Tamarai - Part VII: Becoming A Mother

• Tamarai is now nine months pregnant. She is happily awaiting the birth of the three children that Lord Shiva promised after the success of her pilgrimage to his mountaintop Council Chamber.

• And so the labour pains begin. Tamarai becomes increasingly uncomfortable as the contractions start coming faster.  

• Tamarai calls for help. Her husband Kunnutaiya and one of the palace servants rush to her side.

• Kunnutaiya quickly leaves on foot to call the midwife. He does not entrust this important errand to anyone else, not even a faithful servant.

• Soon, Kunnitaiya returns with Kuppi, the local midwife.

• Kuppi finds Tamarai lying on a bed, and in pain. She does not realize that the fly on the wall above the bed is Lord Vishnu in disguise. He is there to monitor this critical situation closely.

• At first the midwife has Tamarai kneel. She is asked to pull hard on a ceiling rope, to help ease the birthing pains.

• As soon as Tamarai has a hold of the rope the midwife ties a blindfold on her, explaining that this is the first time she has given birth and and that this blindfold will help her to not be afraid.

• As soon as the midwife steps out of the room Vishnu leaves aside his disguise and starts to execute his plan.

• Using a laser-like magical beam, Vishnu opens up Tamarai and allows her two sons to step forth. Both are magically clothed. They also carry weapons that symbolize their desire to be future warriors. 

• Meanwhile, Kuppi the midwife is busy too. Earlier, Kunnutaiya’s jealous clansmen told her to kill any boys born to Tamarai before the Queen saw them. Kuppi is in a side room, preparing to carry out this terrible deed.  

• Kuppi is sharpening her knife in preparation. She is almost ready to carry out her horrible plan!

• The two boys were born with special powers and they are suspicious. They know that there is danger nearby and run to the side room to look.  

• They find Kuppi and start to kick her. One brother kicks her so hard that she loses the big hunch she had in her back!

• Both boys run back to the room where they were born. They see Vishnu still standing there and are hoping for his protection. They feel a little scared by what they have done!

• Then Vishnu calls the family goddess. She emerges from a tunnel that connects her temple to the birthing room. He hands her the two little boys and she quickly carries them to her underground cave in order to protect them.

• Tamarai does not know that she has just had two sons. But then a daughter is born in a natural way. Kuppi the midwife takes care of that delivery.

• Kuppi hands the new baby to Tamarai and explains that this is her only child, knowing that Tamarai was expecting more.

• Then she removes Tamarai’s blindfold.

• Next the midwife goes to tell Kunnutaiya the news. He is eager to see his new child and rushes into the bedroom.

• There he finds his wife with their new baby girl in her arms. The couple soon adjust to their unexpected fate. They had expected that there would be sons too. They do not know that the goddess is hiding them.

[Continue to Part 8==>]

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