VAISHALI - A Rain Drop on the Parched Lips and Sage OR Rishi Rishyasringa
VAISHALI - A
Rain Drop on the Parched Lips and Sage OR Rishi Rishyasringa
Vibhandaka Rishi was the legendary Indian Hindu saint or Rishi of sage Kashyapa's lineage. Vibhandaka was the son of the great sage Kashyapa and undertook penance to the highest level. The God of thunder and rain, Lord Indra felt uncomfortable and in his fear that his supremacy could be challenged, sent Urvashi a celestial nymph Or Apsara, to disrupt the penance of Vibhandaka.
By sighting Urvashi the
Apsara, the mortal Vibhandaka’s penance was disrupted. Such was her beauty Vibhandaka has fallen
head over heels for Urvashi. After
behelding Urvashi, Vibhandaka’s vital fluid semen has discharged and it spilled
over the grass below and a doe has eaten the grass. It impregnated the doe. In fact, the doe was in reality another
celestial nymph or Apsara - Apsa = water (Apsara = water nymph) cursed to be borne as a deer ages ago, and she gave
birth to Rishyasringa.
Vibhandaka felt cheated
and tricked and decided to bring up his son in the forest without exposing him
to any woman. He tried to bring his son up to be pure of mind, trying to keep
him a celibate by making sure that he did not even knew that females existed in
the world. He
thought that the easiest way to keep his son innocent of the worldly ways was
to keep him in forest isolation.
He succeeded to such an
extent that when the boy matured into manhood, he had never set eyes on any
human being other than his own father. He was even unaware of sexual
distinction. No animal, fruit, flower,
fragrance or anything relating to the feminine gender was a total taboo for
Rishyasringa. Vibhandaka wanted his son
to attain knowledge about Vedas and penance that can be an envy even for the
gods. Rishyasringa is a forest-dweller
absorbed in ascetics and self-study of Vedic scriptures, and he is not aware of
women, or of worldly-matters or of even worldly-pleasures.
Rishi Vibhandaka’s
anger was infamous and it was next only to Sage Dhuruvasa. He had complete control over the nature and
not only the forest animals but also the
falling boulders from the hillocks
listened to him. Vibhandaka drawn a
Laxman Rekha, a boundary, for Rishyasringa and commanded that Rishyasringa
should be abide by this rule. He taught
Rishyasringa the gyan and vedic mantra’s and all the siddhis or such blessings he
has amassed over the years. Rishyasringa
soon became a scholar and he was practicing celibacy unknown to the nature’s
law of bees and butterflies. Vibhandaka’s
hermitage was situated deep inside the forest in the boundary lines of the
kingdom of Anga.
While Rishyasringa was
fostered by Vibhandaka from the prying eyes of other humans in the forest, the
Kingdom of Anga was experiencing severe drought for about 12 years due to the
curse of a Brahmin priest. The King
Romapada was disturbed by this and summoned Raj Guru (the advising Brahmin Minister)
to tackle the drought situation by performing ‘yagnas’. The Raj Guru informs the King Romapada that
during the yagna he found the image of Rishyasringa playing in the forest in
‘homa kunda’ (the fire-altar) and he only could perform a major yagna which
will bring rains to Kingdom of Anga and relieve Anga from the drought and
famine.
By listening to this
Romapada’s daughter Princess Shanta suggested that they send beautiful
courtesans to seduce and bring Rishyasringa to Anga.
Vaishali was a bewitching beauty and budding courtesan born to Malini a Deva Daasi. Malini was conferred with many laurels and gifts by the King Romapada for her services in the past and she had a secret to keep that Vaishali was born to King Romapada out of her relationship with him.
Any dictionary would give the
meaning of courtesan as 'whore' or as 'court mistress'. But in Indian context,
the courtesan is not to be taken in such a lowly way as just a prostitute or a
whore. They belong to a caste/class of artists. Juxtaposed to the Four-Caste
system there was a deva dasi Temple Dancers system, which is the
artist's class. On their receiving enough education and skills in the
performing arts and as per their capabilities, they will be nominated as Court
Dancers or Temple Dancers and the like. Ancients recognized sixty-four arts chatuSaSTi
kalaa , which include right from music, dance, and drama, sculpture,
painting etc., up to the art of thievery. Kings in their political or sovereign
pursuits variedly used these Deva Daasis, the courtesans.
After hearing the Raj Guru (the
advising Brahmin Minister of the King), the King summons Malini to his palace and request her to send
Vaishali, her daughter who is proficient in the art of seduction and nearing
sixteen years in age to bring the adolescent teenager sage Rishyasringa to the
Kingdom of Anga to perform a Yagna for the rains and save his country.
VAISHALI was a classic Mallu movie released in 1988 directed by Award winning director Bharathan and scripted by prominent novelist and literary giant M.T. Vasudevan Nair.
VAISHALI was a classic Mallu movie released in 1988 directed by Award winning director Bharathan and scripted by prominent novelist and literary giant M.T. Vasudevan Nair.
The opening shots of the film shows
vultures hovering around the Kingdom of Anga and a snake coming out of the
mouth of a human skeleton and goes out in the wilderness. There was the dust kicked off and earth
parched showing the after effects of severe drought suffered by the natives of
Anga. The natives of Anga was praying
for the rains and waiting for rains like the
legendary bird ‘Vezhambal’ (Hornbill).
The most of the footage shows the
great seduction game of Vaishali to cajole
Rishyasringa and bring him along with her to the Kingdom of Anga to
perform the Yagna.
The photos featured in this BLOG
are taken from the classic movie ‘VAISHALI’.
After watching the movie we instantly fall in love with the legendary
courtesan princess Vaishali. The story
of the lead pair Vaishali and
Rishysringa lingers in your memory for an extended period without fading even after you left the movie
theater.
The Vaishali episode continues…. after receiving the orders of King Romapaadan the courtesan team alongwith bodyguards set out a journey through the river in a country ship studded with flowers and plants and an Ashrama in the middle to look like a hermitage. The vessel afloat in the water navigates towards Vibhandaka’s hermitage in the moon lit nights and reaches the banks near the hermitage.
Malini alogwith other courtesans
decides to pry on Rishyasringa and rejects the help of bodyguards. They saw that
the father and son had a routine. In the afternoons, Sage Vibhandaka went into
the deeper forests to meditate, whereas Rishyasringa stayed behind in the Ashram
to tend the fire and clean the place.
The courtesans remembered Princess
Shanta’s advise to keep away from Vibhandaka otherwise he will curse them if
spotted. Malini decides to encounter
Rishyasrigna in the afternoon. She
planned to send her daughter ‘Vaishali’ alongwith a couple of her friends of
her age group after Vibhandaka left for his meditation in solitude in the
afternoon.
After keeping a tab on Vibhandaka’s
routine Vaishali appears in the garb of a Rishi in front of Rishyasringa. The playful Rishyasringa stumbles upon
Vaishali chasing his pet deer.
Rishyasringa was amazed by Vaishali’s fairness and beauty. A stunned
Rishyasringa was captivated by her talks
and got interested in the stranger. Vaishali tells Rishyasringa that she is from
the neighboring ashram or hermitage. Listening to him talk made Rishyasringa
want to listen to him again and again...'
Rishyasringa wearing animal skin got fascinated by the colorful costume of the stranger. Vaishali feeds him with sweets and other delicious food brought from the ship which was a totally new experience for Rishyasringa. The boy sage plays many games like rolling and bouncing ball with Vaishali and she clothed him with satin and velvet in saffron and other bright colors.
He paints her body with miniature tattoos and smells the fragrance of perfume on her body. Vaishali was astonished by the commanding power of the boy Sage that not only animals but rolling boulders obeyed him. She kissed Rishyasringa and he tasted honey in her lips. Well before the time Vibhandaka was to return, Vaishali bid goodbye to Rishyasringa saying that she has to return to her Ashram to do the ‘Agnihotra puja’ and promised to return the next day.
After
Vaishali left the premises Rishyasringa
remained deep in his thoughts and had not cleaned up the ashram and had not
even tended the fires.
Sage Vibhandaka came home and was
surprised to find his Ashram untidy and his son looking like in a daze.
Wondering what had happened, Sage Vibhandaka asked Rishyasringa, 'Son! What
happened? You have not even done your duty...Is something wrong...?' He asked
anxiously.
An innocent boy that he was Rishyasringa
narrates the days happenings to his father Vibhandaka in the evening saying
that a Rishi from a neighborhood Ashram visited him that day. Vibhandaka senses that a female human being
was in his hermitage and foresees the tricks to seduce his son. An enraged Sage Vibhandaka decides to punish
the tresspassers next day. He told his
son to keep away from them whom he described as demons who wants to interrupt
his vedic studies, siddhi or abilities of celibacy and enlightenment.
Rishyasringa was crestfallen. But he could not understand the reactions of his father. He did not think the Sage who had come meant him any harm...He wondered as to why was his father behaving like this.
Rishyasringa was crestfallen. But he could not understand the reactions of his father. He did not think the Sage who had come meant him any harm...He wondered as to why was his father behaving like this.
In the next day before Vibhandaka
left to trace the strangers from the neighborhood, a hiding Vaishali and other
courtesans compels Rishyasringa to join them and save the Kingdom of Anga from
the destructive drought situation. An
unsuspecting Rishyasringa already mesmerized by the charms and lifestyle of the
new friends readily agrees to go with them.
Rishyasringa was thrilled to see the
ship and its interiors and enjoyed the aura of the voyage. Vaishali and
Rishyasrringa set sail and soon they all reached the kingdom of Anga.
The moment Rishyasriga entered the
kingdom of Anga and with his royal feet touching Anga there were rain-bearing
clouds to be seen which resulted in thunder and rains. The instant the holy
sage stepped on the soil, the heavens opened up and poured-down life giving
showers. The natives of the Kingdom of Anga started singing with the
accompaniment of musical instruments and danced with joy in the rains.
An overjoyed king offers his
daughter Shanta in marriage to the great Sage Rishysringa and he accepts
the wedding proposal.
Malini was dead in the stampede
that resulted from the joyful celebrations and the king and others forgets the
courtesans who brought the luck and fortunes of rains to them. Our sympathies rest with Vaishali.
The movie ends there …However,
Rishyasringa performs ‘Putrakameshti’ yaga in the years to come which resulted
in the birth of Lord Shri Rama and his cousins namely Laxmana, Bharata and
Satrughna.
‘Vaishali’ was an episode lifted
from the life of glamorous pleasure injecting courtesans and made into a
classical movie.
Vaishali enthralls the movie goers and the taste lingers for several years in the movie watchers’ mind.
The stupendous success of my
earlier BLOG about Urvashi inspired me to come out with Vaishali’s lifeline and
story which made history.
posted by Unknown @ 01:00
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