Pakkanar and the Legend behind Ivy Gourd

Packanar is another legendry son of Vararuchi of the famous Parayi Peta Panthirukulam. He has been brought up in a Paraya family, which is coming in the lower strata of the racial hierarchy followed on those days. The traditional profession of Parayas was to collect bamboo leaves from the forest and to make baskets and bags using that. By selling those articles they used to earn for their family.

There are many stories about Packanar which proves that he is a holy person. Once he went to his elder brother Agnihotri’s house. AS mentioned in the earlier episode, Agnihotri was a Brahmin. Both the brothers engaged in serious discussion after exchanging pleasantries. At that time Agnihotri called his wife on some pretext. Although she heard that, she did not turn up as she was busy with some household work. Then, Pacakanar kidded his brother about the obedience of his wife. Packanar further claimed that no women

other than his wife have ‘Pathivrathyam’ (respect towards husband and to be obedient). Agnihotri shot back that the women belong to lower cast will not have ‘Pathivrathyam. Packanar asked his brother to follow him to his house and experience it personally. Accepting the challenge, he accompanied Packanar. When they entered the compound, Packanar’s wife was drawing water from the well using a bucket tied to a long rope. As soon as she heard the call of Packanar, she left the bucket half the way and came near him. To the astonishment of Vararuchi, the bucket stayed back there in that position instead of falling into the well. Then Agnihotri agreed that it is because of the power of Pathivrathyam and he agreed that it is difficult to find out a woman with this much pathivrathyam.

As mentioned earlier, all the ten brothers except ‘Vayilla Kunnilappan’ and the lone sister used to assemble at the house of elder brother Agnihotri’s house to perform the yearly ritual for their dead father. During that time each one will bring something which will be used in preparing the feast after the rituals. Once, Packanar brought some Teats of cows on that day. Agnihotri’s wife got shocked to see bleeding teats when she opened the packet. Being a Brahmin, non-vegetarian foods are totally banned there. She threw the teats away but did not mention it to anybody.

After rituals, brothers and the lone sister ‘Karaykkalamma’ sat for lunch. Lunch has been served as usual and all the items brought by other brothers and the only sister have been served as delicious dishes. Packanar enquired about the item he brought as the same has not been served. Agnihotri’s wife did not tell anything in the beginning but revealed the truth after continued pressure from her husband. She also told firmly that, such things cannot be brought into a Brahmin’s house. Then Packanar asked her what she did with those teats. She replied that she threw it away. Then Packanar asked her to go and look at the place where she threw the teats. She did so and to her surprise, she saw a plant grown up there with fruits on that which resembles the teats. She informed the same and Packanar asked her to get those fruits and prepare curry and serve. Ivy gourds that resemble cow teats are believed to be formed like that.

Even now it is believed that there is no need to do yearly rituals for the people who are dead when there are Ivy gourds or cocks in the house. When Ivy gourds are there the souls of the dead will be pleased even without the rituals and when there are cocks and hens, the place will be always dirty and no ritual will give you the desired result. Ivy Gourds are an important component in the yearly rituals being done for the dead in Kerala, especially in Hindu customs.

Parayi Petta Panthirukulam, Story of a Mother who gave birth to twelve children belonging to different casts.

History says that the cast system was prevailing in India and it led to many social evils such as untouchability, ostracizing, etc. It is a truth that no one can deny, but even on those days, some people dreamt about a world where all the people, irrespective of their caste, creed, race, etc live together in harmony. Those dreams may be behind the legend of ‘Parayi Petta Panthirukulam’ or the woman who belongs to a lower cast giving birth to twelve children who belong to different casts. It can be a real incident too. However, it is always better to enjoy the beauty of the story than wasting your time in finding the truth behind that.

Vararuchi, a Brahmin and a great scholar was a regular in the durbar of King Bhoja. He had attained in-depth knowledge in different subjects ranging from Vedas to astrology to political science. He always had a convincing answer for any doubts raised by the king. Hence he had been revered by the king. One day the king asked a question in the durbar. King asked about the most important verse in Ramayana and the most important line in that verse. Although everybody including Vararuchi came out with different answers none was convincing. Taking this as an opportunity, some of Vararuchi’s rivals convinced the king that only Vararuchi can give the right answer and if he is not giving he is not eligible to be present in the durbar. Falling prey to those sycophants, the king ordered Vararuchi to go out of the palace and to come within forty-one days with a convincing answer. King also reminded him that he need not come back if he cannot find the right answer.

Feeling sad about King’s attitude, he went to his home and he decided to leave the country and to go for a travel. He traveled to different places and met many scholars whom he asked the same question. The answer was different from one another and no two persons told the same answer. Leaving all his hopes he continued his journey and reached inside a forest. After a long journey, he felt tired and went asleep beneath a huge tree. After some time he woke up hearing someone talking. He listened to it and understood that it is dryads talking to one another. Vararuchi was an expert in Dryads’ language too so he understood what they were talking about.

Two or three dryads were on their way to a nearby village where a woman belongs to a lower cast gave birth to a baby. Those dryads were inviting the one who is living on the tree beneath which Vararuchi was sleeping. The major attraction for dryads on such occasions is the availability of blood which will come out along with the baby. They enjoy that drink. However, the dryad on the tree rejected their invitation stating that a Brahmin scholar is sleeping behind the tree and it is her responsibility to protect him from the wild animals. Those, who were on their way to the village, continued their journey.

After quite some time Vararuchi again heard the chitchatting of dryads. Those who went to the village has returned and they were exchanging the news. The woman gave birth to a baby child and there was enough blood for all the dryads who went there. Then the dryad on the tree asked them about the future of the child. Then they said that one Vararuchi who does not know ‘Mam Viddhi’ will marry her.

As Vararuchi understands their language, their words brought both pleasure and shock to him. He was quite happy that he could find out an answer to the question of King Bhoja. ‘Maam Viddhi’ is the most important line in Ramayana and the Verse, ‘Ramam dasharatham viddi, Maam viddhi janakaathmajam, Ayodhyam adavim viddhi, gacha thanaya yathaa sukham’ is the most important verse in the book. Now he can return with pride to the king and convince him with the right answer in front of his rivals who played the dirty games to oust him from the king’s durbar.

At the same time, he was shocked too knowing that he will have to marry a girl from a lower cast. According to the social system that prevailed on those days a Brahmin marrying a woman belongs to a lower cast will end in his ostracizing. With mixed feelings in mind, he returned to the palace and he reached there on the forty-first day morning. He directly went inside the durbar and answered the king’s question. This time he could convince him as he could define the verses in eighteen different ways.

Pleased with it the King invited Vararuchi to accompany him for the lunch. When they were having lunch, Vararuchi told the king that a woman belongs to a lower cast has given birth to a baby girl on the previous night and she should become a bad omen for the entire nation. King should destroy her immediately.

Being confident in the knowledge of Vararuchi in astrology, the King had no doubt that it will happen, but he was hesitant to kill a child fearing the wrath of gods. Then Vararuchi found a solution. He asked the king to float the child in a small boat with a burning lamp placed on her head. Since the king has great regards for Vararuchi, he agreed and his soldiers executed his orders immediately.

Years have passed and Vararuchi left the durbar of King Bhoja. He started his journey without any aim. On the way, he reached a tiny village in Kerala and went directly to the house of a Brahmin and requested him to provide some food. The Brahmin at the house welcomed him with pleasure and requested him to take bath and come. He assured that by that time the lunch will be ready. However, Vararuchi put a condition to have food from that house. He told that he needs 1008 varieties of dishes for the lunch and he needs to chew four persons after the meal and there should be four persons to carry him while he sleeps a while after lunch. Hearing these conditions, the other Brahmin got worried, but his young daughter asked him to say yes to all. He did the same.

When Vararuchi came for lunch he saw the ginger curd is being served. It is regarded as equal to 1008 varieties of dishes. After the meals, the Brahmin gave him beetle nuts, beetle leaves, tobacco, and lime, which was a practice among people of Kerala to chew these four articles together after heavy meals. Then he arranged a coat for Vararuchi and the four posts of the coat will carry him when he sleeps. Quite happy with the intelligence of the Brahmin he congratulated him. Then the Brahmin told that everything is his daughter’s idea.

Pleased with the intelligence of that young girl Vararuchi expressed his ambition to marry her. Brahmin was quite happy to get a scholar like Vararuchi as a son in law and the marriage has been conducted with grand fanfare.

Days after the marriage, Vararuchi, and his wife Panchami were sitting in the courtyard of their house indulging in simple chat. At that time Panchami was lying on the laps of Vararuchi and he was caressing her hairs. Suddenly he saw a black mark in the middle of her head and asked what it is. Her reply was really a shock to him. She told that she is not the biological daughter of that Brahmin; instead, he got her from a river where she was kept afloat with a lamp on her head. Suddenly, Vararuchi understood that nobody can evade fate. He told the entire episode to her. He also told her that as he got ostracized, he did not want to stay back at home and planning to go for the pilgrimage which will continue till his death. Being a loving wife she too agreed to accompany him.

They started their journey and on the way, she got pregnant eleven times. Every time she used to take shelter in some wayside bushes to deliver the children. Each time When he hears the news that she delivered a child, he used to ask a single question, whether the child has a mouth or not. Naturally, she used to tell yes. Then Vararuchi used to ask her to leave the child there are continue the journey. According to him, the God who gave mouth to the child will certainly provide food also.

Panchami became so sad. Although she gave birth to eleven children none are with her. So, she decided to tell a lie when she got pregnant next time and delivered the child. When Vararuchi asked, she told that the child did not have a mouth. To her shock her words became true and the child did not have a mouth. Scared with this, she told the truth. Vararuchi take the twelfth son to a nearby hillock and placed him there. Soon the boy turned to an idol and it is the present day ‘Vayilla kunnilappan’ or the god without a mouth who sits on a hillock who has been worshipped widely in northern Kerala.

All other eleven children have been adopted by different people belonging to different casts and brought up as persons belonging to the respective cast. Just after passing their teenage, they all came to understand the truth and used to assemble at the house of their eldest brother Agnihotri, who is a Brahmin to do annual rituals for their dead father.