This
clip presents a rather unique set of scenes. There has been a sudden
and severe famine in the Chola’s kingdom. Interestingly enough,
this repeats a very similar disaster event that earlier befell the
Vellivala area, the place where Kolatta and his eight brothers first
tried to farm (see blog post 1.7?). Everything is dry, including the
big water tank where much of the king’s irrigation water was
stored. As already noted, localized droughts were once commonplace
occurrences., and their severity was considerably heightened due to
poor food transport facilities. Nowadays food can easily be trucked
into a locale where the rains have failed, but in earlier centuries
this was not the case and people had to live (for the most part) with
what was grown in their immediate vicinity. Even someone as powerful
as the Chola king could fall victim to a random bout of ecological
misfortune like this. The soil is so hard that the king’s workers
cannot get their plow tips to penetrate it. There is not even enough
fodder left in the land to feed the king’s twelve favourite cows!
But
what happens next is very interesting. Since cows are so revered,
there is a way out.... at least for the king’s twelve finest
milk-givers. He calls his scribe to the cowshed. There he asks him
to write this message:
“This cow belongs to the Chola king. It is hungry and has been set free due to a great drought. If you find it please feed it and care for it well.”
The
benevolent king then asks his scribe to make twelve copies of this
message. The scribe uses a traditional stylus and writes on a
well-dried and shaped palmyra palm leaf, as the custom of the day
dictates. This was the local equivalent of paper. However, these
leaves are hardy and quite resistant to damage, unlike our soft paper
today. One of the twelve identical leaf copies is then tied to the
ear of each of the king’s dozen hungry bovines. Now the king sets
them free saying: “Farewell my beloved ones. Find a land where the
crops are lush and eat your fill. I shall miss you.” His
affectionate feeling towards his suffering cows is clearly genuine
and heartfelt. . Cows were then, and still are, an object of
affection... even of devotion. They are considered to be very special
creatures by most Hindus. The king knows that they deserve all
possible protection, and he expects that others, more fortunate than
he at the moment, to provide for their care. Indeed it is both a
social and a moral duty to do so.
In
the next several blog posts we shall see what happens next. What I
will state in advance is that cows were then, and still are, an
object of both affection and devotion. They are considered to be very
special creatures by most Hindus. How these wanders are destined to
suffer will soon provide a key to understanding much of what happens
later in The Legend of
Ponnivala story.
For this blog I will just elaborate on one theme: the wandering cow
is a kind of saint, a world-renouncer. Just like one should honor
itinerant holy men like those one can still see traveling the back
roads of India today, wandering cows deserve food offerings and
special respect. In a sense they are holy men (in this case holy
females) in animal form. Local beliefs hold that it they are not
treated
As
such, dire consequences may follow their mistreatment. Indeed, we
will see exactly that happen... very soon!
Signing off for now,
“Blogger” Brenda Beck
The Sophia Hilton Foundation of Canada
Have you experienced The Legend of Ponnivala on TV or in print? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
To find out more about The Legend of Ponnivala -- the legend, the series, the books, and the fascinating history behind the project, visit www.ponnivala.com.
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