Wednesday 1 April 2020

Thakurmar Jhuli - The Brahmin and his Wife


Once upon a time,  there lived a Brahmin and his wife. They did not have ang children. The Brahmin was very lazy and foolish. But his wife was very intelligent and hard working.  She did all the housework and the Brahmin would just eat and sleep. 

The Brahmin's wife hated his laziness. She always scolded and shouted at her husband and told him that he should work and get some money to run the household. 

One day the Brahmin's wife was pounding rice. The Brahmin was very happy and he asked her "My dear wife, will you make rice pancakes (pitha)  today ? It has been ages that I have eaten Pitha ... " he closed his eyes and started dreaming about eating his favourite dish. 

His wife was very angry. 

"You will eat Pitha , huh ? You lazy fellow ! Do you have any idea  that there is no rice and dal in the kitchen ?  Only thinking about eating and sleeping !! Get out ! Get out from the house ! " She shouted. 

The Brahmin was very upset. He was looking forward to eat the pancakes but when his wife asked him to leave the house, he pitied himself.  He thought "It is better to live in the jungle than listening to such words from my wife ..."

As soon as the thought came to his mind, the Brahmin left the house. He walked and walked till he entered a jungle.  After walking for some more time, he met a hermit.  He started crying and told everything to the hermit. The hermit felt sorry for the Brahmin and gave him shelter in his hut.  The Brahmin helped the hermit and kept his hut clean and tidy. The hermit started teaching the Brahmin. Within an few months,  the Brahmin became knowledgeable and learned. 

The Brahmin thought 

Now that I am wise, 
My wife is in for a surprise ,
I will return home now 
and will show her my might - I vow !

He took his books, umbrella and a stick and left for his home.  

After walking for several hours in the scorching heat, the Brahmin reached his village.  He thought of visiting the King.  Then he thought "Let me go home and meet my wife first. Let her see how wise I have become ". He smiled. 

I was dark when he reached his house. The Brahmin's wife was in the kitchen.  He stood outside the kitchen and listened. He could hear the sound of frying palm sweetmeat. He listened and counted the sounds patiently. 

"Hmm, wife has made 25 sweetmeats ... Let me surprise her !"

He went to the door and called 

Come here, wifey dear !
I have come back -
And now wisdom I do not lack !

Hearing the Brahmin's voice, his wife ran out of the kitchen and opened the door. She looked at him. Oma, who is this ? She could not recognize her husband. He held books in his hands, shaven head just like a pandit and chandan tilak marks all over his body !

She started crying . 

"Where were you for so many days ?  I was so worried.  And you did not even miss me ... !"

The Brahmin closed his eyes and said "I have changed now ! I am not a fool like I was earlier.  I have acquired wisdom. Look at all these books ! I have very little time . I will leave very soon ."

His wife started howling "What ? You have come just now and want to leave ?"

The Brahmin smiled and said - 

If you want me to stay , 
25 sweetmeats you will have to pay !

His wife was amazed ! How did he know that she has fried 25 palm sweetmeats?

Yes, he really has become a wise Pandit ! 

She was very happy . She gave the sweetmeats to the Brahmin and he ate all of them with relish. 

The next morning , the Brahmin's wife donned a beautiful sari, put flowers on her hair, a big red bindi on her forehead and went about visiting her neighbours and other acquaintances in the village. She relished while telling them about the Brahmin , narrated the story about the sweetmeats and boasted about her husband's wisdom.

The villagers were astounded. People from far and near came to visit the Brahmin. They were surprised to see him. He was a changed man. He was reading o many books and nodding his head. 

"Yes ! He has really become a very learned Pundit !" , they said. 

Everyday someone or the other came to visit the Brahmin. He would read their palm, solve their problems and told them how to get peace and prosperity. The villagers paid him in cash and kind. The Brahmin's wife cooked him delicious food everyday and they lived happily. 

One day, there was a strange incident. 

Bishtu, the washer man,  lost his donkey. He searched for the donkey everywhere but could not find him.  Then he thought of taking help from the wise Brahmin. 

Bishtu told the Brahmin  "Sir, please tell me where is my donkey ! If I cannot find him, I will not be able to earn . My family and I will die of hunger !. Please, please , please help me ."

The Brahmin was in a fix. He did not know what to say. He did not have a clue about the donkey. Till now, whatever he had predicted was all from his common sense. 

Bishtu started crying- "I will not leave until you find my donkey" , and he sat near the door. 

The Brahmin told him "I will start my puja now. I will tell about the donkey after that ." 

But the Brahmin was very worried. He did not know what to do.  He took his umbrella and left the house from the kitchen door , hiding from Bishtu. He went about the village and looked everywhere , trying to find the donkey, but in vain. 

He walked and searched and by evening he was dead tired. He came home and told Bishtu  - 

Listen, my dear Bishtu, 
Your donkey problem I am looking into . 
Lord Shani is angry, but do not rue, 
Go home and I will find him for you !

Bishtu was scared to learn that Lord Shani is angry with him.  He bowed and left for the day. 

But now the Brahmin was really very worried.   In the morning Bishtu will come and ask for the donkey . What will he tell him ?  Thinking about all these, the Brahmin fell asleep. 

Suddenly , in the middle of the night, the Brahmin heard a strange sound.  He shook his wife. 

"Wife, did you hear that ? "
"Yes - it must be a thief - we have to catch him ."

The Brahmin was scared. He said "You go and look for him... I am hiding under the bed ."

His wife laughed. "You are a learned man now. Is that how you should talk ? Let us go together to catch the thief. People will respect you more when they learn about this."

Both of them chanted God's name and went outside. They saw something in the dark corner. 

"Catch him , catch him !" - the wife said.  As soon as the Brahmin caught it, the made an ugly hee-haw sound . 

His wife took the lantern near them and exclaimed "Oh, my God ! This is not a thief. It is a donkey !"

The  Brahmin was so afraid that he fainted. His wife shouted for help and the neighbours came running.

"What happened ? Why are you shouting at this unearthly hour ? "

Suddenly an idea clicked in her mind. 

She said "Actually my husband has been meditating for a long time to know where was Bishtu's donkey.  He was so tired that he passed out and I was nervous. But I am happy that he could find his Donkey. !"

Everybody was amazed. They looked at the donkey , folded their hands and bowed their heads to the Brahmin and his wife. 

Everybody said "He is such a great man . We are so lucky that he stays in this village." 

After the villagers went back, the Brahmin's wife sprinkled some water on her husband's face and he came to his senses. 

 "Thief ... thief " , he cried. 

His wife said 

My dear, it is Bishtu's donkey, not a thief, 
Get up, celebrate ! There is no time for grief !

They looked at the donkey, hugged each other and laughed .

The next day, even before the Brahmin and his wife woke up, the news about Bishtu's Donkey had spread like wildfire.  Bishtu came running and feel at the Brahmin's feet. He cried and said "You are God for me ! I will worship you till the last day of my life !  My dear friends, if you ever lose anything or have any problem, just come to him and he will solve it for you ! "  

Everybody praised the Brahmin and his powers, so much so that this news reached the King.

The King was facing a big problem. His only daughter, the beautiful princess had lost her diamond necklace. The king called many astrologers, pundits and wise old men to find the necklace, but everybody failed to do so. The princess was so miserable that she became ill. The king was very worried. 

As soon as the King heard about the Brahmin , he ordered him to come to the palace and find the necklace. 

"If you can find the necklace, you will be rewarded . But if you fail to find it, you will be imprisoned.  For ever !"  The King bellowed.

The Brahmin was frightened and his heart started thudding.He thought "What will I do now ? How will I find the diamond necklace ? It seems I will have to spend the rest of my life alone , in the dark prison ...". His eyes welled up with tears. 

"O King ! Please king me two days to find the necklace !" He pleaded. 
The King agreed. 

The Brahmin was very perturbed. He could neither eat not sleep. He was sick with worry and anxiety. He kept on chanting Goddess Durga's name and praying "Mother Durga  ! Please help me ... help me find the necklace... I do not want to stay in the jail !"

Next day early morning, the Brahmin went to the river to take a bath. He kept on chanting  "Mother... O mother Durga ...Is this what you had in mind ? "

Precisely at that moment, the princess's maid, Durga,  was taking a bath in the river. She had heard about the Brahmin and his powers.  When she heard the Brahmin say Mother... O mother Durga ...Is this what you had in mind ?", she was very nervous. She started weeping and fell on his feet. 

"O Brahmin ! I know you are God and know everything. Nothing is hidden from you. I have stolen the necklace. If the King learns that I have stolen it, he will either imprison me for life or ask me to leave the country. You, sir, are the only person who can save me ... save me , O my Lord !" She wept. 

The Brahmin was very surprised. 

"Who are you ? What are you saying ? I don't know you ! Leave my feet !"

The maid cried - " No, no ! Have mercy on me ! You know that I have stolen the princess's necklace.  Please save me ! Do not tell the King that I have stolen it !"

The Brahmin now understood that Goddess Durga had indeed saved him. 

He closed his eyes and told the maid "Hmm... Ok... Let me see how I can save you... Do one thing. You  put the necklace in a box and bury it under the biggest Mango tree in the Palace garden. Then let me see what I can do ..."

"I will do whatever you say ! Please save me ... " Durga, the maid, wiped her eyes and went home to do as the Brahmin had said. 

That evening, the Brahmin took his umbrella and books and went to meet the king. The king was in his courtroom with his ministers. As soon as the Brahmin entered, there was a big uproar and commotion . Everybody was very curious to know what the Brahmin had to say. 

The Brahmin smiled at everybody and then slowly settled on on a seat. He arranged his books around him , closed his eyes and started muttering mantras. Everybody stared at him in awe.  

After sometime, the Brahmin slowly opened his eyes, raised a finder towards the sky and said 

O king ! I have found the place 
where the thief had hidden the necklace !
Do not lose time, I implore thee - 
Ask your people to dig under the big Mango Tree. 

"Go and do as he says, " the king ordered. The soldiers to the garden and dug under the mango tree . And lo and behold ! There was a small box hidden there!

They brought the box to the king and he opened it. 

His eyes shone ! Yes ! It was the necklace. The diamond necklace of the princess. He was very happy. He came down from his throne and hugged the Brahmin. 

"O Brahmin, you really are great ! Today onwards you will be my prime purohit! I will be honoured if you grace my court ."

The Brahmin did not know what to say. He could not believe his lucky stars. He had never imagined that he will get so much fame and glory. 


His wife was overjoyed. She kept maids to do the household work. She now donned beautiful Banarasi dresses and saries. The Brahmin got a bed made of gold for her and covered her with expensive gold and diamond jewelry.

The Brahmani made delicious food and served her husband. 

"Oh my, my ! The Brahmin - my husband is the wisest person in the whole world, " she smiled and told everybody !

And thus, the Brahmin and his wife lived happily ever after 

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