ರಾಮಸಮುದ್ರ
'' ಅಣ್ಣಯ್ಯ ! ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆಯಿಂದ ಒಂದೇ ಸಮನೆ ಸವಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಸಾಕಾಗಿದೆ . ಕುದುರೆಗಳು ಸಹ ಸುಸ್ತಾಗಿವೆ . ಈ ಹೊಳೆಯ ತೀರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ವಿಶ್ರಾಂತಿ ಪಡೆದು ನಂತರ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಮುಂದುವರಿಸೋಣವೇ ? '' ವಿನಯದಿಂದ ತನ್ನ ಅಣ್ಣನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ ತಮ್ಮ .
'' ನಾನೂ ಅದನ್ನೇ ಯೋಚಿಸಿದ್ದೆ ತಮ್ಮಯ್ಯ ! ಹಾಲ್ನೊರೆಯಂತೆ ಉಕ್ಕಿ ಹರಿಯುವ ಈ ಹೊಳೆಯ ಸೊಬಗನ್ನು ಕಣ್ತುಂಬ ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ಎಂತಾ ದಣಿವೂ ಮಾಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ! ಇಲ್ಲೇ ಇಳಿದು ಶ್ರಮ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳೋಣ ನಡಿ ! ''
ಇಬ್ಬರು ಸೋದರರೂ ತಂತಮ್ಮ ಕುದುರೆಗಳಿಂದ ಕೆಳಕ್ಕಿಳಿದರು . ಕುದುರೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಳೆಯ ದಡದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಹೆಮ್ಮರದ ಬುಡಕ್ಕೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿದರು . ಮೈಮುರಿದು ಬೀಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ತಂಗಾಳಿಗೆ ಮೈಯೊಡ್ಡಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹೊತ್ತು ನಿಂತರು . ನಂತರ ದಂಡೆಯಿಂದ ಇಳಿದು ಇನ್ನೇನು ನೀರಿಗೆ ಕೈ ಹಾಕುವುದರಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರು .
'' ಅಯ್ಯಾ ! ಬೇಡಿ ! ಬೇಡಿ ! ಆ ನೀರು ಕುಡಿಯಬೇಡಿ ! '' ಎಂದು ಕೂಗಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತ ತಮ್ಮ ಬಳಿ ಧಾವಿಸಿ ಬಂದ ಹುಡುಗನನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ಚಕಿತರಾದರು .
'' ಏಕೆ ನೀರು ಕುಡಿಯಬಾರದು ? '' ಏದುಸಿರುತ್ತ ಓಡಿಬಂದ ಹುಡುಗನನ್ನು ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯಿಂದ ನೋಡಿ ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ ಕಿರಿಯ ಸೋದರ .
'' ಈ ಹೊಳೆ ನೀರಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಷವಿದೆ ..... '' ಭಯದಿಂದಲೋ ಎಂಬಂತೆ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ ಗಾತ್ರ ಕಣ್ಣರಳಿಸಿ ಉತ್ತರಿಸಿದ ಹುಡುಗ .
The younger
brother asked the older one respectfully.
“I was thinking the same, Thammayya ” said the elder one , “….,,, this cool, brimming honda (water body) looks very inviting indeed ”
They got
down , tied their horses to the stump of a huge tree and stretched their limbs
savouring the cool breeze.
Just when
they were about to dip their hands in the water, they heard a
warning cry :
“ Stop ! Don't drink that water !” A lad,
waving his hands frantically, was
running towards them.
The brothers
stopped short in surprise .
“Why ? Whats
wrong in drinking water from a public honda!” asked Thammayya.
The panting
lad , widening his eyes , as big as eggs in horror , blabbered “ Its poisoned ! The
water is poisoned !”
“What do you
mean its poisoned !”demanded Annayya, “as we rode in we saw you filling two
pots with this same water . Its good for you, poison for us ?”
“ No sir ,
this water I take will be boiled with herbs and
filtered by my mother before it is made fit for drinking.”
“ What ! You mean
the entire village does this , everyday ?”
“No sir , my
mother does it everyday and distributes it to all…..” The lad’s voice held both
pride and some sadness.
“Two pots
for the entire village ???”
“Sir , I
carry two pots every trip and make numerous trips everyday . Our village has
scarcity of water , Sir . ”
The brothers
were surprised “ Only you ? ...why can’t the other villagers fetch their own water !”
“ Only I am
strong enough to do it , Sir” Said the thin and frail looking lad, causing the
brothers to smile.
“ You have
come from far and look tired." Continued the lad, “Come with me to my home and
refresh yourselves with good water .” As he spoke , his eyes wandered towards
the horses.
The brothers
were perplexed . It did not seem believable that , being so close to a brimming and foaming honda , the village had water scarcity and that this lad’s mother
was solely responsible for supplying good water to an entire village !
Was he
joking or was he off his mind ? The brothers looked at each other meaningfully.
“ Please do
come home ,Sirs . Your horses too can drink and rest there .”
“Where’s
your village ? ”
“There !” He pointed towards a clump of dried coconut palms , a short distance away.
“ Why are
those groves so dried up ?”
“ You will
know, Sirs, if you come to our place with me . ”
Determined
to find out what exactly was happening in that village and to verify if this
lad was telling them cock-and-bull stories , the brothers set out with him.
“Come on , Boy,
get on my horse, we’ll go !”Said Tammaiyya.
“Oh no Sir,
I will walk , showing the way . We cannot burden the poor horse with the weight
of two people and two filled pots !”
He walked
ahead and the brothers rode behind him.
They went past
dried up fields, grey and drooping coconut palms, withering orchards and
stretches of waste land…….It seemed so unreal ! How could such a place even
exist in Kukkala Nadu , the celebrated region of lush forests and bountiful groves surrounded by scenic mountain
ranges !
The village
they entered was desolate . Neither cattle nor birds were seen . Not even a mangy dog to bark at strangers coming into
the dusty streets lines with ruined huts.
The brothers
were astounded to see such ghostly place, so close to the honda, a good sized water body !
The boy
stopped at a run-down hut.
“ This is my
home, Sirs !....Please come in , the horses can rest in the cow shed.”
He helped them tie up the horses in the empty
cow shed nearby and called into the house : “Amma ! Come, look here ! We have guests !”
“Guests ?
Who would come to this village !” Voicing utter surprise, a lady came out to
receive them .
“They are
travelers from afar, Amma. They were about to drink the water from the honda, I stopped
them and brought them home. Please serve them good water, while I fill the
cattle trough for the horses….”
“Oh thank
goodness, you stopped them !” exclaimed the lady, unrolling a mat for the
brothers to sit . Then she handed them earthen bowls of water that was cool , sweet and
filled with the fragrance of herbs.
As the lad
took two pots of good water to the cattle shed, Annayya stopped him, “ Please
don’t bother. We cannot let you pour that water , purified with much trouble, by
your mother into the trough. Let the horses eat the feed in the bags we have
hung near their mouths . They can have their drink at the tank when we go on
our way. “
“Oh no, Sir ! Did I not tell you that water is poisoned ! Its poison for the
horses too. I cannot let them drink it !.....it has been such a long time since
we saw animals around here …all our cattle gone …and my Kala…my Kala….” Suddenly the lad
started weeping .
“ Don’t
weep, Child !” Said his mother, hugging him. “Everything will be fine…good
times will return....go now, give the horses this water….”
Wiping his
eyes and nose with the edge of his dirty tunic, the lad took the clay pots and
went towards the shed.
The lady could see that this little emotional outburst had startled the guests .
She turned to them and spoke in a low voice :
“ Rama has
always loved animals, Sir . He loved taking care of and playing with not only
our own cattle and fowls , but pitched in with caring for all the animals of
the entire village. Kala was his own pet puppy , which mysteriously died one
day after drinking the water from the river. It was a blow to him . And more was
in store as more animals of the village started dropping dead after drinking
the honda water, till none were left . It was such a big shock to Rama that he
withdrew into himself becoming a lifeless rock……I am seeing a spark of life in
him only today , lit by the sight of your fine horses …..”
“It is hard
to believe that such a wonderful tank , deep and brimming with mirror like water, is
poisonous to drink !” said Annayya.
“ All that
looks wonderful, may not necessarily be good , Sir” Sighed the lady, “ There
was a time when this honda too had pure nectarine water , sparkling like
crystal , but then…..” her voice trailed off , in sadness.
“….and then
what happened, mother ?”asked Annayya
“….and
then,quite suddenly , that crystal clear water started getting cloudy , as
though with smoke , and then the fish in it started dying. Then the birds and other the creatures that lived on the banks, the plants and trees watered by
it, all life started wilting and dying … people using the water started
developing unknown illnesses, becoming weak ….by the time our elders woke up to the danger and issued a ban on using that water , it was too late. Our crops were wilting. We tried to dig a well for use of the village. But very little water was found and that too at very deep levels. It was not enough to sustain our crops and rains were erratic . With no scope to grow food crops or maintain
cattle, most people left the village to seek a living , however difficult, in far away places . They left behind the old
and the weak , promising to come and fetch them after they had found a means to
live…..”
“ Oh what a terrible situation ! ......but, why are you
still remaining in such a wretched place ….?”
“Rama and I chose to stay behind to care for the old, the weak and the ill people who were left behind . ”
The brothers
were greatly moved by the compassion and charitable motivation of the simple
mother and son.
Just then, Rama came in from the shed announcing cheerfully : “Sir , the horses have finished eating their gram and also had a good drink .”
His face was glowing with happiness.
“Let them
rest for a while, Sir….we have some gruel , please do share with us and take
rest too ” Said the Lady, getting up
“Oh no !
That will not be necessary !” protested the brothers.
“Don’t be
scared, Sirs !”Laughed Rama, “ the gruel is made from grain grown, harvested and
stored long before the tank water turned poisonous !”
“ Its not
that!” Said Thammaiya, hurriedly, “ ….we don’t want to take away what little you
may have…..”
“Less or
more, we have to share whatever we have with others !”piped up Rama, “that’s what Mother
always says !”
Overwhelmed
by the kindness shown by the Mother and Son, the brothers accepted the coconut
shell cups filled with piping hot gruel saying : “May all your troubles end soon , Mother.”
“ Lord
Damodara Perumal will not let us down. “ Said the lady devoutly.
As they
mounted their horses again, the brothers patted Rama’s head and shoulders
affectionately “ Do not worry, Rama ! Continue your great service. Good will befall
the good hearted.”
Rama lovingly caressed the horses and walked behind them till the edge of the village.
“ Please visit again, Sirs !”
“We sure
will, Rama !”
The trotting
horses gathered speed and galloped away , while Rama stood there watching them
vanish on the horizon.
Days passed by and the two horsemen who had promised to return someday never did. Rama expected to see them everyday when he went to fetch water, only to return disappointed.
One day, Rama’s Mother was in deep thought . None of the village folk who left the village had returned yet. She was worried about how long her saved stock of grains and herbs would last . Maybe for a fortnight more ….after that , what ?
Suddenly she
became aware of Rama , running in , panting and babbling “Amma…Amma…”
“What !...oh
Rama ! Why are you in such a state ! What happened ? Is Thathayya alright
? Did you give him gruel ?”
“ Amma…Thathayya is coming here …bringing
someone with him to our house ! Look !”
Surprised, the lady peeped out . A fine looking gentleman, clearly a man of some importance, was walking towards her house with Thathayya ! Seeing him, the poor lady was overcome with confusion and anxiety.
“The Senabova of our Nadu, Keshava Devanna, wants to talk with you, mother.” Said Thathayya , arriving at her doorstep.
The gentleman greeted her warmly and said : “ We heard
about the misfortune that has befallen your village, mother. And of the service you and your son are rendering. It is a matter of
great concern and astonishment that Kukkala Nadu, administered by Kadeya Nayaka
, the able Samantha of Veera Ballala Maharaja, a land so famous for its boundless, honey-sweet fresh water resources, lush vegetation and
beautiful mountain ranges surrounding it , should have a village like yours
where the very water is poison !”
“What can I
say about this strange curse, Sir ! Who
would have imagined that our crystal clear honda , our life blood once, would
become our worst nightmare, sparing not even a rooster to crow at dawn !” Sighed
the lady , and proceeded to tell him all that had come to pass in that little
hamlet in recent times.
“ It is indeed very sad to hear all this, mother. I have received orders to bring whatever relief is needed for your village right now. Sacks of grain and barrels of good fresh water have been brought in carts to the village outskirts. I need your permission to bring and store them in your house .”
This sudden,
unexpected offer stunned the lady . Overwhelmed with emotion, she could hardly
speak coherently . “ Thank you so much, Sir ! I don’t know how to show my immense
gratitude for the good Nayaka who noticed the problem of some small village in
the corner of his land and extended this help !”
“ Additionally, some plans have been charted out” Informed the gentleman, “One is to find the cause of the poisoning of the tank water and correct it ; the other is to dig a new tank, a Kere, for this village's use. Till these projects are successfully completed, it has been suggested that those of you still remaining here should be given a proper and safe home in the town . You can return later when things have become normal here and flourishing again".
Rama’s
mother did not respond immediately. It seemed like she was either thinking it over or was hesitating to say what she
felt.
Finally she
spoke , squirming uneasily : “Sir , I have no words to praise the noble mind of the Nayaka. May God give him long life ! ….But .....I don’t
know how long it may take for all these
works to be completed . If people get used to city life , whoever they
may be , going back to the village
routines may not seem very attractive. Already our village wears an abandoned
look . If we, the few remaining here , too leave , this agricultural village
will turn into a complete wasteland. If all farmers turn city dwellers of
different professions, who will grow food for all ?”
“So what do
you advise , mother?”
“Kindly
don’t get offended, Sir. May all your excellent plans be completed
successfully . May all those who left this village seeking livelihood return to
the rejuvenated homeland. May our village fields turn green and gold with
abundant crops again……please begin your work, Sir. We will stay back , my son
and I will continue taking care of the
old and needy……..Thathayya, what are your thoughts ?”
“I agree
with you "nodded the old man." Our village should remain
agricultural . Only if we continue living here, those who left to seek
livelihood elsewhere will have a reason to return.”
The other elders in the village were also consulted and everybody agreed with the plan .
Soon, work started on the proposed projects.
The cause of the poisoning of the honda was soon discovered. A Vaidya , who had discovered certain new medical recipes for curing certain maladies of the heart and brain , had set up his workshop near the foot hills, very close to the water source that was feeding the honda . He was using minute extracts from plants like Oleander( arali), datura , milkweed ( ekka), cascabela ( kadu ganigale), castor, gulaganji etc , in addition to arsenic and mercury for his medicines and was carelessly dumping the the waste products into the soil around the spring . And toxins were seeping into the water , that came to the honda. The Vaidya industrialist was taken to task and educated on safe disposal of his waste products. Then the honda itself was drained and desilted . It was hoped a good monsoon would replenish it.
Simultaneously began the more important job of excavating a new tank for the village. Water diviners chose a good spot , just a short distance away from the village . Laborers were brought from towns and housed in tents at the village outskirts. Supplies of food grains, vegetables and water were also sent to them and to the villagers periodically.
Rama’s mother started cooking for everyone, on a large scale , with Rama too helping her.
Rama had no more need to fetch endless pots of water everyday. Freed from that task , he took active interest in the ongoing projects , giving a helping hand wherever needed. Moreover, there were now a couple of cows ,calves and chicken too in the tent city to his great delight.
He didn't however forget to keep a look out for the two brothers who had promised to
visit again.
One day,
while going by the old honda, he noticed a cloud of dust approaching and , as his
heart thudded in anticipation, caught sight of a man riding a horse straight towards him . Yes ! It was Thammayya , the
younger of the two brothers who had visited before !
“Rama !” Called out Thammayya , dismounting .
“Sir !
You’ve come ! Where is Annayya ? And why did you come to this honda again
?”
“Easy, boy !
One thing at a time !”Laughed Thammayya. “Annayya has gone somewhere else on work. I came here
because I knew you would be here fetching water !”
“I don’t
need to fetch this water any longer, Sir !”
“Oh ? Then
how….?”
Rama told
him in one long stretch everything that had transpired in the village and how
they were looking forward to seeing their almost dead village revived.
“Like Magic
! And you will not believe the size of the new tank getting excavated. Not one or
two, but five springs have already been opened up !”he said with happiness,
“Come home, Sir . Mother will be happy to see you …and you can also see the
work happening here”
The aroma of
food cooking on the huge stove pervaded the street . Rama’s mother was very glad
to see Thammayya and promptly invited him to sit down for a meal.
“ The first time
you came, I could only serve you gruel. Today I have made Ragi Balls and vegetable palyas. Please have a good lunch ,
Rama will give you company …. Rama must have told you about what is happening in our village now ! All by the
grace of Damodara Perumal ! What else can I say , Sir !”
Suddenly,
the Senabova entered , wringing his hands and muttering anxiously.
“Ayyo ! What
is the meaning of this ! There we were, awaiting your arrival with due honours at
the village entrance ….and you are sitting here, Nayaka !”
When they
heard him address Thammayya as “Nayaka” , Rama and his Mother were dumbstruck.
“What ?
Nayaka ?”
“Yes ! Samantha Kadeya Nayaka, who administered
Kukkala Nadu for Veera Ballala Maharaja, has retired happily now , entrusting administration
to his sons Mayileya Nayaka and Chenneya Nayaka …. ! “
“This
Thammayya…..” Rama rolled his eyes in wonderment looking at Chenneya Nayaka ,
seated on the mat next him without a trace of pride or pomp , enjoying the ragi
balls.
“ Fool !”growled
the Senabova in rage “Not only do you
presume to sit equal with the Nayaka, you also boldly call him Thammayya!”
Rama and his
mother went white in the face with terror.
“ After
getting to know of the pitiable condition of your village, the Nayakas planned
to do something about it and after consulting the best advisors , they drew up
this plan of finding the cause of the water poisoning and stopping it and of
excavating a new tank. They had ordered that nothing be spoken of it till
everything is completed ….but before that ….”
“Peace ! Peace, Senabova….” Said Chenneya Nayaka, smiling “ I have never forgotten how Rama and his Mother had saved us from the poisoned water and served us hot gruel so lovingly. I wanted to meet them privately as a friend, hence came by the honda where I was sure to find Rama….you please go and wait at the site of the New Tank , Senabova. I shall finish my meal and join you soon.” He nudged Rama , who sat petrified “ Go on Rama, eat your lunch , don’t you enjoy eating with Thammayya?” he laughed.
When they arrived at the tank in progress, the labourers who were singing as they worked, straightened up and saluted the Nayaka.
The size of
the tank pleased the Nayaka as he visualized it brimming with water fed by the numerous
springs and rain .
Anantanna,
the Senabova’s son came up to him to show the script getting readied to be
inscribed on stone , regarding the tank.
“Just tell me the most important points” Said the Nayaka
.
“ Mayileya
Nayaka and Chenneya Nayaka, devotees of the divine feet of Lord Damodara Perumal…..” began Anantanna.
“ There’s
one detail I want you to add,” Instructed the Nayaka, “That, this Ramasamudram should forever exist as a
bountiful tank , as an aspect of Ganga Devi, nourishing all living things on Earth, all celestials, all humans, all wild animals, all cattle, all birds till infinity.”
The Senabova
squeezed in a word “….and 3000 Hons for charity and ….”
“Enough Senabova, leave the rest to your Son , he will take care of it. …but don’t forget to include the detail I just gave. ''
He turned to
Rama and smiled : “Rama, the responsibility of supplying good water to the
entire village will now be Ramasamudram’s ! Henceforth and forever, this Ramasamudram
will take care of all the animals and birds that you so love !”
Ramasamudram Tank brimming with crystal clear sweet water....
Abundant
crops and greenery all over....
Songs of
happy birds heralding each dawn …
With visions
of a golden future wafting before his eyes, Rama looked at the Nayaka and
smiled back.
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Based on Ramasamudra lake inscription .
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