Karva Chauth musings….
26th October 2010 was Karva Chauth day.Late in the evening,from the balcony of my house I could peep into and see the entire proceedings going on in the neighbourhood.
Elsewhere, a panditji, monotonously read out the Karva Chauth story which could be heard blaring from a loudspeaker.
Well, since decades,I have been hearing the story (or Katha as they say) behind Karva Chauth festival. I respect the ladies who devotedly keep a fast and follow the rituals and offer prayers for the long lives of their husbands.
However,whether today’s husbands really deserve this attention or not is a question,that keeps hovering in my mind.
In a chat with a friend on the Karva Chauth morning,I commented that I felt that many girls of today just fought with their husbands tooth and nail for 364 days but on this day they prayed that may they live long !
I may please be excused and not misunderstood.I am not trying to raise any controversy over this issue but my funny bone again tickles me at odd places and so I felt that this needs to be explored-I mean the ticklishness needs to be explored ! There ! Very clear,no ? So here I go.First the original Katha,as it is….:
A long long time ago, there lived a beautiful princess by the name of Veeravati. When she was of the marriageable age, Veeravati was married to a king.On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents’ house.After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen was too delicate and couldn’t stand the rigours of fasting. By evening, Veeravati was too weak, and fainted. Now, the queen had seven brothers who loved her dearly. They couldn’t stand the plight of their sister and decided to end her fast by deceiving her. They made a fire at the nearby hill and asked their sister to see the glow. They assured her that it was the moonlight and since the moon had risen, she could break her fast.However, the moment the gullible queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was dead. The queen was heartbroken and rushed to her husband’s palace. On the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. Parvati informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However,when the queen asked her for forgiveness, the goddess granted her the boon that the king would be revived but would be ill.When the queen reached the palace, she found the king lying unconscious with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each day, the queen managed to remove one needle from the king’s body. Next year, on the day of Karva Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in the body of the unconscious king.The queen observed a strict fast that day and when she went to the market to buy the karva for the puja ,her maid removed the remaining needle from the king’s body. The king regained consciousness, and mistook the maid for his queen. When the real queen returned to the palace, she was made to serve as a maid.However, Veeravati was true to her faith and religiously observed the Karva Chauth vrat. Once when the king was going to some other kingdom, he asked the real queen (now turned maid) if she wanted anything. The queen asked for a pair of identical dolls. The king obliged and the queen kept singing a song ” Roli ki Goli ho gayi… Goli ki Roli ho gayi ” (the queen has turned into a maid and the maid has turned into a queen).On being asked by the king as to why did she keep repeating that song, Veeravati narrated the entire story. The king repented and restored the queen to her royal status. It was only the queen’s devotion and her faith that won her husband’s affection and the blessings of Goddess Parvati.
A really fantastic and melodramatic tale of love,devotion,sacrifice etc you see.
A really fantastic and melodramatic tale of love,devotion,sacrifice etc you see.
However,this is a tale of ‘a long long time ago’. I tried hard to find out the exact year in which this might have actually taken place,but I am sorry to say that I could not pin-point it.Perhaps centuries or several hundred decades have passed.
We now switch over the focus to the present century-the 21st century to be exact.Can we find characters like Veeravati today ?
We now switch over the focus to the present century-the 21st century to be exact.Can we find characters like Veeravati today ?
Devoted,religious-minded,sacrificing,believing in powers of miracles et all ? I am inclined to say that like the proverbial needle in a hay stack,you may find a few specimen of this now rare species,may be in some remote corners of our country !
Generally,it is accepted that today’s woman is much ahead of her ancestors and has changed with the times and has evolved into a totally new species with several new features and qualities,which perhaps,sorry,certainly,Veeravati did not have !
I am not posting this piece with a view to pull down the female from her pedestal-she really deserves her moments of glory,fredom of thought and action and beliefs etc,but sadly enough,her expectations from her husband,or husband-to-be have gone up to a new high.He should be handsome,have a good job/income,have a decent standard of living etc.(a car,a bunglow and other perquisites are now essentials of life,not luxuries-its just that earlier so called middle class thoughts have now morphed into the higher/upper middle class requirements !).
These are certainly debatable issues,but I am now itching to finish the ticklishness I first felt when I started this piece.
Today, a female’s prayer for a husband has become a long list of demands and expectations.However,if a perfect woman desires a perfect man,then a perfect (?) man also would like to dream of a nearly perfect (!) companion,isn’t it ?
Generally,it is accepted that today’s woman is much ahead of her ancestors and has changed with the times and has evolved into a totally new species with several new features and qualities,which perhaps,sorry,certainly,Veeravati did not have !
I am not posting this piece with a view to pull down the female from her pedestal-she really deserves her moments of glory,fredom of thought and action and beliefs etc,but sadly enough,her expectations from her husband,or husband-to-be have gone up to a new high.He should be handsome,have a good job/income,have a decent standard of living etc.(a car,a bunglow and other perquisites are now essentials of life,not luxuries-its just that earlier so called middle class thoughts have now morphed into the higher/upper middle class requirements !).
These are certainly debatable issues,but I am now itching to finish the ticklishness I first felt when I started this piece.
Today, a female’s prayer for a husband has become a long list of demands and expectations.However,if a perfect woman desires a perfect man,then a perfect (?) man also would like to dream of a nearly perfect (!) companion,isn’t it ?
Frankly speaking,my wife knows and understands that I am not a perfect husband material and had there been an exchange offer for replacing old hubbies with latest models,perhaps she would have willingly replaced me years ago ! Thanks dear for putting up with me !
Jokes apart,here is a modern prayer of a 21st century female :
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man, who’s not a creep,
One who’s handsome, smart and strong,
One who loves to listen long,
One who thinks before he speaks,
One who’ll call, not wait for weeks,
I pray he’s gainfully employed,
When I spend his cash, won’t be annoyed.
Pulls out my chair and opens my door,
Massages my back and begs to do more.
Oh! Send me a man, who’ll make love to my mind,
Knows what to answer to “How big is my behind?”
I pray that this man will love me no end,
And never attempt to hit on my friend.
And as I pray beside my bed,
I look at the clown you sent me instead.
Amen.
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man, who’s not a creep,
One who’s handsome, smart and strong,
One who loves to listen long,
One who thinks before he speaks,
One who’ll call, not wait for weeks,
I pray he’s gainfully employed,
When I spend his cash, won’t be annoyed.
Pulls out my chair and opens my door,
Massages my back and begs to do more.
Oh! Send me a man, who’ll make love to my mind,
Knows what to answer to “How big is my behind?”
I pray that this man will love me no end,
And never attempt to hit on my friend.
And as I pray beside my bed,
I look at the clown you sent me instead.
Amen.
I am sure that this piece will generate a lot of responses of you know what kind,but then I wanted to get rid of my ticklishness or ache,by passing on the same to my readers.After all what are friends for…
So go ahead and spit your venom like Mallika Sherawat does as the ichchadhaari nagin in her latest much touted ( but a misearble flop at the box office) slick flick titled :” Hisssss…!!” I am sure, as a devoted husband,I will have the divine protection from its ill-effects.So hisss please !!
See,as is my usual style,I am not saying-Keep Smiling Please !
Apart from your naughty, in some ways – dangerous poem, loved the introduction to it, when you say – ‘Jokes apart…’
Snehith Kumbla, Pune
Oct 28, 2010
Liked the poem.
Geetashree Chatterjee, New Delhi
Oct 28, 2010
Fantastic, Brocaji,
S.Krishna Bhavana, IIIT,Nuzvid,A.P.
Oct 28, 2010
Very nice and excellent, Brocaji.
K. Chandrika, Vinukonda.AP
Oct 28, 2010
Every time you weave a funny story in support of your messages, which is your specialty. You say that 364 days women fight and one day in year they observe strict rituals for their husbands’ lives. Perhaps, they do this as they want their husbands alive to fight on the other 364 days, otherwise, with whom they will fight? One more punch from your jokes basket.
Rajaram Ramachandran, Juhu, Mumbai
Oct 29, 2010
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