Epics in Imprints-1.pdf - Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan

VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA
The most important legendary account
connected with the Arunachal tribe of
Mishmis is that of the Brahmakunda. It is
also popularly known as Parasuram Kundra;
for, Parasuram, according to the Kalika
Purana came to the Kunda to cleanse himself
of the sin he had incurred by slaying his own
mother Renuka on his father’s orders. This
Kunda is in the heart of the Mishmi area. It
is traditionally believed that the parasuram
Kunda as a holy place was originally a
Mishmi institution and the Mishmis used
to collect toll from the visiting pilgrims. The
Mishmis claim to have originated from
Rukma, eldest son of King Bhismaka of
Kundila. Also they believe that the King’s
only daughter, Rukmini, whom Krishna
married, was a Mishmi girl. Her marriage was
at first arranged with Sisupala, a local prince.
At her own request, Krishna came and took
her away, defeating Sisupala in a fierce fight.
The city of Kundila or Kundin was situated
some fifty miles from modern Sadiya and
Sisupala’s fort lay a few miles farther, both
being situated in the heart of the Mishmi
hills. Hem Baru writes: “As a mark of their
defeat in war with Sri Krishna, they still wear
round their foreheads silver badges,
otherwise known as Kopalis”.
(Folklore of Assam Jogesh Das, National
Book Trust, India, New Delhi 1980)
SHRAVAN-PITRUBHAKTHI:
One day young Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi eyes fell on Sharavana Pitribhakti
nataka. (a play about Shravana’s devotion
to his parents) Mohandas read it with great
absorbing interest. He had also seen pictures
shown by itinerant showmen. One of the
pictures was Sharavana carrying, by means
of selengs fitted for his shoulder, on his blind
parents on pilgrimage’. “Here is an example
for you to copy” I said to myself. The agonized
lament of the parents over Shravana’s death
is still fresh in my memory.
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It is quite understandable as Mohandas was
very much attached to his parents and they
were almost his idols of worship. Another
reason is, his mind which had grown in a
devotional atmosphere of religion and Jainaimpact
on it was naturally very much. I think
it is to this influence, on his mind that all
respect he had for tradition, elders and
sacred scriptures could be traced, although
there were eventual deviation now and then
on minor details.
Harish Chandra:
Another drama which had made equally
deep impression on his mind if not greater,
is Harischandra. It had become part and
parcelof Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of truth in
later days in its manifold aspects. All his
pronouncements could be traced to this. His
idea there should not be any gulf between
thought, word and deed had its source in
this. Gandhiji writes “why should not, all be
truthful like Harishchandra? Was the
question is asked myself day and night. To
follow truth and to go through all the ordial’s
Harishchandra went through was the one
ideal it inspired in me. I literally believed in
the story of Harishchandra. The thought of
it all often made me weep. My commonsense
tells me to-day that Harishchandra could not
have been a historical character. Still both
Harishchandra and Shravana are living
realisties for me and I am sure I should be
moved as before if I were to read those plays
again to-day. Here it is clear that whenever
the historicity is doubted either in case of
Rama or others, Gandhiji gives an allegorical
interpretation of tradition as Sri Aurobindo
did. The influence of this drama and the
impression of adherence to truth was such
that Mohandas would not copy from his
neighbour even when prompted by the
teacher when inspector visited his school.
(The Growth of the personality of Mahatma
Ghandhi, N.Satyanarayana, Sarvodaya
press, Patamata, Vijayawada-6, 1988)