Veranda Tales-Do things happen for a reason?
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.
అంతా మన మంచికే (antha mana manchike)
While enduring a negative experience we tell ourselves, “Things happen for a reason” to feel better. At times the thought that there might be some good that would come out of an unpleasant experience keeps us going. We can’t foresee what impact an incident or a decision could have on the future and we are better off thinking it might be for the best. It is a common phrase to hear from friends, family, and others, “Hang in there, things happen for a reason”. It can be annoying to hear people say that when you didn’t get into your dream college or didn't get your dream job.
Telugu speakers say, “అంతా మన మంచికే (antha mana manchike) when things don’t go as planned. The meaning of this sameta is, “Everything is for our own good”. The story of a king I have heard growing up illustrates, “అంతా మన మంచికే ((antha mana manchike) sameta very well.
Once upon a time there was a రాజా (raajaa is king in Telugu) who had a very clever and witty మంత్రి (manthri - minister in Telugu). మంత్రి (manthri) helped the రాజా (raajaa) make decisions that served the king and kingdom well. రాజా (raajaa) relied on his మంత్రి (manthri)’s advice and consulted him on every single decision he had to make as a ruler. మంత్రి (manthri) was ever present in the రాజ్యస్థానం or రాజ్యసభ (raajyasthaanam or raajyasabha is royal court in Telugu) sitting beside the సింహాసనం (simhasanam is throne in Telugu). As years went by, they developed a good working relationship and friendship based on mutual trust and respect.
మంత్రి (manthri) accompanied the రాజా (raajaa) whenever he stepped out of రాజభవనం (raaja bhavanam is palace in Telugu). రాజా (raajaa) traveled around his kingdom in disguise often to talk to his subjects taking his మంత్రి (manthri) along. They traveled alone without the royal entourage to blend in as common people. People would share their troubles with them. It helped them understand the problems people were facing in their kingdom. They used the information they gathered to help improve living conditions across their kingdom.
On one of these travels, they sat down under a tree to have a meal. రాజా (raajaa) cut his finger while he was peeling a మామిడి పండు (maamidi pandu is a ripe mango in Telugu) with his knife. మంత్రి (manthri) then said, “అంతా మన మంచికే (antha mana manchike)”. రాజా (raajaa) was very annoyed that his మంత్రి (manthri) was not taking his predicament seriously by saying, “Everything happens for our own good”. He was angry that the మంత్రి (manthri) was disregarding his pain. As the pain grew, his anger grew. He was determined to teach his insensitive and unsympathetic మంత్రి (manthri) a lesson.
మంత్రి (manthri) would have been more careful to not anger the king, if he remembered “రాజు తలచుకొంటే దెబ్బలకు కొదవా? (raaju thaluchukunte debbalaku kodava?)”. This sameta means, if a king wills it, there is no limit to beatings he could bestow on his subjects. They ate and rested before they continued their journey. రాజా (raajaa) couldn’t forget what transpired at their meal time as his sore finger was a constant reminder of their conversation. He continued to think about ways to get back at his మంత్రి (manthri).
After a few hours, they came across a బావి (baavi is a well in Telugu). They drew water from the well to quench their thirst. రాజా (raajaa) pushed the unsuspecting మంత్రి (manthri) into the బావి (baavi) to get back at him. He then said to him sarcastically, “Let’s see, if being pushed into a well is good for you!” He walked away leaving his మంత్రి (manthri) in the well.
He kept on walking deeper into a forest. A tribe of forest dwellers captured the king, tied him up, and dragged him to their village. They wanted to offer him as a sacrifice to their goddess. All powerful రాజా (raajaa) realized he wasn’t invincible after all. As the forest dwellers were getting ready for the sacrifice, their high priest noticed రాజా (raajaa)’s injured finger. They let the రాజా (raajaa) go since he wasn’t a worthy sacrifice to their goddess as his injury made him imperfect. రాజా (raajaa) was relieved and happy to be alive. Then he remembered what his మంత్రి (manthri) said to him when he cut his finger. He realized accidentally cutting his finger was the reason he was spared from being sacrificed to the goddess by the forest dwellers. He then recognized his మంత్రి (manthri)’s wisdom.
He hurried back to the well. He found the మంత్రి (manthri) where he left him and helped him get out of the well. After apologizing to the మంత్రి (manthri) for his cruel behavior, he acknowledged that మంత్రి (manthri) was right when he said, “అంతా మన మంచికే (antha mana manchike)” in response to his suffering. He told him what happened and said, he would have been dead if not for the injured finger. He then asked, “I get it that injuring my finger turned out to be a good thing for me, but how did being pushed into the well help you?”
మంత్రి (manthri) smiled and said, “If you didn’t push me into the well, then we both would have been captured by the forest dwellers, and I would have been the one to be picked for sacrifice. I am still alive because you pushed me into the well”. రాజా (raajaa) accepted మంత్రి (manthri)’s explanation and repeated “అంతా మన మంచికే (antha mana manchike)” with a sigh of relief. They both had a good laugh and continued their journey back to the palace together.
This story drives home the sentiment that things happen for a reason and everything happens for our own good. When something annoying or bad happens to me, I don’t like to hear somebody say it was all for my own good even though it is comforting to tell myself the same thing. One could argue it would have been better if రాజా (raajaa) didn’t cut his finger in the first place. However, good and bad experiences make life interesting and worth living. It is better to take them in stride and keep marching on.