24 - Promises made, hearts broken
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Muni delves into two pivotal events from the Ramayana that significantly impacted Lord Ram's life. The first event recounts King Dasharath's promise to Kaikeyi, his wife, which would later have profound consequences. The second narrates the tragic tale of Shravan, a devoted son whose death by Dasharath's arrow led to a curse of separation from his son. The episode also introduces Sarma, a wolf who taught humans the benefits of dairy farming. The podcast promises to continue with tales of Hanuman and a character from Emperor Akbar's court in the next episode.
Takeaways
- ๐ต The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Muni, a character with eternal life and omniscience.
- ๐บ This week's character, Sarma, is a wolf known for tracking down stolen divine cows, which led to the discovery of dairy products by humans.
- ๐ The podcast coincides with Ram Naami, celebrating Lord Ram's birthday, and discusses events that influenced Ram's life, even before his birth.
- ๐ฎ The first event involves King Dasharath and his wife K, where K's exceptional skills with chariots save Dasharath's life during a battle.
- ๐ K's childhood wish to have a diamond-hard hand is granted by a Rishi, which becomes instrumental during the battle when she uses it as a chariot axle.
- ๐ค Dasharath makes two unconditional promises to K, which she later uses to humorously assert her position in the kingdom.
- ๐ The promises are kept secret, known only to K's nurse, Manthara, who has her own agenda and stores them for future use.
- ๐๏ธ The second event is the tragic story of Shravan, who carries his blind parents on a pilgrimage to purify them for the afterlife.
- ๐น King Dasharath accidentally kills Shravan while hunting, leading to a curse from Shravan's parents that he will be separated from his son and die longing for him.
- ๐ The curse, initially thought to be irrelevant by Dasharath due to having no sons, becomes a tragic prophecy that impacts the rest of the Ramayana.
- ๐ The podcast provides links to holy sites for those interested in the pilgrimage practice, which is still relevant today.
Q & A
Who is the host of the 'Stories from India' podcast?
-The host of the 'Stories from India' podcast is Narad Muni, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.
What is the significance of the color orange in the context of the podcast's story about King Dasharath?
-In the story, wearing a protective orange vest is suggested as a good idea when walking in a hunting zone, possibly to avoid accidents like the one that led to the death of Shravan in the forest.
What is the moral lesson from the story of King Dasharath's promise to Kaikeyi?
-The moral lesson is to be careful with unconditional promises, as they can have unintended consequences. King Dasharath's promise to Kaikeyi led to significant events in the Ramayana.
What is the role of the character Sarma in the story?
-Sarma is a wolf or dog who helped track down stolen divine cows. Her actions are said to have inspired humans to consume cow's milk, leading to the start of the dairy industry.
Why did Shravan's parents want to visit holy sites?
-Shravan's parents, who were old and blind, believed that visiting holy sites would purify them in preparation for the afterlife.
What tragic event occurred in the forest that greatly affected King Dasharath?
-King Dasharath accidentally killed Shravan while hunting in the forest, mistaking him for a deer due to the sound of him drinking water.
What was the curse given to King Dasharath by Shravan's parents?
-Shravan's parents cursed King Dasharath to be separated from his son and to die longing for him after the tragic death of their son at his hands.
What is the significance of the character Hanuman in the Ramayana?
-Hanuman is a significant character in the Ramayana, known for his extraordinary powers and selfless acts. He is compared to Superman in the podcast, highlighting his strength and noble nature.
What is the connection between King Dasharath's hunting incident and the events of the Ramayana?
-The hunting incident and the subsequent curse by Shravan's parents are believed to have greatly influenced Ram's life and are considered a catalyst for the events of the Ramayana.
What is the role of the character Kaikeyi in the Ramayana, and how does it relate to the promises made by King Dasharath?
-Kaikeyi plays a crucial role in the Ramayana, as her demands on the promises made by King Dasharath lead to Ram's exile, which is a pivotal event in the epic.
Outlines
๐ต Introduction to Stories from India Podcast ๐ต
The podcast 'Stories from India' is introduced by the host, Narad Muni, a mythological character with eternal life and omniscience. The podcast delves into Indian myths, legends, and folk tales. The host's profession as a traveling musician and storyteller is highlighted. The episode's focus is on two significant events from the Ramayana involving King Dasharath that influenced Ram's life. The first event is related to a hunting incident where King Dasharath's life is saved by his wife, K, who also teaches humans about the benefits of cows as a source of milk and butter. The second event involves a tragic hunting accident where Dasharath accidentally kills a boy named Shravan, leading to a curse that affects his relationship with his son. The podcast also mentions the celebration of Ram's birthday, Ramnaami, and the chronological placement of these events in relation to previous episodes.
๐น King Dasharath's Unconditional Promises ๐น
In a battle, King Dasharath is saved by his wife, K, who skillfully maneuvers their chariot and even replaces a broken axle with her hand, which was made as hard as diamond by a Rishi. After recovering, Dasharath, in gratitude, makes two unconditional promises to K. She jokingly asks for a hundred more promises and then to be made the queen, but later reassures Dasharath she was only teasing. The promises are written down and kept secret by Kai's nurse, Mantra, setting the stage for future events in the Ramayana.
๐ฒ The Tragic Tale of Shravan and the Curse ๐ฒ
Shravan, a devoted son, embarks on a journey to holy sites with his blind and elderly parents. While fetching water for them, he is mistakenly killed by King Dasharath during a hunting expedition. Dasharath, filled with remorse, brings water to Shravan's parents, who upon learning of their son's death, curse Dasharath to be separated from his son and die longing for him. The parents die shortly after, and Dasharath is left with the burden of their curse, unaware of its future impact on his life.
๐บ The Legend of Sarma and the Divine Cows ๐บ
The character of the week is Sarma, a wolf or dog who is the mother of all dogs and the royal dog-wolf of heaven. Sarma is called upon to track down divine cows stolen by demons. Using her keen sense of smell to follow the scent of the cows' milk, she leads Indra, the king of the gods, to the thieves' hideout. The cows are recovered, and Sarma's actions are said to have inspired humans to consume cow's milk, effectively starting the dairy industry. The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, which will feature Hanuman, a character with extraordinary powers and a selfless nature.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กNarad Muni
๐กRamayan
๐กDasharath
๐กKaikeyi
๐กUnconditional Promises
๐กShravan
๐กCurse
๐กSarma
๐กHanuman
๐กPodcast
Highlights
Introduction of the podcast 'Stories from India' with host Narad Muni, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge of past, present, and future.
Discussion on two significant events from King Dasharath's life that impacted Ram's life.
The importance of wearing protective orange in hunting zones as a safety measure.
The cautionary tale about making unconditional promises and the potential listeners.
Introduction of the character 'Sarma', a wolf who helped humans discover the benefits of cow's milk and butter.
The celebration of Ram Naami, Ram's birthday, and its connection to the events discussed.
The story of King Dasharath's first incident on the battlefield with K, his wife, and her exceptional skills.
K's miraculous hand strength granted by a Rishi, which saved her and Dasharath during a chariot battle.
Dasharath's unconditional promises to K and the humorous request for 100 more promises.
The secret about the promises known only to Mantra, Kai's nurse, and her hidden agenda.
The second incident involving Dasharath's accidental killing of Shravan, a devoted son.
The tragic curse by Shravan's parents that Dasharath would be separated from his son and die longing for him.
The practice of visiting holy sites for purification before the afterlife, still prevalent today.
The story of Sarma's role in recovering divine cows and inspiring the dairy industry.
Upcoming episode preview featuring tales from the life of Hanuman, the 'Superman' of Indian mythology.
Introduction of a character from Emperor Akbar's court who outwitted both Akbar and Birbal.
Invitation for listeners to comment, review, and subscribe for the next episode.
Transcripts
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hello and welcome to stories from India
a podcast where we talk about myths
Legends and folk tales from
India I am 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 naturally I'm
podcasting this week we are back into
the ramayan we'll talk about two events
King dasharath was involved in that had
a big impact on Ram's
Life we'll see why it's a good idea to
wear a protective orange West when
walking in a hunting Zone we'll also see
that if you're making unconditional
promises to someone you should be
careful to see who else is listening
in the character this week is a wolf who
is excellent at tracking down stolen
cows and she taught humans that cows can
be a good source of milk and
butter so we are back again in the
ramayan very appropri rately so since
this Thursday we'll be celebrating Ram
naami which is Ram's birthday these two
events which happened to Ram's father
King dharat happened much before Ram was
born but greatly influenced his
life chronologically they happened
before episode 8 Kingdom by
horse but they fit in right after
episode 16 16 Flags
you know to avoid spoilers and
stuff the first incident in Dash's life
was on the
battlefield dashar was accompanied by K
to whom he had recently been
married and by that I mean they hadn't
even had the chance to remove the Just
Married sticker from their
Chariot and they weren't really sitting
together in the Chariot as a couple on
their honeymoon should
instead the bride was driving the
Chariot now all this was by
Design K was a princess who had grown up
with lots of Chariots and horses in her
playtime she'd outperform Her Seven
Brothers pretty much all the
time so naturally when dharat announced
that he had to go on a work trip
traveling by horr Chariot she was eager
to jump into the saddle and go
along and it's a fortunate thing for
dash that she did
because it turned out dharat wasn't
winning this
battle his army was pretty quickly
overwhelmed by the rain of arrows from
the
enemy one of the arrows even hit
dharat and that was before the Chariot
axle
broke K The Horse Whisperer whispered a
command to the
horses and they instantly obeyed her
speeding up and dodging enemy
chariots with a chariot on autopilot
like that K leaned out the side and used
her hand as an axle
replacement
ordinarily that would have had quite a
gruesome
outcome but during her childhood a
visiting Rishi had granted Kai's wish of
having a hand as hard as d
Diamond kind of like Colossus from the
X-Men movies and
Comics but just with her hand not her
whole body Ki escaped with dharat back
to his
Palace she nursed him back to
health when he did recover his first
reaction was one of
thanks K had saved his life and nursed
him back to health surely that deserved
something
I'm going to make two very unconditional
promises right now ask for anything K it
shall be
yours geez she said you make it sound
like saving your life and nursing you
back to health are on
par saving your life should count for
more than just having to take care of
you while you got
better I hope you're not just making
unconditional promises to your doctors
and nurses
too too late
I already spoke the words I'm on aound
now Das
said okay fine she said if you insist
I'll redeem my first wish right
now I wish for a 100 more unconditional
promises ooh ah mumbled Dash shuffling
his
feet she said okay then just make me the
queen of the land abdicate in my
favor o oh uh but started
dharat relax I'm just pulling your leg
she said you can keep the administrative
work yourself I'm happy to live in the
palace and ride chariots now and then
dashurat breathed a sigh of
relief he did write her a couple of IUS
though only one other person knew about
those
promises and that was
Mantra she was was Kai's nurse back from
when Kai was born and she had an agenda
of her
own Ki kept the IUS in her safe and
there they lay forgotten for
decades that's the first
incident those IUS may seem harmless
right now but they are a bit like Czech
hov's
gun they are going to appear on the
scene at a later date to a much more
dramatic effect
effectively as Catalyst for the rest of
the
ramayan the second incident happened in
a forest near
aoda shran was just a regular boy who
lived in a village nearby he was the
sole bread winner in his family his
parents were both old and
blind shran was utterly devoted to them
and would take care of their slightest
wish when his parents sense that they
had not long to live they decided that
it was about time for them to go on a
road
trip but wait a pleasure trip isn't what
they had in
mind they believed that a trip to all
the holy sites around the country would
purify them in preparation for the
afterlife when they mentioned this to
Shan he was more than happy to take them
on the
trip quite literally as it happens
Shan's parents couldn't
walk and shran could not afford a
cart so he did the next best thing he
made a shoulder sling for himself with a
woven basket at each
end he helped his mom and dad into a
basket each and carried
them as I'm sure you can imagine it was
hard work in the hot Indian
summer but Shin kept going and pretty
soon they entered the
forest his parents had both gone thirsty
then and they asked Shan for some
water seeing as Shan had been carrying
two
adults he hadn't the capacity to also
carry water for the
journey he would have to find water here
somewhere that shouldn't be hard he
thought the suru river is quite near and
I can even hear it he asked his parents
to hold on it didn't make sense to carry
them to the river and back
again instead he would go quickly and
fetch water for
them his parents
waited but it was going to be one long
wait Shan made his way through the
forest to the
river of course he was thirsty from all
the heavy lifting
he stopped to drink water
himself meanwhile in the forest
dasharath was
hunting dashar had the remarkable
ability to fire an arrow Guided by sound
alone he didn't have to see the target
he could simply hear it and hit
it just like Rah did in episode
16 so that's what dashar did as he
scanned the a area around him he
suddenly heard a deer or something
drinking from the
river was it Reckless to fire an arrow
at a Target he couldn't see
maybe but then he could collect the deer
and go back home in time for
lunch he fired the arrow without
thinking too
much and he was sure it hit the target
because there was a
sound un fortunately it was not the
sound of a
deer dashar rushed to the river to
discover his Arrow had exactly hit the
source perfect
Marksmanship but it wasn't a deer it was
Shin dashar quickly held the boy and
tried to see what he could do to make
him
better he screamed for help but it was
too late
it was a mortal wound there was no hope
for Shan
now dashar asked the dying boy if there
was anything he could do for
him yes gasped shran pointing into the
woods my parents over there are thirsty
please take them some
water and that's the last thing he ever
said dying is last past thoughts had
still been focused on his parents'
Comfort dharat was extremely
remorseful he had committed a huge
crime his job as King was to protect his
people and yet he was responsible for
the death of this
boy how was he going to face the parents
of this boy he had just
killed he had to do his duty
though he collected some water from the
river and took it to Shan's
parents the parents though blind could
instantly sense that something was
wrong shravan had taken far too long and
these weren't his footsteps that they
were
hearing dashar delivered the bad news
right
away he was honest with them about his
role in the the boy's tragic
death he had killed their boy
accidentally the parents were both
devastated dashar tried to console them
and offer them the water
again but they weren't having
it what was the point of water when they
had lost the one person who cared about
them there was no point in going on from
then on they had absolutely nothing to
look forward
to they did one thing though they cursed
dasharath he would be separated from his
son and he would die longing for
him still remorseful for his
action dashara did what he could to help
them but Shan's
parents did not survive very long
without their
son dashar thought of the curse for long
after he certainly regretted his
actions but as he had no Sons at the
time he could not help but wonder that
the curse would not really apply to
him little did he
know that's all I have for
now K has a big role to play in what
happens
next in one version of the Shan story
Shan's mother is related to
dharat but that narrative doesn't really
work with the rest of the
story the road trip that Shan's parents
wanted to go on it's really a thing it's
practice to this day there are lots of
those sites that people go to and I have
some links on the website check them
out the character this week is a wolf
who is excellent at tracking down stolen
cows and who taught humans that cows can
be a good source of milk and
butter Sarma is a wolf or maybe a
dog thousands of years ago there wasn't
much to distinguish between the two
anyway Sarma was the mother of all
dogs she was the royal dogwolf of
heaven so when some demons stole the
Divine cows she was called into action
to track down the
cows because as everyone knows dogs and
wolves have a keen sense of
smell she tracked the cows by the smell
of their
milk why the demons bothered to Milk The
Cows as they were transporting them
wasn't very
clear maybe it was because functioning
cows are in deep distress if they aren't
milked
but at any rate this helped Sarma track
down the
cows she quickly LED Indra the king of
the gods to the cave where the demons
were
hidden Indra made quick work of the
demons and the cows were
restored the fact that surma followed
the scent of the cow's milk is supposed
to have inspired humans to try consuming
cow's
milk and just like that the dairy
industry was
born that's it for this week if you have
comments or suggestions please leave a
comment or a review on the site SFI
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automatically thanks to all your
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next week we'll cover a couple of tales
from the life of yet another ramayan
character and that is
Hanuman Hanuman is the equivalent of
Superman he's got extraordinary powers
with a more interesting origin story
than his Kryptonian comic book
equivalent and yet he helps others
selflessly and at Great risk to
himself the character next week is a
person from the court of Emperor
abar this person sometimes got the
better of both akar and
beerbo
surprised tune in next week to find
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