Seasons of Splendour

by Madhur Jaffrey

  The King embraced his wife and said, ‘There is nothing to forgive. You did what you did out of love. If goddess Parvati understood your predicament who am I to complain? Perhaps we should go to Parvati’s temple together and offer her our thanks.’

  Shortly after the Nine Days’ Festival, came Gungaur. Again, we celebrated the virtues of goddess Parvati, who as my mother explained, could take many forms. She could turn her tongue black and develop fangs, she could ride bravely on a tiger or, if she wished, she could give off glory and warmth like the sun.

  I liked Parvati best in her glorious form, the form she took at Gungaur. My mother would collect us all in her Prayer Room and ask, ‘So, which Shiva–Parvati story would you like to hear today?’

  Shiva was Parvati’s husband – and the Creator and Destroyer of the Universe besides. The god and goddess loved each other so much that whenever a human couple seemed particularly devoted to each other, my mother would smile and say, ‘How nice – they are just like Shiva and Parvati.’

  At Gungaur, we could pick any Shiva–Parvati story that we liked. My favourite had to do with the birth of their fat roly-poly elephant-headed son, Ganesh.

  My mother would start by putting her open hands on either side of her face and flapping them.

  ‘Ganesh has big ears, so he can hear everything,’ she would say.

  Then, she would stretch one arm in front of her nose and wave it.

  ‘Ganesh has a big trunk of a nose so he can smell everything.’

  My mother would then rub her stomach and add, ‘And Ganesh has a big tummy so he can digest the most intricate, complicated thoughts.’

  After this little introduction, the story would start.

  How Ganesh Got his Elephant Head

  Shiva, the mighty God with the blue throat, lives high up in the Himalaya Mountains with his beautiful wife, Parvati. Sometimes, life is not much fun for her, for Shiva is often away for years at a time on his usual business of creating and destroying people and dancing on top of the world to keep it going.

  On one occasion Parvati did not know when he might return. She was bored. There was not much she could do all by herself on a mountain peak, and she was feeling exceedingly lonely. It suddenly occurred to her that she was, after all, a goddess and could do whatever she wished. What she needed was a playmate … not a playmate that would annoy Shiva, as his anger could be deadly in more senses than one, but a sweet, innocent playmate … Parvati kept thinking along these lines. Finally, the perfect solution dawned on her.

  ‘I will make myself a baby,’ she cried with happiness, ‘I will make myself a baby boy.’

  Parvati found some clay and water. She pounded the clay until it was soft and pliable and then she began to shape a baby. The first form she made looked too ordinary and not cuddly enough. So she began to add clay to its stomach until it was fat and round. Parvati laughed to herself. She was beginning to love the baby already.

  Parvati then took her right forefinger and poked it into the baby’s stomach to make a belly button. ‘Oh, it is going to be a lovely baby,’ she said to herself.

  She put the baby in the sun to dry. Soon it opened its eyes and began to smile. Parvati was overjoyed. She had found the perfect playmate.

  Everywhere Parvati went, she took her baby. She cooed to it, talked to it and spent many hours laughing at its antics.

  Several years passed this way. One day, Parvati took her son for a long walk. They were both quite tired and when they came to a pool of water Parvati wanted to stop and bathe in it, but she felt shy about being seen by a passer-by. So she said to her son, ‘Could you please be my guard? Don’t let anyone come near the pool while I am bathing.’ The roly-poly boy sat down upon a large flagstone while his mother made her way into the refreshing water.

  Now, it so happened that Shiva had just finished dancing on a mountain top and was returning home. He heard some splashing in a pool and knew that it had to be his wife. He was about to walk towards the water when he found himself stopped by a fat little boy.

  ‘Don’t go any further,’ the boy ordered.

  Shiva was not used to taking orders. He tried to brush the boy aside but the boy resisted and fought back. Shiva’s anger began to mount. His throat became bluer and the veins in his forehead began to swell and throb. Suddenly, without warning, Shiva drew out a sword and cut off the boy’s head.

  Parvati, hearing a commotion, slipped into her clothes and rushed towards her son. She let out a scream and fell sobbing to the ground.

  Shiva watched in amazement. He realized that he had done something terrible but did not know what it was. He apologized, hoping that would calm his wife, and then asked her what he had done to upset her so.

  ‘It’s your vile temper,’ she answered.

  ‘But,’ he said, ‘you knew about my temper when you married me. Surely that is not what is upsetting you now!’

  ‘You have murdered our child.’ Parvati was quite hysterical by now.

  ‘Our child?’ asked Shiva. This was the first he had heard of a child.

  ‘You never understand anything,’ Parvati screamed. ‘You stay away for years and years on distant mountain tops. You don’t care what happens to me.’

  Shiva did not seem to understand.

  ‘You said that I had killed our child. But we have no child!’

  ‘Of course we have,’ Parvati said. ‘We have a child because I made one. I made one because I was lonely. I was lonely because you were away. Of course we have a child. I should say that … we … had … a … child.’

  The pieces in the puzzle suddenly locked into place. Shiva was so sorry that he begged his wife to tell him what he could do to redeem himself.

  Parvati said, ‘Go out into the forest with your mighty sword. I want you to cut off the head of the first living creature you see and bring it back. Fit the head on our child and give it life. That is what I want. If you do not do this for me, I will never speak to you again.’

  Even though Shiva’s work took him away for long periods, he did love his wife and did not want to lose her. So he did as he was told. He went into the forest with his mighty sword, looking for a living creature.

  Well, the first living creature he saw was an elephant. Shiva cut off its head and dutifully brought it home. He fitted the head on to the child’s body, breathing life into it as he did so, and waited for his wife’s reaction.

  To his surprise Parvati was enchanted. She stroked the child’s trunk and declared that this boy was even better than her first creation.

  Shiva sighed with relief. By now, he was beginning to get very fond of the child himself …

  Shiva and Parvati named their son ‘Ganesh’.

  Dear Reader,

  The last of the year’s stories has been told. The hot summer winds will blow again, sending us flying in search of shade from kindly banyan trees. There will be compensations, of course. The same sun that will burn our skins will ripen our mangoes and fill them with the sweetest juice. We will throw these mangoes into tubs of ice and later feast on them. The watermelons will swell in the sandy fields across the Yamuna River and other children will learn to swim with them. The cycle of stories will start again, some new ones to remind us that we do not know everything, and some old ones to teach us that our values are constant. The world will be different next year. But it will also be the same.

  Love,

  Madhur Jaffrey

  Who is Who, What is What, and a Guide to Pronunciations

  Quite a few of these stories have been taken from the Hindu epics, the Ramayan and the Mahabharat, both of which were written before the birth of Christ.

  As far as pronunciation is concerned, you almost cannot go wrong if you give equal emphasis to every syllable in an Indian word. There are some letters of the alphabet that may be unfamiliar. There are, for example, a soft ‘d’ and ‘t’, both of which are said by hitting the tip of the tongue against the back of the top front teeth.

  The pronunciations su
ggested here are those in popular use throughout much of North India.

  Amrit (Am/rit) ‘Am’ rhymes with ‘mum’; ‘rit’ rhymes with ‘bit’, only the ‘t’ is soft. Amrit is the nectar of immortality. One single sip of this liquid provides eternal life.

  Aya (A/ya) ‘A’ rhymes with ‘ma’; ‘ya’ also rhymes with ‘ma’. An aya is an Indian nanny who looks after children.

  Ayodhya (A/yodh/ya) The ‘a’ is like the ‘A’ in America; ‘yodh’ rhymes with ‘slowed’ (the ‘dh’ is pronounced as if you were saying the ‘dh’ in mud house’, only the ‘d’ is soft); ‘ya’ rhymes with ‘ma’. This ancient city once existed on the banks of the Saryu River in what is Uttar Pradesh today. It was the capital of the powerful Kosala kingdom.

  Balram (Bal/ram) ‘Bal’ rhymes with ‘dull’; ‘ram’ rhymes with ‘calm’. Balram was Krishna’s older brother. Some people believe that he was really a foster-brother, the son of Krishna’s aunt and uncle, Yashoda and Nanda. Others believe that he was a true brother and that he was also spirited away from prison, just like Krishna, and raised by his aunt and uncle.

  Bharat (Bha/rat) The ‘bh’ sound does not exist in English. Say ‘club house’ – that is the ‘bh’ sound’; the ‘a’ in ‘Bha’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘but’; ‘rat’ rhymes with ‘but’, only the ‘t’ is soft. Bharat was the son of King Dashrat and Queen Kaikeyi and Ram’s half-brother.

  Chandini (Chand/in/i) The ‘a’ in ‘Chand’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘calm’ – the ‘d’ is soft; ‘in’ rhymes with ‘sin’; the final ‘i’ has the ‘ee’ sound as in ‘bee’. She is a fictional character, the second wife of King Rudra.

  Chanur (Cha/nur) ‘Cha’ rhymes with ‘ma’; the ‘u’ in ‘nur’ is like the ‘oo’ in ‘boo’. Chanur was a wrestler employed by the wicked King Kans. He was killed by Krishna.

  Damini (Da/min/i) ‘Da’ rhymes with ‘ma’ – the ‘D’ is soft; ‘min’ rhymes with ‘tin’; the final ‘i’ has the ‘ee’ sound as in ‘bee’. She is a fictional character, the seventh and youngest wife of King Rudra.

  Dandaka (Dan/dak/a) ‘Dan’ rhymes with ‘bun’; ‘dak’ rhymes with ‘buck’ – the ‘d’ is soft; the final ‘a’ is like the ‘A’ in ‘America’. Dandaka forest lies between the Narmada and Godavari rivers in the present-day states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. When Ram was banished from his kingdom, he and his wife Sita had many adventures in this forest.

  Dashrat (Dash/rat) ‘Dash’ rhymes with ‘hush’ – the ‘d’ is soft; ‘rat’ rhymes with ‘hut’ – only the ‘t’ is soft. King Dashrat was Ram’s father. You will notice that he appears in two stories, ‘Shravan Kumar and his Wife’ and ‘How Ram Defeated the Demon King Ravan’. In the first story he is cursed and in the second story the curse comes true.

  Devaki (Dev/a/ki) ‘Dev’ rhymes with ‘Save’ – the ‘d’ is soft; the ‘a’ is like the ‘A’ in ‘America’; ‘ki’ is pronounced like ‘key’. Devaki was the mother of Krishna, the wife of Vasudev and the sister of the wicked King Kans.

  Divali (Div/a/li) ‘Div’ rhymes with ‘give’; the ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘calm’; ‘li’ rhymes with ‘bee’. Divali is the Festival of Lights that takes place on a New Moon night in the late autumn. Little oil lamps (now candles and electric bulbs) light up homes both to please Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and to welcome Ram back to his rightful kingdom after fourteen years of exile.

  Doda (Do/da) ‘Do’ rhymes with ‘go’; ‘da’ rhymes with ‘ma’ – both ‘d’s are soft. Doda, the thoughtful brother, is probably a fictional character.

  Dodi (Do/di) ‘Do’ rhymes with ‘go’; ‘di’ rhymes with ‘bee’ – both ‘d’s are soft. Dodi, the loving daughter and sister, is probably a fictional character.

  Dussehra (Dus/seh/ra) ‘Dus’ is said rather like ‘thus’ – the ‘d’ is soft; the ‘e’ in ‘seh’ is like the ‘e’ in ‘bet’; ‘ra’ rhymes with ‘ma’. This festival falls on the tenth day of the waxing moon around late September. It celebrates the victory of the good King Ram over the demon Ravan.

  Ganesh (Gan/esh) ‘Gan’ is said just like the word ‘gun’; the ‘e’ in ‘esh’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘lake’. Known as the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He has the head of an elephant.

  Gaya (Ga/ya) The ‘g’ is like the ‘g’ in ‘go’; the ‘a’ in the first syllable is like the ‘u’ in ‘but’; ‘ya’ rhymes with ‘ma’. A town in Bihar and known since very ancient times as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus.

  Gokul (Go/kul) ‘Go’ is said just like the English word ‘go’; ‘kul’ rhymes with ‘bull’. A village in Uttar Pradesh, not far from Mathura.

  Gungaur (Gun/gaur) The two ‘g’s are said like the ‘g’ in ‘go’; the ‘u’ in ‘gun’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘put’; the ‘au’ in ‘gaur’ is like the ‘o’ in ‘or’. The festival of Gungaur, which falls on the third day of the waxing moon in the early summer, celebrates the virtues of the goddess Parvati in her form as Gauri, the Brilliant and Glorious.

  Hanuman (Han/u/man) ‘Han’ rhymes with ‘bun’; the ‘u’ is pronounced like the ‘oo’ in ‘boo’; the ‘a’ in ‘man’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘calm’. Hanuman, the monkey god, was a brave chieftain in the Kingdom of Monkeys and Bears somewhere in southern India. He became Ram’s friend and ally and helped him to find the abducted Sita.

  Hiranya Kashyap (Hir/an/ya Kash/yap) The ‘i’ in ‘Hir’ is like the ‘i’ in ‘bit’; the ‘an’ is just like the ‘un’ in ‘until’; ‘ya’ rhymes with ‘ma’. ‘Kash’ rhymes with ‘hush’; ‘yap’ rhymes with ‘cup’. Hiranya Kashyap was the wicked king who thought he was God. He was even willing to have his son, Prahlad, killed for believing in a more Heavenly Almighty.

  Holi (Ho/li) Pronounced just like ‘holy’. This is the Indian Spring Festival when winter crops are harvested. It was the custom during Krishna’s time to celebrate the festival by throwing coloured water and coloured powders on friends and strangers alike. The same custom is followed today. Some of the new crops are also burned as an offering to God.

  Holika (Ho/lik/a) ‘Ho’ rhymes with ‘bow’; ‘lik’ rhymes with ‘sick’; the ‘a’ is said like the ‘a’ in ‘calm’. Holika was Hiranya Kashyap’s sister and Prahlad’s aunt. She got burned in the fire that was intended for her nephew.

  Indrajit (In/dra/jit) ‘In’ rhymes with ‘bin’; ‘dra’ is just like the ‘dra’ in ‘hydra’, only the ‘d’ is soft; ‘jit’ rhymes with ‘beat’, only the ‘t’ is soft. Indrajit was the son of Lanka’s demon king, Ravan. He was killed by Ram’s half-brother, Laxshman.

  Janak (Jan/ak) ‘Jan’ rhymes with ‘bun’; ‘ak’ rhymes with ‘buck’. King Janak, who lived well before Christ, ruled over the kingdom of Mithila in northern Bihar. He was the father of Ram’s wife, Sita.

  Kaikeyi (Kai/ke/yi) The ‘ai’ sound is like the ‘a’ sound in ‘dare’; the ‘e’ in ‘ke’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘but’; ‘yi’ rhymes with ‘bee’. Kaikeyi was King Dashrat’s third and youngest queen, the mother of Ram’s half-brother, Bharat.

  Kaliya (Kal/i/ya) The ‘a’ in ‘Kal’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘calm’; the ‘i’ is said like the ‘i’ in ‘bit’; ‘ya’ rhymes with ‘ma’. Kaliya was a wicked serpent king with five heads who dwelt in the deep pools of the Yamuna River. He was killed by Krishna.

  Kamini (ka/min/i) ‘Ka’ rhymes with ‘ma’; ‘min’ rhymes with ‘bin’; the ‘i’ is like the ‘ee’ in ‘bee’. A fictional character and the third wife of King Rudra.

  Kans (Kans) ‘Kans’ rhymes with ‘dunce’. King Kans was Krishna’s wicked uncle. Krishna eventually killed him.

  Karva (Kar/va) The ‘a’ in ‘Kar’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘but’; ‘va’ rhymes with ‘ma’. The Karva pot, made out of terracotta, is symbolic of the married woman. It has a spout and lid and looks like a small, round-bottomed teapot. ‘The ‘exchanging’ of Karva pots can only take place between two married women and consists not of actual e
xchanges but of symbolic tilts in each other’s direction.

  Karvachauth (Kar/va/chauth) The ‘a’ in ‘Kar’ is like the ‘u’ in ‘but’; ‘va’ rhymes with ‘ma’; the ‘au’ in ‘chauth’ is like the ‘ou’ in ‘bought’ – the ‘th’ sound is closest to the ‘th’ in ‘think’. This is the festival that falls on the fourth day of the waning moon around October when married women fast and pray that God gives long life to their husbands.

  Kaushalya (Kau/shal/ya) The ‘au’ sound in ‘Kau’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘all’; ‘shal’ rhymes with ‘dull’; the ‘ya’ is pronounced just ‘ya’ to rhyme with ‘ma’. Kaushalya was King Dashrat’s eldest queen and Ram’s mother.

  Korma (Kor/ma) ‘Ko’ rhymes with ‘go’; ‘ma’ rhymes with ‘pa’. Generally an Indian meat dish with a creamy sauce containing yoghurt.

  Kosala (Ko/sal/a) ‘Ko’ rhymes with ‘go’; ‘sal’ rhymes with ‘dull’; the ‘a’ at the end is like the ‘A’ in ‘America’. According to Hindu literature, the kingdom of Kosala was one of the great powers in north India from about 700 BC to at least about 500 BC. It was in Uttar Pradesh and could have extended further south and east. The capital of Kosala was Ayodhya. Its most famous ruler was Ram.

  Krishna (Krish/na) ‘Krish’ rhymes with ‘wish’; ‘na’ rhymes with ‘ma’. Krishna lived before Christ. He is worshipped in India as he is thought to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is the hero of an ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharat, where he is shown as a wise philosopher, a trustworthy friend, a brave warrior and an irresistible lover.

  Lakshmi (Laksh/mi) The first syllable is pronounced ‘Lucksh’ – i.e. ‘luck’ with an ‘sh’ added on; ‘mi’ rhymes with ‘bee’. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

  Lanka (Lank/a) ‘Lank’ rhymes with ‘dunk’; the final ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘calm’. Lanka was the ancient name for the island nation just south of India that was once called Ceylon and is now called Sri Lanka.