King Komban – Pt. 1: Komban in his Cave. A great Wild Boar in The Legend of Ponnivala Story

• The wild boar is an ancient deity, known from Indian rock art carvings that are more than 2000 years old!  
  

• Komban spends a lot of time in his cave. But he is always watchful. Like a yogi, he seems to be storing up his powers! And while he “meditates” he does not like to be disturbed!
  

• Komban demands to know who Shambuga is. He also asks, “What is that hanging on your shoulder?”
  

• Shambuga replies that he is a First Minister from the land of Ponnivala and that he carries a horn and knows how to play it.
  

• Shambuga shows Komban his instrument and asks Komban if he would like to hear it. 

• This is a trick. Shambuga starts to play a lullaby that puts Komban to sleep.
  

• Now that Komban is truly asleep and not just meditating, Shambuga decides to creep into his cave.
  

• Shambuga walks around behind the great beast. He has a plan.
  

• Next Shambuga climbs on Komban’s leg and starts to pull out a handful of his stiff, thick hair.
  

• Shambuga has to pull so hard that when the hair does come out, he falls backwards. Thankfully, Komban does not wake up!
  

• Now Shambuga sneaks back out of the cave, taking that handful of boar hair with him.
  

• Shambuga starts to run through the forest with his trophy. He is headed back to a forest hunting camp where his masters are waiting.
  

• But now Komban wakes up! He shouts after Shambuga: “Hey you thief! You have stolen some of my back hairs!”
  

• Komban decides to follow Shambuga. He is running as fast as he can. But Shambuga is clever and he gets away... this time!
  

• Komban’s name means “The Tusker.” He symbolizes something very wild, mostly unknown, and of course dangerous!
  

[Continue to Part 2==>]

Ariyanacci - Part III: Providing for the Future

It is not long before the Hindu god of Death sends his two assistants to Earth to meet Ariyanacci.

When they tell her that her time of death has come she begs them to allow a few more short years with her son.

Soon the whole family stands before these messengers. They will allow only a few hours of extra time.

The messengers follow the couple to the little shrine, to make sure the fate they have announced comes to pass.

The couple pray and hope for mercy. They send a message to the Chola king nearby, asking him to come to their aid quickly.

The king arrives quickly, along with a number of local villagers. They have all heard the sad news.

Then the god of Death, Lord Yeman, drops his rope ladder. Ariyanacci and her husband must climb it, leaving the earth behind.

As they move up the rungs of the ladder their son Kunnutaiya is left behind. He is crying.

Kunnutaiya is very sad now and not sure what to do.

But now the great Chola king arrives. He understands that Kunnutaiya will need help and protection.

He assures young Kunnutaiya that he will make arrangements for him to be cared for by his relatives.

The villagers all over Ponnivala hear this and agree this is the right thing to do. They also love the handsome young boy whose parents have been kind rulers for so many years.

The great Chola king gestures to Kunnutaiya’s relatives and entrusts Kunnutaiya to their care.

Then the king must leave and everyone prepares for the customary funeral feast.

There is a brief ceremoney where Kunnutaiya is formally taken in by his father’s cousins’ families.

Kunnutaiya’s life will no longer be easy. But the hardships that await will help mould his personality. He will become a clever and talented survivor.

[<==Back to Part 2]

Kolatta - Part IV: The Reprieve

Vishnu begs Shiva to do something to help the poor, suffering leader of Ponnivala and his sad, sad wife.

As a result of Vishnu`s plea, Shiva decides to grant the couple a magical child.

But Shiva does this in a round-about way, perhaps to test Kolatta to see if he has learned his lesson.

Shiva hides the baby under a large rock pile and arranges for a cow to feed it!

This time Kolatta does his research and figures out that one of his calves is hungry and without its mother.

He also notices that one cow goes regularly to a pile of rocks and stands there for a very long time.

So Kolatta orders a couple of artisans to lift the rocks and underneath he finds a surprise!

There lies a babe as beautiful as the sun itself!

Kolatta lifts out the child joyfully and carries it home.

Ariyanacci is delighted and the two are now happy once more. They raise this newborn boy with love.

They give the baby plenty of care and attention.

But after only a few years tragedy strikes again. Lord Shiva realizes that the couple’s lives must end. He orders Yeman, the Lord of Death, to fetch their spirits.

So Yeman travels to Ponnivala with his trusted assistants.

They tell Kolatta and Ariyanacci it is time to climb the great ladder that reaches the sky.

Kolatta`s son is now a true orphan. The Chola king attends the big Ponnivala funeral and tries to be kind, but there is little he can do.

[<==Back to Part 3]

Kolatta - Part III: The Big Mistake

Now a new problem develops for Kolatta. The tables are turned when drought suddenly hits the Chola`s fine fields instead of the area he came from.

The Chola king can not feed his fine cows and has to set them free to find their own food.

By custom, the king has tags placed on their horns explaining that these animals are sacred wanderers and need to be cared for.

Seven of the cows find Kolatta`s fine sugarcane field at night and, famished, they feed on the sweet stalks they find there.

Kolatta arrives the next morning and finds his crop ruined. He is horrified and angry.

Kolatta quickly calls the artisans and asks them to build a protective fence. He assumes his sugarcane has been ravaged by wild animals.

The artisans rapidly build a mean barrier. Each fence post is topped with an iron spear point.

The the next evening when all the cows return to try to eat, they foolishly try to jump the new fence and die instead!

The cows` spirits depart for Lord Shiva`s Council Chambers where they hope to plead for justice.

Lord Shiva asks the cows’ spirits why they have come to see him.

Shiva listens to the cows’ sad complaint. Angered, he curses Kolatta`s entire family to barrenness for seven generations.

Kolatta and his wife have no children for many years. They grow old and Ariyanacci, his wife, is now distressed.

All Ariyanacci knows is that somehow, a terrible fate has been written on her forehead by the gods.

The couple struggle on, but life has lost its sweetness. Without children they feel no joy in their obvious prosperity.

[Continue to Part 4==>]

[<==Back to Part 2]