Author: Anant Pai
Arvind Mandrekar/Luis M Fernandes
Editor(s): Anant Pai
Publisher: India Book House
Year: 2003-04-01
Language: English
Pages: 480
ISBN/UPC (if available): 817508et. Al
Description
1. The Tiger-Eater
VOL- 707
There are many who love to tell a story and many more who love to listen to one. And each time a story is retold, it acquires as new colour and a fresh dimension.
The grandmother who heard a story as a little girl from her grandmother, tells the same story to her grandchild but with a few embellishments of her own. The traveler from a distant land who happens to hear a story in the course of his travels, later tells it to his own people, modifying it to make it more dramatic or more acceptable to his audience. That is how stories which had first been told centuries ago have been kept alive and that is why we find recurring themes in the tales told in different regions separated by hundreds of miles.
The two stories included in this Amar Chitra Katha are adapted from two popular folktales of Punjab.
2. The Learned Pandit
VOL- 662
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa needs no introduction. Of him Mahatma Gandhi had said, “The life of Sri Ramakrishna is a life of religion in practice. His life enables us to see God face to face.”
Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings were as simples as his life and were often illustrated with stories. He stirs our hearts with his tales about faith even as he makes us laugh gently at the weaknesses and follies of men.
3. The Syamantaka Gem
VOL- 591
The Syamantaka Gem was an ornament of the Sun God. It was a magical charm which had strange effects on its possessor. It did good to a virtuous person and bad to an evil one. When Surya, pleased with his devotee, Prince Satrajit, bestowed the gem on him, no one foresaw the violent upheavals it would cause, least of all the prince himself.
It is said that Krishna had looked at the moon on Chaturthi (the fourth day after the full moon) and soon after was accused of having stolen the gem. To this day, the superstitious will not look at the moon on Chaturthi lest they be accused of theft.
4. The Pandit and the Milkmaid
VOL- 646
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa needs no introduction. Of him Mahatma Gandhi has said, The life of Sri Ramkrishna is a life of religion in practice. His life enables us to see God face to face.
Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings were as simple as his life and were often illustrated with stories. He stirs our hearts with his tales about faith even as he makes us laugh gently at the weaknesses and follies of men.
5. Gopal and the Cowherd
VOL- 641
This is a folk-tale which has delighted children all over India. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to narrate stories of this kind to his disciples to illustrate his teachings. This story explains the power of faith. The total faith of Gopal’s mother is in sharp contrast with the teacher’s disbelief.
This Amar Chitra Katha is based on the version in Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Sister Nivedita. Gopal and the Cowherd is an example of the richness and appeal of the folk-tales of this country.
6. THE TIGER AND THE WOODPECKER
VOL- 622
These stories have been adapted from the KEYURABAHU CHARITRAMU of the distinguished Telugu poet Manchana. The poem narrates the story of King Keyurabahu in four cantos. It was written in the latter half of the thirteenth century.
In our adaptation, slight changes have been made in the narration for the sake of dramatic effect and continuity.
7. A BAG OF GOLD COINS
VOL- 607
The Two stories included here are adapted from Anwar-i-Suhaili, a Persian version of the Panchatantra written by Hussain Ali Waiz. Born in the kingdom of Khurasan at the time of Sultan Hussain Mirza (1469-1506 A D), Waiz took the liberty of changing the names of characters, to give them a local interest.
Three copies of the Anwar-i-Suhaili have been found. Two of them are in India and the third is in a museum in London.
In Waiz’s version of the first story, the bag of gold coins is stuffed into the mouth of a cow, which is later killed. To avoid hurting the sentiments of a vast section of Indians, in our version we have shown a goat instead.
8. Gopal the Jester
VOL- 584
Gopal Bhand, the clever barber, could be described as the Birbal of Bengal. His native shrewdness enabled him to turn every situation to his advantage. Little wonder that he was favoured by Raja Krishna Chandra of Krishna Nagar who owed allegiance to the Nawab of Murshidabad. Whenever the eccentric Nawab gave Raja Krishna Chandra an impossible assignment, it was Gopal who came to the Raja’s rescue.
Being the Raja’s favourite, however, did not turn his head. He mingled freely with the common people and often helped them too. That explains the popularity of this folk-hero to this day.
9. Battle of Wits
VOL- 625
All living creatures die to be born again, according to Hindu belief. Legend has it that several lifetimes as a Bodhisattva went into the making of the Buddha, the enlightened one.
The Bodhisattva came in many forms-man, monkey, deer, elephant, lion. Whatever his mortal frame, he spread the message of justice and wisdom, tempered with compassion. This wisdom of right thinking and right living it preserved in the Jataka Tales.
According to Maha Ummagga Jataka, the Bodhisattva was once born as Aushadha Kumar, the son of Seth Shrivardhana of Yavamajjhaka. This Chitra Katha recounts a few tales of the childhood of Aushadha Kumar
10. RAMAN OF TENALI
VOL- 523
The triumph of the little man over the mighty is a recurring theme in literature. Sometimes he does it with a sling and stone, but more often, like Tenali Raman, with nimble wit. He was a Telugu poet and the court jester of Krishnadeve Raya, (1509-1529), the emperor of Vijayanagara.
Tenali Raman was the Birbal of the South and many stories which have passed into folk-lore, are attributed to him. Some of these have been obviously invented to show his ready wit, like the one about his encounter with the Goddess kali.
11. The Adventures of Baddu and Chhotu
Vol. 651
Children love to hear stories –so do adults, if the story has relevance to their lives. It is this love which has kept alive for generations stories that have been handed down by an oral tradition.
Every time a story is retold it acquires a new colour and a new dimension. The grandmother who heard a story as a little girl from her grandmother will relish telling it to her grandchildren. A traveler from a distant land, who happens to hear a story during his journey, will later tell it to his own people, modifying it or adding to it little details to suit the change of place and context. This is how stories travel from one part of the world to another and why some stories of Aesop and Vishnu Sharma who wrote the Panchatantra, have much in common.
This Amar Chitra katha retells one of the most popular folk-takes of Bengal.
12. Tales of Balarama
VOL- 654
Balarama, Krishna’s elder brother, shared all the antics, adventures and deeds of glory of Krishna in childhood. As an adult too, he was second to none in valour, but he chose to remain neutral in the great Mahabharata war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, because he was pained at the thought of bloodshed between kinsmen.
Balarama is also known as Baladeva and Balabhadra. Some episodes from his childhood and the tale of his wedding are narrated in this Amar Chitra Katha.
13. RAMAN – THE MATCHLESS WIT
VOL- 581
The triumph of the little man over the mighty is a recurring theme in literature. Sometimes he does it with a sling and stone, but more often, like Tenali Raman, with nimble wit. He was a Telugu poet and the court jester of Krishnadeve Raya, (1509-1529), the emperor of Vijayanagara.
Tenali Raman was the Birbal of the South and many stories which have passed into folklore, are attributed to him. Some of these have been obviously invented to show his ready wit.
14. BIKAL THE TERRIBLE
VOL- 667
The wit and wisdom of Birbal had endeared him not only to Akbar, but also to a vast majority of the subjects of the Mughal empire. He had the rare distinction of achieving immense popularity during his lifetime, next only to that of Akbar. He was a good administrator, a good soldier and, perhaps what pleased Akbar the most, a good jester. Less known is the fact that he was also a good poet. He wrote under the pen-name, Brahma and a collection of his poems is preserved in the Bharatpur museum.
Though popularly Known as Birbal, his real name was Maheshdas. It is believed that he belonged to a poor Brahmin family of Trivikrampur, (now known as Tikawanpur), on the bank of the River Yamuna. It was only by virtue of his sharp intellect that the rose to be a minister at the court of Akbar. His phenomenal success made many courtiers jealous of him and if the popular accounts are to be believed, they were ever busy plotting against him. According to the popular legend even his death, while he was on an expedition to Afghanistan at the head of a large military force, was due to treachery. Though he was killed in the battle, the expedition was successful and subdued the turbulent province.
Akbar had found in Birbal a true friend and sympathizer. Of the handful of followers of the Din-e-Elahi, the new faith preached by Akbar, there was only one Hindu-Birbal.