The Brahman Wife And Her Seven Sons
: Deccan Nursery TalesOnce upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
poor Brahman who used always to perform Shradh or memorial ceremonies
to his father on the last day of the month of Shravan. When performing
these ceremonies he always invited other Brahmans to dine. But it so
happened that on every last day of the month of Shravan, [22] from the
day of his father's death onwards, his daughter-in-law gave birth to a
li
the child would die. So all the Shradh ceremonies had to cease,
and the poor Brahmans had to be sent away feeling most dreadfully
hungry. This happened regularly for six years. But, when the seventh
little boy was born only to die just as his guests were beginning
to enjoy their dinner, the poor Brahman lost all patience. He took
the newly-born child and placed it in his daughter-in-law's lap and
then drove her out of the house and into the jungle. The poor woman
walked along until she came to a great, dark forest. In it she met the
wife of a hobgoblin, [23] who asked, "Lady, Lady, whose wife are you,
and why do you come here? Run away as quickly as you can. For, if my
husband the hobgoblin sees you, he will tear you to pieces and gobble
you up." The poor woman said she was the daughter-in-law of a Brahman,
and explained how every year she had given birth to a son on the last
day of Shravan, how it had died in the middle of the Shradh feast,
and how at last her father-in-law had put the child in her lap and
had driven her from home and into the forest. The hobgoblin's wife
repeated, "If you value your life at all, go away." The Brahman
woman began to cry, until at last the hobgoblin's wife had pity on
her and said, "Do not be afraid; walk a little way until you come to
an altar to the god Shiva, Close by is a bel [24] tree; climb into it
and hide among the branches. To-night the serpent-maidens from Patala
and the wood-nymphs, together with a train of seven demon Asuras,
[25] will come and worship at the altar. After making their offerings
to the god, they will call out, 'Is there any uninvited guest present
to whom we can make a gift?' You must then call out in reply, 'Yes,
I am here.' They will see you and question you, and you must tell them
all your story." The poor Brahman woman agreed. She walked on until
she came to the god Shiva's altar. She climbed into the branches of
the bel tree. She remained there until midnight came. Suddenly the
serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs, accompanied by a
train of seven demon Asuras, came and worshipped at the altar. After
making offerings to the god they called out, "Is there any uninvited
guest present to whom we can make a gift?" The Brahman woman at once
climbed down the bel tree and called out in answer, "Yes, I am here,"
The serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs, greatly surprised,
asked her who she was, and she told them all her story. Then the
serpent-maidens of Patala and the wood-nymphs ordered their train
of demon Asuras to go and search for the seven sons of the Brahman
woman. The seven demon Asuras spurred their horses and rode off in all
directions. In a little time the giant captain of the demon guards
rode up carrying in his arms the body of a little boy of six. Then
another rode up carrying the body of a little boy of five. And four
others rode up carrying a little boy of four, a little boy of three,
a little boy of two, and a little boy only one year old. Last of
all the seventh demon Asura rode up with a newly-born baby boy. The
demons placed the bodies in front of the serpent-maidens from Patala
and of the wood-nymphs. And first of all the little boy of six came to
life and got up and ran to his mother. Next the little boy of five,
and then the little boy of four, and then the little boy of three
came to life and ran to their mother. Then the little boy of two
came to life and got up, but he could only walk to his mother. Next
the little one-year-old boy came to life, but he could not get up,
so he lay on his back and kicked up his legs. And last of all the
newly-born baby came to life, but he could not even kick up his
legs. And they were all delighted to see their mother, and she was
overjoyed to have all her sons again. But the serpent-maidens from
Patala and the wood-nymphs warned her that she must pray to the
sixty-four Yoginis, the attendants who wait on Durga, the Goddess
of Death, or else her children would be snatched from her again. And
they told her to pray her hardest, for her prayer had to travel down
to the depths of Hell. So the Brahman woman prayed her hardest to
the sixty-four Yoginis, and then she prostrated herself before the
serpent-maidens from Patala, and the wood-nymphs, and their train of
demon Asuras. And then she took the little one-year-old boy on her hip,
and the newly-born baby boy in her arms, and she walked with her other
five sons to the village. When the villagers saw her coming they ran
and said to the Brahman, "Bhatji, Bhatji, your daughter-in-law is
coming back home." And the Brahman became very angry and vowed that
he would drive her away again. So he watched for her coming. But
first of all he saw walking towards his house a little boy of six,
and then a little boy of five, and then a little boy of four, and
then two other little boys of three and two. Last of all he saw his
daughter-in-law with a one-year-old boy on her hip and a newly-born
baby in her arms. He rose and fetched a cauldron of water and two
handfuls of rice from his house. And he waved his hands filled with
rice round the heads of his daughter-in-law and of all her children,
and last of all he washed their feet. In this way he welcomed back to
his house his grandchildren and their mother. And he made her tell
him all her story; and she, and her children, and the Brahman spent
the rest of their lives in great peace and perfect happiness.
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