Mahalaxmi And The Two Queens

: Deccan Nursery Tales

Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived

a king who had two queens. Of one of them he was very fond, but

the other one he did not care for. The name of the favoured one was

Patmadhavrani, and the name of the unloved one was Chimadevrani. Now

the king had an enemy called Nandanbaneshwar. Such a terrible enemy

he was too! He could jump into the clouds or dive into the bottom of

the ocean. At one
oment he would shoot up into heaven. At another he

would sink down into hell, and through fear of his enemy, the king had

become as dry and as thin as an old bit of stick. One day the king, in

despair, assembled all his subjects and ordered them to seek out and

kill Nandanbaneshwar. All the subjects said, "Certainly, certainly,

O King," and began to search everywhere for Nandanbaneshwar. Now in

Atpat there lived a poor woman who had one son. On hearing the orders

of the king, he said to her, "Mother, Mother, give me some bread,

for I am going out to kill the king's enemy." The old woman said,

"Do not be silly; you are only a poor boy, and people will laugh

at you. Here, take this bit of bread and go and eat it behind a

tree." The boy said, "Very well," and took the bread. But, after

taking it, he joined the other villagers and went at their head to

seek out and kill Nandanbaneshwar. But when evening fell they had

not yet met Nandanbaneshwar, so all the villagers returned home. And

when the king heard of their ill-success he was greatly grieved. But

the old woman's son stayed in a wood outside the village. And lo

and behold! just about midnight the serpent-maidens from Patala [7]

and the wood-nymphs came close to where he was and began to worship

Mahalaxmi. The boy was at first terribly frightened, but at last he

plucked up courage enough to ask, "Ladies, ladies, what does one gain

by worshipping Mahalaxmi?" "Whatever you lose you will find," said the

serpent-maidens from Patala; "and whatever you want you will get." The

boy resolved that he too would worship Mahalaxmi. And he joined the

serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs, and all night long

they blew on earthen pots to do the goddess honour; and the woods

echoed and re-echoed with the deep-booming noise which they made. [8]



At dawn Mahalaxmi revealed herself, and all of them, the boy included,

prostrated themselves before her and asked for her blessing. She first

blessed the serpent--maidens from Patala and then the wood-nymphs. And

then she blessed the poor old woman's son and said, "You will get half

the kingdom of Atpat and half the king's treasure. He will build you a

house as high as his own, and he will give you the name of 'Navalvat'

or 'Wonderways.' For this very morning the king's mighty enemy will

break his neck and be found lying dead in the king's courtyard,"

With these words the goddess vanished and flew to Kolhapur, [9] and

the old woman's son went home. Now at dawn Queen Patmadhavrani got up

and went into the king's courtyard, and there she saw Nandanbaneshwar

lying dead from a broken neck. She was overjoyed, and ran back

into the palace to tell the king. The king inquired who had killed

Nandanbaneshwar. Every one said that the old woman's son must have

killed him, because he stayed behind when the others went home. The

king sent for the old woman's son. He was very frightened, and when

he reached the royal hall he called out, "I have made no false charge

against any one. I have done no one any harm. Why, therefore, O King,

have you sent for me?" "Do not be afraid," said the king. "My enemy

Nandanbaneshwar is dead, and every one says that it is you who killed

him. Tell me if this is true." "No, O King," said the boy, "he was

killed by the arts of Mahalaxmi." "Where did you meet her?" asked the

king. The boy said, "I stayed when the other villagers returned home,

and during the night there came the serpent-maidens from Patala and the

wood-nymphs. They taught me how to worship Mahalaxmi. In the morning

she revealed herself and promised me that Nandanbaneshwar would be

found lying dead, that you would give me half your kingdom and half

your treasure, that you would build me a palace as high as your own,

and that you would call me Navalvat or Wonderways." The king did as

the goddess had foretold. He handed half his provinces and half his

treasuries to Wonderways, and built him a palace of which the roof

was exactly on the same level as that of his own palace.



When Queen Patmadhavrani heard what had happened, she sent for

Wonderways and asked him how to worship Mahalaxmi. And he told

her all that he had seen the serpent-maidens of Patala do, and

he also told her on the eighth day of the month of Ashwin [10] to

tie on her wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear

it continually for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin

came, Queen Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of

sixteen strands, and resolved to wear it every day for the rest of the

month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen Patmadhavrani's

apartments and began to play saripat [11] with her. As they played

he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked what it was. She told

him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it on. But the king got

very angry and roared out, "I have in my palace garlands and twine,

bracelets, and hobbling-ropes. So throw away that wretched piece of

thread. I will not let you wear it." The queen did as she was bid, and,

pulling off the thread bracelet, threw it on the floor. Next morning

the maids and the slave-girls began to sweep the palace, and among

the sweepings one of them noticed the queen's thread bracelet. She

picked it up and showed it to Wonderways, and he grew very wroth with

Queen Patmadhavrani. He took the thread and at once went with it to

the palace of the unloved Queen Chimadevrani. He told her what had

happened, and she begged him to give the thread to her and to tell

her how to worship Mahalaxmi. But he said, "You will grow vain and

get so conceited that you will not do what I tell you to do." But

she promised that she would obey him in everything. So just as he had

told the Queen Patmadhavrani, he told Queen Chimadevrani all the rites

which he had seen the serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs

perform. Everything went on just the same for a whole year. But the

next year on the 8th of Ashwin a very strange thing happened. The

goddess Mahalaxmi disguised herself as an old beggar-woman and

came to Atpat. First she went to the part of the palace where Queen

Patmadhavrani lived. But no one there was paying the least honour

to the goddess Mahalaxmi, although it was the 8th of Ashwin, and

therefore specially sacred to her. Mahalaxmi was dreadfully put out

at this, and when she saw Queen Patmadhavrani she said, "Lady, lady,

Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house to-day?" The

queen replied, "I have nothing in my house to-day." The old woman

went on, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, if you give

this beggar-woman a little water, you will acquire merit sufficient

for all your kingdom." But the queen replied, "Even if I were to

give you a copper cauldron of water it would not suffice for all my

kingdom." The old woman then said, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother

of sons, if you give this old beggar-woman a little rice and curds,

you will gain enough merit for all your kingdom." The queen replied,

"Even if I were to give you a big dinner of nothing but rice and curds,

I should not gain enough merit for all my kingdom." Then the old woman

got very angry and cursed the queen, saying, "You will become half a

frog and half a human being, and you will stand outside your co-wife's

bath-room and croak like a frog." But the queen did not mind her the

least little bit, and she laughed so loud at the old woman that the

noise was like two chains rattling together. Mahalaxmi went off in a

great rage and entered Queen Chimadevrani's part of the palace. There

she saw all the accessories of worship ready, and there was a beautiful

image of Mahalaxmi leaning against the wall; The old woman cried,

"Lady, lady, Chimadevrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house

to-day?" "To-day," said the queen, "we are worshipping Mahalaxmi." Then

the old beggar-woman said, "I am Mahalaxmi." But the queen doubted and

asked her, "By what sign shall I know you?" The goddess replied, "In

the morning I shall take the shape of a little girl. In the afternoon

I shall take that of a young married woman. In the evening I shall

become an old hag." After the goddess had taken all three shapes,

Queen Chimadevrani called her into the palace and bathed and anointed

her. She gave her a silk skirt and a platform to sit upon. Then she

sent for Wonderways, and both of them worshipped the old beggar-woman

and blew on earthen pots in her honour. The king heard the blowing

on the pots and told a sepoy to find out why there was such a noise

in Queen Chimadevrani's quarters. The sepoy went there, and when he

saw what was happening joined also in the worship. After a little

while he went back and told the king. The king said that he would

go there too. He followed the sepoy, and Queen Chimadevrani came

to the steps and met him and took him upstairs, where both played

at saripat until dawn. And all the time Mahalaxmi sat by and watched

them. At dawn Queen Chimadevrani asked Mahalaxmi for her blessing. She

blessed the queen and said, "The king will take you back with him to

the palace, and your co-wife will become half frog, half human being,

and will have to croak outside your bath-room while you bathe." But

Queen Chimadevrani begged the goddess not to place such a terrible

curse on Patmadhavrani. The goddess relented a little, but said,

"The king will drive her into the jungle for twelve years." At these

words she vanished and flew to Kolhapur. When the sun rose the king

placed Queen Chimadevrani in his chariot and drove her to his own

part of the palace. He then sent a message to Queen Patmadhavrani

asking her to join them. Shortly afterwards Queen Patmadhavrani

appeared, dressed all in rags with a skirt round her legs and her

hair all unfastened. On her head was a pot full of burning coal,

and she began to shout and scream at the top of her voice. The king

became very angry and roared out, "Who is this that is shouting

and screaming? Is it a ghost or a she-devil or what?" The sepoys

replied, "O King, it is neither a ghost nor a she-devil, it is your

Queen Patmadhavrani." "Take her into the jungle," roared the king,

"and kill her there." Then he went back into the palace and began

to live in great happiness with Queen Chimadevrani. But the sepoys

took Patmadhavrani into the jungle and told her that they had been

ordered to kill her. She began to weep. The sepoys were kind-hearted

men and they felt very sorry for her. They said, "Lady, lady, do not

weep. We have eaten bread and drunk water at your hands so we cannot

kill you. We will leave you here, but you must never come back into

the kingdom again." The sepoys left her and returned to Atpat. But

the poor queen wandered on until she came to a distant town, where

she entered a coppersmith's lane. Therein a coppersmith was making

bangles for a beautiful young princess who had just been crowned

queen of the city. But suddenly none of the bangles would join. He

began to search for the cause, and asked his workmen whether any

stranger had come near his house. The workmen looked about and found

Queen Patmadhavrani in hiding close by. They told the coppersmith,

and he and his men beat her soundly and drove her away. She ran

into the lane of some weavers who were weaving a sari for the new

queen. Suddenly none of the looms would work. They began looking

about to see if any stranger had come. After a little while they found

the queen. So they beat her soundly and drove her away. Then she ran

out of the town back into the jungle. There she wandered about until

she came to the cave of a rishi or sage. The rishi was sitting lost

in meditation. But she bided her time, and, when he went to bathe,

she slipped into the cave and swept it and neaped it and tidied up

all the utensils used by him for worship. Then she slipped out of

the cave and ran back into the jungle. This went on every day for

twelve years without the rishi showing that he was aware of what she

was doing. But in his heart he was really pleased with her. And one

day he called out in a loud voice, "Who is it who sweeps and neaps my

cave? Whoever she is, let her step forward." The queen stepped into

the presence of the rishi and threw herself at his feet and said, "If

you promise not to punish me, I shall tell you." The rishi promised,

and she told him her story. The rishi took out his magic books and,

consulting them, learned that Mahalaxmi had cursed her. So he taught

her how to worship Mahalaxmi, and all night long they blew on earthen

pots and performed rites in her honour. At dawn she revealed herself

and the queen asked her for her blessing. But the goddess was still

very angry with the queen. Then the rishi joined her in begging the

goddess's pardon, and at last she relented. She said to the queen,

"Put under that tree a foot-bath full of water, sandal-wood ointment,

plates full of fruit, a stick of camphor, fans made of odorous

grasses; and handle them all so that they retain the fragrance of

some scent which the king will remember you used. To-morrow the king

will come. He will be thirsty. He will send his sepoys to look for

water. They will see all your things ready. And when they go back and

tell him, he will come himself." Next morning, as the goddess had

foretold, the king came. He saw the cool shade of the tree. He was

tired with hunting, so he sat down and rested. He washed his feet

in the foot-bath. He ate up all the fruit, drank the cold water,

and sucked the stick of camphor. When he had rested to his heart's

content, he asked the sepoy, "How is it that in the water I drank,

in the fruit I took, in the camphor I ate, I noticed a scent which

Patmadhavrani always used?" The sepoys replied, "If the king promises

to pardon us, we will tell him." The king promised. The sepoys then

told him how they had not killed the queen, because they had eaten

bread and had drunk water at her hands, but had let her go. The king

told them to look and see if she was anywhere about. They searched

and searched until they came to the rishi's cave. Then they ran back

and told the king. The king rose, and going to the cave did homage to

the rishi. The rishi accepted the homage and lectured him at great

length. At last he ordered the king to prostrate himself before the

queen. The king obeyed, and the rishi handed Patmadhavrani back to

his care and blessed both her and her husband. The king put her in

his chariot and took her to Atpat. Outside the town the king stopped

his chariot and sent for Queen Chimadevrani Chimadevrani bathed

and anointed herself, and put on all her silk clothes, her shawls,

her embroideries, and her jewels. In front of her she placed all the

horn-blowers of Atpat. And as she went to meet the king they blew their

very loudest on their horns. The king was amazed when he heard the

noise, and roared out, "Who is coming with such pomp and splendour? Is

it the serpent-maidens of Patala or is it the wood-nymphs who live

in the heart of the forest?" The sepoys said, "O King, it is neither

the serpent-maidens of Patala nor is it the wood-nymphs who live in

the heart of the forest. It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is coming to

meet you as you ordered." The king turned to Patmadhavrani and said,

"If you had come in this guise to meet me, instead of coming like a mad

woman, you would never have suffered as you did." Queen Patmadhavrani

said nothing, but sat still in the chariot, and the king lifted Queen

Chimadevrani into the chariot, and all three entered the city. And as

they entered, the horn-blowers blew so loud that every one was quite

deafened. And the king lived from that time forth in perfect happiness

with both his wives. And because of his happiness, he ruled so well

that his subjects thought that King Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come

back to rule over them.



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