Story 136 - How A Rakshasa Turned Men And Bulls Into Stone

IN a certain country there are seven elder brothers and younger brothers. In a certain [other] country there are seven elder sisters and younger sisters. At the time when they are there the whole of the seven elder brothers and younger brothers are without wives; the seven elder sisters and younger sisters are without men (husbands).

At the time when the seven elder brothers and younger brothers are doing work in the rice field, the seven elder sisters and younger sisters are going by the place where they are working.

“Where are you going ?”

they asked (hae-huwwa).

At the time when they asked they said,

“Seven elder sisters and younger sisters are going to seek for themselves seven elder brothers and younger brothers.”

“We indeed are seven elder brothers and younger brothers.”

With the eldest elder brother the eldest elder sister contracted (lit., tied) marriage; with those [other] six persons these six [other] persons contracted marriage. To the seven houses they took the seven persons (their wives).

A Rakshasa came for religious donations (samadame). Having come, at the very first he got donations from the eldest elder sister. When he begged from the other six, five persons gave donations abundantly (hondatama). When he begged for donations from the youngest younger sister, she tried to give them [while] sitting in the house.

“We do not take them in that way,” [he said].

When, having come to the doorway, she tried to give them [there, the Rakshasa] placed a walking-stick in his hand, and when he extended [it towards her] he began to go in front; the woman, weeping and weeping, began to go behind the Rakshasa [holding the other end of the magic stick].

Having gone on and on, at the time when he stopped there were seven stone posts. When the walking-stick that was in his hand prodded the ground she became stone [like them].

The young younger sister's seven elder brothers and younger brothers went [on a trading journey ?] taking seven yokes of bulls. At the time when they were taking them, the seven yokes of bulls and the seven men he made into stone.{GL_NOTE::}

He restored that woman to consciousness again; having restored her to consciousness the Rakshasa went with her [to his] home. After he went, when the son of the elder sister of the younger sister who went with [the Rakshasa] proceeded there (etenta gihama) [to seek] the seven yokes of bulls and the men who went [with them], his seven fathers{GL_NOTE::} and the seven yokes of bulls were there [turned into stone].

(Apparently this is only a portion of a longer story, but the narrator was unacquainted with the rest of it.)

North-western Province.

 

Note:

In Folklore of the Santal Parganas (Rev. Dr. Bodding), p. 222, a Jogi turned into stone seven brothers who had followed him in order to recover the wife of one of them whom he had carried off by getting her arm-tassel and going away with it. She was compelled to follow him while it was in his possession. When her son who was left behind proceeded in search of her, he came to the place where his petrified uncles were. As he was eating his food there he saw the stones weeping, recognised them, and placed a little food on each for them to eat. Afterwards, when he had killed the Jogi and was returning with his mother, he bathed, and then spread a cloth over the stones, on which they recovered their human shape, became alive, and thought they had merely slept.

In the Story of Madana Kama Raja (Natesha Sastri), p. 85, a Prince who had stolen the garments of Indra’s daughter while she was bathing, was turned by her spells into stone when he looked back at her. He was revived by an old woman with whom he lived; she sprinkled water on the stone and uttered spells.

In the same work, p. 149, the Turtle Prince was informed that if he looked back after stealing the garments of a divine maid or Apsaras while she was bathing, he would be turned into stone. See the first note after No. 151 in this volume.

See the notes after No. 155.