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| The Story of Ganesa: 19. A nymph freed from a curse | INDIAN MYTHOLOGY |
The Story of Ganesa: 19. A nymph freed from a curse
Vatapi, which was renamed Agasthyanagar soon after
Yudhishthira had visited the place and offered his oblations to the huge idol
of Lord Vighneswara consecrated by Sage Agasthya, came under the suzereinty of
Indraprastha. After Yudhishthira, Parikshit ruled over the place, and later,
Janamejaya and his sons and grandsons became the rulers. The place was once
again known as Vatapinagar.
During the rule of Shatrunjaya, who belonged to the
Chandra dynasty, he extended the city, by annexing the neighbouring kingdoms.
Vatapi slowly assumed the size of an empire. Shatrunjaya extracted taxes from
his subjects so that he could build a big army. He became unpopular, and people
wondered whether the demon Ilval had not incarnated as Shatrunjaya! The kind of
atrocities the demon had perpetrated once upon a time revisited Vatapinagar,
much to the suffering of the people.
Chalukyavarma, who was the youngest son of Shatrunjaya,
was of a different mould. He was honest, well behaved and kind-hearted. He
followed the edicts of Sage Agasthya inscribed all over the place. He was the
lone member of the royal family who worshipped Lord Vighneswara. He was
well-versed in all kinds of arts, including the martial arts. The people saw in
the youngster their savour and held him in high esteem.
When Shatrunjaya was prompting his sons to attack the
neighbouring kingdoms, Chalukyavarma protested. “Father! It’s not advisable to
expand the kingdom, without taking care of the welfare of our own subjects,” he
told his father frankly. “I shall not join my brothers in attacking our
neighbours.”
Shatrunjaya got very angry. “It’s a curse that you were
born in my dynasty. It’s like a rat is born to a lion. You deserve punishment!”
He arranged for a rat to be caught and named it Chalooka! He told his son that
he would have to take the rat as his bride.
Chalooka was really a nymph called Kalyani. She was
cursed by Lord Indra and was born as a rat on the earth. By arranging his son’s
wedding with a rat, Shatrunjaya expected that Chalukya would become the butt of
ridicule by the guests at the wedding, and he would feel insulted.
But Chalukya was ready to turn the tables on his father.
He laughingly told Shatrunjaya: “Father, Lord Vighneswara is capable of turning
a rat into a queen! He can also make her a king’s bride. Let’s see what
happens!”
Shatrunjaya sent out Chalukya and the rat from the
palace. “You don’t deserve to be here; go and stay with Vighneswara who has
only a rat for his mount. You may go and stay in your own aparments.”
Chalukya listened to his father patiently and said,
“Father, I take all this as a blessing from the Lord.” He then moved over to
the house set apart for him and Chalooka. She would listen to Chalukya whenever
he recited the scriptures and helped him while he worshipped Vighneswara. She
would wait till Chalukya finished eating and herself ate whetever was left
over. Soon Vinayaka Chathurthi was approachig.
On the auspicious day, Chalukya was smitten with remorse
when he saw his brothers’ wives carrying water from the river in golden
vessels. Chalooka began rolling a vessel to the river. She suddenly realised
that she would not be able to carry it back after filling water.
As she sat weeping over her dilemma, Vighneswara
appeared before her and patted her back to comfort her. Lo and behold, Chalooka
was freed from the curse, and she was once again Kalyani the nymph. She fell at
the Lord’s feet and sought His blessings. The wives of Chalukya’s brothers
happened to see a bewitching beauty entering Chalukya’s residence and they felt
ashamed of themselves.
They went back and told their husbands who, in turn,
informed Shatrunjaya. The king went to Chalukya’s home and requested his son
and daughter-in-law Kalyani to return to the palace. His sons now complained to
him: “If only you had given us rats as our brides, we too would have got nymphs
as wives.”
Shatrunjaya now realised how foolish his sons were and
was sad that he had made such fools as rulers of the kingdom. He was overtaken
by disappointment and left for the forest to meditate. Chalukya’s brothers now
quarrelled with each other and fought amongst themselves.
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