Table of Contents
Hiranyaka and Chudakarna
The mouse king Hiranyaka along with Laghupatanaka left his house forever, to live in the Dandaka where Manthara, the tortoise lived. The tortoise asked the mouse why he had left everything to come with the crow. In reply the mouse started telling his tale.
The story starts in a town called Champaka. This town had a part dedicated to ascetics. The ascetics would come there, beg for food and spend their days in meditation. There lived an ascetic called Chudakarna, whose job was to perform a child’s first head-shaving ceremonies. For the job he did, Chudakarna asked for food. At the end of his day, he would finish his food and whatever was left, he would leave in a vessel and hang that vessel on a peg, on the wall of the hut where he used to stay. This he did, before his bedtime.
I (Hiranyaka) would observe the ascetic. As soon as he had hung the vessel, I would jump from wherever I was, and land on the bowl. I would then have my fill of food and throw down food for my people. Then ensuring I was not observed, I would jump out and run back home. This continued for many days and I was living a happy contented life. Then one day Chudakarna spotted me. He tried to raise the height of the peg to hang his vessel. Whatever he did, I was able to reach the vessel.
One day Chudakarna’s friend Veenakarna came to visit him. After greeting each other, Chudakarna started talking to his friend. When they were talking, Chudakarna’s attention was always on me trying to jump and get inside the food bowl. Veenakarna was not aware of this. He thought his friend was trying to ignore him. He asked Chudakarna:
Friend, I have come to see you after many months and you are not interested in talking to me. What is the matter?
Hearing this, Chudakarna said:
My friend, forgive me. I am actually very happy that you have come to see me. I am distracted. Look above. Yes, there! See that peg? That is fairly high. I hang my leftover food onto that peg. There is this mouse which irrespective of the height, manages to reach the vessel and thereby steals my food. So, while you are talking and I am looking at the peg and trying to see if I can drive the mouse away.
Veenakarna looked up and was surprised. Yes, the peg was quite high. How could a mouse jump to that level? He said:
How is it that such a frail and thin little mouse has the strength to jump so high above the ground? There has to be some other reason. Just as there is always a hidden motive when a young woman suddenly shows excessive affection to an elderly husband, there must be a specific reason for this mouse's high jumps.
Chudakarna was intrigued and asked his friend:
What is this story? Please tell me.
To explain that, Veenakarna started telling the story of Lilavati.
Analysis
The text says, in the words of Veenakarna, that there is always a reason for everything. Capability is rarely accidental.
The Characters (introduced here)
| Character | Representation | Who they are in our daily life |
|---|---|---|
| Chudakarna (the Ascetic) | The Frustrated Provider. This name refers to someone with a tuft of hair near or on the ear. Chudakarna is also a child’s head-shaving process, also known as mundan. | The person who works hard but finds their "leftovers" or savings constantly depleted by factors they can't quite manage. |
| Veenakarna (the Guest) | The Critical Analyst. It could represent a person who is fond of music or someone whose presence is associated with the sound of Veena, basically a sweet-sounding person. | The consultant or objective friend who notices that a problem isn't just a nuisance, but a logical anomaly. |
Significance of the "Mouse" (Hiranyaka)
The choice of Hiranyaka the mouse is deliberate due to its natural limitations.
- A mouse is small, frail, and earth-bound. By using an animal that should be limited by gravity, the text mentions the unnatural nature of Hiranyaka's jump. If the thief were a cat or a monkey, Chudakarna would not be surprised.
Meanings and Contextual Fit
- Champaka: Named after the fragrant Champa flower. It represents a setting for spiritual growth, which is being disturbed by a very material problem (the mouse stealing food).
- Lilavati: The name mentioned at the end of the tale is to denote someone "Charming." Her story is introduced as an example for hidden motives. Just as a sudden change in a person's behaviour suggests a hidden reason, the mouse's sudden "athleticism" suggests an underlying cause.
- This story is a part of the Panchatantra, specifically in the second book, Mitrasamprapti (The Acquisition of Friends).
Next week, the ‘reason’ in the form of Lilavati’s story. And before that, a post on 'Niti Shastra'.
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