Madhumala, the Story: 2
Madankumar never had an intension to listen to anyone. With his fleet with fourteen boats, he set off on a voyage to find out Madhumala’s land. The fleet sailed and sailed and sailed. All on the sudden, a violent storm broke out in the middle of the sea. All his people were washed away, all the boats with the sailors capsized; a huge wave carried Madan away from his ship. His persistent loud lament “O Madhumala — my Madhumala!” was still being heard — he was being tossed by the high turbulent waves.
The storm continued even after seven days and seven nights. Floating and crying and relentlessly muttering Madhumala’s name, Madankumar lost consciousness. After thirteen nights, the stormy waves changed into tidal waves. Tidal waves carried unconscious Madan to seashore in an unknown land.
There were grazing lands close to the shore where cowherds used to come with cattle. One of those boys found him lying on the sand. He cried, “Brothers! Come here fast! The moon from the sky has fallen on the bank today!”
All of the boys gathered there. What did they see? “No, this cannot be the moon. He has hands and feet. This could be a god — perhaps fell down from heaven while fighting with other gods; or this is a god emerged direct from the sea. The terrified cowherds rushed back to village to inform everyone about their discovery. Villagers crowded in the sea-shore to see that fallen god, which could be either the moon from the sky or the god from under the ground. But there was an intelligent milkman among them. He said, “We are mistaken. This must be a human. Either this is a prince or a trader, might have fallen into trouble in the sea-route.
The milkman’s effort brought Madan back to sense. He opened his eyes, “What is name of this place?”
“O my fate! I went a-hunting first
Failed, I slept in forest accursed;
With Madhumala I dreamt my first romance
Taking fourteen boats drawn by mesmeric trance
I set off on voyage to find her out -
Hurting my loving parents devout.
Shall I see you again my love?
My tears tell my story of truelove.”
Everyone was convinced that he would be the foretold husband of the princess of that land.
The princess Champakala was beautiful and knowledgeable. She had finished reading Mahabharat and all Purans. Her father, King Champaman invited many princes from many other kingdoms to marry her, but none could answer her quarries regarding Sastras. She could not be married as no suitable match was found. After a long wait, Champakala had informed her father, “Father, none of these princes are fit to be my husband. My husband will be the one who will come on his own chanting the name of ‘Madhumala”.
The king’s announcement reached every corner of the kingdom. Everyone came to know the name of Madhumala. Hence the moment they heard the name from the mouth of the frantic Madan, in no time they escorted him to the royal palace.
The princess was engaged in reading Puran. She heard someone crying “O Madhumala — my Madhumala!” Leaving her books she rushed to her father before whom the prince was brought. She said, “Yes father, this is my husband. He is being carried by high tide of love, who would be able to keep him home forever? Please arrange my marriage with him today.”
The wedding was celebrated with great pomp. Everyone in the palace was happy like never before.
As they met in their bedchamber on the wedding night, the gorgeous princess asked the prince “What is your name, dear husband?”
Madan answered, “I am Madankumar. I will go to the land where Madhumala stays.”
“I know, dear husband, but you have married me. Tell me one thing — would you look after me in future?”
Madan said, “Yes, I can look after you. If I find my Madhumala one day and return to homeland with her, I will take you too as one of my queens.”
The doe-eyed princess prepared her auspicious goodbye-tray with ghee and sandal. Taking vermillion from own forehead, she drew a dot on her husband’s and said, “After seven rivers stays another princess Panchakala. Go to her — she will give you the direction to reach Madhumala.”
“Well, you stay here till I come back!” — saying this, Madankumar left the palace long before dawn. He started walking along the banks of the seven rivers.
*****
He walked and walked — he saw someone on the way — a sentry.
Madan asked, “Could you tell me where the kingdom of Panchkala is? I will go there to find a trace of my Madhumala.”
Soon, the guard brought palanquin, carriage, carriers and many other sentries to escort him. They all knew this unknown man would be the husband of their princess.
The lotus-eyed princess Panchkala was doing a Brata. She got up the moment she heard the “O Madhumala — my Madhumala!” Crying, she too ran to her father to tell, “Look father, this is my husband. But the god is on his mission, we won’t be able to keep him here. Arrange my marriage with him today. “
“So be it.” Telling this, the king called his employees and servants. Finding an auspicious moment that day he arranged the marriage in festive mood. The chamber for the newlywed was bedecked with incense, camphor and five ghee-lamps. Panchakala asked, “Dear husband, won’t you share your mind with me?”
Madan had question too, “Do you know the trace of my Madhumala?”
The princess said, “I understand your pain. I will tell you about her. But you are my husband, my last hope of life. I am your housekeeper married to you — tell me, would you support my living?”
Madan answer, “Well, I will.
If I can return my kingdom taking my Madhumala along,
I promise I will support your living lifelong.”
The lotus-eyes princess lighted five wicks of the ghee-lamp in her auspicious tray. Washing her husband’s feet with the water from the golden pot she said, “But dear husband, I won’t be able to tell you the whereabouts of Madhumala; another princess Chandrakala will be able to. Please wait till dawn — I will send some people with you to make your difficult journey easier.”
Madan denied, “I do not want people with me. Wait looking at the road through which I will walk down. Someday I will come back.”
Like the sun-god on the way to morning, he took the path along with banks of seven rivers.
*****
He walked and walked again. Out of the blue, he saw another person blocking his road! Who was that? — The king Chandraban, the one who was the master of that kingdom.
Madan asked him, “Is this the way towards the kingdom of Chandrakala? Which route will lead me to the place where my Madhumala lives?”
Eight thousand palanquins, carts and carriages were ready; the king escorted the prince to the royal palace.
Sweet-eyed Chandrakala was waiting taking the welcome tray, garlands in hand, accompanied by her maids. Hearing the guest chanting the name of Madhumala, the princess arrived before him brightening the court with the luster of her beauty. Garlanding the prince, she said to her father. “You are free from your duty today; I belong to him now. Arrange whatever pleasantries and gifts you would like to offer him.”
Music of joy overflowed the palace. Prince and princess retired in their chamber to spend their first night together. The bed was bedecked with flowers, sweet fragrance filled the chamber. The princess said, “Your Madhumala will be yours soon. Tell me if five lamps of this maid’s room will be still alight.”
Madan answered, “My princess, five lamps of your chamber will give light for ever like eternal moonlight. Please let me know where my Madhumala lives.”
The princess continued, “Dear husband, I know you will always look after me.” The prince promised:
“With my Madhumala once I return home –
I promise you I will take you along.”
For her husband, the sweet-eyed princess prepared payes on the flame of the lamp taking flavoured rice from her welcome-tray; said, “Do not accept any of the gems and jewels and materials my father will gift you. Demand only the peacock residing on the top of the golden temple.”
The night was over. The palace was overwhelmed with joy. The king placed piles of gems, jewelry and all precious gifts before his daughter and son-in-law in the court. But Madan said, “The sight of all these gifts you offered me pleases me, but I won’t take any of these. I want only the peacock that you have on the peak of your golden temple.”
The king ordered his people to bring that. In no time people brought it breaking the crown of the temple.
Champ-chomp-gulp! The queen and princes served Madan eighteen items within a short while. On an auspicious moment, sitting on the golden peacock, he set off for Madhumala’s land.
The peacock flew in the sky.
*****
Did we forget what happened in Madhumala’s land?
At daybreak after that night, the parrots in her cage began talking, the court drummers started beating the drums, her maids entered her chamber to find flowers scattered everywhere and her bed displaced. The brooms and brushes slipped from their hands, the princess’s attendants looked nervous. The parrot Shuk asked, “What happened? What?” Also the parrot named Sari repeated, “What happened? What?”
None knew what could have happened that had displaced everything inside the room. The horrified attendants wake the princess up. Opening her eyes Madhumala murmured, “How strange my Madankumar dressed! Oh my prince, what did you do? Did you put out all lamps of the room only to illuminate the room by own glory?”
Madhumala lost her awareness so far that she could not recognize own attendants. The worried girls asked, “What are you telling princess? Who is the prince?”
Madhumala replied, “First you forget yourself and then you ask me!”
The girls told, “Princess, we are friends — what are you telling? Wake up from your dream; see the parrots talking. If you talk like that, your parrots with fly away scared. We wish to end our lives in the sea if you talk like this!”
They did not know Madhumala had completely lost her senses. She sang:
“O prince, my prince, let us go where you ocean is.
Wherever your bed is, I will find there my bliss.”
The disheveled princess lost consciousness again in the lap of her red-attendant and black-attendant. The red was worried that god of fate had written something wrong in the royal family’s fate.
The no-nonsense black said, “We need the mist of the dawn, the cleanest water collected from the lotus-leaves, and the morning breeze illuminated by the sun to bring her into consciousness. I am taking her to the garden. You write a letter to the king.”
As the morning shined, the honey-bees came near the flowers in the garden, the palace guards started loitering noisy, and a letter was sent to the king. The mist of the dawn, the cleanest water collected from the lotus-leaves, and the morning breeze illuminated by the sun brought the princess back into senses. Sitting on her bed, she saw the golden morning light shimmering on the sea outside her window. But she runs to the sea stretching her hands:
“Prince, my Prince, why are you in the ocean so far -
While you had to open this anklet of mine shackling me here?”
Poor Madhumala! She was mistaking plants, ocean, stones — everything in her sight as her Prince. She was lost forever — fainted again.
The king and queen hurried in — executed palace guards. People from his court rushed to the palace — but Madhumala did not open her eyes that she closed not seeing her prince around.
Everyone began wailing — entire kingdom began shedding tears - all the subjects began mourning their loved princess’s miserable state.
Deceiving thousands of eyes, Bidhi has sneaked in her room
Who brought such a dream in her eyes spelling her doom?
Only palace floats in the ocean; princess floats inside –
On the ocean of tears shed by everyone there alike.
Where is the Rahu gone, breaking into the palace -
Eating our moon, leaving her in a state hapless?
*****
Days passed, the shine in the moon did not return. Flowers bloomed in the gardens but without fragrance. The princess breathed but never giggled. The king in tears ordered, “What shall I do now? Demolish the walls of my golden palace, open all its doors, guard the place day and night- let us wait. Whoever the prince is, if he comes back, my Madhumala might be alive again.
After his servants pulled down the walls and the golden temple which was highest peak of the palace, opened the doors and windows and deployed guards everywhere, the king sent message to all his neighbouring kingdoms — “I will gift him my kingdom along with my princess — if the prince Madankumar comes back.”
They kept on waiting — and waiting.
*****
The night was dark and silent — as if someone had poured black ink on the sky and the hell alike.
All on a sudden, the sky was illuminated as if thousands of lamps were lighted together. Even before people had time to wink their eyes, the thousand blazing planets came on top of the palace. The night guards fainted.
What happened in the sky on the other hand? Madankumar sitting on the thousand gemstone-studded wings of his priceless peacock which illuminated entire sky, found no trace of the temple. He became numb — and then — cried revealing the grief of the entire world:
“Tell me sky, tell me dear ocean -
Who has stolen my life’s gemstone -
Mistaking her as the moon of Lakshmi
Took my Madhumala away from me?”
*****
Hearing his voice mourning for her, Madhumala woke up, crying:
“Prince, my Prince, why are you in the ocean so far -
While you had to open this anklet of mine shackling me here?”
Madhumala hurtled toward the sound, she fell down. Hitting her head against the golden wall of the palace she fell on the ground.
Moving the sky and pushing the air, the peacock rider Prince descended in her chamber.
*****
The king came running, also the queen came running. All of palace dwellers came running. But the princess was not opening the door.
The King called out, “Madhumala, my child! She replied, “I will open only if you promise whatever I want.”
The King promised. As she opened the door, everyone found two stars together — as if the moon of the full-moon night and the morning sun sparkling together. One half of the kingdom thought, they were experiencing a full-moon night. They played their conch shells and lighted lamps in their homes. The other half of the kingdom assumed the hour to be a bright morning. They cleaned their courtyard and took the bullocks to the fields.
Right that moment a letter arrived from the land of King Dandadhar. What was written there?
“There was a prince Madan who lived inside stone palace for twelve years.
Goddess of fate betrayed as the door was opened three days before time appeared.
The beautiful Madan came out from under the ground.
Not listening to anyone he went hunting — did not find game, instead had a dream.
Taking fourteen boats along with his ship he went on voyage following his fate.
The king still looks at the road, his eyes hazy with tears.
Two kingdoms devastated — only for one prince.”
The kingdom of Tambul started celebrating as soon as they came to know what was written in the letter. Every home was decorated with colourful flag, an auspicious pot in front placed in front of every home, the roads were decorated with bejeweled canopies and aromatic flowers. Cheerful king sent a letter to King Dandadhar with the good news. The dhak and flute players began playing music of joy and happiness. Under the canopy of love and abundance, the prince and princess exchanged garlands. Seeing the beautiful couple unite pleased every one of the heaven and earth and underearth. Subjects of the kingdom enjoyed every kind of delicacies for thirteen nights and twelve days. Giving a dowry of jewelry, precious stones, silk, kingdom with its land and rivers, lakes and canals, the Tambul king and queen gave their daughter and son-in-law a splendid send-off. People from entire kingdom crowded before the palace when Madhumala and Madankumar flew towards the sky sitting on the golden peacock.
The kingdom of Tambul, devoid of the sparkling planets they had treasured so far, went under the shadow of the dark moon night.
*****
Soon the golden peacock crossed mountains and plateaus, rivers and lakes; then it crossed the sea. As it was flying above Chandrakala’s land, Chandrakala saw them from her palace.
“Sister Madhumala, come down — let us sit on the same palanquin for sometime.”
Madhumala asked the prince, “Who calls me?”
“One sister of yours.”
“Let us take her along.” — upon her words, the peacock came down. The King welcomed them. After three days and three nights, three of them together started their journey towards Madan’s home sitting on the peacock. On their way, they stopped for Panchakala and Champakala too same way.
*****
The king Dandadhar, his queen Pateswari along with their courtiers and servants and maids and attendants were spending their days and nights looking at the sky. Their joy knew no bound when one day they spotted a golden peacock carrying Madankumar with the four princesses in the sky. Like the sun rises in east with goddesses of directions –
The golden carriage with the prince with princesses was seen in the sky.
They were all eager to welcome the peacock-riding son of Ujani-nagar along with his wives.
Within moments the peacock came down on earth. Madankumar jumped at the feet of his parents, asked for their pardon for his forgetting them for so long.
Happiness reigned everywhere. The palace dressed up in euphoric lights. On an auspicious day the prince was declared as crown prince amidst joyous celebration in the royal court. The flag of prosperity flew there forever. The reign of the King Dandadhar surrounded by his queens, son, daughter-in-laws and grandchildren was extended through four yugas.
“What shall we see — what is left there to see
Bidhi had created the sun and moon -
Both of them came here as her boon
We the sisters will dance here with jubilant glee.”
Singing this song, the two fairy sisters, Time-fairy and Sleep-fairy came to dance in the court of Dandadhar leaving Indra’s job.
