Veranda Tales-Bonds of love
Storytelling has been an integral part of my life since childhood. I grew up listening to stories during the hot summer evenings and nights with my cousins. Mothers and grandmothers would gather all of us children for story time. It was usually pitch dark except for a very faint light coming from the flickering candle. Power cuts were as frequent as the hot and humid summer days. We all spread out on a cool concrete floor or bamboo mats on the veranda intently listening to fascinating stories about kings, queens, princes, princesses, and peasants alike. Stories about love, life, families, and people entertained and taught us life skills. These stories transported us to distant worlds, strange yet familiar. Often the same story told by two people sounded different as storytellers added new twists and turns adding their personal style and flair to the stories.
Storytelling wasn’t limited to summer evenings and bedtime. I was surrounded by adults who didn’t pass up an opportunity to share their wisdom using the art of storytelling. These rich vibrant oral traditions include songs, poems, stories, and సామెతలు (Sametalu are proverbs in Telugu). Men and women sing songs as they work in the fields, grinding grains and spices and doing other daily chores at their homes. Stories are often used to teach important life lessons, interpersonal skills, and survival skills. These stories and the time spent listening to them made our lives richer leaving an impression on me. This series is all about reliving those memories as I share these stories.
కుంతి వరం (Kunti varam)
ప్రిథ (Pritha) was one of fifteen children born to the యాదవ (Yadava) chief, శూరసేన (Shurasena), king of ancient మథుర (Mathura). Her mother was a నాగ (Nāga or serpent) woman named మరీష (Marisha). Either fifteen children must have been a bit much even for the chief or he simply took pity on his childless cousin, కుంతిభోజ (Kuntibhoja), king of the Kunti kingdom. He gave his daughter ప్రిథ (Pritha) up for adoption to కుంతిభోజ (Kuntibhoja). ప్రిథ (Pritha)’s adoptive father named her కుంతి (Kunti) which was her name since her adoption, all through her life and this is how she is remembered even to this day.
When she was adopted, కుంతి (Kunti) left behind her parents and fourteen siblings including brother Vasudeva, who went on to become the father of Hindu deity కృష్ణ (Krishna). కుంతి (Kunti) was a beautiful woman with intelligence and shrewdness. దుర్వాస మహర్షి (Durvasa Maharshi) was passing through the kingdom during కుంతి (Kunti)’s adolescent years. It was customary to give shelter to wandering sages. కుంతిభోజ (Kuntibhoja) invited the sage and placed the responsibility of caring for the sage on the shoulders of his fifteen year old adopted daughter, కుంతి (Kunti). దుర్వాస మహర్షి (Durvasa Maharshi) was known for his anger and impatience. She carried out her duties with diligence, respect, and dedication. దుర్వాస మహర్షి (Durvasa Maharshi) was impressed with her. He bestowed on her a వరం (Varam is boon) teaching her a divine మంత్ర (mantra) which she could use to invoke any god of her choice to bear his child. The chosen god would not be able to refuse her wish. This మంత్ర (mantra) could be used any number of times.
కుంతి (Kunti) was curious about the new power she had acquired. She didn’t think through the consequences of what would happen if she used it. Her curiosity got the better of her and she tested the మంత్ర (mantra) on సూర్య (Surya - the Sun god). To her surprise the మంత్ర (mantra) worked as it was supposed to and సూర్య (Surya) appeared before her to give her a child. She tried to tell him that she made a mistake, but సూర్య (Surya) was bound by the మంత్ర (mantra). She gave birth to a son who was born in a secluded room in the palace away from the eyes of her adopted father. Her son was born with bright golden natural కవచం (Kavacham is armour) and కుండలాలు (Kundalalu are earrings) as a gift from his father, సూర్య (Surya).
కుంతి (Kunti) was distraught as she realized she bargained for more than she could handle. She was afraid of the stigma of giving birth out of wedlock. She lamented:
“How could దుర్వాస మహర్షి (Durvasa Maharshi) bestow a such a powerful and dangerous వరం (Varam) on me at such a young age?”
“Why did I let curiosity get the better of me?”
“Why did సూర్య (Surya) not walk away when he saw a young girl acting on her impulses?”
She sat gazing down at her newborn as she contemplated her next steps. She got out of the palace through a back entrance gingerly walking down the stairs that led down to a small river holding her newborn close to her bosom. Tears streamed down her eyes and gently landed on her newborn sons’ beautiful face. She started walking into the river with her newborn determined to drown herself and her newborn. She kept walking towards the middle of the river as each advancing step was getting heavier and heavier. When she was about to submerge herself in the water, she noticed a basket floating down the river. She took that as a sign that hey baby should be saved. She placed him ever so gently in the basket, covering him with a soft blanket. She then gave him one last hug and let the currents of the small river carry him away. The basket floated through two more rivers ultimately reaching the river గంగ (Ganga) as the river currents softly rocked him.
A charioteer’s wife Radha belonging to Suta caste, happened to notice the basket floating down the river. Radha’'s husband, Adhiratha Nandana was born to a brahmin mother and a kshatriya father. Children of such mixed caste marriages when the mother was a brahmin couldn’t belong to either brahmin or kshatriya caste. If the father was a brahmin, then the child would automatically be accepted as brahmin according to the rules of a patriarchal society. As a result Adhiratha Nandana was classified as a person of Suta caste. He was a charioteer and a poet working for King దృతరాష్ట్ర (Dhritarashtra).
Radha fetched the basket from the river. She found a tiny baby adorned in bright golden natural కవచం (Kavacham is armour) and కుండలాలు (Kundalalu are earrings) in the basket. Radha took the baby home to her husband Adhiratha Nandana. They adopted him, and raised him as their own. The couple named the baby Vasusena as it was a fitting name for their son who was born with gold adornments. Vasusena was loved and cared for by his parents. Radha raised her son to be just and loyal. He grew up to be a great warrior, speaker, and his కవచం (Kavacham) and కుండలాలు (Kundalalu) grew with him. He came to be known as కర్ణ (Karna) which means eared or ear-ringed one in Sanskrit because of his natural కుండలాలు (Kundalalu). కర్ణ (Karna) knew that he was adopted. He grew up with a sense of shame of having been abandoned by his biological parents. He was unaware of his royal lineage. He was repeatedly denied opportunities to learn certain advanced skills of warcraft because of his perceived lineage all through his growing years.
After abandoning her first child, కుంతి (Kunti) went on to marry పాండు (Pandu), king of Kuru kingdom and became the queen of Hastinapur. పాండు (Pandu) married మాద్రి (Madri), a princess of మాద్ర (Madra) kingdom as a political move to expand his empire. కుంతి (Kunti) had come to terms with her husband marrying మాద్రి (Madri). The lives of పాండు (Pandu) and his two wives were turned upside down when పాండు (Pandu) went on a hunting trip and killed Rishi Kindama and his wife. The rishi and his wife had taken the form of deer to mate at that time. The dying sage cursed పాండు (Pandu) that he would die if he ever tried to embrace or touch his wives with an intent to mate. పాండు (Pandu) was distraught that he wouldn’t be able to go to heaven without children. He renounced the kingdom and went into exile with కుంతి (Kunti) and మాద్రి (Madri) leaving the kingdom under the care of his blind older brother, King దృతరాష్ట్ర (Dhritarashtra).
పాండు (Pandu) sank into deep depression with the thought of not being able to ever have children. కుంతి (Kunti) kept her వరం (Varam) secret so far, but couldn’t stay silent any longer and let her husband continue to suffer. She told him about her వరం (Varam) and the divine మంత్ర (mantra) which she could use to invoke any god of her choice to bear his child. పాండు (Pandu) begged her to use it. కుంతి (Kunti) used the వరం (Varam) three times giving birth to three sons. యుధిష్టర (Yudhishthira) was born by invoking ధర్మరాజ (Dharmaraja), god of Justice, followed by భీమ (Bhima) by invoking వాయు (Vayu), god of wind, and lastly అర్జున (Arjuna) by invoking ఇంద్ర (Indra), the king of స్వర్గ (Svarga is Heaven). She also invoked అశ్వినులు (Ashvinulu), two divine twin physicians for మాద్రి (Madri) to help her give birth to twin sons, నకుల (Nakula) and సహదేవ (Sahadeva). పాండు (Pandu) and his two wives now had five sons. మాద్రి (Madri) was forever grateful to కుంతి (Kunti) for her generous help enabling her to become a mother. The three parents stayed in the forest raising their children.
In a cruel twist of fate, పాండు (Pandu) died when he touched మాద్రి (Madri) forgetting about his curse. మాద్రి (Madri) was distraught for being the cause of her husband's death. She handed over her twins to కుంతి (Kunti) and died jumping into her husband's funeral pyre. కుంతి (Kunti) moved back to Hastinapur with her five sons without having any knowledge of her firstborn living in close proximity as the son of her brother-in-law, King దృతరాష్ట్ర (Dhritarashtra)’s charioteer. King దృతరాష్ట్ర (Dhritarashtra) and his wife గాంధారి (Gandhari) had hundred children. కుంతి (Kunti)’s five children grew up alongside their hundred cousins. All of them were taught by the same teacher, ద్రోణాచార్య (Dronacharya). They became skilled warriors.
King దృతరాష్ట్ర (Dhritarashtra)’s children especially the the older two hated కుంతి (Kunti)’s five children. They had gotten very comfortable with the idea of being the heirs to the throne during the absence of their uncle, పాండు (Pandu). Now all of a sudden their cousins showed up and they were better warriors than them and posed a serious threat. When they all completed their schooling, their teacher, ద్రోణాచార్య (Dronacharya) arranged a friendly competition to show off his student’s skills. It was customary to hold tournaments to demonstrate to the people of the kingdom and neighboring kingdoms to show that the princes have come of age and have become skillful warriors.
People of royal lineage were allowed to challenge princes during these events. During the event, కర్ణ (Karna) entered the arena challenging అర్జున (Arjuna) to a battle. ద్రోణాచార్య (Dronacharya) recognized కర్ణ (Karna) as the son of Adhiratha Nandana. He intervened to insult కర్ణ (Karna) by calling him సూతపుత్ర (Sutaputra). He declared that the challenge was invalid because కర్ణ (Karna) was not allowed to challenge అర్జున (Arjuna) since he was the son of a charioteer belonging to Suta caste.
As this was playing out, దుర్యోధన (Duryodhana), the eldest son of King దృతరాష్ట్ర (Dhritarashtra) came to కర్ణ (Karna)’s aid. He crowned him as the king of అంగ (Anga) on the spot thereby allowing the challenge to be valid. While కర్ణ (Karna) and అర్జున (Arjuna) were battling కర్ణ (Karna)’s కవచం (Kavacham) was exposed when అర్జున (Arjuna)’s arrow hit him and tore his outer garment. కుంతి (Kunti) who was in the audience noticed the కవచం (Kavacham) and recognized కర్ణ (Karna) to be her firstborn. She kept this to herself and continued to watch silently her firstborn being subjected to insults and jeers in the subsequent years because of the belief that he belonged to Suta caste. She made no attempt to correct the perception by going public with the truth.
కర్ణ (Karna) and దుర్యోధన (Duryodhana) became good friends. When the time came for the epic battle at the కురుక్షేత్ర (Kurukshetra), కర్ణ (Karna) also known as Radheya had stayed true to the value of loyalty his mother Radha instilled in him. He decided to fight along side దుర్యోధన (Duryodhana). Before the war started కృష్ణ (Krishna) met with కర్ణ (Karna) in secret to inform him of his true lineage. He told him that he was కుంతి (Kunti)’s firstborn. This was a strategic move to persuade కర్ణ (Karna) to leave దుర్యోధన (Duryodhana) to side with justice and aid his biological mother and his half-brothers in the battle. కృష్ణ (Krishna) promised to కర్ణ (Karna) that as the eldest son of కుంతి (Kunti) he would become the king with his five half-brothers serving him. కర్ణ (Karna) told కృష్ణ (Krishna) even though he was born of కుంతి (Kunti), his real parents were Radha and Adhiratha Nandana loved and cared for him.
When కృష్ణ (Krishna) failed to convince కర్ణ (Karna), కుంతి (Kunti) met with కర్ణ (Karna) to reveal herself as his biological mother. It was a strategic move to keep her five children safe from him. కర్ణ (Karna)’s biological father సూర్య (Surya) also appeared to vouch for కుంతి (Kunti). కర్ణ (Karna) met his biological mother for the first time in person. He learned that she was his biological mother from కృష్ణ (Krishna). He pointedly introduced himself as the son of Radha and Adhiratha Nandana. కుంతి (Kunti) asked him to accept her as his mother. “You abandoned me and destroyed me in a way no enemy could ever destroy me”, కర్ణ (Karna) said to కుంతి (Kunti) in response to her request. He made it very clear to her that he could never accept her as his mother. He told her it was too late, and that his true mother was Radha who loved him and cared for him.
When she failed to convince him to fight on her side, కుంతి (Kunti) asked కర్ణ (Karna) to grant her two wishes, the first one to grant safety of her five children and a second one to not use a weapon twice in the battle. కర్ణ (Karna) granted her the first wish partially by promising safety of her four children with the exception of అర్జున (Arjuna) saying that either అర్జున (Arjuna) or he would die in the battle leaving her with five children in the end. He granted her second wish thereby weakening his own ability to fight to stay alive during the battle. He The last and final appeal to switch sides came from భీష్మ (Bhīṣma) while he was on his deathbed as a well wisher to end the war.
It was evident to కర్ణ (Karna) that his biological mother abandoned him a second time when she chose to ask for the two wishes to safeguard her five legitimate children. కర్ణ (Karna) had two impossible choices of being loyal to a dear friend and fight for the unjust side or abandon his loyalty to aid his new found family and fight for the just side. He came to a painful realization that his biological mother revealed his true identity only to save her other children without ever intending to make the information public. కర్ణ (Karna) declined all three last minute appeals to switch sides which lead to his tragic death during the battle.
కర్ణ (Karna)’s life started as an accident when a fifteen year old’s curiosity got the better of her. Ironically she herself was an adopted child living away from her biological parents. She made a tough choice to abandon her firstborn thereby leaving him to the same fate of being raised by adoptive parents. కర్ణ (Karna) was fortunate to have been raised by loving adoptive mother and father who took care of him. కర్ణ (Karna) stayed dedicated to his parents till the end even after he found out about his true lineage towards the end of his life. It was revealed as a strategy to gain advantage in a war. కర్ణ (Karna) stayed true to his bonds of love. He chose to honor and love his parents who raised him and stood by him all his life.
కుంతి (Kunti)’s వరం (varam) is forever associated with my memories of అమ్మ (Amma is mother in Telugu) reciting కుంతివిలాపం (Kunitivilapam) poem by Telugu poet and lyricist, Karunasri Jandhyala Papayya Sastry. కుంతి (Kunti) is forever a delicate and affectionate fifteen year old mother making the hard decision to abandon her newborn as described in this empathetic poem. కుంతి (Kunti)’s actions later in her life in regard to కర్ణ (Karna) especially after she found his true identity speak to her shrewdness. కుంతి (Kunti) waited until after his death to publicly admit that he was her firstborn.
I am dedicating this story to కుంతి (Kunti) and all other teenage mothers who have to difficult choices to say goodbye to their newborns without a hope of holding them in their arms ever again and their abandoned children like కర్ణ (Karna).
