A tale

-          Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Nepal (1914-1982)

(Translated and edited by Shreedhar Lohani)

I. Literal Comprehension

            Context: This essay is written by prominent modern Nepali story-teller Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1914-1982). Originally written in Nepali, this story is translated into English by Shreedhar Lohani.

            Long ago, human beings were in competition with the gods. The gods used to ask human beings for their help to fight against the demons. But when any human being tried to become god through penance abandoning all the worldly pleasures, the gods destroyed the penance sending the nymphs. Once, a man avoided social and familial obligations and started his hard penance in a big jungle to achieve the supreme knowledge and godhood. He ate wild roots and berries and drank water from the sparkling river. He squatted in front of a big fire in summer and plunged into ice-cold water in winter. He fasted for many days. Eventually, he conquered his flesh and mind, achieving a state of unceasing meditative trance. Even the wild animals did not disturb him. He achieved a great happiness in him. Meanwhile, Indra, the king of the gods, felt threatened by his penance and sent the most beautiful nymph of his palace to the hermit’s hut. The nymph put off all her clothes and started taking bath in the river in front of the hermit. When he opened his eyes, he saw the beautiful nymph. He was immediately attracted to her beauty. Soon he married her and returned to society. The sage and his wife built a house in the village and led a simple domestic life. They had two boy children. Though they helped their neighbours a lot with their innumerable acts of kindness, the neighbours could never acts of kindness, the neighbours could never forgive the sages fall. But the sage felt happy with his wife.

II. Interpretation

            This story might be trying to tell us that one’s passion is undying. Though the sage did a very hard penance and was about to change himself into a god, he was unable to control his libido and fell in the trap of Indra, the king of the gods. He couldn’t resist himself when he saw a beautiful nymph bathing naked in the river in front of his eyes. As a result, he married the maiden and returned to the domestic life which he had renounced long ago and had done such a hard work to come over his passion. But all his efforts went in vain. It might also be meaning that we shouldn’t be distracted by the worldly pleasure to reach our aim. Otherwise, we can never achieve our future goal.

III. Critical Thinking

            Despite being an interesting story, it has raised a lot of questions in my mind. Can a modern man do such a hard penance for his aim? How will it be possible to continue one’s efforts for achieving the goal without being distracted by so many things around like facebook, cell phones, music player, films, etc.? I wonder after reading the story why the sage couldn’t realize that he had fallen in Indra’s trap. The narrator of the story says that the sage perceived no disparity between his inner peace and the beautiful maiden. She was the living image of his last stage of penance, or the incarnation of his undying passion. At the end too, he says: “… And yet the sage never ceased to experience the ecstasy and bliss he felt in the jungle.”Does he mean that the sage got peace in his mind with the fulfillment of his sexual desire? If sex is such a useful thing, why do all people around him hate him for his domestic life?

IV. Assimilation

            After reading the story, I have understood that a peaceful domestic life and conjugal happiness together provide peace of mind to a person. We can never kill our humanely passion. So, fulfilling it in a peaceful acceptable way is the best option for getting personal happiness.