopoeic sound 'Damār' indicating an explosion.
5. "Oh no!" Paramartha cried out, "What should we do?"
6. "Maybe we should consult a Siddha physician," suggested Mandu.
7. "Going to a physician will be expensive. So, we decided to go to the forest and collect herbs ourselves. From those, we can prepare some medicinal paste that will melt away the belly!" another idea came from Muttal.
                                                                        

8. Mūdan eagerly climbed a loft and rummaged through old palm leaf manuscripts that had scattered around.
9. "Guru! It's written here about a belly-melting medicine! We'll bring the herbs mentioned in this," he exclaimed before jumping down.
10. Thinking that melting his belly was all that mattered, Paramartha instructed, "Disciples! Hurry up. If we prepare a lot of this medicine, we can sell it to others too."
11. The disciples, unsure which herb was the "belly-melting herb," found themselves at a loss in the forest. Nearby, a sage was meditating with a large belly.
12. Seeing the sage, Matti wondered aloud about his sunken belly and approached him to ask.
                                                            
                                                   
13. "Sage! Do you know which of these herbs is the belly-melting herb?" he asked loudly, disturbing the sage's meditation.
14. Annoyed, the sage said, "The herb that smells, that's the one you're looking for!" sending them on a misleading task.
15. Trusting the sage's words, the disciples began picking every leaf in sight. They collected a bunch of leaves, some of which were known to cause various diseases.
16. After smelling the leaves brought back by the disciples, Paramartha crinkled his face. "It smells strong! Surely, my belly will melt away!" he said joyfully. "Hurry up! Mix and grind everything," he ordered.
17. Muttal and Mūdan began tearing the leaves into pieces. Matti and Madaiyan, holding their noses with one hand, started grinding the leaves with the other.
18. They then poured everything into a pot and boiled it.
19. The disciples formed the medicinal paste into balls and presented them to their beloved guru, saying, "Our dear guru! Here, the belly-melting medicine is ready! Please eat it right away."
20. The sight of the shiny and fleshy medicine made Paramartha's face contort in many ways.
21. Taking a ball from Muttal, he brought it close to his nose, and the smell upset his stomach.
22. "Guru! Don't hesitate. If you want to live, your belly needs to melt. There's no other way but to eat this," urged Matti.
23. Reluctantly, Paramartha swallowed two balls.
24. "Guru! Eat these too for your belly to melt faster!" insisted Muttal and Mūdan, forcing a few more balls into his mouth.
25. Word got out that Paramartha was eating a special medicine to melt his belly, and some villagers also wanted to try it.
26. The king of the country, who also had a large belly, decided to consume Paramartha's medicine.
27. As time went on, everyone who ate the medicine started to feel stomach discomfort. "Oh no! My belly hurts!" cried Paramartha and the others, beginning to wail.
28. Because they thought they were eating a belly-melting medicine, everyone ended up with diarrhea and ran to the riverbank.
29. The situation worsened for the king as well, who became angry at Paramartha.
30. "For causing all this, imprison that guru for ten days and starve him!" the king ordered.
31. The disciples were astonished to see their guru stumbling out of prison with his belly now reduced.
32. "Guru! The medicine we made melted your belly!" the disciples claimed proudly.
33. "Medicine or mud! I starved in prison for ten days without food or water. That's why I ended up like this!" collapsed Paramartha, exhausted from hunger.
PAR08-LameHorse
1. A wealthy man gave Paramartha Guru a horse for free.
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.
PAR09-MonkeyMessenger

The story of Paramartha Guru and the Monkey Messenger
1. Paramartha Guru developed a desire to eat without working. For this purpose, he discussed with his foolish disciples.
2. "Gurudev, what about taking up stealing?" asked Matti.
3. "They will beat us if we get caught!" said Madiyan.
4. "Then let's capture a monkey and train it to steal all kinds of things!" suggested the Fool.
5. "Ah! What a splendid plan. But how do we catch a monkey?" asked the Paramarthar.
6. "They say it's as hard as catching Ganesha! What does that mean?" asked Mandu. (Catching Pillaiyar ended up (catching) a monkey.
7. "If we need a monkey, first we must catch Ganesha. Then, it will automatically turn into a monkey," explained the Fool.
8. "That's correct. So, let's go catch Ganesha right now," said Paramarthar as he set out with his disciples.
9. Guru found a Ganesha statue under a fig tree. "Disciples, Ganesha is sleeping soundly. Let's quietly go and capture him suddenly," commanded Paramarthar.
10. The disciples fell onto the statue and captured the idol.
11. Just then, a monkey that had escaped from a trainer arrived there.
12. Seeing the monkey that escaped from a monkey handler, Paramarthar shouted, "Disciples! Here's the monkey, don't let it go, catch it!"
13. Matti and Madiyan quickly chased and caught the monkey.
14. Seeing this, Paramarthar declared, "This is no ordinary monkey. It's Hanuman, who was sent as a messenger of Rama!" He worshipped by falling prostrate at the monkey’s feet.
15. The disciples, chanting "Ranga, Ranga!" tapped on their cheeks.
16. Upon reaching the monastery, Matti said, "Our guru often smokes cigars, but he never shares with us. Let's send the monkey to steal some cigars without him knowing."
17. "Monkey! Bring us finer cigars than our guru smokes, from wherever you can," the Fool instructed the monkey.
18. The next moment, the monkey disappeared magically.
19. It returned after an hour, its hands full of firecrackers.
20. The monkey, mistaking firecrackers for cigars, had taken them from a fireworks shop.
21. "Just as told, it has stolen the cigars!" rejoiced Madiyan.
22. "Hanuman, live long! Prosper in your skill and profession!" said the Fool.
23. Looking at the colorful firecrackers, Mandu boasted, "Our guru's cigars are always black, but the ones we're going to smoke are red, green, blue, of many colors."
24. Seeing the wick of the firecrackers, the Fool remarked, "They have even provided a separate wick for lighting, making this the highest quality cigar."
25. Each disciple put a firecracker in their mouth. The Fool lit them with a burning stick.
26. The disciples fantasized about blowing smoke in joy.
27. The next moment, each firecracker exploded in their mouths with a "boom."
28. The disciples, losing their mouths, screamed, "Oh, Āñjanēyā!"
(Hanuman’s one of many names is Ānjanēyā, the one born of a woman named Āñjanā) ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Añjanā
Añjanā - Wikipedia
Anjana was married to Kesari, a vanara chief, and the son of Brihaspati. [4] Anjana was the mother of Hanuman. Being Anjana's son, Hanuman is also called Anjaneya or Anjanayar in the Tamil tradition. [5] There are several legends about the birth of Hanuman. See more
29. Hearing what happened, Paramarthar warned, "From now on, do not do anything without my knowledge."
30. "Guru, your dhoti is all torn. Ask (the monkey) to steal some fine silk clothes for you," the disciples suggested.
31. Paramarthar sent the monkey to steal clothes.
32. The monkey entered the royal palace...

                                                                                
33. It saw the king bathing in the palace pond, his silk clothes and diamond crown on the steps. Without anyone noticing, the monkey took them.
34. The guru and his disciples were astonished to see the silk clothes and the diamond crown.
35. "Monkey! We will build a temple for you and worship you!" exclaimed Mandu.
36. The Fool dressed the guru in the silk dhoti and crowned him with the diamond crown.
37. "Now you look like a crowned king," praised Matti.
38. The remaining clothes were worn by the disciples.
39. "Let's go out in this royal attire!" announced Paramarthar.
40. The moment they stepped onto the street, the royal guards arrested them.
41. They were imprisoned for ten days for stealing the king's belongings.
42. "Guru, we thought only humans could cause us trouble. Even a monkey has managed to get us punished!" lamented the disciples.
PAR10-PureSalt
The Tales of Paramartha Guru – The Trial of Salt, The Amazed Guru
1. In a small village, there lived a guru named Paramartha in a modest ashram, with five disciples. All of them were quite foolish, performing every task in the most senseless manner possible, often leading themselves into disappointment because of their foolish actions.
2. One day, as they all were preparing to go on a pilgrimage, Paramartha Guru asked one of his disciples to go to the market to buy some pure salt needed for cooking. He gave the disciple some money and a cloth bag, instructing him to buy the salt.
3. The disciple set off and crossed a river to reach the market. At a shop, he asked the shopkeeper if he had pure salt. The shopkeeper weighed out some salt and placed it in the disciple's bag. The disciple, looking at the salt, questioned if it was truly pure.
4. Hearing this, the shopkeeper replied that there was no such thing as pure or impure salt; salt is always the same. The disciple, insisting foolishly, demanded the shopkeeper only confirm its purity, claiming his guru had told him about pure salt.
5. Amused by the disciple's naivety, the shopkeeper humorously suggested that if one wished, they could wash the salt like vegetables before cooking to 'clean' it. The disciple, pleased with this answer, paid the shopkeeper, and left, believing he had bought pure salt.
6. On his way back, crossing the river, the disciple thought of washing the salt in the river water to ensure its purity before presenting it to his guru, believing this would please him. So, he dipped the bag in the river, and unsurprisingly, the salt dissolved completely.
7. Upon returning home, the guru asked why he was late and if he had brought the salt. The disciple, unaware the salt had dissolved, proudly handed over the bag, only for the guru to find it empty.
8. The guru was confused when the disciple explained he had washed the salt in the river to purify it, as the shopkeeper had suggested. Both Paramartha Guru and his disciples pondered over the vanished salt, forgetting to cook and deeply immersed in thought about the disciple's 'wise' idea.
See! How great fools they were!
PAR11-JobForWitless
Paramartha Guru Stories – The Job for the Witless
1. The zamindar in that village needed someone to wash clothes.
2. The disciples of Paramartha Guru asked him, "What about doing that job?" "To do the job of washing clothes, one must have a donkey to carry the bundles. We don't have one, what should we do?" said Paramartha. "What if we don't have a donkey? We can replace it!" said the disciples. Still, it would be good to have a real donkey! "Go and buy a good donkey," ordered Paramartha Guru. That evening, a donkey arrived at their hermitage.
3. Upon seeing the donkey, Paramartha Guru grabbed its tail and twisted it to check. Angered, the donkey kicked him. Yelling "Oh no!" as he fell at a distance, Paramartha Guru exclaimed, "Fools! Didn't you tell the donkey about my greatness?" "Guru! We explained everything about you clearly! Maybe that's why it kicked?" said Madaiyan. "Indeed, Guru! It could be so," agreed Matti with a nod.
4. "No worries, the hand that hits will also caress. Similarly, the donkey that kicks is the one that truly works. Let's keep this donkey!" said Paramartha Guru. A local thief, knowing the guru and his disciples had a donkey, planned to steal it. One day, the thief was untying the rope around the donkey's neck when he heard the approaching sound of the disciples. In a hurry, he let the donkey go and stood in its place. The disciples were surprised and shocked to see him standing where the donkey had been.
5. "What's this? Instead of the donkey, there's a man here?" said Mūdan. "Could it be a magical donkey that knows spells?" wondered Mandu. Just then, Paramartha Guru arrived and asked, "We bought you as a donkey. How did you turn into a man?" "I was originally a man. I was cursed by a sage to become a donkey. Now that the curse is lifted, I've turned back into a man," lied the thief. Not understanding the thief's lie, Paramartha Guru remarked, "We escaped trouble by turning a man into a donkey. Had the sage turned a lion or tiger into a donkey, it would have eaten us all. Lucky escape!"
6. "The trouble is over," the disciples rejoiced. Without a donkey, the disciples joined work at the farmer's house, carrying clothes bundled up to a moldy lake as ordered by the zamindar to wash them until they became sparkling white. In the process, one Matti rubbed the clothes on stones, tearing them, and Madaiyan turned a white cloth green by soaking it in algae. Muttal and Mūdan tore a single cloth into many pieces by rubbing, squeezing, and wringing. They exclaimed, "Ah! Finally, we have washed it thoroughly!" and happily set off for the farmer's house. "You gave us one cloth, and I've returned it as ten!" boasted one Muttal proudly.
7. "I turned the white into green," exclaimed Madaiyan. Seeing the clothes brought by Paramartha Guru's disciples, the zamindar became angry. "You fools! You've torn all the full clothes into loincloths; I told you to do the job trusting idiots!" he lamented, driving them away. "Hmm… It seems no one understands our talent," the disciples said, saddened as they returned to their hermitage.
PAR12-PrendingToBeHandicapped
Tales of Paramartha Guru – A Beard Trimmed Short Doesn't Shrink the Belly (PAR12-PrendingToBeHandicapped)
1. Suddenly, Paramartha's bedroom caught fire and burned down, and with it, the guru's beard got slightly singed!
2. "Oh, Guru! Your three-foot-long beard has now become a stubble!" cried Matti, in distress.
3. "Let it be. Don't worry about it. A trimmed mustache doesn't reduce one's bravery, just as a shortened beard doesn't lessen the belly. Haven't you heard of this old saying? Look, my belly remains unchanged," said Paramartha.
4. Hearing this, the disciples were amused.
5. "Guru, if it stays this way, how should we care for our stomachs?" asked the fool.
6. "Master! Yesterday was the king's birthday celebration. During it, a program was announced to provide jobs for people with disabilities. So, we are pretending to have disabilities to earn money," said the simpleton.
                                            
7. "Alright. It only becomes a problem if we all go together. So, go separately. Pretend to be mute, deaf, blind, and lame. Let Matti stay here with me," instructed the guru, after wiping the sweat from his belly and applying a mark of valor (வீரத் திலகம்) on the devotees, going for job interviews.
8. Matti, going to the commander, asked for some work.
9. "I'll tell you a secret. Convey it to the king, and come back," said the commander.
10. Matti, thinking and acting deaf would secure him a job, exclaimed, "What? A bottle gourd? I haven't seen it!"
11. The commander repeated the secret.
12. "Oh! Does the king only have one nose? I know that!" exclaimed Matti.
13. Frustrated with Matti's foolishness, the commander muttered, "What am I to do with this idiot?"
14. Hearing this, Matti got angry. "Who's the fool? You're the fool! Your king is a fool! His grandfather is a fool!" he retorted.
15. That was it. The next moment, the commander ordered, "Melt lead and pour it into Matti's ears."
This tale from Constantine Joseph Beschi humorously reflects on wisdom, foolishness, and the human condition through the adventures of Paramartha Guru and his disciples.
PAR13-FrogletDisciple
Tales of Paramartha Guru– The Froglet Disciple
1. Everyone except the fool and the blockhead waited on the royal road along with the True Guru and the other disciples. The country's king was going in a procession on his chariot.
2. As the chariot came near, Matti threw a dead frog and a lizard into the wheel of the chariot, which he had ready in his hand.
3. Once the wheel ran over them and moved on, the idiot picked up the crushed frog and lizard.
4. Paramarthar went in front of the chariot and exclaimed, "Oh! You have killed my disciples! Is this how you protect your citizens?"
5. Matti and Madaiyan together lamented, "Oh, just a short while ago, you were laughing and talking with us. And now you have turned into a squashed mess!" They lamented and eulogized the life and times of the frog and the lizard.
6. The king and his ministers were confused. "Who did I kill?" asked the king.
7. "You have indeed run over and killed my dear disciples, Muttal and Mūdan!" accused the Guru.
8. "Then where are their bodies?" asked a minister.
9. Pointing to the crushed frog and lizard, the True Guru exclaimed, "Here they are!"
10. Everyone was astonished.
11. "This is a frog, isn't it? Is this your disciple?" asked the king.
12. "This is a lizard! Is this your disciple? Whom are you trying to deceive?" asked a minister angrily.
13. "Oh King! Why should I deceive you? Truly, this frog and lizard were my disciples. They were humans just like us. They have turned into this state due to a curse from a sorcerer," lied the True Guru.
14. "Even if it's a frog, it speaks like humans! Even if it's a lizard, it used to bring home a hundred gold coins every day!" lied Matti.
15. Hearing this, the king and his ministers felt a great dilemma.
16. "Alright... What has happened has happened. What do you suggest now?" asked a minister.
17. "What to do? Our livelihood was based on these. So, bring these same frog and lizard back to life. Otherwise, you must provide a hundred gold coins daily," demanded the True Guru.
18. The king, seeing no other way, agreed, "I cannot bring them back to life. Therefore, I will give a hundred gold coins daily."
19. Once back at the monastery, "We have deceived the king with a dead frog and lizard! Now, we will receive a hundred gold coins daily," they rejoiced.
20. Looking at Muttal and Mūdan, "We claimed that you two were dead. Therefore, you must not leave the monastery from now on. If you do, we'll get caught. Be careful!" warned the Guru.
21. A week passed. Everyone was deep in sleep, snoring at night.
22. Only Muttal and Mūdan were awake. "Ah! It's been a week since we roamed around the town! Let's take a round without anyone noticing!" they desired.
23. With a torch (burning wood) in hand, both ventured outside. Within a two-street roaming , they were spotted by the night guards!
24. Immediately, the guards chased and captured them. By dawn, the rest of the disciples and the Guru were also arrested.
25. "You deceived everyone by pretending these two were dead when they were actually alive. Therefore, I am now going to truly crush them under the chariot!" declared the king.
26. Hearing this, the Guru and the disciples screamed. "Oh, King! We did it unknowingly. We will return all the money we received from you. Please forgive us," they pleaded, falling at the king's feet.
27. The disciples also pleaded, lying prostrate.
28. The king, feeling "let bygones be bygones," forgave and released everyone!
PAR14-PalmLeafNewsletter
Fake News Big Lies.
1. "Gurunatha! What if we start a palm leaf newsletter?" asked the fool.
2. "A newsletter? What profit would that bring us?" asked the wise guru.
3. "We can write praises about ourselves every day. We can criticize those we don't like as we wish," said the fool.
4. "If so, we could name our newspaper ‘’The Daily Fabrication,’’suggested the guru.
5. "Under the name, we could write 'Adept Fabricator’s white lie - Eight Days of Truth!'" suggested the dunce.
6. From that day onwards, the wise guru's hermitage became a newspaper office. The wise guru assumed the position of the editor of the 'Daily Fleck'. The dunce and the idiot were appointed as reporters.
7. As darkness fell, the reporters, the dunce and the idiot, set out. At that time, the king of the country also set out in disguise to inspect the city.
8. Seeing this, the dunce asked, "Why is the king going in disguise?"
9. "To steal," said the idiot.
10. "He's peeking into every house, why?" wondered the dunce.
11. "He's planning which house to rob," explained the idiot.
12. "We shouldn't just ignore this. We must write it largely on the front page!" declared the dunce.
13. Upon returning to the hermitage, they began writing the gathered news.
14. "Grazing beyond the fence!"
15. "The king himself plans to rob public property!"
16. "At night, he peeked into every house in disguise."
17. Under this headline, they fiercely attacked the king with their writing.
18. "We must not simply forgive those who competed against us in the election. We must seek revenge," said the dunce.
19. "Let's create a list of corruptions for the ministers too," shouted the fool.
20. Immediately, the dunce and the idiot wrote the news as follows.
21. "Extravagance with government money! Commander Thambusami causes a commotion after drinking!"
22. "The corrupt Minister Appusami received six cigar bundles as bribe."
23. "Corruption upon corruption! The mystery of Minister Malarvannan building a mansion."
24. "Prince Indiran's amorous sport! Scandal: He grabbed and pulled a young woman's hand!"
25. Similarly, they attacked everyone they disliked as they wished.
26. "Let's write some praises about ourselves too!" said the fool.
27. "What to write?" asked the idiot.
28. "The Ganja king Paramartha's achievement! He chain-smoked thirty rolled Ganja cigars in a single day!" wrote the fool.
29. "How rolling in the dirt benefits health?" under this title, the dunce provided an interview on the health benefits of rolling in the dirt.
30. "How to grow a belly?" Paramartha wrote a research article in the 'Science' section.
31. "A statue for Paramartha! Public protest! A demand to erect statues for 'Philosophical Father' Guru Paramartha and his disciples. The people went on a procession and protested, insisting that the statue be placed opposite the palace!"
32. Similarly, they scribbled as they pleased everyone.
33. Having taken everything to Paramartha, "You all have written well. Sell them as soon as dawn breaks," he said before going to bed.
34. As dawn broke, the disciples went out to sell the newspapers.
35. "Haven't bought the 'Daily Lie, buy the 'Daily Lie! Forty coins for four pages!" shouted the fool.
36. Some people ran to buy the newspaper written on palm leaves. After reading the news, they were shocked.
37. The news reached the king and the ministers. Criminal charges were read against Paramartha and the disciples for falsely writing about the just king and his ministers.
38. "Who said all this is true? Look at the name of the newspaper; it's 'Daily lie,' isn't it?" said Paramartha.
39. Afterwards, the guru and his disciples were released.
PAR15-BagOfLies
Paramartha Guru Stories – The Bag of Lies
1. Once, Paramartha was away somewhere, and his disciples were alone on the veranda. That's when liar arrived there. Lying on the veranda, he exclaimed, "Ah, finally! It feels like I'm in heaven now!"
2. Maddi was astonished to hear this. "Really? Have you been to heaven?" Maddi asked.
3. "I'm coming straight from there!" Pulugan (Liar) declared.
4. "Goodness me! We haven't even been able to reach the moon, and you've been to heaven?" one foolish disciple questioned.
5. "Who all are there in heaven?" Muttal inquired.
6."Your master's master, the Bag of cooked rice is there," Pulugan said.
7. "Is that so? Is he well?" asked Mandu.
8. "Not at all! His name might be a Bag of cooked rice, but he's leading the life of a saint there! For cooked rice (food), he plays the cymbal, (struggles for food.) Explanation: The beggar applies on the chest, abdomen and legs the cymbals, dances, sings and begs. That is playing cymbals for food. It means he struggles to find food to eat.
He roams around like a madman with ragged clothes, it's quite pitiful to see!" Pulugan (The Liar) replied.
9. "He must have been comfortable here on Earth... To see him suffering there..."Mūdan lamented.
10. "Sir, will you go back to heaven again?" a disciple asked. Pulugan responded, "Oh, I may go even tomorrow!"
11. "Then, we will give you all our new clothes. Take some money and rolls of Ganja too. Take all these to our master's master in heaven," they offered.
12. Pulugan, delighted, agreed saying, "Alright." Immediately, five disciples competed to gather clothes, Ganja, and all the money they could find in the monastery.
13. "Eat on your way," said Matti, handing Pulugan some tamarind rice.
14. Having packed everything into a sac, Pulugan claimed he was off to heaven and ran away.
15. When Paramartha returned, he found out about their deed. "Even in my absence, we have performed a smart act!" boasted Mandu proudly.
16. "Your 'Master,' Rice Bag Swamy in heaven will have no worries now!" Mūdan added confidently.
17. "Someone from heaven sent a person (messenger). We've sent everything your master needed through him!" Muttal explained.
18. Paramartha was perplexed. After the disciples explained, he exclaimed in frustration, "Fools! Why did you do this?"
19. "Did we not do a good thing? Should your master starve?" Matti questioned innocently.
20. "Fools! I have no master! Didn't you know this? Someone has deceived you thoroughly!" Paramartha revealed, leaving the disciples shocked.
21. "Disciples! In a way, it's good that you were deceived! Using the same plan, we can deceive our king too!" Paramartha suggested.
22. So, the guru and his disciples headed to the palace.
23. "Your Majesty! We returned from heaven last night. Everyone there is fine, but your grandfather is begging!" they lied.
24. "Is it possible for someone born into royalty to beg?" questioned Muddi, playing along.
25. "Seeing him in such a state is truly pitiful," Madaiyan added for effect.
26. "We're going back to heaven tomorrow. He asked us to bring lots of money and clothes from you!" they continued the deception.
27. "And he specifically asked for two high-bred horses," added Mandu, pushing their luck.
28. "Give us everything, and we'll safely deliver it to him!" Paramartha assured.
29. The king grew furious.
30. "Lock these six fools in jail for six days!" he ordered.
31. "What wrong did we do, Your Majesty? Your deceased grandfather sent us!" Paramartha tried to deceive further.
32. "Whom are you trying to fool? My grandfather isn't dead yet! Here he is, alive and well!" the king retorted, pointing to his grandfather sitting beside him.
33. "Oh no! Without even verifying whether the king's grandfather had died, we got caught in this mess!" the guru and disciples lamented.
PAR16-HumanSacrificeSwamiyar
Paramartha Guru Stories – The Human-Sacrifice Ascetic
1. Paramartha and his disciples entered a town called Kandhapuram. At that time, the people of the town were in great fear.
2. The reason for their fear was the presence of a human-sacrificing ascetic named Nagappa who roamed in that town!
3. "Guru, whatever we do seems to end in danger for us! Why is that?" asked Matti.
4. "It seems like all of us have committed many sins in our previous lives," replied Paramartha.
5. "Guru, we must immediately find a expiation for this," said the Fool.
6. That night, the guru and his disciples secretly discussed their options.
7. "Guru, if we perform Yagam (sacrifice and oblations) like the sages, all our sins will be washed away," suggested Mūdan.
8. "That would require a lot of money. We can't afford it. Perhaps, we should consider offering a human sacrifice," Paramartha suggested.
9. "Human sacrifice? Oh no!" exclaimed all the disciples in horror.
10. "Disciples, if we want to bring about good times, we have no other option but to offer a human sacrifice," Paramartha declared firmly.
11. "Then who shall we sacrifice?" asked Mandu.
12. "If we try to capture someone else, we might get caught! Therefore… disciples… one of you must be the sacrifice! Who will step forward for this noble act?" Paramartha announced.
13. That was all!
14. "Oh no, if I become the sacrifice, then who will be there to light your Ganja cigars?" Muttal started to cry.
15. "I won't do it," wept Mūdan as well.
16. "Guru, we won't be the sacrifice either," said the other disciples, looking for an escape.
17. Paramartha didn't know what to do. He stroked his beard, deep in thought.
18. "Okay, disciples! None of you need to be sacrificed! Another way has dawned on me. Let's do that," he finally said, settling the matter.
19. The next day, all the disciples roamed around the town boasting, "Our guru is going to make a human sacrifice."
20. This news eventually reached the king of the town. He mistook Paramartha for the human-sacrificing ascetic, Nagappa.
21. "Capture Nagappa and his gang alive by hand and body!" ordered the king.
22. The day for the sacrifice arrived! Paramartha and his disciples were hiding, moving secretly.
23. When they reached the Kali temple at the edge of the town, Paramartha was overjoyed.
24. Seeing the statue (idol) of Badrakali, with a garland of skulls and long, protruding teeth, the disciples shivered in fear. "Oh, Kali! As promised, we are here to offer you a human sacrifice! You must protect us. Jai Kali!" Paramartha prayed, prostrating at the deity's feet.
25. The disciples also prostrated with a loud sudden thud."
26. The palace bells rang to announce midnight.
27. Then, the palace guards, who had been hiding around the temple, sprang into action.
28. "Disciples! Quickly, place the life we've brought onto the sacrificial altar!" urged Paramartha.
29. The disciples hurriedly placed the life they had brought onto the sacrificial altar.
30. "Om... Reem... Bhadrakali!... Here is the human sacrifice!" Paramartha shouted as he swung the sacrificial knife over the altar.
31. Immediately, the palace warriors rushed in and surrounded Paramartha and his disciples.
32. Everyone eagerly looked at the sacrificial altar to see whom Paramartha had sacrificed.
33. There... lay a lizard, cut into two.
34. The palace warriors were shocked and amazed.
35. "Ah, we thought he was a human-sacrificing ascetic. Turns out he's just a lizard-sacrificing ascetic," they said as they took Paramartha and his disciples to the king.
36. "My lord! Why have you arrested us? What wrong have we done?" asked Paramartha.
37. "Offering a human sacrifice is a crime in our country," said the king.
38. "What? Did we offer humans as a sacrifice? We only killed a mere lizard," Paramartha responded.
                                                
                 
                             
39. "That's exactly your mistake! The lizard is the totem (குலதெய்வம் = family deity) of our country's people! The emblem on our country's flag is also a lizard! For killing the lizard and dishonoring it, I order all of you to be imprisoned," commanded the king of Kandhapuram.
40. Aiyo! We thought human sacrifice would bring good benefits. It brought us into a danger (calamity). Lamenting, the Guru and his disciples went into the jail.

PAR17-WhoIsMissing
1. While Paramartha Guru was traveling in the late hour, he encountered a fast-moving river.
2. Since sala-sala noise was coming from the river, the Guru thought the river was awake at that time. He was afraid that crossing the river at that time posed a danger. Therefore, he decided to cross the river when it slept.  sala-sala noise = white noise of a river.
3. He and his disciples rested under a tree on the riverbank.
4. After a short while, the Guru called one of his disciples named Matti. He handed him a burning stick (கொள்ளிக் கட்டை), asked him to go near the river, and find out whether the river was awake or sleepy.
5. Matti dutifully undertook the Guru’s order, carried the burning stick, and approached the river.
6. He stood away from the water’s edge so as not to get wet and immersed the burning torch into the river. The torch extinguished itself with a hissing sound.
7. Hearing the sound, Matti, in a state of flurry, ran off towards the Guru.
8. Matti reported to the Guru, "O Guru, the river is still awake. When I dipped the burning stick into the river, the river hissed. By mere good luck, I escaped (its fury) and ran out of there."
9. Upon hearing this, the Guru said, "You did well by coming back after checking. If we attempt to cross the wide-awake river now, we would have been subjected to the river’s vicious anger. We will wait patiently until it is in deep sleep and then resume the journey." So saying, he sat down.
10. The disciples spent their time telling stories among themselves.
11. Dawn broke. The Guru, from his deep sleep, woke up suddenly in a state of fright. He called Madaiyan and asked him to find out whether the river was in a deep sleep or awake.
12. Soon, Madaiyan took Matti’s burnt-out stick and approached the river. He dipped the stick in the river. No sound came out. Enthralled by the absence of hissing sound, he ran fast to the Guru.
13. "Guru! The river is asleep now," he said.
14. The Guru replied, "That is good news. Without making any distracting sounds, come calmly. If you make sounds, the river will wake up." Having cautioned the disciples, the Guru took one step at a time gingerly and walked towards the river, followed by the disciples. With fear gripping them, they crossed the river and reached the other side.
15. The Guru counted to make sure all the disciples were safe on the riverbank. He called one of his disciples and mentioned, "Including me, we are six. Are we all safe? Did the vicious river swallow anyone of us? Count, make sure it tallies correctly, and report to me."
16. Abhishtu (Bad-Omen-Meister) counted all those who stood before him, saying one, two… He counted all except himself and reported, "O Guruji! We are only five here."
17. Of the six, one is missing. The Guru was deeply upset. All were shocked to realize that one of them, the river swallowed.
18. The Guru asked another disciple to do the count. He too counted everyone except himself and concurred with Abhishtu. "One is missing. Only five are present," panicked the disciple.
19. Likewise, the disciples and the Guru counted all except himself, fell into depression, sobbed, and wailed.
20. The Guru was irritated and angered towards the river for having swallowed one of his disciples. He slandered and cursed the river.
21. Grieving at the loss, they all wailed. They were unhappy not knowing who the missing person was.
22. At that time, a wayfarer came towards the grieving bunch. Seeing them in grief, he felt pity and asked what the problem was. The disciples narrated the events that led to their sorrow and resumed their wailing. The wayfarer counted them, and thinking of their stupidity, laughed within himself.
23. "Dear ones, what has happened has happened. I have the power to bring back those who have gone missing. What reward will you offer me for bringing back the person you lost?" asked the passerby. Guru mellowed and said, "Ayya! If you bring back the missing one, we will give all the money we have and remain in gratitude to you forever."
24. The passerby held a small stick in his hand. Taking it, he said, "In this stick lies the power of magic. Stand in a line, and I will touch the first person with this stick. He must say 'one' and then say his name."
25. As advised by the wayfarer, first, the Guru and the disciples stood in one line. First, he tapped the back of the Guru. He said, "One. My name is Paramartha Guru." He tapped the next one. He said, "Two" and his name. Likewise, the rest, upon receiving the tap on the back, uttered their respective number and the name. The last one said, "Six, I am Mūdan." The Guru and the disciples jumped for joy for having all six of them there.
26. They wondered at the wayfarer’s magical prowess for the rescue and recovery of the lost disciple and gave him all the money they had.
27. Thinking of what happened, the wayfarer thanked God for his potluck.
PAR18-HealingProfession
Paramartha Guru Stories - The Healing Profession
1. "Guru Natha! What will we gain by practicing medicine from now on?" asked Muttal.
2. "Then what's the benefit for us?" Paramartha Guru asked.
3. "We'll make money. Along with that, we'll also attain merit," replied Mūdan.
4. "Let's do it then," said the Guru.
5. "Is it only for humans?" asked Mandu.
6. "We'll treat humans, animals, infants, and even monkeys!" said Matti.
7. It spread as news that Paramartha and his five disciples were practicing medicine.
8. A man came complaining of fever. Pointing at him, Madaiyan said, "Guru, this man's body is burning with fever!"
9. "Then immediately cool his body to reduce the fever!" said Paramartha.
10. "What should we do for that?" asked Muttal.
11. "Take the man to the tub full of cold water and keep him in the water for one hour," said the Guru.
12. Immediately, both Matti and Madaiyan took the sick person and placed him in the tub with water. Muttal and Mūdan alternately kept him immersed in the water.
13. The patient exclaimed, "Ayyo! Amma!" and ran away.
14. After a short while, an elderly woman arrived. "My eyes are hurting," she said.
15. "There's no time now. Just enucleate your affected eye and leave it here. We will mend it!" said Muttal.
16. The elderly woman ran away, saying, "Ayyo."
17. A while later, another person arrived, complaining his body was shaking all over.
18. "Since he is doing nothing, his body shakes. Tie him up with ropes. Everything will be fine!" said Paramartha.
19. Muttal and Mūdan dragged him to a pillar and tied him up.
20. After tying him up, Matti saw the man's body shaking and said, "Guru Deva! This is a disease caused by cold. To cure it, we need to heat his body!"
21. Hearing this, Muttal scalded him with the burning stick in his hand by drawing lines on the patient’s body.
22. The patient, unable to endure the pain, rolled over and fell.
23. "The toothache is unbearable. What am I to do?" asked another visitor.
24. "If the aching tooth is extracted, all will be fine," said Paramartha.
25. They extracted all the teeth, each disciple a few teeth at a time by tapping them with a knife and gave all the teeth to the patient in a packet.
26. "From now on, you won't have any more toothache!" declared Paramartha.
27. Soon after, a person suffering from elephantiasis arrived.
28. "There are two types of treatment available in the world for this. The good leg should be cut and the elephantiasis leg should be attached in its place. Otherwise, we should shave off the affected leg so it looks like a good leg," said Paramartha.
29. The elephantiasis patient escaped from the medical facility saying, "It is enough to leave my leg alone."
30. Another person came, saying, "Ayya! I have continuous cough." Paramartha thought, the cough is present because the mouth is open. If the mouth is shut close, the cough will stop. Paramartha ordered, "Tie his mouth shut!"
31. Following the Guru's instructions, Muttal tightly shut the man's mouth with rolled torn cloths.
32. "My goat hasn't been able to eat the leaves," said another person. The Guru advised, "Something must be blocking the throat."
33. Madaiyan said, "It is sufficient to make the goat’s mouth wide."
34. Muttal brought a big knife for the purpose.
35. Grabbing the knife, Mūdan went to cut the goat.
36. Shocked, the goat owner pulled the goat and ran away with it.
37. Paramartha and his disciples, under the name of medical practice, performed these actions haphazardly. When the elders of the town heard about this, they decided that from now on, Paramartha and his disciples should not enter the town.
PAR19-ParamartharInHell
Paramartha Guru Stories – Paramartha in Hell

1. Matti and the idiot were worried with their hands on their cheeks.
2. Mandu and Mūdan were crying, ‘’Our Guru is gone! Our guru is dead!’’ They were crying with their noses.
3. "Whose cigar will I set fire to now? Leaving us alone, you have died so unjustly!" lamented the fool
4. After that, the five disciples rolled in hugging on the street opposite the monastery.
5. 'Where has our dead guru gone?' he asked
6. “If we go to Yamaloka, the world of Yama, the Lord of death, we can see”
7. "Maybe he's gone to heaven?"
8. “Our Guru has committed many sins. So he would have gone to hell.”
9. Muttāl and Mūdan were talking like this.
10. "If we go to hell, we can see our Guru!" Mandu suggested.
11. “This is the only way to see our Guru again!” Madaiyan jumped.
12. Immediately Mandu and Mūdan joined hands and jumped into the well in the garden.
13. Muttal, with the burning stick in his hand, set his head on fire on.
14. After some time, all the five great disciples of Paramartha Guru gave up their lives.
15. There was only smoke everywhere. The disciples did not understand anything.
16. "We are dead, and where are we now?" asked Matti.
17. Then, “Behold, the world of Nara Loka (hell)!” Madan shouted.
18. The disciples were very happy when they realized that they had arrived at hell.
19. “Come, let us seek our Guru!” They went looking for Paramartha from one place to another.
20. Somewhere there were huge grinding mills swirling. Some sinners were thrown into it and crushed.
21. Seeing that, Matti and Madaiyan said, "Our Guru will be inside this!" As they said, they put their heads in the grinding mill.
22. That's it! “Ayyo! Ayyaiyo!” They crushed their heads and fell down bleeding.
23. In another place, oil was boiling in tall cauldrons.
24. Seeing that, the fool said, "Our Guru must have been put in this cauldron!" Saying that, he jumped into the cauldron!
25. Seeing Muttal fall, Mūdan himself ran away and jumped into a cauldron!
26. As the boiling oil poured over their bodies, both of them fell down screaming, Labo Thibo.
27. Mandu alone went searching for Paramartha in many places.
28. In the Saturn corner of Naraka Loka he found a wood-burning stove making Diku Diku sounds with plenty of firewood.
29. Mandu thought the Guru must be inside the fire as though he were hiding inside it and entered the fire.
30. The next moment, “Ah, fire! Such fire!” He screamed, fell down and rolled.
31. At the same time, Paramarthar was screaming in the poison mandala that was built in the hellish world.
32. Giant scorpions, snakes and crabs swarmed around him.
33. “Alas, scorpion! You live! Long live your stinger! Just don't sting me!” He bowed.
34. By then the five disciples had come to his place.
35. “Oh! Snake, snake!” Shrieking, Paramartha fell down from the raised platform.
36. All the disciples came running to see.
37. It was then that Paramartha looked around. “Good times! I am in the monastery. It was just a dream that I was stuck in hell!” He rubbed his belly happily.
38. The disciples jumped for joy.
PAR20-FlyingWhiteElephant
Paramartha Guru Stories – The White Elephant is Flying

1. King Madhuranthagam's eyesight was fading. White elephant tusks should be rubbed and applied to the eyes. Doctors have said that if he did that, his eyesight would come back.
2. The king announced that if the white elephant was caught alive, he would give a town as a reward. This news reached Paramarthar and his disciples.
3. ''Gurunatha! As far as we know the elephant is black. Is there even a white elephant?'' Matti asked.
4. In the heavenly world, Indra has an elephant called Airāvatam. It is white, said Madaiyan.
5. Muttal asked, ‘’Gurudeva! Do you dare to catch that elephant.’’
6. Immediately the Guru got angry!
7. ''You coward! Is there anything I can't do? But Indra and I have had an unending enmity since our last birth. So, I don't want to go there,'' he said, stroking his beard.
8. ''Gurudeva! I have an idea… just like whitewashing a house, what if we whitewash an elephant?'' Mandu asked.
9. ''Yes Guru! It is enough to apply lime on the elephant. A black elephant turns white!'' Mūdan jumped.
10. ''The king is blind! So, he can't detect our fraud!'' jumped Mūdan.
11. ''Aha! Each of us will be getting a town as a gift. From now on we are all little kings!'' Matti rolled in the mud in a joyous mood.
12. ''Bale, Bale! Now your brain is working fine!'' Paramarthar praised.
13. Then he took his disciples and went to the elephant driver (Mahout).
14. ''Rent out your elephant for just one day. We give the necessary money,'' Matti requested. Mahout also came along.
15. The elephant driver, who was eager for money, also agreed.
16. After it was dark, Madaiyan brought lime pot by pot.
17. Muttal took it and poured it over the elephant, as if anointing it.
18. Mandu took some lime and in fear, smeared it on the elephant's mouth.
19. Paramartha also drew the white lines with his hand stick.
20. ''Master! The elephant is black but the ivory is white, so if the elephant is white then the ivory must be black?'' asked the Mahout.
21. ''Yes! You are right!'' Muttal rubbed the charcoal from the stove and smeared it on the tusks.
22. ''The king should believe that it was caught from heaven. So, two wings should be built,'' said Paramarthar.
23. Mudan immediately implemented the Guru's idea.
24. Work came to a finish. The guru who came around the elephant and called it was amazing! This is the elephant of Indra Loka! He touched its trunk and bowed.
25. The next day, the crowd in front of the palace was jubilant. The king with his entourage of ministers also came to see the white elephant.
26. The king saw the elephant in the open field and was amazed! ''Where did you catch this elephant from?'' he asked.
27. Madu lied, ''we went searching until we reached Devaloka!''
28. Mudan said, ''Ayyo! The troubles we had to endure to catch it are known only to us.''
29. When the minister asked, why were the tusks black, Muttal said, it was the appearance of a diamond-streaked ivory!’’
30. As they were talking, suddenly a strong wind blew. Immediately the elephant's wings broke off and fell.
31. Immediately it started raining heavily. When the rainwater fell on the elephant little by little all the lime dissolved and the white elephant turned black.
32. Seeing this, the Guru and the disciples trembled in fear!
33. After a while Paramarthar's whitewash faded - Alas- The elephant turned black. They were punished as usual.
34. In the world of heaven, Indra has an elephant called Airāvatam. It is white.

PAR21-CowAteTheGreens
Paramartha Guru Stories

1. The Guru and the disciples were cultivating greens in the garden with the help of the neighbors.
2. The plants were thriving and growing strong. Matti woke up one morning and said, "Ayyo! Gone! Gone!” He screamed.
3. Paramartha and other disciples ran to the garden.
4. There were three beds in total. A cow had grazed the plants in one of the beds.
5. “Blimey! How hard we worked to raise the greens; Everything has come to a ruin like this,” said Paramartha.
6. He asked his disciples to make suggestions so that the cows would not graze the plants.
7. “Master! Before that cow comes to graze, let's pick some greens and feed it!” said Muttal.
8. "If we don't want the cow to eat what we grow, it's enough to sow greens in a separate bed for the cow, which would just eat it and leave!” said Mudan.
9. “You fools! Even if we do as you say, we will lose? The cow will eat that too, eat this too!” Paramartha scolded them.
10. Then Mandu got an idea. “The cow grazes only at night? So, when night comes, all the plants can be uprooted and safely hidden away! When the day comes, we can plant them as before!” He spoke.
11. Paramarthar said that the idea will not wash.
12. “It eats all the leaves because the cow can see the greens. We'll pull out all the plants and plant them upside down! Seeing only the roots above, the cow will be disappointed!” said Matti.
13. “Yes! This is the right way!” agreed all. They uprooted only the plants from the first bed and planted them upside down.
14. All the uprooted plants died in one day as all roots were above the soil.
15. “Master! Just invert the pots over these plants and cover them. The cow will be disappointed after looking for the plants!” Madaiyan said.
16. The next day, they bought a motherlode of pots from the market. They tipped each pot over each plant.
17. Due to lack of sunlight, the plants in the second bed also withered in ten days.
18. Guru and disciples were anxious. “Master! Just catch the cow and tie it. We can drink milk every day! If the cowherd comes and asks, we can get a lot of money for our loss of greens and as punitive damages for grazing of the plants by the cow,” said Madan. “Now we have two ways to profit!” said Matti.
19. The next night Muttal held the lighted torch in his hand for illumination. Guru and disciples hid in the garden.
20. This time instead of the usual cow came another emaciated cow with skin and bones.
21. Seeing the cow, the lurking guru and disciples jumped on it and rolled on the ground.
22. Mudan grabbed the cow's tail and twisted it. Muttal branded its face with the torch. Madaiyan jumped on its stomach.
23. “Appādā! (expression of relief). We have found a way to apprehend the thieving cow!” Paramartha and his disciples went to bed happily.
24. When the day dawned, Muniyandi, the biggest ruffian in the town, came in search of his cow.
25. Seeing his cow tied up by Paramartha and his disciples in their monastery, he became terribly angry.
26. “Hey! How arrogant are you to tie my cow? You branded the cow and tied its leg. For that, shell out money in a civil manner,” the cow owner shouted and started kicking the Guru and the disciples.
27. “No greens; No money. The Guru and the disciples started running out of the monastery, shouting, "It is enough to be left alone without bodily harm."
PAR22-RoyalDevotion

Paramartha Guru Stories – Paramartha's Bhakti
1. At the request of Paramartha, the king of Madurai entertained him and his disciples in the palace and made him stay for a day.
2. Paramarthar, who was lying on a silk mattress, was tossing, and turning without getting sleep. Among the disciples only Mandu and Mudan could not sleep.
3. “Master! Mandu said that the doctor told someone in the morning that if you walk for a while you will feel sleepy... Similarly, we can go somewhere and walk and come back.
4. Good! Let's do it like that,” said Paramartha, patting him.
5. ‘’What if we are walking in the street and the police catch us as thieves? So let's go to terrace!” Mudan said.
6. Accordingly, waking up the other disciples, everyone slowly walked away.
7. When he reached the steps to the terrace, only Matti pushed him like a disciple who surpassed the Guru and quickly climbed up.
8. Before he had gone up four steps he slipped on his foot and rolled down. The speed of the roll hit the Guru and the disciples behind him, and everyone rolled down to the bottom of the staircase. “Hey Matti! You're in a hurry!” Paramartha scolded. Everyone again. Climbing slowly, they reached the terrace.
9. It was a full moon day. So, the country and the city looked beautiful. "Wonderful, wonderful," the Guru was delighted.
10. Then Madaiyan alone screamed
11. “What? What?” hollered the Guru.
12. "It's cold," said Madan.
13. “Then just go down and lie down. We will come later,” said Paramarthar, and he went down.
14. The Guru and other disciples were looking at the beauty of the city.
15. There were a lot of police on the royal streets. Soldiers on horseback were coming this way and that.
16. Seeing those warriors, the Guru trembled. The disciples trembled at the sight of the horses.
17. Madaiyan who went down, came up again and said, “Master, I went down. There are two people. One was fat; Another had a beard and moustache. Both left the palace. Surely both must be thieves,” he said, trying to catch his breath.
18. “Really? If so, they should be caught immediately!” Paramarthar said, "Come everyone, let's go down."
19. Everyone rushed to the palace gate to see. They noticed two people, one fat and one thin, were hiding and moving fast.
20. Then the guards came running there. He said to them, “Idiots! Look, two thieves stole money and jewels from the palace. Run and catch them,” the Guru scolded angrily.
21. The soldiers ran in the direction indicated by the Guru. Paramarthar and disciples shouted, ‘’ Thief! Thief! Don't let them go, catch!’’ They chased after them.
22. By then everyone in the palace and the city woke up at the noise. Everyone ran to the street to see.
23. Horrendous riot and noises on Raja Street. Then Mudan shouted, "There...There... Catch them."
24. Paramarthar and the disciples fell upon both suspects with a thud, rolled them, held them fast.
25. The soldiers turned Paramartha and the disciples away and stared at the thieves. Immediately, “O king! Minister! Are you not?!” They were surprised.
26. “All fell at the king's feet and said, “Forgive us! It is this Guru and his disciples who say that they are thieves,” the soldiers said tremblingly.
27. Paramarthar and the disciples had no clue. They trembled in fear that they had called the king himself a thief. Enraged people went to beat the Guru and the disciples.
28. Immediately the king said, “People! Not knowing that the Minister and I were going to visit the city on a spying expedition, Paramartha Guru made a mistake. What if they were really thieves? So, I admire the disciples for their good intention of catching the thieves and Paramarthar for his royal devotion. I am exuberant to think that Paramarthar and the disciples keep vigil even at night without sleeping. For this we will celebrate a festival for them tomorrow!” He said that.
29. People shouted, ‘’long live Paramartha Guru! Long live the disciples!’’
30. Guru and disciples were happy.
PAR23-PipalTree-GiveMeWisdom
1. Paramarthar was sleeping in a sitting position under a tree. Paramarthar suddenly awake. Suddenly he woke up and said, “Disciples! The Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Similarly, now I have received enlightenment under this flower pipal tree!” He was happy.
2. Hearing that, the disciples said, “For the Buddha a Bodhi; Our Paramarthar a flowering Pipal! O tree that gave enlightenment! Long live the tree of wisdom!” They circumambulated that tree and worshiped.
3. “Disciples! We will plant crops in partnership with someone; Let's reap a profit!” said the Guru.
4. One who heard Paramartha's idea, agreed to share crops with them. He believed that the Guru and the disciples would be deceived anyway.
5. “Since it is a joint venture, one should take what grows above the soil and the other should take what lies below the ground. Only then will the profit be equal for both. Do you want what grows underground? Want what grows over the ground?” asked the partner.
6. Guru and disciples went alone and thought. “Master! Don't opt for the yield above ground! Who guards it? Let's take the yield from the underground. Everything will be safe!” said the disciples.
7. Believing in the words of the disciples, Paramarthar said, "All that is under the earth is ours!"
8. The partner who wanted to cheat planted corn, rye, millet that are available above the soil!
9. Seeing the plants flourishing well, Paramartha said, “Bale! If it is so prosperous above the soil, it will grow even more abundantly below! This time we are going to make a good profit for sure!” He was pleased with that.
10. The disciples thought the partner was deceived, believed the partner did not understand their plan! They thought that.
11. Harvest time came. The associate who gathered the Guru and the disciples said, “Look here! Do not violate the spoken word. Take what is in the underground. I will only take what is above.’’
12. After he had cut everything, the Guru and the disciples began to stir the bare soil.
13. Wherever they dug there were only roots.
14. “Guruji! We've been snookered!” shouted Matti.
15. “Something magical has happened!” Madaiyan cried.
16. “Guruji! It's the denizens of the underworld who have stolen everything from beneath!” said Mūdan.
17. “We worked hard for so many days. Everything is ruined!” Paramartha was upset.
18. “Gurudev! Next time we plant we will take the above-ground yield. Let him be deceived as we are!” Mudan said.
19. The next crop season came. ‘’This time what is above ground is for us!” Guru and disciples have said that.
20. The partner who wanted to cheat again, this time, he planted root vegetables and cassava.
21. Guru and disciples worked hard. “Master! Plants thrive. There's going to be a booty!” said Mandu. Harvest time has come. “Quickly take everything that is above. I must dig the soil,” said the cheater.
22. When the disciples saw that the plant bore no fruit, they beat their mouths and stomachs.
23. “Gurudev! We've gone bad this time!” Matti burst into tears.
24. "Watching day and night was in vain!" Madaiyan lamented. ‘’It must be the work of Satan!” said Muttal.
25. Paramarthar thought in solitude and came to a conclusion! “Disciples! This is not the work of Satan or Saneeswaran! It was all my fault!” said.
26. “What! Did you make a mistake? What is it?” The disciples asked in amazement.
27. “I said that I gained enlightenment, while lying down and sleeping under a tree. That was wrong. It was only yesterday that I found out that the tree was not a flowering pipal tree. I accidentally fell asleep under some other tree! Come, let us go to the base of the real flowering pipal tree!” Guru said.
28. And the disciples said, “Blooming pipal tree! Give me wisdom!” They started doing penance again.
PAR24-DearSpirit
1. The sound of ‘’Gnyyyy‘’(buzz of a mosquito)” pierced recumbent Paramarthar's ears. He got up and looked up. A few mosquitoes were flying around his head. Immediately he called his disciples.
2. “Gurudev! It is so strange. We have never seen such tiny birds before!” said Matti.
3. Then some mosquitoes bit the Guru and the disciples.
4. The Guru, unable to bear the pain, shouted and the disciples joined him in shouting.
5. “Guru Natha! Why are these birds biting us?” Madaiyan asked.
6. Paramartha did not know that they were mosquitoes. He thought that the disciples would laugh if he told the truth. “Once I went to the forest to hunt. There were a hundred birds in one tree. I killed all of them with an arrow. Its spirits are now coming and giving trouble,” he said.
7. At once the disciples prayed to every mosquito, "Dear Spirit, forgive our Guru's offense and do not trouble us."
8. “Shhhh…don't make noise…spirits can hear us talking. So, you must catch all the birds by trickery,” Muttal said softly.
9. “Master! Every bird should be caught and hanged!” Mudan jumped.
10. “Rather than that, you can induce laughter in the birds by tickling them in the armpits (give it a “kichu kichu”) and kill it with a needle while it is laughing!” said Mandu.
11. “Ok…ok…catch each bird first” ordered the Guru.
12. Muttal thought of hitting a mosquito sitting on Mandu's bald head. He hit him hard on the head with the burning torch. When the fire hit his head, Mandu screamed "Aiyyo..."
13. Matti caught a mosquito by stealth. Madaiyan tickled. Paramarthar tried to crush the mosquito with his staff. By then it had flown away.
14. Soon all the mosquitoes flew away.
15. “Guru” These birds seem to know magic. They came to know about our plan and magically disappeared,” he said.
16. Mandu said, "You have to catch it in a different way."
17. “we should bring in natural enemies such as insects to kill these birds. Both will be fighting. We can sleep peacefully,” said Muttal.
18. According to Muttal's plan, they caught and let loose the bedbugs throughout the monastery.
19. Two days passed. Along with mosquitoes, bedbugs also bit.
20. “Che! (disgust) We got into big trouble! what to do?" asked Paramartha.
21. “Master! A brilliant idea came to me. They say, "He burned the house because he was afraid of bedbugs"! What if we do that? asked Matti.
22. “Yes Guru! Let us burn the monastery with valor and without fear!” said Madan.
23. “Master! Let's implement another project! We will burn with the burning monastery!” Mudan said.
24. “We will all die if we do that?” said Mandu.
25. “Only death can make us spirits. By changing into spirit, we can easily catch all the little birds that are bothering us!” Mudan said.
26. “Bale (Bravo) Muda!” Paramartha praised him.
27. According to his plan, after setting the monastery on fire, everyone went inside and stood.
28. "The fire roared with Diku, Diku sound" they started shouting and emitting wild noise.
29. On hearing the noise, the neighbors ran to see. After extinguishing the fire, they saved the Guru and the disciples from the fire.
30. Even then “Che (expression of disgust)! These ignorant people have ruined our wonderful plan!” murmured and muttered, Paramarthar!
PAR25-CatchACow&GetRich
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Jallikattu

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.
Paramartha Guru stories – let's catch cows, let's rule the country
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.
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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.