I have told that my youngest grandfather was someone who indulged in loose talk. His view was also sinister. Sometimes he used to talk ill of my maternal grandmother Sakamma who was an extraordinary woman. With her being in the house, it had brought in a sense of good conduct, regulation and discipline. But our Sheenanna was opposed to being disciplined, “Who is she to this house?”, was his feeling. With such feelings came abusive words too.
My father was down with an illness. He was not in a condition to speak. His body and hand movements were also limited. When this was the situation, one morning at around nine, three to four Muslim men visited our house and told me, “We have come to see our teacher.”
I said, “He is extremely tired and he is unable to even speak.”
“We will not engage him in talk. We will just see him with our eyes, perform salām, and then we will return. Please inform him that Qasim and Haidar Sabi from Mulabagal have come to see him.”
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked Vidura and Gāndhārī to advise Kuntī to go back with her children. He said that she can perform tapas in the kingdom and she had served them very well so far. Kuntī would not budge to anybody’s words and she went ahead as per her decision. The Pāṇḍavas were now orphaned.
“Bamboo doesn’t bend. Sun is the real thief”:
जनश्रुतिं यदाहिरीनिवेदकोऽह्नि नान्नभा-
गिति प्रमार्ष्टुमागतः सभोजनो वनं प्रगे।
निधाय भाजनं नते तृणध्वजेऽलपत्ततो
न मस्करो नमस्करोत्यहस्करो हि तस्करः॥[1]
ಅಂದು ರಾತ್ರಿ ದ್ರೌಪದಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕೆಂಬುದನ್ನು ಸೂಚಿಸಿ, ರಾತ್ರಿ ಕೀಚಕನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಸೈರಂಧ್ರಿಯ ವೇಷತೊಟ್ಟು ವೈಯಾರವಾಗಿ ಬರುವ ಭೀಮನ ರೂಪು ಹೀಗಿತ್ತಂತೆ
ಉರಿವ ಮಾರಿಯ ಬೇಟದಾತನು
ತುರುಗಿದನು ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆಯ ಮೊಗ್ಗೆಯ
ನಿರಿಕಿ ತಾ ಪೂಸಿದನು ಸಾದು ಜವಾಜಿ ಕತ್ತುರಿಯ |
ಮೆರೆವ ಗಂಡುಡಿಗೆಯ ರಚಿಸಿದ
ಸೆರಗಿನೊಯ್ಯರದಲಿ ಸುರಗಿಯ
ತಿರುಹುತಿರುಳೊಬ್ಬನೆ ನಿಜಾಲಯ ದಿಂದ ಹೊರವಂಟ || (ವಿರಾಟ ಪರ್ವ 3.81)
“A male horse gives birth to foals”:
जानेऽहं घनसलिलाकरस्य गर्भे
जीवालिः प्रविलसतीत्यनूह्यरीतिः।
तत्रैषाऽद्भुतघटनाऽपि सत्यमेव
ह्यश्वोऽसौ निजतनयान् स्वयं प्रसूते॥[1]
I know that the ocean is home to numerous intriguing creatures. In it, a surprising truth awaits: a seahorse gives birth to foals.