by Fr. Costanzo Beschi; published May 5, 2004
The Stories of Guru Paramarta: Fourth Story of throwing a fish hook to catch the horse
by Fr.Costanzo Beschi [aka, Veera MaMuni]
Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha
The fourth story in the Guru Paramarta series describes the folly of disciple Dunce, who ventured to catch a horse by fish hook. By her umpteen deeds of folly for the past ten years, President Chandrika Kumaratunga is repeatedly demonstrating that she is a 20th-21st centuries’ version of Guru Paramarta. A contemporary analogy to this fourth story of Fr.Beschi in Colombo was the recent attempts of President Chandrika’s henchmen [both, non-military and military types] to hook a few legislators who were elected on party labels other than that of hers and her cantankerous JVP allies. [see, the editorial of Sunday Leader, Colombo, May 2, 2004.] There is little doubt that, though defeated in the early attempts made in April 2004, President Chandrika’s affiliates would hardly refrain from repeating their clumsy ‘raids’ on the ‘horses’ elected from other party labels.
Now to the original Fourth Story of Guru Paramarta from Fr.Beschi. I have made marginal revision in spelling, repetitive phrases and obsolete words to the 1822 text of Benjamin Babington.
Guru Paramarta’s Fourth Story: Of throwing a fish hook to catch the horse
On the following day the Guru and his disciples, dreading the heat, made ready as soon hearing the rooster’s rising note and set out on their journey. As they traveled at a slackened pace, they had to halt their travel after nearly one kaatham [a measure of distance used in ancient Tamil Nadu, approximating nearly ten miles], since the heat began to scorch them. While they were refreshing themselves, disciple Dunce went off to relieve himself in the nearby field and moved to wash his feet in a neighboring lake.
There happened to be an Aiyanaar [son of Vishnu in Hindu folklore] temple upon its bank. There was a large horse made of newly baked clay, which had been deposited there in fulfilment of a vow. The lake being full of clean water at that moment, Dunce saw the reflection of that clay horse in the lake; and, astonished that a horse would stand in the water, as he perceived that it was of similar color, size and appearance with the clay horse which stood on the bank, he suspected that what he saw in water was the reflected image.
Just then, the water in the lake shifted and ruffled by a breeze that blew over it, the horse image in the water also appeared agitated. Since Dunce did not perceive any motion in the clay horse positioned in the shore, he became convinced that the horse in the water was of separate identity, and that it was alive. Moreover, as if to drive it away, he shouted and pelted it with a stone. By this deed, he disturbed the lake water, and it appeared to him that the horse in the water raised its head, and leaped with its whole body. Being alarmed, Dunce ran to his group, and related everything that he had experienced.
Upon this, the Guru and his disciples rushed to the spot and by looking around them, they perceived the truth in Dunce’s report of the water horse. After spending time on consultation of how to catch this horse, none of them would consent to descend into the water and grasp the creature. Finally, they came out with their best plan; by casting a hook, similar to as one would catch a fish, and draw the creature ashore.
Guru’s crew made preparations by using a sickle that one of them had as a make-shift hook, and they used a bundle of boiled rice which they had brought as the bait. For a line, they transformed the turban which Guru wore. In this manner, having thrust the sickle through the rice, they tied it with the turban and threw the contraption towards the location where the water horse was positioned by Dunce. Due to the racket made by the make-shift hook, when it plunged into water, the disciples felt that the horse was wriggling and kicking. In consequence, all but one took alarm and ran away. The one who was holding the turban did not let it go and remained with it in his grasp. Once the waves made by plunging sickle subsided, he continued to troll the bundle of rice which had been baited to the sickle. Some large fish in the lake bit the cloth containing the bundle of rice; perceiving the pull, he signaled to the rest of the crew with his hand and cried; ‘Look ye! The horse is biting the bait.’ On drawing the turban after a while, he saw that the cloth and the bundle of rice were both gone; as a consequence, the sickle which was fastened to the turban stuck a large weed underneath the water. They all cried out with delight; ‘Now that the hook has stuck in the horse’s mouth, he is our own.’; then, uniting together, they pulled the turban hard, which being an old one, gave way and all fell on their backs instantaneously.
A passerby, who happened to be at the scene asked the crew ‘What’s the matter?’ and was told the details. On hearing the foolish attempts by the Guru and his disciples, he tied a cloth to the clay horse on the shore, and showed them that the horse in the water also came to be hidden, and was nothing but an illusion. Guru’s disciples then pointed out the Guru and related to the man, their past experiences of losing money in their objective of purchasing a horse, which was absolutely needed in consequence of Guru’s aging; of buying the horse’s egg and how it had been destroyed; and how they suffered vexation on hiring an ox. The passerby, on perceiving that these disciples are well-meaning fools and without guile, came to pity them. He said, ‘I have a lame horse, an old one though; however, it will be serviceable for your type of journeys. I don’t need any money. I give it to you gratis. All of you, please come to my house.’ So saying, he took them with him.
[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.75-79.]