22. śāhāji
r. 1684–1712
This Maratha king of TañjāvŪr, in the Kaveri delta, was also a major Telugu poet—indeed, his considerable literary activity was almost entirely in Telugu, although his mother tongue must have been Marathi. His father, Ekoji, conquered TañjāvŪr in 1676 from its Madurai overlords and founded the dynasty of Maratha kings. Their court was the scene of scintillating literary production, mostly in Telugu and Sanskrit, in genres continuing the Nāyaka-period productions: yaksagānas, kuravañcis, dvipada kāvyas, padams, and popular dance-dramas that go by other names. These texts all integrated musical and verbal performance. śāhāji, who came to the throne at the age of twelve, was also the author of over 200 padams on the god of TiruvārŪr (Tyageśa-padamulu) and of a long series of texts meant to be produced at court; in this period, in general, written texts were primarily scores for theatrical or musical performance. śāhāji is the subject of a well-known Sanskrit "biography" by one of his court poets, Ayyāvāl (śāhendra-vilāsa). śāhāji also patronized Sanskrit scholars, and whole areas of Sanskrit erudition—in particular, grammar (vyākarana)—flourished in TañjāvŪr during his rule. There was also considerable activity centered on the copying and preserving of manuscripts (including some Telugu manuscripts copied in Nagari script);
[1] We know, for example, from the Dvipada-bhārata—a multiauthored text from this period—that a royal official, Nimbāji, had the text copied by a scribe named Kuppayya-mantri for śāhāji.
this king began the collection that subsequently became the famous Sarasvati Mahal Library in TañjāvŪr.The Sati-dāna-śŪramu is a work of extreme, deliberately outrageous provocation: a liaison is established between a Brahmin and an Untouchable woman, with the active connivance of the woman's husband. The text frames
TAKE MY WIFE
[2] śāhāji, "Sati-dāna-śŪramu," in Yaksa-gānamulu (TañjāvŪru), ed. Ganti Jogisomayaji, Andhra University Series, no. 57 (Kakinada: Andhra Visvakala Parisattu, 1957), 199–268.
Stage manager:[3] Invocations to Visnu, Tyāgeśa, Ganapati, Sarasvati, again Mahāvisnu, and Pārvatī-Parameśvara precede this beginning. The translation omits occasional repetitions and abbreviates some passages.
Now that we have invoked all the gods, let's summarize the plot of the play called "Take my Wife," by King Shāhā| A Brahmin comes to see the Visnu festival. | |
| He falls in love with an Outcaste woman | |
| and chats her up. Her husband arrives, | |
| and liberates all four. [4] Including the Brahmin's student. | |
| The play celebrating this story was made by King Shāhā | |
| to outlast the sun, moon, and stars. |
Now that we know the theme, here comes Vighneśvara
[5] Ganapati.
in response to our prayers.| His earrings flashing, swaying, | |
| golden Ganapati has arrived. | |
| Attendants serve him as he comes, | |
| sweet cakes in his hand, | |
| dressed auspiciously, riding his rat. |
Now that all obstacles have been removed by Vighneśvara's arrival, what happens next? The herald announces Rāja-gopāla-svāmi, the lord of Mannārkudi
| This herald is dressed like a clown: | |
| Visnu's feet mark his forehead. A long stick | |
― 258 ― | |
| in his hand. A long cloth tight around his waist. | |
| Flowers in his hair. Crooked teeth protruding, | |
| with a big guffaw. | |
No sooner has he informed everyone of Rāja-gopāla's arrival than the latter appears, together with the goddess Laksmi, for his festival.
| Dark peacock feathers in his hair, | |
| golden clothes upon his body, as if lightning were wound | |
| around him, with fresh basil as his ornament, | |
| he has come to fold me into his emerald arms | |
| in a dream. [6] This verse is in Sanskrit. |
While Visnu is sitting in state in the Campaka Forest,
[7] Mannārkudi, the family shrine for the TañjāvŪr kings.
a Matanga woman[8] Outcaste; indeed, the lowest of the outcastes.
comes to see his festival.| Her feet tender as leaf buds, | |
| with toe rings and other ornaments, | |
| bracelets and bells chiming, | |
| a cynosure for all eyes, | |
| a row of bells hanging from a golden string | |
| around her buttocks, and chains of emeralds, | |
| she is brilliant as the sun. | |
| Her eyes black with mascara, | |
| a dot of musk on her forehead, | |
| she has a companion on either side | |
| and a single purpose—to see the festival. |
She sings before the god, with her native skill. Now, as she waits in a pleasant spot, what happens? A good Brahmin named Morobhatlu comes to visit the god's festival.
| Reciting the Vedas, meditating on Visnu, | |
| Morobhatlu the Magnificent appears. |
On his way, he notices something remarkable and says to his student:
Guru:I just saw something really cool.Pupil:Did you say "ghoul"? I'm afraid.
Guru:No ghoul. It's a beautiful woman.
Pupil:But you already have a woman.
Pupil:A jewel is a kind of stone. [Aside]: For smashing your head.
Guru:Not a stone. A human being.
Pupil:She belongs to somebody else. How can you want her?
Guru:Can't you admit that she's beautiful?
Pupil:If you say so.
Guru [singing and dancing]:
| A woman, a bunch of flowers, | |
| a golden doll, an arrow of the love-god, | |
| a streak of lightning, a vine, a parrot | |
| in the hand of Pleasure, [9] Rati, the wife of Manmatha. a sweet woman, | |
| a golden string. … |
Pupil:My teacher has gone crazy.
Guru:I'm not crazy. That's the nature of the thing. Let me explain.
| rahah-pracāra-kuśalā mrdu-gadgada-bhāsinī | |
| kam kam nārī na kurute raktam raktânta-locanā |
Pupil:What does that mean?
Guru:
That thing is entirely charming, lovely; she speaks with a gentle, intoxicating voice. If you see a woman like that, who will fail to fall in love? And let me tell you something more.
| strîti nāmâpi samhlādi vikiraty eva mānasam | |
| kim punar darśanam. tasyāh. vilāsollāsita-bhruvah. |
Pupil:Translate, please.
Guru:
You might be deep in meditation or yoga or some other discipline, but the moment you hear the syllables "woman" you let it all fall away, and your mind flows toward her. You become agitated. What is more, who could possibly control the mind when looking at a woman whose very eyebrows captivate with their grace?
Pupil:It's true. You're really crazy. Do you want to hear how?
| udarka-phalam icchadbhis sadbhir naivavalokyate | |
| cāturthī-candra-rekheva para-strī-phāla-pattikā |
Guru:Please translate.
Those good people who desire dharma and moksa should never look at another man's wife. How is that? You should avoid her, as one avoids seeing the moon on Ganeśa's festival.
[10] Ganeśa-cāturthī People believe that if you see the moon on the evening of this day, your name will be tarnished.
Guru:
Just because we say we shouldn't look at her, will the mind obey? Listen.
| kunkuma-panka-kalankita-dehā | |
| pīna-payodhara-kampita-hārā | |
| nŪpura-hamsa-ranat-padapadmā | |
| kam na vaśī-kurute bhuvi rāmā |
Pupil:Meaning?
Guru:
This woman, first of all, is light-skinned, with saffron powder on top, big breasts, and a necklace of precious gems and pearls dangling over them. The anklets and bells on her feet are jingling. Can anyone help but fall in love with her?
Pupil:You're truly crazy, and getting worse. Listen.
| mukham ślesmâgāram tad api ca śaśânkena tulitam | |
| stanau māmsa-granthī kanaka-kalaśāv ity upamitau | |
| sravan-mŪtra-klinnam kari-vara-śira-spardhi [11] Sic (for śirah-spardhi). -jaghanam | |
| muhur nindyam rŪpam kavi-jana-viśesair guru-krtam |
Guru:Meaning?
Pupil:
Listen to me, my master. They see her face dripping with snot and compare it to the moon. Her breasts, just balls of flesh, are said to be golden pitchers. Her buttocks, filthy with shit and piss, are like an elephant's head. This horrible female form is celebrated by poets. You, and they, are crazy—not me.
Guru:Not true. Let me tell you how she really looks.
| The peacock, in despair that he is unequal to her long braid, | |
| gets lost among the snakes. | |
| The moon can't compete with her lovely face, | |
| so it hides on śiva's head. | |
| The bees aren't half as beautiful as her hidden hair, | |
| so they bury themselves in flowers. I swear to you, with my hand on your head: [12] The conventional mode of taking an oath. | |
| I've never seen a woman so charming. |
Guru:I'm taking an oath.
Pupil:
To hell with your oath. I swear, what you say is a lie. Listen to what I say.
| āvartas samśayānām avinaya-bhavanam pattanam sāhasānām | |
| dosānām samnidhānam kapata-śata-mayam ksetram apratyayānām | |
| moksa-dvārasya vighnam naraka-pura-mukham sarva-māyā-karandam | |
| strī-yantram kena srstam visam amrta-mayam sarva-lokaika-pāśah [13] Bhartrhari, śataka-trayam, ed. D. D. Kosambi (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1946), 2.45. |
Guru:Translate.
Pupil:
A woman is a whirlpool of doubts. A house of disobedience. A city of adventure. Always close to trouble. Full of wiles. A pit of downfall. The obstacle at the doorway to freedom. The direct route to hell. A treasury of all illusion. Who created this trap called "woman"? Though she is pure poison, she appears like delicious nectar. She is a noose around everyone's neck.
| Take it from me, my good Brahmin. | |
| Why should we be bothered by her today? | |
| Let go of this infatuation; stop arguing. | |
| It's time we went home. |
Guru:Listen to me, young man. Who needs a house, a family, a wife, children?
Pupil:
So you're thinking of renouncing the world, shaving your head, putting on ocher robes, and taking a staff and a water pot? Is that your plan?
Guru:No way.
| Why think of a wife, why think of a home? | |
| I'm in love with this girl, soft as jasmine. | |
| I can't stop thinking about her. | |
| Why do rituals, why study the Vedas? | |
| It's enough to speak once with her. | |
| I have no use for that insipid bliss, called eternal. | |
| She will bring my body to heaven with her body. |
Someone like you should instruct those like me, who lack wisdom. If you fall for a woman, your reputation will be ruined.
Guru:
You crazy idiot! What does my reputation lack? Better men than I couldn't control themselves when they saw a woman. How can I?
| viśvāmitra-parāśara-prabhrtayo vātāmbu-parnāśanās | |
| te 'pi strī-mukha-pankajam sulalitam drstvaiva moham gatāh | |
| śāly-annam saghrtam payo-dadhi-yutam ye bhuñjate mānavās | |
| tesām indriya-nigraho yadi bhaved vindhyas taret sāgare |
Pupil:Meaning?
Guru:
Those great sages such as Viśvāmitra and Parāśara, who lived on wind, water, and dry leaves, still fell in love as soon as they saw the face of a beautiful woman. People like us, who feast on good rice, fresh ghee, milk, and curds have no hope of self-control any more than the Vindya Mountains can float across the sea. You want to know what I want?
| muditah kadā śayisye | |
| mukham idam āghrāya mukulitâpāngam | |
| manda-smitam ratânte | |
| muktātātanka-mudrita-kapolam |
Pupil:Translate, please.
Guru:
When will I sleep with her on a bed of flowers? I want to kiss that sweet, smiling face after making love with my eyes half-closed. I want to fall asleep on top of her, her earrings pressed into my face.
[14] The guru translates his own verse as if reading mukulitâpāngah and -mudrita-kapolah in the nominative.
Wherever I look, I see her. Listen:| prāsāde sā diśi diśi ca sā | |
| prsthatas sā puras sā paryante sā pathi pathi ca sā tad-viyogâturasya | |
| ha ha cetah prakrtir aparā nâsti me kâpi sā sā | |
| sā sā sā sā jayati [15] Other versions read jagati. sakale ko 'yam advaita-vādah |
| In the house: her. | |
| Wherever I look: her. | |
| Behind me: her. | |
| Before me: her. | |
| Beside me: her. | |
| On every path: her. | |
| Separated from her, | |
― 263 ― | |
| I have no other self, only | |
| her her her her her her | |
| everywhere, in everything. | |
| And philosophers talk about oneness! [16] This famous verse is often attributed to Amaru, though it is not found in most manuscripts of Amaru-śataka. | |
You want me to come home? Why should I?
Stage manager:The Brahmin and his pupil are going on about this. Listen to how the Guru attacks the Moon and the Love God, his tormentors.
Guru:
| tava kusuma-śaratvam śīta-raśmitvam indor | |
| dvayam idam ayathârtham drśyate mad-vidhesu | |
| visrjati hima-garbhair agnim indur mayŪkhais | |
| tvam api kusuma-bānān vajra-sārī karosi [17] Abhijñāna-śākuntala of Kālidāsa, 3.3. |
| God of desire, your arrows are flowers, | |
| or so they say, and they claim | |
| the moon's rays are cool. | |
| If you ask me, neither is true. | |
| Icy moonbeams burn like fire, | |
| and your flowers hit harder than rock. |
Pupil:
Gurusvāmi, learned teacher. You want to leave your own house and wife and family, and you'll be happy if this wife of somebody or other just says a word to you? You say you'll be translated bodily to heaven. But to me she looks like a demoness.
| darśanād dharate cittam sparśanād dharate balam | |
| sangamad dharate vīryam nārī pratyaksa-rāksasī |
| With a single look, she steals your mind. | |
| With a touch, she robs you of strength. | |
| Sleep with her, and she takes your energy. | |
| There's no demon like a woman. |
Guru:She's no demon, she's a woman. Go ask her who she is.
Pupil:
Great! I've had enough of this teacher-student stuff. I'm not going near any demon. I'm scared.
Guru:You're scared while I'm here?
Fine, fine. The texts say: brāhmanârthe gavârthe vā samyak prānān parityajet. You should give up your life to save a Brahmin or a cow. You're a Brahmin, and, what is more, my guru. For your sake, I'm handing over my life to her. Hold on tome tightly. [To the audience:] Listen, respected sirs. My teacher wants to send me to this demon. Maybe one of you would like to volunteer in my place?
From the audience:Are you crazy? It's your job. Go.
Pupil:
[To the teacher]: You're an old man. Learned, too. With a house, wife, and children. I'm young. I have yet to gain knowledge, a wife, a house, a family. It makes no difference if you live or die, so you should go.
Stage manager:Still, the pupil goes and asks the Outcaste woman:
Pupil:
Hey you, are you a spirit, a ghoul, a demon, or a human being? My teacher sent me to find out. [To the audience:] Listen, respected sirs. Three times I've called out to her, and she doesn't respond. You are my witnesses. I did my job. I'm out of here.
Stage manager:Now he comes back to report to his teacher.
Pupil:
| I asked, and she said nothing. | |
| She was angry, and wouldn't speak her mind. | |
| She told me to get lost. | |
| You'll have to ask her yourself. |
Guru:Fine, I will make her talk.
[To the Mātangi]:
| May you have pleasure, and many children. | |
| You have beautiful eyes. Listen to me. | |
| Where are you from? What is your name? | |
| What caste? Tell me, please. | |
| Your charm has turned me to ashes. Please talk to me. |
Why are wasting your time on her? You're wearing a sacred thread, a light-red dhoti, with sandal and sacred rice on your forehead. She's disgusting. It's like an elephant talking to a goat.
Mātangi:
| We're Untouchables. If you touch us, you become unclean. | |
| Don't come close. We're Mādigas, working with leather. | |
| Our huts are to the east of the village. | |
| Everybody insults us, and you're a Brahmin. | |
| We eat beef, we drink liquor. | |
― 265 ― | |
| We don't know how to speak well. | |
| Don't talk to me. | |
Pupil:
My god! Why did you come here? Come away. Where have your Vedas and Puranas and śāstras disappeared to? I came to study with you because you are a learned man, and here you are deep in conversation with a Mātangi.
Guru:Wait, I have to respond to her.
Pupil:
In that case, I don't want to be around. I'm off. I'm still young, unmarried. If you hang out with Untouchables, and I'm close by, no one will give me their daughter. I'll keep my distance.
Guru[to the Mātangi]:
You said you're Untouchable, but there's no blame in that. We are also Untouchable. Let me explain.
| You said you shouldn't be touched, which means | |
| you're pure as fire. All I want is to touch you. |
| You said you're beyond caste, | |
| so you must be the highest of all. |
| You said nobody can touch you. I'm for that. | |
| No one, that is, except me. |
| You said you deal in animal skins. Are you any different from Lord śiva? [18] śiva is draped in an elephant's skin. |
| We drink cows' milk, but you eat the whole cow. | |
| You must be more pure. |
Pupil:Do babies who drink their mother's milk eat the whole mother?
Guru:I'm feasting my eyes on your beauty.
| vada yojayāmi padayor alaktakam | |
| kalayāni hema-valayāni hastayoh | |
| nahanam kacasya vahanam kucasya vā | |
| karavāni kīra-vara-vāni te 'dhunā |
| Shall I paint your feet with lac, | |
| or bring you bracelets for your arms? | |
| Shall I comb your hair? | |
| Fondle your breasts? | |
| Command me in honeyed tones. |
Mātangi:I have one thing to say to you, great Brahmin.
| The body is impermanent. Only dharma lasts. | |
| You can hold up the earth, the whole universe, | |
| but dharma is hard to bear. | |
| I'm a woman without caste. | |
| Why bother with me? | |
| Just go home. |
Guru:Caste makes no difference. It's quality that counts.
| Poison may emerge from the ocean of milk, | |
| but who would eat it? | |
| Does anyone throw away pearls | |
| just because they're born out of an oyster? |
Anyway, śiva himself married a Mātangi woman, from your caste.
[19] Durgā is a Mātangi.
Stage manager:Now the Mātangi takes a new tack.
Mātangi:
| I'm a married woman, aren't I, | |
| so why fall in love with me? | |
| I have a husband, and you're making signs at me. | |
| This isn't right—this rule applies to all castes. | |
| My caste won't accept it. | |
| Your mind must be clouded. If I scream, | |
| my husband will hear. He'll come and beat you up. | |
| Stop this incoherent prattle. |
Guru:
| You should think of me as very handsome. | |
| It will bring you merit. | |
| Why are you threatening me with your husband? | |
| He eats cows, like a demon. He wears a soiled loincloth. | |
| But as for me—I'm a learned man. | |
| You can test me in all four Vedas and the six śāstras. |
Pupil:
So you want her to examine you? Eating beef, by the way, is proper for their caste. Do you want them to eat lentils, vada, tamarind curry, and watery buttermilk, like us? You're mad.
Mātangi:
One shouldn't leave a husband. It's not right for a wife to do. If you deceive your husband, you lose this world and the next. Even if he's no good, or a drunkard, or weak, a husband is your real friend, and your treasure.
Pupil:
She's right. She holds to her dharma. She is a loyal wife. It's better to serve her than you, now that you've lost your Brahminhood and
Guru:
| My words are Veda. Listen to me. | |
| We Brahmins have made up all the rules, | |
| and invented religion. There is no better dharma | |
| than satisfying a Brahmin's need. | |
| Don't run away from me, be kind to me. | |
| Great merit will be yours. | |
| Give this Brahmin the gift he asks— your honeyed lips. | |
| Give me your breasts, as if you were offering me golden vessels. | |
| Give me your loins, like offering land. | |
| Give me your house of love, like offering a home. [20] Each of the gifts is a technical dāna offered to Brahmins according to the religious texts—the gifts of vessels, land, and houses. |
Mātangi:
| My husband is coming, looking for me. | |
| A real hero. He fought against Karna himself. [21] The great hero of the Mahābhārata war. | |
| He wields a sword and a bow, a discus and a club. |
Guru:
| I'm supposed to be frightened of him? | |
| Can white ants affect fire? | |
| Mantras and yantras are at my call. | |
| I come from the line of someone who kicked God on his chest. [22] Bhrgu, who was testing the three great gods to see which of them was best. | |
| śiva is my deity. I meditate, I bathe, I worship. | |
| If I get angry, I'll curse your husband. |
Stage manager:
Now Lone Tiger, the Mādiga husband, comes looking for his wife. He thinks she has gone to the Campaka Forest to see the festival, so he searches for her there, drunk on toddy, unsteady, twisting his mustaches, proud of his skill.
Pupil:
Now we're lost. You've ruined not only yourself but me, too. She told you he would come, but you wouldn't listen. It's still not too late to run away.
You crazy fool! Let him come, let his grandfather come! I'm not afraid. I have a few things to say to him. I won't give up on what I want.
Pupil:
You're insane. I won't stick with you. Don't call me your pupil, and I won't call you my teacher. Your time has come. That's why your mind is like this. Don't even hint to him that I'm your student. He can beat us both. You're completely deluded, so you can probably take it. But I'm just a little guy, I can't take even one blow.
Guru:Why are you frightened, when I am near?
Pupil:
You're right, I shouldn't be afraid when you are here. And when you are lying there kicking and screaming, should I follow you then, too? Don't mention my name. I swear by her feet.
Guru:
You swear by her feet? What happened to all the Vedas and śāstras and Purānas?
Pupil:
You seem to prefer her feet to all the Vedas and śāstras! [To the Mātangi]: I bless you, Madam. If your husband asks, don't tell him I am this man's student. Please protect me.
Stage manager:
The Mādiga husband is here, in the hubbub of the festival. He has found his wife.
Mādiga:
| What are you doing here, my cunning beauty? | |
| Our kids are hungry in our hut. | |
| The raw skins are not put out to dry. | |
| Strips of meat are waiting to be cooked. | |
| You don't seem to notice. | |
| I looked for you in the garden, looked in the street, | |
| looked in the fields, and at last I have found you here. |
Mātangi:
| I came to the festival. On the way, | |
| this Brahmin saw me. He keeps pestering me. | |
| He's a great Brahmin. It's wrong to talk against him. | |
| So I've been standing here. He's lost his limits, | |
| though he knows our caste. He's begging me. | |
| The more I threaten him, the more he comes on. | |
| He's pleading with me to sleep with him, | |
| even if only once. |
Guru [To the Mātangi]:
| indīvarena nayanam mukham ambujena | |
| kundena dantam adharam nava-pallavena | |
| angāni campaka-dalaiś ca vidhāya vedhāh | |
| kānte katham racitavān upalena cetah. |
| He made your eyes from the blue lotus, | |
| your face from the red lotus. | |
| Jasmine for your teeth, | |
| your lips from tender buds, | |
| all the rest of you—from soft campaka leaves. | |
| Why, then, did the Creator fashion your heart from stone? |
Pupil:
There are so many ways of cursing someone in this world when you get angry, like "you whore," "you bitch," "you slut," and so on. What is this new curse of yours, about a heart made of stone? If you let me curse her, I'll do it properly.
Mādiga:
| How come you're talking to another man's wife? | |
| Enough of this. Go away. | |
| Remember Kīcaka's troubles, after he fell in love with Draupadi. [23] Kīcaka was destroyed by Bhīma after he lusted for Draupadi in Virāta; see pp. 82–101. | |
| Is it not a sin to sleep with another man's wife? | |
| Haven't you read the śāstras? |
Stage manager:
The Mādiga tries to hit the Brahmin, but the pupil stands in the way and says:
Pupil:
Listen, Lone Tiger. I bless you. My teacher has gone mad. But don't hit him because of his words. He has a family, a wife, a home. If you want to hit him, hit me instead. I'm like a Sannyāsin, a Brahmacāri.
Mādiga:
| vipadi dhairyam athābhyudaye ksamā | |
| sadasi vāk-patutā yudhi vikramah | |
| yaśasi câbhirucir vyasanam śrutau | |
| prakrti-siddham idam hi mahâtmanām |
Pupil:You're an outcaste. Do you know the meaning of this text?
Mādiga:
Let me tell you what I understand. In disaster, courage; patience in good fortune; eloquence in the assembly; valor in battle; desire for fame; a weakness for learning—all this is second nature to good people. So I've heard, but never seen it with my own eyes. You have now convinced me. I'm happy with your courage, your learning, your wisdom, and I won't hit you or your teacher.
Pupil:
| nindantu nīti-nipunā yadi vā stuvantu | |
| laksmīs samāvisatu gacchatu vā yatheccham | |
― 270 ― | |
| adyaiva vā maranam astu yugântare vā | |
| nyāyāt pathah pravicalanti padam. na dhīrah | |
Mādiga:Meaning?
Pupil:
Listen, Tiger. We're Brahmins, you're a Mādiga. My master was thinking of doing something unacceptable. You weren't here then. We were afraid of you. When you heard all this, you were angry and came to hit us. We didn't try to attack you. Should we have just stayed passive when you came? ātatāyinam āyantam yo na hanyāt sa hanyate: if you don't strike at one who is coming to attack you, you will be struck yourself. So the śāstra says. Although you are strong from eating meat and drinking liquor, and armed with weapons, for every four times you hit us we will hit you at least twice with our Brahmin stick. We didn't want to get in your way; even if you become aggressive, we will stick to the path of courage and fairness. Whether those who know the śāstra of good conduct praise or blame, whether wealth comes or goes, whether death comes right away or after many years, courageous people never stray from the path of justice. Know this, and behave yourself.
Mādiga:
| prānān. api parityajya mānam evâbhiraksayet | |
| prānās taranga-capalā mānam ā-candra-tārakam |
| Maintain your honor even at the risk of your life. | |
| Life is unstable as the waves, but honor lasts forever. |
Guru:
| I'm only following the Code of Desire. | |
| From the moment you want a woman, | |
| she is your wife. | |
| So it's quite legal to sleep with her. | |
| We offer sacrifices to reach the courtesans of the gods. | |
| Is there anything higher than pleasure? | |
| Women are our deities, our treasures. | |
| Without women, what good is life? |
Mādiga:
| jitendriyatvam vinaya-svalaksanam | |
| guna-prakarso vinayād avâpyate | |
| gunâdhike pumsi jano nurañjate | |
| janânurāga-prabhavā hi sampadah |
| The nature of humility is self-control. | |
| Excellence issues from humility. | |
| Everybody loves a man of excellence. | |
| Riches accrue from people's love. |
So someone as big as you must surely have self-control. Why behave like this?
| kulam pavitram jananī krtârthā | |
| viśvambharā punyavatī ca tena | |
| apāra-sac-cit-sukha-sāgare smin | |
| līnam pare brahmani yasya cetah |
| Whoever loses himself | |
| in perfect awareness | |
| and melts into the ultimate | |
| makes his family pure, | |
| his mother fulfilled, | |
| and the very earth sinless. |
Moreover,
| vyāghrîva tisthati jarā paritarjayantī | |
| rogāś ca śatrava iva praharanti deham | |
| āyuh parisravati bhinna-ghatād ivâmbhah | |
| lokas tathâpy āhitam ācaratîti citram |
| Old age stalks us like a tigress. | |
| Illness lurks like an enemy in the body. | |
| Life slips away like water from a broken pot. | |
| And still people are set on their own ruin! [24] Bhartrhari, 3.38. |
| avidita-sukha-duhkham nirgunam brahma sāksāj | |
| jada-matir iha kaś-cin moksa ity ācacakse | |
| mama tu matam ananga-smera-tārunya-pŪrna- | |
| stana-bhara-madirâksyā nīvi-mokso hi moksah |
| Final freedom is that state of no pain, | |
| no pleasure, no qualities, nothing— | |
| or so some idiot has said. |
| But when a ravishing young woman, | |
| drunk on desire, is free from her clothes— | |
| that's freedom | |
| for me |
What greater happiness than this? I must have her at least once. I'm not afraid of anything you might do to me. I'll tell you what I think.
Pupil:
A big man like you, my master, shouldn't talk like that. Here is how you should be:
| gangā-tīre hima-giri-śilābaddha-padmâsanasya | |
| brahma-dhyānâbhyasana-vidhinā yoga-nidrām gatasya | |
| kim tair bhāvyam mama sudivasair yatra te nirviśankāh | |
| kandŪyante jaratha-harinās śrngam ange madīye |
| Good days have come for me. | |
| I sit in yoga on a rock in the mountains, beside the Ganges, | |
| deep in meditation, deep in truth, unmoving | |
| when wandering deer, without fear, | |
| scratch their horns against my body. [25] Bhartrhari, 3.98. Attributed to a certain Krsna: Subhāsita-ratna-kosa 1630. |
| mahī mrdvī śayyā vipula-paridhānam bhuja-latā | |
| vitānam câkāśo vyajanam anukŪlo yam anilah. | |
| sphurad-dīpaś candro virati-vanitâsanga-muditas | |
| sukham śāntas śete munir atanu-bhŪtir nrpa iva |
| The earth his silken bed, | |
| his soft arms for a pillow, | |
| the sky to shelter him above, | |
| a soothing breeze to fan him, | |
| the moon a luminous lamp, | |
| dispassion his passionate love, | |
| and ashes for wealth, | |
| the wise man rests, fully at peace, | |
| richer than any king. [26] Bhartrhari 3.94. |
O my master, that's how you should be. Furthermore,
| ādityasya gatâgatair ahar ahas sanksīyate jīvitam | |
| vyāpārair bahu-kārya-bhāra-gurubhih kālo na vijñāyate | |
| drstvā janma-jarā-vipatti-maranam trāsaś ca notpadyate | |
| pītvā mohamayīm pramāda-madirām unmatta-bhŪtam jagat |
| Day by day, sunrise by sunset, life slips away. | |
| We're too busy with pressing tasks to notice passing time. | |
― 273 ― | |
| We see birth, old age, disaster, death, and still we're not afraid. | |
| Drunk on its own confusion, the world has gone insane. [27] Bhartrhari, 3.43 | |
While the teacher and the student are arguing, something else happens. The Mādiga, contemplating the Brahmin's mood and his readiness to give up his life for the woman, his determination to make love to her even at the risk of being reborn as a demon, decides it would be better simply to give the Brahmin his wife as a gift rather than let her go this way. Anyway, he's a Brahmin, so this sort of a gift to him will make the Mādiga a hero among givers. Moreover, this kind of giving was his family's tradition: avaśyam pitur ācāram putras tad anuvartate, a son should always follow his father's path. This principle should be demonstrated to the world. So, looking at the Brahmin, the Mādiga says:
| You don't have to beg, Brahmin. | |
| I'll donate my wife to you. | |
| Didn't Hariścandra, one of my people, | |
| sell his wife for truth? [28] King Hariścandra became an Untouchable watchman in the burning-ground after selling his wife and son to keep his word. | |
| We have a reputation for giving gifts. | |
| I would give you my life itself, | |
| were you to ask, to say nothing | |
| of my wife. Body, family, and wealth | |
| are never permanent: only fame | |
| will last. Take this gift. |
Pupil:
Teacher, what he says is true. What you wanted is coming true. But don't accept the gift. You have your Brahminhood, the Vedas and the śāstras to think about. Have a little detachment. Think of the subtle meaning of the Vedic words. Follow the path that will give you this world and the next, so people will praise you.
Stage manager:
The Guru listens to his pupil, listens to the Mādiga, and goes into deep meditation, contemplating the meaning of the Veda. In his mind, detachment arises, and he remembers all he has done. He stands up and bows.
Pupil:
śiva, śiva! Nārāyana! To whom are you bowing? To this Outcaste woman, to the Outcaste man, to the god who fulfilled your desire? But you seem a little pensive. Tell me.
Guru:
Listen, O great mind! I bow not to the Mādiga lady, or to her husband, and not even to Lord śiva.
Guru:Listen, O great light!
| brahmā yena kulālavan niyamito brahmânda-bhāndodare | |
| visnur yena daśâvatāra-gahane ksiptas sadāsankate | |
| śambhur yena kapālavān niyamito bhiksâtanam kāritas | |
| sŪryo bhrāmyati nityam eva gagane tasmai namah karmane |
| I worship karma, constant action | |
| that moves the Creator to make the world, like a potter his pots, | |
| that brings Visnu into birth after difficult birth, | |
| in ten different forms, | |
| that sens śiva begging for alms, with a skull for his bowl, | |
| that makes the Sun roam the sky. |
Because of you, my student, I have realized this truth. Sat-sangatih kim na karoti pumsaām: people can achieve anything through good company.
| santaptâyasi samsthitasya payasah nāmâpi na śrŪyate | |
| muktâkāratayā tad eva nalinī-patra-sthitam rājate | |
| svātau sāgara-śukri-madhya-patitam tan mauktikam jāyate | |
| prāyenâdhama-madhyamottama-gunas samsargato jāyate |
| A drop of water that falls on heated iron | |
| is lost, without a trace. | |
| This same drop on a lotus leaf | |
| shines spotless as a pearl. | |
| And it becomes a pearl if it happens to fall | |
| into an oyster in the sea in the fertile season. | |
| What you are—good, bad, or in between— | |
| depends on whom you're with. |
Moreover,
| prīnāti yas sucaritaih pitaram sa putro | |
| yad bhartur eva hitam icchati tat kalatram | |
| tan mitram āpadi sukhe ca sama-kriyam yad | |
| etat trayam jagati punya-krto labhante |
| Whoever pleases his father by his deeds | |
| is the real son. | |
| Whoever desires the husband's welfare | |
| is a wife. | |
| A friend is one who stands by you | |
| in trouble or in joy. | |
| A lucky man has all three. |
All these days I have treated you as my pupil, but you're no longer that. You are my intimate friend, the god I worship, my guru. In this emergency, you have stood by me and given good advice. How can I thank you enough for keeping me from doing what I wanted to? I will follow your instruction.
Pupil:
śiva, śiva! Nārāyana! A teacher shouldn't talk like this. Please forgive me if I have been at fault.
Stage manager:
The Brahmin looks at the Mādiga and says:
Guru:
| I've never seen anyone like you. | |
| I've seen people give food or money, | |
| but never this kind of gift. | |
| You said again and again that you're unclean, | |
| but you're the purest of the pure. | |
| I know the Vedas; I am a Brahmin. | |
| I cannot accept this gift. |
Mādiga:
| If I promise something to a Brahmin | |
| and don't carry through, I will lose | |
| all my wealth, and all my fame. | |
| I'll get a bad name, and a load of sin. | |
| You wanted this lovely woman | |
| and asked for her, and I said | |
| you could have her as a gift. | |
| Now you say you won't take her— | |
| but you can't escape. I will force you | |
| to take her, I swear. |
Stage manager:Now the Brahmin turns to God.
| vapuhprādur-bhāvād anumitam idam janmani purā | |
| purâre na kvâpi ksanam api bhavantam pranatavān | |
| naman muktas sampraty aham atanur agre [']pranatavān | |
| itîśa ksantavyam tad idam aparādha-dvayam api |
| By the mere fact I have a body, | |
| I can see that I didn't serve you | |
| even for a second | |
| in my last life. | |
| Serving you now, I'll soon be free | |
| from my body—forever. | |
| It seems I'll never serve you | |
| again. | |
― 276 ― | |
| Forgive me, God, | |
| for both these failures. [29] Subhāsita-ratna-kosa 36, ascribed to Muñja and to Rāvana. The third line there reads naman janmany asminn aham atanur agre 'py anati-bhān. This verse seems irrelevant to the present context and is apparently used here purely for its theatrical sound-value; hence it remains untranslated into Telugu. | |
| God, what shall I do? | |
| I saw this Untouchable woman | |
| and fell in love with her. | |
| Her husband wants me to take her, | |
| and threatens me if I won't. | |
| My sacrifices will be wasted, | |
| the Vedas gone. | |
| Don't make me an Untouchable. | |
| Save my honor. |
Stage manager:The Mādiga also sings to God.
| ātmā tvam girijā matih parikarāh prānāś śarīram grham | |
| pŪjā te visayopabhoga-racanā nidrā samādhi-sthitih | |
| sañcārah padayoh pradaksina-vidhis stotrāni sarvā girah | |
| yad yat karma karomi tat tad akhilam śambho tavârādhanam |
| You are my inner being. | |
| The goddess is my mind. | |
| My breaths are the priests, | |
| my body is your temple. | |
| All my pleasures | |
| are your worship. | |
| My sleep is deep meditation. | |
| Wherever my feet take me, | |
| I am circling you. | |
| Every word of mine | |
| is your praise. | |
| My offering | |
| is anything I do. |
| I wanted to give my wife to this little Brahmin, but he won't have her. | |
| If he rejects my gift, lord of ghosts, | |
| my word becomes a lie. | |
| Don't let my giving fail, | |
| Jangama of Kôndavīdu. [30] śiva at the festival in Kôndavīdu | |
― 277 ― | |
| If this is how it goes, I would rather die. | |
| So please take care of my kids. | |
Stage manager:The Mātangi also speaks to śiva.
| My life has become miserable. | |
| The Brahmin has turned words upside down. | |
| My husband, with his foggy mind, | |
| pushes me away. If I say I won't go, | |
| he'll hit me. |
| The Brahmin insults me, tells me not to come. | |
| My husband wants me to go. | |
| The branch I was holding is broken, | |
| and the branch I reached for is broken, too. | |
| Help me, śiva, with a mountain for your bow. [31] At the time of the war against the Triple City, Mount Meru became śiva's bow. |
| Honor is higher than life. | |
| A woman who has lost her honor | |
| is worse than dead. Save me, I'm in trouble. |
Stage manager:And the pupil, too, addresses God.
| śivo 'ham iti bhāvayan śiva siveti codīrayan | |
| śivam hrdi samarcayan śiva-kathās samākarnayan | |
| śivâtmakatayā jagat sakalam etad ālokayan | |
| nayāmi divasān aham nayatu yatra vā mām śivah. |
| I pass the days, wherever śiva takes me, | |
| meditating on myself as śiva; | |
| calling out to śiva. holding śiva in my heart, | |
| listening to śiva's stories, seeing the whole world | |
| with śiva at its core. |
Stage manager:
Now that the Brahmin, his pupil, the Outcaste woman, and her husband have all invoked śiva, the god responds and arrives on his bull, together with Pārvatī
śiva [To the Mādiga]:
| Listen, great Matanga hero. | |
| There is no one like you in this world. | |
| You offered to give away your wife. | |
| What could be more fruitful? | |
| All your sins are cleared away | |
― 278 ― | |
| Today I ordain that each year, | |
| before this festival, you and your wife | |
| will be remarried. [32] This line indicates that this text was performed as part of an annual ritual at Mannārkudi You two will prosper | |
| on earth, and whoever hears this story | |
| or sees it performed will have sons | |
| and riches, honor and prestige | |
| from me. | |
[To the Brahmin]:
| Don't worry. Don't grieve. | |
| Your dharma is intact. | |
| I am merging you into me. [33] Literally, "I give you sāyujya"—joining into the god's being. | |
| Even the gods will praise you. |
[To the Mādiga]:
| Don't be agitated. | |
| Your gifting will not fail. | |
| I give you a form just like mine. [34] SārŪpya. |
[To the Mātangi]:
| Why are you so dejected? | |
| Your faithfulness is unstained. | |
| I will give you a place close to me. [35] Sāmīpya. | |
| My wife, Gauri, will be pleased. |
[To the student]:
| Though you are still young, you saved your teacher's | |
| character. | |
| I'm proud of you. I give you what all the gods desire— | |
| a place in my world. [36] Sālokya. |
After these gifts from god—fusion for the Brahmin, likeness in form for the Mādiga, proximity for the Mātangi, and śiva's world for the pupil— Nārada and the other musicians sang songs of conclusion.
| And you, who have seen this play, | |
| decide for yourselves and tell us: | |
| who, among these four, | |
| is best? |