Fate

After lunch Ammachi and I went to sit on the veranda and wait for Appa.
“Do you think Appa is ok?” I asked Ammachi
“I don’t know”.
“I am scared Ammachi.”
“For what?”
“What will I do if anything happens to Appa?”
“Nina, there is one lesson you must learn in your life”, and she sang for me
Sambavichathellam nallathinu
Samabavikkathirunnathum nallathinu
Sambavikkanirikkunnathum nallathinu”
Whatever happend is for the good
Whatever didn’t happen is also for the good
Whatever will happen is also for the good.
“You can’t change the destiny, though many will tell you that destiny is in your hand. If your father has to die today, he will. You can’t change it.”
“But I don’t want Appa to die”
“You can’t do anything about that Nina.”
“But I can pray”
“Ofcourse you can”
I said a silent prayer to Parumala Thirumeni( jacobite saint) and to mother mary to keep my father safe.
“Nina, Do you know who is Vararuchi?”
I shook my head and said “No”
“Vararuchi was Naranathu branthan’s father.”
“Was he mad too?” I asked her
“No, He wasn’t mad. He was one of the nine wise men of King Vikramadityan’s court(300AD) along with Kalidasan. He was very intelligent. He could even understand the language of birds and animals. One day while he was resting under a tree in the forest, he overheard two birds speaking to each other and telling
‘Oh! here lies the great scholor and brahmin, who is fated to marry a low caste woman.’
“The birds then discribed where exactly the low caste woman is born and the time of birth. Vararuchi went back to the King Vikramaditya and told him,
‘A low caste baby girl is born at this time in this place. You have to get rid off her or she will bring misfortune to your kingdom.’
“The king knows Vararuchi is the most learned man in his kingdom. He didn’t want a low caste baby girl to bring misfortune to his kingdom.He immediately send his soldiers to the girl’s house with the order to kill the baby”
“How can they kill an innocent child Ammachi?”
“Well, even in the bible, they have killed babies. remember the story of moses?” She asked me.
I nodded my head and said “yes”. I know the story of Moses and how he was send down the river in a basket.
“The soldiers didn’t want to murder the child, so they decided to hit her head with a stick, so she will be knocked out, placed her in a boat carved out of banana tree stem and placed a cloth torch as a guiding light and placed her in the river”
“What happend to the baby”.
“Well, if it is your fate to marry a learned brahmin, you will marry”.
“How?”
“Many years later, Vararuchi was visiting a new place and he went to an illam(brahmin’s house). There was a beautiful and intelligent woman there and Vararuchi fell in love with her and asked if she would marry him. They were married. After the marriage, Vararuchi noticed a scar on the girl’s head and he asked her ‘How did you get this?’
“The girl replied,’I was hit on the head by the king’s soldiers and send down the river, my mother(adoptive) was bathing in the river and saw me floating down the river in a boat carved out of banana tree stem, and she adopted me and raised me’.
“So the learned brahmin couldn’t change his destiny, so do you think you can?”

note: the girl answered on the behalf of her adoptive father many of Varuruchi’s twisted questions and that is how Vararuchi was convinced she is intelligent.. does any of you know what were the questions and the answers?

19 thoughts on “Fate

  1. Great Post Nina !!

    Am adding a few. don’t know completely.

    Not in an Order

    1) He asked for 108 curries for his meals

    She gave injapulli (or something) which is supposed to be made by 108 items

    2) He wanted to be carried by 4 people after his meals?

    She offered a bed ( Kattil)

  2. Vararuchi’s demands were:
    1. Veerali Pattu (Silk) after having bath.
    2. Hundred people were to be fed in front of him.
    3. Hundred curries for lunch
    4. After lunch he needed three men to eat and four to carry him.

    I only know the answers to 4 men to carry (Bed), 3 men to eat (Pan chewing; Have you heard of ‘Moonum kooti Murukua’ which means chewing the pan with 3–tobacco, betal leaf and areca nut) and some dish which is equivalent to 100 curries (something with ginger). Will find out the other answers.

  3. I have never heard of Varuruchi’s or his questions.
    Inji pulli has 108 ingredients? Mine has at the max 5-6.
    Can wait to read the question and Reponses.

  4. ammachi is a practicle life of philosophy and one who implements rather than just reads!!.. and you did learn the stuff.. which i have seen..!!

  5. well cant u change ur destiny???…i am trying in my career!!! ur certainly helping us all brush up our knowledge of history and old folk tales!

  6. 1. Veerali Pattu meant a loincloth (the correct Malayalam word is cheenthal (torn from a piece of cloth) konakam (a long rectangular piece of cloth, passed between the thighs to cover the genitals and secured under a belt or string).
    2. Feeding 100 people before having food meant performing some sort of pooja that will please 100 Gods. So she prepared the materials for performing the pooja like flowers, sandal, etc.
    3. 108 (not 100) different curries for lunch meant there should be ginger curry. Ginger curry (ingicurry) is supposed to have the effect of or is equivalent 100 different curries.
    4. Eating 3 people meant chewing pan with betel leaves, areca nut and lime (not tobacco).
    5. Should be carried by four people meant he need a bed to sleep.

    The girl made all these arrangements and Vararuchi was impressed by her intelligence and married her thinking that she was a Brahmin.

  7. Sorry but I don’t know any of the questions nor did I ever hear about Varuruchi! I like the story though, a lot even!
    What please is “inji pulli”?
    I am always eager to learn new things … so please – teach me!!

  8. There are many stories that we know, and there might be many meaning inside them.
    Its a real skill to use them at the right time and right sense – and Ammachi seems to possess that immensely! Too good!

  9. YASJ: Thanks

    Alexis: what exactly means veerali pattu

    Starry nights: I had many arguments with her abt fate. Now I believe what she said is true.

    Thanu: I too am confused

    Sujit: true.. the reason why I remember all the story is she knew just how to tell stories

    Jiby: think about it..can you?

    Dhanush: i never got to read that book..

    Dew drops:yes

    Jithu: there is a psychological term.. can’t remember…very much like stockholm syndrome. I love my father very much..however bad he was

    I love munich: Injipuli is a dish made of ginger..it is sweet and sour and spicy. We serve it everytime as part of our festival feast. I am compling all the recipes..you can see some of the recipes in my recipe blog..I will post the recipe for injipuli soon.

    Pophabhi: I am 35 yrs old and I still remember all these stories because the way she told them..

    Ajay: thanks

    Maya:thanks

    has to be me: agree fully

    Silverine: Kerala( for that matter India) has so much of history, while we are busy telling the kids about Snow white and Cinderella, we are forgetting to tell them our history.

  10. The correct meaning of veerali pattu is veerali silk. It part of the attire of Kalarippayattu, the martial arts of Kerala.

    Veeran means a brave man. Veerali pattu is also used to cover the dead of a dead hero–died during battle. If you have seen Ouru Vadakkan Veeragatha, then you must have seen most the warriors wearing veerali pattu as part of their attire.

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