Kottarakkara Chandra Shekharan, the Elephant with a difference (Part II)

Kottarakkara Chandrashekharan and his generosity

Chnadrashekharan started living in Kottarakkara. One Ramsar has been appointed as his mahout and one Kochu Kunju has been appointed as Ramassar’s assistant. The relation between Ramassar and Chandrashekhar was a father-son relation. Ramassar has treated Chandrashekaran as his own son and in return Chandrashekharan respected Ramassar as his father. However, Kochu Kunju has only the status of a servant in the mind of Chandrashekhar. People of Kottarakkara loved Chandrashekharan so much that they demanded to keep him at least for one day at each one’s house. Hence Ramassar will keep Chandrashekharan at some house every day by evening and used to go back to his own house. Next day morning, Kochukunju will come and take Chandrashekharan for a bath either in the temple pond or in the nearby river.

One day, Kochu kunju drank heavily in the night and he could not turn up on time the next day. By the time Ramassar reached near Chndrashekharan, he was fully covered with dust and sweat. The sight really saddened Ramassar. He took Chandrashekharan for a bath. On the way, they met Kochu Kunju. Angry with the behavior of Kochu Kunju, Ramassar scolded him. Kochu Kunju was not in a position to repent on his acts but started fighting with Ramassar. This made Chandrashekhar furious. He came forward and held Kochu Kunju with his huge trunk. Even before Ramassar could stop him, Chandrashekharan threw Kochu Kunju to a huge tree standing nearby. He died on the spot. However, Ramassar too got slapped with the trunk unknowingly and became unconscious. Realizing this fact, Chandrashekharan got worried. He took Ramassar to a nearby house. He kept Ramassar under a shadow and went to a nearby well. One Muslim lady was taking water from the well and filling her pot. Seeing the elephant coming near, she got scared and hid in a nearby bush. Chandrashekharan lifted the pot with water and came near Ramassar. He took water from the pot with his trunk and sprayed on the face of Ramassar. Ramassar woke up from unconsciousness.

By the time Chandrashekharan was thirsty. He went near the well with the pot. The Muslim lady was watching everything hiding inside the bush. Chandrashekharan waited there. Understanding the situation, Ramassar expressed his inability to come there and to pull water from the well loudly. Hearing his words, the Muslim lady came out of the water and filled the pot with water from the well. Chandrashekharan had three pots of water and left the place holding Ramassar in his trunk.

One day after this incident, a person from Kottarakkara presented Chandrashekharan with four bunches of bananas. He kept the best one aside and ate the rest. Then he took the one bunch which he kept aside to the house of the Muslim lady who served him water when he was thirsty. At that time her hut was gutting under fire and nobody was there inside except for three kids. Chandrashekharan went near the hut and pushed the roof which has been caught under huge flames off. Then he entered the hut and took three kids one by one with his trunk and kept them under a tree. When the lady and her husband came back, they realized the entire episode and thanked Chandrashekharan. He presented a bunch of bananas to them. Then he went inside a nearby forest and came back with logs and palm leaves. Using those logs and palm leaves, they reconstructed their house. From that day onwards, Chandrashekharan made it a practice to keep a portion of whatever he is getting aside. Ramassar had to sell it and to handover the money to that Muslim family.

King used to bring Kottarakkara Chandrashekharan for every important festival at Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple at Thiruvananthapuram. When Chandrashekharan visited Thiruvananthapuram after this incident, the King noticed him keeping a portion of everything he receives aside and asked the reason to Ramassar. Ramassar told the king the incident and told him that it is the decision of Chandrashekharan to sell those articles which kept aside and pay the money to that Muslim family. Touched with the kindness and generosity of this animal, the king asked him to have everything and not to keep anything aside. In turn, he promised that he will pay the value of those items which he has kept aside in cash to Ramassar and he in turn will pay the Muslim family. Since then it made a practice for everyone who is presenting Chandrashekharan with rice, coconut leaves or bananas to give an amount to Ramassar. Ramassar, an honest person never took a single paisa from it but used to handover the amount to the Muslim family.