MAGIC POTION

Malini was nagging her mother for a bed time story. She is a three-year-old girl with great affinity for her father. Madhavi, her mother thought for a while. Then she said, “Appa has not yet come home. I will tell you story till he comes and I will stop telling after that. Okay? Today I am going to tell you Ramayana in a different style. There are plentiful magic things in this Ramayana. You will really be surprised. One by one you keep counting. To start with, let me tell you about Rama’s birth. The very birth of God Shri Ram was shrouded in mystery and magic. Both Ram and his brothers were born by sheer magic.”

Malini asked “How Amma? What magic was there? Rama’s mother was Kaushalya and father was Dasharatha. What mystery is there? Who played magic in that?”

Madhavi replied. “King Dasharatha, before birth of Rama, was worried and upset. He wanted a son to be born so that the family clan and family tree can prosper. He wanted his dynasty to be carried on. He asked his adviser Vishwamitra -- a sage to suggest a way out. That sage advised him to perform a ‘yagna’ – an elaborate pooja involving lot of rituals. It was called PUTRAKAMESHTI YAGNA. Putra means son. Kameshti means wanting to have and Yagna means an elaborate pooja. After that long pooja for pleasing various Gods, the king Dasharatha was blessed with a bowl of sweetened milk porridge called ‘Payasam’ He took this magic potion to his queens and asked them to savour. Kaushalya the eldest queen consumed half the measure and said ‘Let other queens too have this blessed ‘Prasadam’. Then Sumitra took little and passed it on to Kaikeyi. She too drank the porridge. Instead of finishing it fully, Kaikeyi handed it over to Sumitra thinking that either she did not have this divine potion or she had very little of it. Sumitra happily emptied the vessel. Since the porridge was consumed four times by three queens, four children were born to these queens --- Rama to the eldest queen Kaushalya, then Lakshmana and Shatrughna to Sumitra and Bharata to Kaikeyi. Because Sumitra drank twice, she had two sons. See Malini, did you notice the first magic? These four children were born as princes to the King in a supernatural manner -- by the queens simply savouring a magic potion. Nobody before Dasharatha Raja nor anybody afterwards, had ever brought forth children by this method. Count this as Magic number one. There are innumerable magical incidents in Ramayana. Now go to sleep. Enough for today. Daddy may come anytime.”

Malini did not agree. “Amma please tell me some more magics from Ramayana story. I know one more instance of magic -- Ahalya’s liberation.”

Madhavi had to accede to Malini’s request. Daddy had not yet come. Madhavi continued with storytelling. “Do you know one thing? The Rishis Munis and all sages do not like disobedience, nor being ignored by anybody and particularly their wives. Gowthama Muni was too was the same. He cursed his wife for not paying attention on him. His wife Ahalya was looking at the sky and admiring at some celestial beings. She simply lost her senses. She was altogether in a different world. She did not pay attention to him. She did not even know that he was calling her to make speedy arrangements for his pooja. He came out of the hermit and saw Ahalya lost in a world of dreams. She was still gazing at the sky. He got wild and cursed her. Ahalya became a stone. Before being turning into a stone, she hurriedly pleaded for mercy.  She realized that it would not work. She pleaded for a way out for liberation from the curse. Gowthama Muni, by then calmed down. He said ‘Once cursed, I have no powers to withdraw. You must serve your term as a stone. I regret my hasty action. But I shower a super blessing on you. This I can do. God Vishnu whom we worship so sincerely every day, will appear before you as God Rama. He will put his lotus feet on you. When this magic happens automatically you will regain your original form and join me here. Though you are cursed, you are in fact, a blessed woman to be relieved by none other than God Ram’ For this magic incident to take place, Ahalya had to wait for years”

Malini asked “How will Rama know that he must liberate Ahalya who was lying somewhere as a stone?”

Madhavi replied. “Yes. A good question. Rama as a child did not know anything about Ahalya. He grew up with his brothers and learnt many useful lessons from their Guru Vishwamitra. They acquired archery and other skills. The Guru wanted to test their skills and took them to a forest. On their way, was the stone. Guru was aware of the mystery behind the stone. He advised Rama to sprinkle a few drops of water on the stone and then step on it. As told by his Guru, the magic potion was splashed on the stone. God Rama was asked to stand for a moment on that stone. To everyone’s surprise, a lady sprang out of the stone and offered her obeisance to both Rama and his Guru. Then she vanished. Rama was a young man. He looked bewildered and stared at his Guru. ‘What is this? Suddenly a lady appeared and suddenly she vanished. Is this any magic show?’ Guru Vishwamitra explained everything in detail about the mystery shrouding the stone and the sudden appearance and disappearance of woman called Ahalya.

Look Malini, now I finished telling you about the story of a magic stone turning into a woman. There are some more magic incidences in Ramayana. But we will deal with them tomorrow. You better sleep now. Let me check up if your daddy is on his way. I do not know why he is late today.”

“Amma, I cannot sleep without seeing or telling goodnight to Appa. I will be awake till he comes. You sit here only. Continue the Ramayana story till Appa comes. You tell me more about Hanuman. I love him. This God Rama may do lot of magics. But Hanuman is always interesting. Do you know how played with Ravana in his first visit to Lanka? I saw it several times on You-tube. It is under the title Lanka-dahanam. Very interesting. It will make you laugh nonstop. Hanuman is a real comedy. Appa worships him and I like him. He really has lot of magic powers. He can become small; he can become big and he can carry mountains. He can do anything.”

Madhavi checked her mobile phone. There was a message from her husband that it would be another half an hour or so, to complete his work and come home after that. He sent a separate message to Malini asking her not to wait for him. He recited a song ‘Cocks crow in the morn to tell us to rise. Early to bed and early to rise is the way to be healthy wealthy and wise’ So baby, go to bed, sleep soon get up soon and tomorrow being holiday we will play together for a long time.’

Malini insisted on one small story being told and she agreed that it would be last for the day.

Madhavi knew well that in no way Malini would sleep without being hugged by her daddy. So, she had to drag on with another story. She asked her how about God Krishna this time. He too as a child had done lot of gimmicks. Right from birth he had been hoodwinking people.

“Don’t you know the jail gates opened on their own and the watchmen were in deep slumber?”

“Yes Amma. I know that the flooding Yamuna River gave way to Krishna’s father.  A big snake folded itself as an umbrella to protect Krishna from getting drenched in the rain. He played with his friends and stole butter. Even I am fond of butter. I like salted butter only. He chased women carrying butter. He is very jolly and playful. You tell me more about his tricks.”

Madhavi said, “Krishna was a small kid. His uncle Kamsa had sent a monstrous lady to capture the kid and kill him.” Malini exclaimed. “I know. She was Bhutna Devi. Her protruding teeth and bulky figure will make us feel scary. But Krishna did not get scared of her.”

Madhavi went on in her story telling. Bhutna Devi was certainly looking ugly and treacherous. She could have easily caught hold of little kid Krishna and strangled him to death. She only feared that Krishna would sneak away and run faster. She being bulky might not be able to catch him. She devised a new method to trap him. She lured him saying she had some tasty eatables for the boy. She praised him heavily and asked him to come and take. Krishna with a beautiful smile came to the devilish lady and sat on her lap.”

Malini, a bit scared of what was going to happen, caught hold of her mummy. Then she asked how Krishna escaped from the demon – Bhutna Devi. Madhvi smiled and said, “You know Krishna was not an ordinary child. He is very God himself though playing in a small boy’s form. This lady Bhutna had come there with lot of poison applied on her body. She simply put the baby Krishna on her lap and started giving milk from her breast which also was smeared with poison. Krishna instead of sucking milk, bit her breast hard. Bhutna Devi screamed in pain but, Krishna did not leave her. The magic potion from her breast fell on Krishna’s lips. Yet it did no harm to him. Instead, Bhutna Devi fell dead. The magic potion and the poison applied on her went against her and Krishna’s biting her strongly – all put together killed her.”

Madhavi wanted to wind up finally. “Enough is enough my dear. I told you three long stories. In all these magic stories, it was a magic liquid which worked wonders. Now you try to close your eyes and sleep. Appa will come and wake you up. He told you not to wait for him.”

Malini complained. “No Amma, you did not tell me any story about Hanuman.” Before she would say something more, the door bell rang. Malini was the first one to rush to the door. As soon as the door was opened, he simply lifted his darling daughter and hugged her.

What more she wants… She got earful stories of magic and now her daddy also waiting to say Goodnight to her. She was put to bed and in no time she fell asleep. Madhavi knew that Hanuman would be ready there in her dreams. He also has his share of magic potion to work wonders.