47 - A Series of Unhappy Events

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Muni narrates a tale of love, betrayal, and tragedy from Tamil Nadu. Kagi's trust in her husband Kovalan is tested when he befriends Madavi, a fellow poet, leading to a series of misunderstandings and heartbreak. A stolen royal anklet accusation results in Kovalan's execution, and Kagi's curse brings about the city's downfall. The story, from the ancient poem 'Saram,' highlights themes of loyalty, justice, and the power of poetry.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The podcast 'Stories from India' narrates myths, legends, and folktales from India, hosted by a character named Narad Muni.
• 💖 The story revolves around a couple, Kanagi and Kovalan, whose marriage faces challenges due to Kovalan's infidelity and poor decision-making.
• 📚 The narrative begins with a poetry festival, where Kovalan impresses the crowd and engages in a poetry duel with Madavi, leading to mutual respect and eventual betrayal.
• 💔 Kanagi experiences heartbreak when she discovers Kovalan's deceit and his affair with Madavi, but she holds on to the belief in her husband's potential for change.
• 🏆 A second poetry festival becomes a turning point, where misunderstandings and accusations in poems lead to the end of Kovalan and Madavi's relationship.
• 🛑 Financial strain results from Kovalan's irresponsible behavior, leaving the couple bankrupt and in need of a fresh start.
• 🚫 Kovalan's reputation is so tarnished that he cannot even buy a cup of coffee on credit in their village.
• 💎 Kanagi sacrifices her sentimental gold anklet with diamonds to fund their new venture, demonstrating her commitment to their marriage.
• 🛍️ Kovalan sells the anklet to the Royal Jeweler, unaware of its royal origins and the ensuing trouble it will cause.
• 👑 A case of mistaken identity leads to Kovalan's arrest and execution, as the anklet is mistaken for one belonging to the queen.
• ⛔️ Kanagi's desperate plea to the king fails to save Kovalan, and in her grief and rage, she curses the city and the king.
• 🔥 The story concludes with the fulfillment of Kanagi's curse, the city's destruction, and the king's repentance, with a note on the Chola and Pandia dynasties' contrasting justice systems.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about discussing myths, legends, and folktales from India.

Who is the host of 'Stories from India' podcast?

The host of 'Stories from India' is Narad Muni, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

What is the main theme of the story discussed in the podcast episode?

The main theme of the story is heartbreak, loyalty, betrayal, misunderstanding, poor decision-making, and revenge.

What is the significance of the poetry festival in the story?

The poetry festival is significant as it is the setting where Kovalan meets Madavi, leading to a series of events that cause a rift in his marriage.

Why did Kanagi initially trust Kovalan despite his suspicious behavior?

Kanagi initially trusted Kovalan due to her misplaced sense of faith in her husband.

How did Kovalan and Madavi's relationship end?

Their relationship ended after a misunderstanding during a poetry festival, where both changed their poems to reflect hurt and betrayal, leading to a wide rift between them.

What was the turning point for Kovalan and Kanagi's financial situation?

The turning point was when they ran out of cash due to Kovalan's irresponsible behavior, leading them to consider starting a new life in Madurai.

What was Kanagi's backup plan to start a new business in Madurai?

Kanagi's backup plan was to sell a pure gold anklet with diamonds inside, which had sentimental value as it belonged to her mother.

Why was Kovalan arrested after selling the anklet?

Kovalan was arrested on charges of having stolen the Queen's anklet, as the one he sold was identical to the Queen's, which led to a case of mistaken identity.

What was the tragic outcome of the misunderstanding involving the anklet?

The tragic outcome was that Kovalan was beheaded, and Kanagi, unable to bear the loss, cursed the city and the King, eventually passing away as well.

What is the historical context of the story discussed in the podcast?

The story is part of a poem called 'Saram,' written about 1500 years ago during the time of the Chola Dynasty, and it contrasts Chola justice with Pandya justice.

What changes are being made to the podcast format based on feedback?

The podcast will change the format of the midweek episodes to include a story instead of a character of the week, starting from the next midweek episode.

What is the source of the music used in the podcast?

The music is sourced from Purple Planet, a website that provides royalty-free music.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Introduction to Stories from India Podcast

The podcast 'Stories from India' is introduced by the host, Narad Muni, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and omniscience. He is a traveling musician and storyteller who uses the podcast medium to narrate tales from India. The episode's focus is on a story from Tamil Nadu involving themes of heartbreak, loyalty, betrayal, and misunderstanding. The story revolves around a couple, Kanagi and Kovalan, whose marriage faces challenges due to Kovalan's infidelity and poor decision-making, leading to a tragic series of events.

05:02

💔 The Unfaithful Husband and the Poetry Duel

Kanagi and Kovalan's marriage begins to deteriorate as Kovalan becomes infatuated with Madavi, a skilled poet, after a poetry festival. Despite initial bliss, Kovalan's deceit and frequent visits to Madavi create a rift in their relationship. Kanagi, however, remains trusting and oblivious to her husband's betrayal. The situation escalates when Kovalan and Madavi engage in a poetry duel, which ends in a tie, further deepening Kovalan's respect for Madavi and his estrangement from Kanagi.

10:02

🏆 The Misunderstanding at the Poetry Festival and Its Aftermath

At another poetry festival, misunderstandings and hurt feelings lead to the end of Kovalan and Madavi's relationship. Madavi's poem about unfaithfulness is misinterpreted by Kovalan, who believes he is being accused. In response, he alters his poem, causing heartbreak for Madavi. The misunderstanding results in a complete breakdown of communication between them. Kovalan returns home, but his financial irresponsibility has left the couple in a dire situation, forcing them to consider starting anew in Madurai.

15:04

💎 The Anklet's Tale and the Tragic Consequence

In Madurai, Kanagi and Kovalan attempt to start over by selling a precious anklet to fund their new venture. However, the anklet is mistakenly identified as the stolen property of the queen, leading to Kovalan's arrest and wrongful execution. Kanagi's desperate attempt to rectify the situation at the palace reveals the truth but is too late to save her husband. The king's attempt to compensate for the mistake and the tragic end of the couple's life together is highlighted, along with the city's eventual downfall as foretold by Kanagi's curse.

📜 Historical Context and Podcast Format Update

The story is revealed to be part of the ancient Tamil poem 'Saram,' written about 1500 years ago by a prince who became a monk. The poem, which means 'The Story of an Anklet,' highlights the central character of Kanagi and her tragic tale. The historical context of the Chola Dynasty and the Pandyans is provided, along with the significance of the city of Madurai and its temple. The podcast's format is announced to be updated in response to listener feedback, with midweek episodes featuring stories instead of character highlights.

Keywords

💡Narad Muni

Narad Muni is a mythological character from Hindu mythology known for his eternal life and omniscience. In the context of the video, he serves as the host of the podcast 'Stories from India,' guiding listeners through various Indian myths and legends. His role is to provide the narrative and connect the stories to the audience.

💡Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state in the southern part of India known for its rich cultural heritage and history. The script mentions a story from Tamil Nadu, which is central to the narrative of the video, highlighting the region's folklore and its significance in the story of Kanagi and Kovalan.

💡Heartbreak

Heartbreak refers to the intense emotional pain caused by an unrequited love or the end of a relationship. In the video, the theme of heartbreak is explored through the story of Kanagi and Kovalan's marriage, which deteriorates due to Kovalan's infidelity and eventual tragic end.

💡Loyalty

Loyalty is the quality of being faithful and committed to someone or something. The concept is evident in Kanagi's unwavering belief in her husband, despite his betrayal, which is a key element in the story and contributes to the emotional depth of the narrative.

💡Betrayal

Betrayal is the act of breaking a promise or the trust that someone has placed in you. In the script, Kovalan's betrayal of Kanagi through his affair with Madavi is a pivotal moment that drives the story and leads to the tragic consequences.

💡Misunderstanding

A misunderstanding occurs when the intended meaning of a message is not correctly interpreted. In the video, a significant misunderstanding arises during a poetry festival, where Madavi's poem is misinterpreted by Kovalan, leading to further conflict and the eventual rift between him and Madavi.

💡Poetry Festival

A poetry festival is an event celebrating poetry, often featuring poets and their works. In the script, the poetry festival serves as a backdrop for key events, including the initial encounter between Kovalan and Madavi and the misunderstanding that leads to their separation.

💡Madurai

Madurai is a city in Tamil Nadu known for its historical significance and textile industry. In the video, it is suggested as a new beginning for Kanagi and Kovalan, symbolizing hope and change, although their story takes a tragic turn before they can establish themselves there.

💡Anklet

An anklet is a piece of jewelry worn around the ankle. In the script, the anklet holds significant sentimental value for Kanagi and becomes a pivotal object in the story, leading to a series of unfortunate events, including Kovalan's arrest and execution.

💡Curse

A curse is a wish or invocation for harm or misfortune to befall someone or something. In the video, Kanagi's curse on the king and the city of Madurai after her husband's wrongful execution is a powerful moment that underscores the theme of revenge and the tragic consequences of the story.

💡Chola Dynasty

The Chola Dynasty was a medieval Indian dynasty that ruled over southern India for over 1600 years. The script mentions this dynasty to provide historical context to the story of Kanagi and Kovalan, emphasizing the cultural and historical richness of the narrative.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' with host Narad Money, a mythological character with eternal life and omniscience.

The story of Kanagi and Kovalan from Tamil Nadu, involving themes of heartbreak, loyalty, betrayal, and revenge.

Kanagi's unwavering faith in her husband, despite early signs of trouble in their marriage.

The pivotal role of a poetry festival in the deterioration of Kanagi and Kovalan's relationship.

The introduction of Madavi, a poet who engages in a duel with Kovalan, leading to mutual respect and eventual betrayal.

Kanagi's discovery of Kovalan's infidelity and her emotional turmoil as a result.

The impact of Kovalan's irresponsible behavior on their financial stability and the subsequent crisis.

The second poetry festival where misunderstandings and hurtful poems lead to the end of Kovalan and Madavi's affair.

Kanagi's acceptance of Kovalan's return and her optimism for a fresh start in their marriage.

The plan to move to Madurai and start a new life with the help of Kanagi's gold and diamond anklet.

The tragic misunderstanding that leads to Kovalan selling the Queen's anklet, resulting in his arrest.

Kanagi's desperate attempt to clear Kovalan's name and the shocking revelation of the mistaken identity of the anklet.

The irreversible consequences of the king's hasty judgment and the execution of Kovalan.

Kanagi's curse on the city and the king, leading to their downfall.

The historical context of the story from the poem 'Saram,' written during the Chola Dynasty.

The significance of the Minakshi Temple in Madurai and its connection to the goddess Parvati.

Announcement of changes to the podcast format, including a shift to storytelling in midweek episodes.

Upcoming story from the Panchatantra, illustrating the moral of not counting chickens before they hatch.

Invitation for audience feedback and subscription to the podcast for new episode notifications.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

hello and welcome to stories from India

a podcast where we talk about myths

Legends and folktales from

India I'm your host narad money and I'm

a mythological character myself

I have the gift of eternal life and

knowledge of the past the present and

the

future by profession I'm a traveling

musician and a

Storyteller so the way I'm doing my job

is by

podcast this week we are going to talk

about a story from Tamil

Nadu it's about heartbreak

loyalty

betrayal

misunderstanding really poor decision

making and revenge served warm and

toasty rather than ice

cold so let's

begin kagi waited at home for her

husband kovalan to

return but just like every other day it

was a pointless wait it hadn't been long

since their wedding

but their marriage was already turning

SAR it had started quite well actually

they had just returned from their

honeymoon they had snorkled in the

underbars shared a warm hot chocolate

while riding a horse carriage through a

park and brought lots of stuff from the

souvenir

stalls they got off the ship and kovalan

carried his bride over the the threshold

of their

home everything was still great as they

settled into their domestic

life they even tolerated each other's

cooking and then the rift

began and this happened at a poetry

Festival while one school of thought has

it that poetry festivals are generally

boring this one featured some of the

most well-known Tamil

poets kanagi wasn't much of a poet but

kin was he dazzled the crowd with one

poem after another that he just compos

on the

Fly And Then There appeared a

lady

madavi she was as much an expert at

poetry as

kovalan the two had a bit of a

duel a poetry duel which finally ended

in a tie and left each person deeply

respectful of the

other kanagi should have seen this as

the first sign of the trouble to

come but she had a misplaced sense of

faith in her

husband the next evening when kovalan

claimed that it was poker night with his

buddies kanagi did not even suspect that

he was sneaking off to visit

madavi but after a

while when for the seventh evening in a

row kovalan asked her not to wait up for

him she suspected something might be up

she followed him one

evening when she found out that mavi's

house had definitely not been hosting

poker parties every night her heart was

broken she prayed for a change in him

but day after day he continued to

disappoint

her he would return home in the morning

drunk call into to work sick and sleep

it off till the

evening and then he'd go to madavi

again if a routine like that makes you

wonder how they were running the

household it's a real good question

because very soon they ran out of

cash at this point normally you'd expect

the wife to do something about an

Unfaithful

husband but kanagi held on to her belief

that they were still good in

him if you've seen the Star Wars movies

this may remind you of the Queen's faith

in Darth

Vader even after he killed all those

people

finally one day their life changed

again and just like last time this

happened at another poetry

Festival Ki decided to sit this one

out and kovin went with madavi of

course he said to her honey bunny wait

till you hear my poem you love it

I was thinking of you when I wrote

it pumpkin pie wait till you hear mine

it's about you as well she

replied madavi recited her poem

first it was about a boy who had been

unfaithful to the girl he

loved she definitely had covalin in mind

when she wrote it but the girl in the

poem wasn't mother it was kanagi that

she had in

mind but kovalan did not realize that he

quietly assumed that madavi was silently

accusing him of having cheated on

her it's a little silly how the

alternative explanation that didn't pop

into his head but it just

didn't maybe he should have been

sober well two can play this game he

thought he changed his own poem he had

written it about madavi but now he

changed it to be about a girl who hurt

the boy she

loved and that broke poor mavi's

heart the rift between these two was

suddenly so wide that kovalan and madavi

did not even look at each other

anymore at this this point kovalan had

no choice but to return home he couldn't

very well stay with one of his poker

buddies who didn't actually

exist and he couldn't possibly go to

madav after what had

happened that alone should tell you that

kovalan and mavi's romance was doomed to

fail if a couple doesn't even talk out

their differences to clear what might

simply be a

misunderstanding they are very unlikely

to be

successful now in a moment that may have

us all collectively face spamming kanagi

took kovalan

in she completely believed koval's

claims that he was now reformed and he

would never speak to madavi

again he said he would immerse himself

into earning money for

them

but it was now too late for them in this

Village weeks of partying without a

steady income had left kovalan

bankrupt his credit rating in the

village was so low that they wouldn't

even let him buy a cup of coffee on

credit the only way out was to start in

a completely new

place how about madurai suggested

kovalan it's well known for textiles

said

kanagi you could buy some material and

setup shop I can help you make

cloth but we need some money to get us

started how do we buy the raw material

and a loom asked

kovalan now if someone has lied to you

every day and taken money from home and

blown it all away on someone else

you might not want to immediately trust

them with

more but

kanagi did she revealed her backup of a

backup

plan she took off an anklet and gave it

to kovalan to

sell it's pure gold with diamonds inside

she said you should be able to fetch a

pretty penny with

this fantastic said kovalan failing to

notice the utter expression of loss on

his wife's face the anklet had held

sentimental value to the girl it had

been her

mother's but kanagi if the diamonds are

completely within the anklet and can't

be

seen will a prospective buyer even

believe they're

there they will kovalan here's the

certificate from the Jewelers who made

it

what's more all of these diamonds are

Kimberly process certified no blood

diamonds

here kovalan agreed that that was

probably enough to convince prospective

buyers they headed off towards Maday the

next morning and made it there in good

time kagi was

optimistic yes she had had lots of

trouble with her husband she had to deal

with a lot of love

eyes and she knew that ultimately

kovalan had returned to her only because

he was annoyed with madavi and not

because he had remembered his vows to

kanagi but she was willing to give that

marriage another

chance hers wasn't just a guarded

optimism either she was thrilled and she

immersed herself into thinking positive

thoughts about their new life together

kovalan went off to the market to sell

the anklet while kanagi stayed at their

new

home an abandoned little Hut at the edge

of the

village a few hours later kovalan

returned with sacks of groceries and

lots of material for their new

Venture and a big smile on his

face I got a great deal for the anklet

he told

kanagi I sold it to the Royal Jeweler

himself he paused and

continued it was funny how the Jeweler

kept asking me if it belonged to someone

Royal I laughed it off by saying it

belonged to my

Queen haha

oh he stopped suddenly as a bunch of

soldiers stormed into their Hut

are you the one who sold an anklet to

the Royal Jeweler asked one of the

soldiers when kovalan nodded they

arrested him and began reading him his

Rights kovalan was told he had the right

to remain

silent and he was silent if only out of

shock what what what has he what has he

even done asked kagi

you'll have to take it up with the King

said the

soldier believe me I will she said and

stormed off to the Palace just as she

was she wasn't very presentable at the

moment but kanagi couldn't be bothered

by all that she had her priorities set

right she got to the Palace but had to

wait in line for an audience with the

King

after a few hours when she finally had a

chance she jumped into the

problem what has my husband

done the minister who had a huge book

open in front of him scroll down to the

case and

found kovalan here got it arrested today

on charges of having stolen the Queen's

anklet the queen

anklet that was my anklet that he

sold where is this anklet that he is

said to have

stolen the article exhibit a was

immediately brought

forward kagi slipped off the anklet off

of her other foot and held it up next to

exhibit

a they were

identical but then what about the queen

anlet it asked the

king at this point the queen decided it

would be wise to

interject I'm not missing an anklet dear

she showed her ankles and there was an

anklet on

each oh my God said the

king but but um we can set this right

Ki I'll make sure you and your husband

are

compensated

you needed seed money to set up your

Enterprise I'll provide it no harm no F

all water under the bridge and fault on

both sides and all that okay he

asked kagi didn't say

anything the king cleared his throat and

ordered a guard to release kovalan

immediately and to bring him

here the guard

asked do do you want me to bring just

his head or both the head and the

body that shocked

everyone but the punishment for the

non-existent crime had already been

carried

out

kovalan had been

beheaded kagi did not cry she flew into

a rage she cursed the king and the City

Justice you call this i' take Kafka any

day but for now I'll make you

pay this city will perish and you King

will become a

dervish not bad she thought to

herself maybe she was getting the hang

of this poetry thing that seemed to be

all the rage these

days but there was weren't any more

poetry festivals in her

future unable to Bear the loss of her

husband Ki passed on as

well but her final moments were

happy as she thought she would soon be

joining her husband in the

afterlife the city of maduray did perish

in a fire and the King died

repentant the the queen probably

deserves credit for Reviving The textile

industry by selling one of the unstolen

anklets just as kanagi had

done that's all for this

episode some notes on the

show this story is part of a poem called

saram written about 1500 years ago it

was written by a prince who became a

monk and no I'm not referring to the

budha the name

saram means the story of an

anklet the anklet plays an important

role but frankly I think it should have

been called the story of

kanagi she's the central

character there are many statues of

kanagi in Tamil Nadu check out some of

the links in the show

notes the poem was composed during the

time of the Chola

Dynasty if you haven't heard about this

dynasty it is one of the longest ruling

in world history having ruled for over

1600

years the king who ordered the execution

was part of the pandia

dynasty the poem has the young couple

move from the Chola Empire to the p AA

one and there's a bit of a theme Here of

Chola Justice contrasted with panda

Justice the city of Maday is a real one

it's well known for its minakshi

Temple minakshi is an avatar of Parvati

whom we have encountered before on this

podcast we'll continue to do more

stories of

her that's all I have for this week

in response to some of the feedback I've

received I'll be changing the format of

the show a little

bit on the midweek episodes we'll no

longer be doing characters of the week

we'll instead do a story so I don't

sound as boring as a Wikipedia

article and this will be in effect from

the very next midweek

episode this Wednesday night/ Thursday

we'll do a story from the panchatantra

it's a story about building Castles in

the Air and counting your chickens

before they are

hatched if you have comments or

suggestions please leave a comment or a

review on the site SFI podcast.com or

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episodes thanks to all of you listeners

for your continued support and your

feedback the music is from purp

planet.com that's

purple-planet.com I'll see you next

[Music]

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