·       Krishna-Clones-and-Seven-Bulls

          சக்தி விகடன் - 14 Jun, 2007

·       சிறுகதை

Posted Date : 06:00 (14/06/2007)

கண்ணன் கதைகள்

Kaṇṇa Stories

This story reminds me Jallikkattu in Tamil Nadu.  ஜல்லிக்கட்டு jalli-k-kaṭṭu. Bull-baiting festival.

Kaṇṇapirāṉ Subdued seven bulls at Satya’s Svayabara!

பி.என்.பரசுராமன்

P.N.Parasuraman

Translation and additions: Veeraswamy Krishnaraj

Nagajit is the upholder, propagator of Dharma and the king of Kōsala country of subjects who willingly followed the king’s prescriptive code of conduct. The king had a daughter Satyā of divine beauty, grace and Sattva gua.  Satyā had a patronymic name, Nagṉajitī.

Multiple suitors from various countries competed to win the hand of Satyā. When they came to Kōsala, there awaited a bulletin.

Nagṉajit declared, “Whosoever subdues my seven brawny testosterone-supercharged bulls can marry my daughter Satyā.

The competing princes did not back down. Each prince boasting of his muscle mass, beating his chest and slapping the thighs came forward and approached the bull with spiral serpentine horns.

The princes with garlands on the neck and chest bit the dust as their shoulders and chests were gored and the abdomens were ripped open and disemboweled. The indomitable bulls know the princes by sight and smell. This forbidding gory news reached Kaṇṇa. Kaṇṇaṉ announcing that he will subdue the bulls, make them behave like steers and take the hand of the divine damsel, came to the country with Arjuna and his army.

Nagṉajit received Kaṇṇa with stately honors and worshipped him. Kannan spoke to him in kind words and made the king feel joyous.  

Satyā saw Kaṇṇaṉ with sidelong glances from her private quarters. That moment her body, mind and soul supplicated to the Lord, “O God, Here is the man of my dreams. If my prayers are sincere, my supplication must come true.

Nagajit said, “O Kaṇṇā, Making everyone joyous, you remain always in a state of complete bliss. What a humble fellow like me is going to do for you?”

Kaṇṇa said, “King! It is my desire to marry your daughter Satyā.”

Nagajit said, “You are the Inner Abider in the soul of Mahalakshmi. Who else can I choose as the fit husband of my daughter? But…” So saying, Nagajit hesitated and his tongue froze.

Kaṇṇaṉ encouraging him said, “King, tell me without hesitation what you began to tell me. I will do what I willed. You can bet on that.”

Nagajit said, “Kaṇṇā! Please do not misunderstand me! I know your supreme powers. My seven bulls were not subdued by anyone. I feel bad for my daughter now thinking about it. I sincerely wish you are the winner destined to marry my daughter. That is my wish and prayer. All the princely competitors sustained serious injuries and disgrace. If you subdued the seven bulls and marry my daughter, there is no luckier person than me.”

 
 

Kaṇṇa said, “Drop your doubts, dithers and worries! I will subdue the bulls.” He entered the hero’s arena.

The bulls charged towards Kaṇṇa in a fit of animal rage. Having danced on the hood of Kāligaṉ and killed Kamsa and his warriors, will he fear these bulls? He became seven clones of himself, subdued the seven bulls, tied them all up and pulled them to the king’s stand. It was like a child dragging wooden elephants on strings.  

The king was ecstatic. Satya jumped for joy and said, “My prayers have come true.”  The made-in-heaven wedding of Kaṇṇa and Satya took place. Vedic chanting and the sound of auspicious drums and musical instruments pervaded the air.

The king of Kōsala Nagajit bid good-bye to Kaṇṇa and Satya seated in a decorated chariot. A large contingent of warriors accompanied the couple.

The erstwhile defeated princes green with envy joined together and declared war on Kaṇṇa saying, “Kaṇṇa won her hand. We are not letting him savor his success.”

Not joining hands for the good of the world, look at the melodrama of humanity coming together for evil purposes and nefarious deeds. Arjuna successfully stopped the warriors and sent them running for their lives. Soon after, the divine couple were on their way to Dwaraka.

Our ancient Tamil works elaborate this story. Having subdued the bulls, the damsel he held in his hands is Nappiṉṉai, say the Tamil works. She goes by several names: Piṉṉai, Piñjai, Nīḷai…

Kumbhaka’s daughter Napiṉṉai, Kaṇṇa married by subduing the seven bulls. Napiṉṉai is actually an incarnation of Nīla Dēvi.

 

The seven sons of demon Kālanēmi came to the home of Kumbhakaṉ as seven bulls. The Dictionary of Famous names says that Kaṇṇaṉ, having subdued the seven bulls married Kumbhakaṉ’s daughter Nīḷai. The theme of Krishna clones is recurring. When he danced with Gopis, he cloned himself multiple times to dance with each one of the Gopis, all at the same time.

 
Krishna Clones Dancing with Gopis.

 
Notes by Krishnaraj.

Kālanēmi, son of Virōcana, an uncle and minister in the court of Rāvaṇa was a Rākṣasa, son of Mārīca, incited by Rāvaṇa to kill Rāma’s friend Hanuman, who set Lanka on fire after meeting with Sita and Ravana as a parting message to Ravana. Kālanēmi had a stake in killing Hanuman: Ravana promised half his kingdom on completion of the task.

(Mārīca became the minister of Rāvaṇa. To help Rāvaṇa to abduct Sita, he assumed the form of a deer to lure Rama from his hermitage. Rama finding the trickery killed the deer, from which Mārīca emerged in his previous Rākṣasa form.)

During war, Hanuman flew to Himalayas to bring a life-saving herb (Sanjeevani) from mount Dunagiri to revive near-death Lakshmana. Kālanēmi in the guise of a sage had a hermitage on Gandhamadana hill and promised to identify the magical herb and offered meal, rest and relaxation. Hanuman refused to eat his meal and instead went into the lake for bathing. Hanuman was dragged into deeper waters by a croc. Hanuman killed the croc.

An Apsara emerged from the dead croc and told she was cursed by Dakṣa long ago to become a croc for redemption by Hanuman. She further added that Kālanēmi planned to delay his arrival at his destination to revive Arjuna before sunrise and to kill him (Hanuman). Hanuman caught Kālanēmi by his feet and flung him so hard he landed in the court of Rāvaṇa.

Kālanēmi incarnated as Kamsa, the mortal enemy and maternal uncle of Krishna and also as Kāliya snake.

The seven bulls were the seven sons of Kālanēmi in the previous birth.