The Stories of Guru Paramarta: Sixth Story of the Brahman’s Prophecy
by Fr. Costanzo Beschi [aka, Veera MaMuni]
Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha, September 29, 2004
sangam.org/articles/view2/568.html
The sixth story in the Guru Paramarta series describes how the Guru Paramartha interpreted a Brahman’s prophecy about his impending death, as heard from one of his disciples [Simpleton] who went to fetch food for the gifted lame horse, which had arrived at their retreat.
The adventure of Guru Paramartha and his five disciples has spitting parallels to the current Colombo scene where President Chandrika Kumaratunga has temporarily propped her party’s grip in government after horse-trading with Arumugam Thondaman’s CWC party for a few heads. The analogy of Thondaman’s clique to the gift-horse in Guru Paramartha story is rather apt. The lines penned by Fr. Beschi for his characters, Guru and his disciples, suitably fit with the mode of discussions which would have occurred between President Chandrika and her closest political advisors, in accomodating Arumugam Thondaman and his coterie into the government ranks. And, like the rather raunchy punch line of the story, many hear from the grapevine that Simpletons among Chandrika’s circle are eagerly waiting for the end of their Guru’s tenure.
Now to the original Sixth Story of Guru Paramarta from Fr.Beschi. It continues from the end of the fifth story, and I have made marginal revision in spelling, repetitive phrases and obsolete words to the 1822 text of Benjamin Babington.
Guru Paramarta’s Sixth Story: Of the Brahman’s Prophecy
After their arrival at the retreat, the Guru was very much out of spirits. The gift-horse was a very defective horse, yet it was a great happiness to him that it had come without purchase; still, however, harping and harping upon the sorrows and misfortunes which had happened on the road on account of the horse, he continued to suffer great anxiety of mind; so, assembling his disciples, he began to give them sage counsels.
‘Brethren, I perceive every day more and more, that all the pleasures of the world are false pleasures. Good unmixed with evil, a sweet unmixed with bitter, and joy unmixed with sorrow, are here unattainable. Alas! alas! Were we not greatly delighted, that, through civility, we had obtained a horse without paying for him? Ye have witnessed the sad misfortunes which visited us, and, on that very day, immediately followed this good fortune. Must we swallow so much bitterness, in licking up one drop of honey? Ah! even the grain of fine rice is within its husk, and to fruits of every kind there is a skin and a stone. All this is indeed true; nevertheless, the evil which I have endured within the space of one day is extreme. It is certainly not befittin gme to go about riding on horseback. Shall I have the audacity to go in opposition to the destiny above? No, no. It will be proper, then, hereafter to send the horse back again.’
To this, all the disciples with one accord replied, ‘This must not be; this must not be. Do not talk so, Sir. Is this a horse which you have purchased? Is this a horse which we have sought? No indeed, it is a horse which came of itself, as a providential assistance; did it not? If we sent it back, it will be to go in opposition to the divine will; will this be proper? This will, indeed, be a sin, Sir. Besides this, there is nothing to excite alarm, now that that Valluvan has cast out the sin which had got possession of the horse.’
By their stating at large, this, as well as many other reasons, the Guru himself having recovered his spirits, said, ‘Be it according as you have said; however, in order that the mishap which we met with the other day, may not occur in future, it will not do to turn the horse out to feed at night, but we must positively keep him tied up in-doors, and I do not know of any place for that purpose.’
Then, said Simpleton, ‘What need of consideration for this? I will go now directly and cut some banian branches, and bring them, and in a moment I will construct a neat stable up in the corner.’
The instant that he spoke, he set out, and ascending a large spreading banian tree which was by the road side, he began to cut with an axe a straight branch which projected. He, however, stood at the end, and chopped the part next the trunk; which a brahman traveler who was coming along the road having perceived, cried out, ‘Ho! Brother, do not stand in this manner, you yourself will fall together with the branch.’ To this, Simpleton replied, ‘Comest thou with this evil boding to me?’ With that he hurled at the brahman a knife which he kept sheathed at his waist. The brahman thinking, ‘Let this fool learn by suffering,’ retreated and made his escape.
As for Simpleton, he chopped away, still standing in the same manner in which he had stood before, so that when the wood was more than half cut through, it broke, and he himself fell down with it. ‘Am! Am! Ma!’ exclaimed he, ‘that brahman is a great shastri, a mighty prophet, it has happened just as he predicted.’
So saying, Simpleton quickly rose and ran to overtake the brahman. The latter, perceiving Simpleton running all on a sudden towards him, stood in terror, doubting what this senseless wild beast might do. Simpleton, approaching, made reverence to brahman and said, ‘Sir, you are a great shastri, pray prophecy for me yet once more; I am a disciple of Guru Paramartha, for whom I have a great affection. As he is of a decrepid age, I am fearful that he will die in the course of a short time. Do pray now, for my comfort, tell me at what period his end will be, and what will be the signs that will appear previously to it.’
The brahman in order to effect his escape, made various excuses; but as Simpleton would not quit him, he at last said, ‘Aasanam shiitam jeevana naasham’. ‘What is this Sir? Pray tell me its meaning’, asked the Simpleton. The brahman replied, ‘On whatsoever day your Guru’s posteriors shall become cold, it will be a sign that his death is at hand.’
So Simpleton, having made obeisance, departed and dragging the branch which he had cut to the retreat, related circumstantially all the particulars that had passed. The Guru upon ths was very sorrowful, and thus spoke; ‘It cannot be asserted that the said brahman is not a great shastri, for every thing immediately happened to you, exactly as he had foretold. In like manner, the prophecy which he has pronounced and sent to me, must be infallible. ‘Aasanam shiitam jeevana naasham’ is a true saying. For the future, great care will be requisite. My posterior must never be washed, and for the rest – God’s will be done.”
[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.88-92.]