by Fr. Costanzo Beschi; published April 7, 2004
The Stories of Guru Paramarta: First Story of the Passage over the River
by Fr.Costanzo Beschi
Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha
Costanzo Giuseppe Beschi (1680-c.1746) was a Jesuit missionary, born in Castigione, Italy, who landed in Goa, India, at the beginning of the 18th century and spent the rest four decades in Tamil Nadu. He acquired a Tamil Name, Veera-MaMuni [literally, The Heroic Great Sage], and contributed to the growth of Tamil language and Tamil literature by authoring classic works like Tembavani [literally, Unfading Garland] – an epic poem in honor of St.Joseph. Fr.Beschi’s another pioneering contribution was the witty satire which he titled, Paramarta Guruvin Kathai [Stories of Guru Paramarta], which was one of the earliest fiction in Tamil prose. He penned this classic in 1744. Thus, this year marks the 260th birth anniversary of this delightful satire. It is believed that Fr.Beschi died circa 1746 in Manaparai, Tamil Nadu.
In late 1950s, before I could read a book or newspaper, I heard the funny adventures of Guru Paramarta and his five good-for-nothing disciples, from my maternal grandparents for the first time. Then, I remember reading these humorous stories in a Tamil story book [junior edition], whose author has faded in my memory. In the interest that Tamils in diaspora would like to enjoy the original, first published in English in 1822, I present the eight stories in series.
It need not be stressed that the Sri Lankan political events which have unfolded in the recent past and those which one can forsee in the nearest future do [and will] have echoes in these witty stories penned by Fr.Beschi. Though the story features six characters of male sex [the trend of the times when Fr.Beschi composed the satire 260 years ago], in the current context of Colombo neither the Guru nor the five good-for-nothing disciples need necessarily belong to the male sex alone. When I first learnt the story in Tamil, the names of the five good-for-nothing disciples of Guru Paramarta were known as Matti [Blockhead], Madayan [Idiot], Pethai [Simpleton], Moodan [Fool] and Milechan [Dunce]. I have made marginal revision in spelling, repetitive phrases and obsolete words to the 1822 text of Benjamin Babington.
First Story of the Passage over the River
There was a guru, Paramarta, who had five disciples serving under his command; blockhead, idiot, simpleton, dunce and fool. These, having all six gone on foot through the surrounding villages, to make some enquiries respecting other disciples, were on their return to their secluded retreat, when one day, they arrived in the evening at the river bank.
Under a notion that this was a cruel stream, which, in consequence, could not be crossed while it was awake, the Guru gave orders to Dunce, and dispatched him to ascertain whether the river was asleep. The Dunce lighted a piece of fire-wood and carried it to the river bank; without approaching the river, kept aloof and stretched the fire-wood at arms length and dipped it into the water. Observing that as soon as he had immersed it, the water smoked with a hissing noise, the Dunce returned, stumbling and tumbling, and cried out, ‘O Master! Master! This is not the time for crossing the river. It is awake; and no sooner had I touched it, it flew into a passion, hissed like a venomous snake and smoking in fierce range, rushed at me. It is indeed a wonder that I escaped without losing my life.’ To this, the Guru replied, ‘What can we do against the Divine will? We’ll wait a little while.’ So saying, they sat down and passed time by chatting on what they have heard about the river. The Blockhead spoke then,
‘ I have heard from my grandfather all the ferocity of this stream. My grandpa was a big merchant. One day, he and his companion were driving alone two mules laden with bags of salt, and when they had descended into the middle of the river, they washed themselves in the cool water, at their waist level. They bathed the mules as well. After they reached the opposite bank, they found to their horror that the river had devoured the salt entirely, without even opening the gunny bags’ mouths. They congratulated themselves, saying, Ha! Ha! Since the river has devoured the salt, isn’t it great that they escaped from being swallowed by the river?’
Then, the Simpleton began with another anecdote. ‘The strategems, wiles and thefts of this river have been numerous. Listen to one. A dog holding fast in his mouth a mutton piece which he had stolen, was swimming in the middle of the stream, when the river deceitfully exhibited in its water another piece of flesh. As for the dog, he salivated, that what he saw was the bigger piece; so when he dropped the piece he held in his mouth and dived to snap the larger one, both pieces disappeared and the dog went home empty.’
Whilst they were thus chatting, they spied a horseman coming from the other side. As only a single span depth of water was flowing, he remained on horseback and without being the least afraid, galloped hastily splashing through. On watching this, the disciples cried out, ‘If our Guru too had a horse, both he and we with him might cross the river without fear.’ Then they began to entreat him, saying, ‘O Sir, you must by all means buy a horse.’ Guru Paramarta however replied, ‘We will talk of this matter later.’
When night began, the Guru sent again his other disciple Idiot to examine whether the river was asleep. Idiot accordingly took the same fire-wood previously taken by the Dunce, and on immersing it for the checking, found that the water didn’t hiss or spurt, as the fire had been previously extinguished. Greatly delighted, the Idiot ran to the Guru screaming, ‘Now is the time!now is the time! Come along quickly, and do not open your mouths or make any noise. The river is in deep slumber. There is no occasion now for fear or alarm.’
Upon Idiot’s rejoicing, the Guru and his disciples made their way to the river and without uttering a word, all six of them cautiously crossed the river.At each step, they were cautious of not making any ripples in the water. Soon after they reached the opposite end, they were elated and were jumping about on their feet. The Fool, who was the last to cross the river, counted all the rest without including himself. As he only saw five persons while he was counting, he took alarm and cried, ‘Woe is me! Woe is me! One is gone with the stream. Behold, Master, but five of us stand here.’ Having placed them all in a row, the Guru himself counted them repeatedly. But, as he always reckoned, omitting himself, he too pronounced that there were but five. Thus as one and all, each leaving himself out, added together only the others, it became certain among them that the river had swallowed up one.
On this account, they howled bitterly, crying out, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and the disciples embracing one another moaned, ‘O thou cruel river. O thou more obdurate than a block, more savage than a panther. Hast thou not feared, yea but a little, to swallow up the disciple of Guru Paramarta, who is saluted, respected, worshipped and praised from one end of the world to the other? May the source be totally dried up and scorched’
Thus did they vent their abuse and railing, stretching forth their hands and cracking their fingers. Nevertheless, from their hasty stupidity, no one knew up to that moment which among them had been carried away by the river, and no one enquired who it might be. Just at this juncture, a no-nonsense man who was traveling along the road and touched with compassion inquired, ‘How now Master, how now, tell me, what is this racket you all are making?’ The Guru and his disciples related to him in due order what had happened.
Perceiving their idiocy, the no-nonsense man responded, ‘What has happened, has happened. If you give proper compensation, I have the power to call back the person who is lost to the river; for know, that I am deeply versed in legerdemain.’ To this, the Guru rejoiced and answered, ‘If you’ll do this, we will give you forty-five coins which we have provided for our journey.’ Then the no-nonsense guy raised a stick he held in his hand. ‘Now, arrange yourselves in a row, and as you receive a blow in the back with this stick, each of you reckon by stating your name. I’ll show that all six of you are present.’ Having thus arranged the Guru and his good-for-nothing disciples, the no-nonsense man first gave the Guru a thump on his back. ‘Ouch! This, I myself, the Guru’. ‘One’ counted the man, who then proceeded giving the same treatment to Guru’s disciples and counting until six. At the end, the Guru and his disciples agreed that not one among their group was missing. Being therefore astonished they bowed to the conjurer and bestowing great praise on him, paid him the money which they had promised and plodded along.
[Source: Benjamin Babington – The Adventures of the Gooroo Paramartan – A Tale in the Tamul Language, accompanied by a translation and vocabulary together with an analysis of the first story, 1999 reprint of the 1822 original published in London by J.M.Richardson, pp.51-59.]