Written by London Swaminathan 

Date: 11 JANUARY 2018

Time uploaded in London  8-31 AM

Post No. 4606

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks.

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India is a paradise for lovers of folk tales; all the Indian languages have hundreds of folk tales. Several people have collected them and published them for the benefit of the future generations. Natesa Sastri of Tamil Nadu has published some folk tales in Tamil and English. I am giving below my own translation of a folk tale about ghosts.

A poor Brahmin lived in a town in Tamil Nadu. He tried all the tricks in his bag to earn his livelihood but failed. So, he thought that it was his bad Karma (evil things he did) of the previous birth and it should be spent by going to Kasi—that is Varanasi, the holiest city for the Hindus. He started on his journey with some pack lunch.

In those days, people who go on pilgrimage or long journeys used to take packed lunch that will last at least for a few days. On his way he saw a shady tree and a tank. So he decided to take rest and have his lunch there. First he went to wash his hands and feet in the tank. But he heard a voice, “Don’t wash your hands and feet”. He ignored the warning and went ahead with his plans. When he was about to eat he heard the voice again warning him not to eat. But his hunger did not wait for anything and so he consumed his food. While he was about to leave the place, the third warning came saying not to proceed any further and to stop.

The poor Brahmin stopped and asked who the person was issuing such warnings. A Brahma Rakshas appeared before him and told him his story. Brahma Rakshas means a Brahmin Ghost. If a Brahmin does not do his duty and he meets with some untimely death, then that person will become a Brahmin ghost.

This Brahmin was very greedy and possessive and so he did not teach his music to anyone in the Purva janma/ previous birth and so he became a Brahmarakshas/ ghost. He continued his story saying that he was now tormented by the bad music of a Nagaswara Vidwan in a temple just outside the forest. The ghost requested the poor Brahmin to take it to another place where he cant hear music with any bad or discordant notes (Abaswara).

Nagaswara= traditional music pipes in Tamil Temples

Vidwan = a musician or a scholar

The poor Brahmin readily agreed and asked what he would get in turn. The ghost told him that it would enter the daughter of Mysore Maharaja, King of Mysore, and wait for the Brahmin to return from Kasi/Benares. As soon as he comes into the room of King’s daughter he would run away and the king would give him a big prize. The verbal agreement was done and executed. The ghost put one condition. The Brahmin should do the ghostbusting only once and if at all he tried for the second time he would be finished.

After a few months, the Brahmin returned from Kasi via Mysore. He stayed there in an old woman’s house. When he asked the lady the latest news in that part of the country, the lady told the Brahmin that the king’s daughter was possessed by a ghost and not even the biggest magician or sorcerer of the land could drive it away. And the king had announced a big reward for any one driving the ghost out.  Immediately the Brahmin planned his next move.

When he went to the king the next day, the king did not have much faith in him but allowed him to try ghost busting. As soon as the poor Brahmin entered the room of king’s daughter, the Brahmarakshas recognised the Brahmin and ran away reminding him the condition (that he should not try sorcery for the second time). When the king’s daughter became a normal woman, the king was very happy and gave the Brahmin several villages and a bag of gold coins.

The Brahmin went home and settled happily in life. As the time went by the Brahmarakshas went to the palace of king of Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and now his daughter was possessed with this Brahmarakshas. That king also tried all the sorcerers to drive it away. When all the attempts failed, he came to know that Mysore Maharaja tried one magician and succeeded. Somehow They found out the address of this Brahmin and contacted him through Mysore Maharaja. It gave him jitters.

The Brahmin had to go to Thiruvananthapuram under the orders of Mysore Maharaja. He went and dragged the matter for many months without visiting the palace citing bad omens. One day he made up his mind and arranged everything for the future of the family and boldly went into the palace. He thought that it was his last day on earth.

He entered the room where the possessed girl was sitting. As soon as he entered the room the Brahmarakshas- Brahmin ghost- recognised him and reminded its condition. It took a big iron rod and came running to attack the Brahmin. His body was shivering but his brain worked. He shouted

“If you come near me I will call the Nagaswara Vidwan’ (of discordant note) to come here. He is waiting just outside”. The minute the ghost heard the name of the Abaswara (discordant note, out of tune) Nagaswara musician it ran away from the palace itself! The daughter of the king became normal. The king was extremely happy and gave the Brahmin a big pot of gold coins and lot of villages.

Even ghosts hate music with discordant notes!

Sing well or Don’t sing at all!

–Subham–