33 - Uprooted

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Monei narrates a unique take on the 'Sleeping Beauty' tale with a twist. The story revolves around the demigod of wealth, Kuar, and his sons, Null and Manig, who are cursed to become Argent trees for a hundred years to learn life's lessons. The curse is lifted by the mischievous Krishna, who unknowingly uproots the trees while playing. The episode also touches on the role of Manus in Hindu mythology and hints at the next story featuring a wind-riding sibling of Varun.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Mone, a character with eternal life and omniscience.
• 🎭 The episode discusses an Indian mythology version of Sleeping Beauty, involving not a princess but two brothers, and a role occupied by seven individuals.
• 🛡️ The story references previous episodes, including 'Unicorn Fish' and characters like Krishna, but provides summaries for those who haven't listened to them.
• 💰 The brothers, sons of the god of wealth, Kuvera, lived a life of extreme luxury, akin to having unlimited credit cards.
• 🎉 The brothers crash a party near Shiva's home, leading to divine intervention by Narad Mone, who curses them for their disruptive behavior.
• 🌳 As a punishment, the brothers are transformed into Argent trees, or 'Arjun' trees in Hindi, to observe and learn life lessons for a hundred years.
• 🌟 The transformation is tied to a future event involving Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, who will free them after a hundred years.
• 👶 The story fast forwards to Krishna's childhood, where he is known for his mischievous acts, particularly involving butter.
• 🌌 Krishna's mother discovers the universe within him when she tries to catch him eating butter, indicating his divine nature.
• 🔄 The brothers' transformation into trees and subsequent release by Krishna symbolizes a cycle of learning and redemption.
• 🌐 The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, featuring a character related to Varun, the god of wind, who rides a gazelle.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about discussing myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by a character named Narad Moneir who is a mythological figure with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

What is the role of Narad Moneir in the podcast?

Narad Moneir is the host of the podcast and a traveling musician and storyteller who also has the ability to narrate stories from Indian mythology with his unique perspective as a mythological character.

What is the connection between this podcast episode and the story of Sleeping Beauty?

The podcast episode draws a parallel to the story of Sleeping Beauty by involving a curse and a 100-year period of transformation, but instead of a princess, it features two brothers who are cursed to become trees.

Who are Nalak, Kuir, and Manig, and what is their significance in the episode?

Nalak, Kuir, and Manig are the sons of Kuar, the demigod of wealth. They lead a pampered life and are the central figures in the episode who get cursed and transformed into trees as a lesson for their mischievous behavior.

What is the significance of the Arjun trees in the story?

The Arjun trees, or Terminalia Arjuna, are significant as they are the form into which the brothers Nalak, Kuir, and Manig are cursed to become. They are positioned next to the house where baby Krishna will live, allowing them to observe and learn from the world around them.

How does Krishna play a role in releasing Nalak, Kuir, and Manig from their curse?

Krishna, as a toddler, unknowingly releases Nalak, Kuir, and Manig from their curse by pulling a grindstone between the Arjun trees, which they had been transformed into, thus uprooting them and ending their 100-year observation period.

What is the moral lesson that Nalak, Kuir, and Manig learn from their transformation into trees?

The moral lesson they learn is the importance of maturity and responsible behavior. After being released from their curse, they decide to live a more moderate life, avoiding excessive partying and considering helping their father with his work.

What is the role of the character Manu in Indian mythology?

In Indian mythology, Manu is a recurring role that has been occupied by seven individuals so far. Each Manu is responsible for rescuing human civilization after a cataclysmic destruction of the world, with the help of Vishnu, the preserver.

How does the story of Nalak, Kuir, and Manig relate to the concept of cycles in Indian mythology?

The story relates to the concept of cycles in Indian mythology as it involves a 100-year curse, which is a small part of the larger cycle of world destruction and rebirth. The story illustrates the idea of learning and transformation within these cycles.

What are the references to other episodes made in this podcast episode?

The podcast episode makes references to episode 11, 'The Boy Who Lived', and episode 14, 'Nurse Ratchet and Umbrella Mountain', which provide additional context or related stories from Indian mythology.

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

The music used in the podcast comes from Purple Planet, an online music platform that offers royalty-free music tracks.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Introduction to Stories from India Podcast 🎵

The script opens with a lively introduction to the 'Stories from India' podcast, hosted by Narad MoneI, a mythological character with eternal life and omniscience. As a traveling musician and storyteller, Narad sets the stage for the week's tale, which intriguingly involves him in the Indian mythology's version of Sleeping Beauty. This version, however, lacks a princess and a dragon, and instead features seven individuals who have played a particular role. The story also connects to previous episodes, with Narad promising a summary for newcomers. The narrative introduces the demigod of wealth, Kuvera, and his sons, Nalakuber and Manigri, who live a life of extreme luxury, only to be interrupted by an invitation to a party at Shiva's home, setting off a chain of events.

05:00

🚨 Divine Intervention at a Heavenly Party 🚨

In this paragraph, the story unfolds at a party near Shiva's home, where Nalakuber and Manigri, the sons of the god of wealth, crash the event, causing a disturbance. Despite the guests' annoyance, they are resigned to the brothers' antics due to past experiences. The situation escalates to a point where divine intervention is required, and Narad MoneI steps in to address their behavior. He curses the brothers to become Argent trees for a hundred years, a punishment intended to teach them maturity and respect for others' hospitality. The curse is set to be lifted by Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, who will free them after they have learned their lesson.

10:02

🌳 The Transformation and Krishna's Childhood 🌳

This section of the script fast forwards a hundred years to recount the tale of Krishna's childhood, who, as a mischievous toddler, is caught eating butter by his mother, Yashoda. Krishna's denial and the subsequent dialogue with Yashoda lead to a moment of revelation for her, as she glimpses the universe within Krishna's mouth. As a punishment, Krishna is bound to a large grindstone, but he manages to uproot two Argent trees, which were cursed brothers, Nalakuber and Manigri. This act of uprooting releases them from their curse, and they emerge with newfound wisdom, resolving to change their ways.

15:04

🌍 The Cycle of Destruction and Manu's Role 🌍

The final paragraph delves into the concept of the world's destruction and rebirth in Indian mythology, where the Earth is destroyed and recreated seven times. Each cycle involves a figure named Manu, who, along with seven sages, is instrumental in the preservation of human civilization. The script mentions the role of Vishnu as the preserver and the significant gap between each cycle, suggesting a cyclical view of time and existence. The episode concludes with a teaser for the next story, featuring a character related to the wind god and a listener's request for the tale of Vikram and Betal.

Keywords

💡Narad Muni

Narad Muni is a mythological character in Hindu mythology known for his eternal life and omniscience. In the video, he serves as the host of the podcast, narrating stories from Indian mythology. His character is central to the theme, as he is the one who interacts with the myths and imparts wisdom to the listeners.

💡Indian Mythology

Indian Mythology refers to the collection of myths, legends, and stories from ancient India. The video's theme revolves around these narratives, with the host exploring different characters and tales that form the rich tapestry of Indian cultural heritage. The script provides insights into lesser-known stories, making the mythology accessible and engaging.

💡Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty is a reference to a popular fairy tale, but in the context of the video, it is used to draw parallels with an Indian mythological story. The script mentions an Indian version of the tale without a princess or a dragon, highlighting the unique elements of Indian storytelling.

💡Kuvera

Kuvera is the demigod of wealth in Indian mythology. In the script, he is the father of the two brothers, Nalak and Manig, who lead a life of opulence due to their father's status. The character of Kuvera is used to illustrate the theme of wealth and its influence on behavior.

💡Gate Crashers

Gate Crashers refers to individuals who attend events without an invitation. In the video, Nalak and Manig are described as habitual gate crashers, which is part of their characterization as carefree and privileged. Their behavior leads to the conflict in the story and the subsequent curse.

💡Argent Trees

Argent Trees, or Arjun trees in Hindi, are the trees into which Nalak and Manig are cursed to be transformed. These trees symbolize the punishment and the opportunity for the brothers to learn from their actions. The script uses this transformation to convey the message of redemption and personal growth.

💡Krishna

Krishna is a central figure in Indian mythology, an avatar of Vishnu, known for his mischievous nature as a child. In the script, Krishna's actions as a toddler lead to the release of Nalak and Manig from their curse, showing his divine influence and the theme of divine intervention.

💡Manu

Manu is a term used for the progenitor of humanity in Hindu mythology, with each Manu representing a cycle of creation and destruction. The script mentions the role of Manu and the cyclical nature of the universe, adding depth to the narrative and connecting it to broader mythological concepts.

💡Curse

A curse in the context of the video is a divine punishment that transforms Nalak and Manig into trees. It serves as a plot device to teach the brothers a lesson and is central to the story's moral about the consequences of one's actions.

💡Podcast

The term podcast is used to describe the medium through which the story is being told. It is a modern twist on the traditional storytelling format, making the ancient myths relatable to contemporary audiences and showcasing the versatility of storytelling.

💡Purple Planet

Purple Planet is mentioned as the source of the music used in the podcast. It adds an auditory layer to the storytelling experience, enhancing the mood and atmosphere of the narrative.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' with host Narad Moneim, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge of past, present, and future.

The story of the Indian mythology version of Sleeping Beauty involving not a princess but two brothers and a unique curse.

The role of the demigod of wealth, Kuvera, and his sons Nalakuvera and Manigriva, who lead a life of extreme luxury.

The humorous depiction of the brothers' lifestyle, comparing it to Harry Potter's cousin Dudley and the Sleeping Beauty.

The brothers' gate-crashing antics at a party near Shiva's home and the subsequent divine intervention by Narad.

Narad's curse turning the brothers into Argent trees to learn life lessons, a creative twist on the traditional Sleeping Beauty story.

The connection between the curse and Krishna, the preserver, who would release the brothers after 100 years.

A quick recap of episode 11, 'The Boy Who Lived,' providing context for Krishna's character and his mischievous nature.

The tale of Krishna's butter-stealing prank and the surprising revelation seen by his mother, Yashoda.

Krishna's punishment and his clever escape by uprooting the Argent trees, releasing the cursed brothers.

The transformation of the brothers after their release, showing their newfound maturity and change in behavior.

The mention of the Arjun tree's significance in Hindu mythology and its connection to the story.

An explanation of the role of Manu in Indian mythology and the cyclical nature of the world's destruction and rebirth.

The podcast's closing notes, including acknowledgment of listener feedback and a preview of the next episode's character.

A sneak peek into the next episode featuring a sibling of Varun, the god of wind, who rides a gazelle.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

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 monei 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'll see how I was

involved in the Indian mythology version

of Sleeping

Beauty there's no princess in this one

in instead there are a couple of

brothers and there's no evil fire

breathing dragon

either the character this week is not

one single person instead it's a

role there are seven people who have

occupied this role so

far one of whom we encountered in our

very first episode Unicorn

fish this episode makes references to

some events from an earlier episode

episode 11 the boy who lived and episode

14 nurse ratchet and umbrella

Mountain but you need not have heard

either of those I'll give you a summary

when we get to that

part kuar was the demigod of

wealth we've briefly met him before in

episode 25 5 up up and away as one of

the Gods who gifted Hanuman

something just to prevent total world

destruction nalak kuir and manig G whom

I'm going to called null and money were

ku's

Sons they led a very pampered

life now there are different levels of

pampering there's the kind of pampering

that for example Harry Potter's cousin

Dudley

had there's the Sleeping Beauty kind of

limited pampering where her parents the

Grand Palace dwelling king and queen

completely delegated the task to three

fairies by sending her to live with them

in a tiny

Cottage at least that's how it happened

in the Disney

Universe there's another kind of

pampering

that has to do with a brand of baby

diapers but we'll leave that one

out kuar Sons were definitely on the

dudly side of the

spectrum they had everything they could

have wished

for not surprising considering their

father was the god of

wealth it was like having credit cards

with no Max

limit one day the brother others were

sipping wine and lounging by the custom

lazy river in their mansion scrolling

through their Instagram

feed money saw something that made him

sit up and take

notice hey bro there's a big party

happening and we aren't at

it he had null's attention at the word

party turns out this one was in in a

garden near shiv's Home in

Kash shiv the Destroyer is one of the

Holy Trinity in Indian

mythology the others being Vishnu the

preserver and Brahma the

Creator who also happens to be my

dad no one's invited us there said null

seriously they both stared at each other

and then burst out

laughing they were habitual gate

Crashers they had never needed an invite

and they wouldn't need one

now race you to

kyash null said and jumped off his

floaty It Was a Race but they both got

there about the same

time they had to they each had taken a

Top ofthe Line Chariot service

kind of like the ancient Indian version

of a luxury

Uber they jumped into the river and

generally made a nuisance of

themselves the other party goers were

quite upset by

this but not upset enough to do anything

about

it this was the hundredth time this had

happened to

them they were going to just grin and be

it this called for some divine

intervention and that's where I come

in I had to put a stop to all

this I think I arrived just in the nick

of

time I saw null first wearing the

guacamole Bowl on his head like a

crown with the guacamole still inside

it money ambled in wearing his swim

trunks a wizard hat and a very silly

smile on his face he was clearly

drunk walmort he screamed when he saw me

expell armis he shouted waving his

bottle as if it was a

wand this was the

limit I'd had it with this pair of

troublemakers it's not like they hadn't

had plenty of warnings before

I dragged the boys away from the scene

even as money kept wondering why my Vena

didn't fly out of my

hands a few hours later when the boys

were quite sober I put it to them quite

plainly they were old enough to be

mature and yet they were acting in the

worst possible

way I was going to have to curse them

and no they could not talk themselves

out of this

one and so I cursed

them they would be changed into a pair

of Argent

trees they could observe people all

around them and learn a few life

lessons because they were quite

literally rooted to the spot they just

couldn't stop

observing whether they chose to learn

from this that was up to

them and they would be free in say a 100

years yeah a nice round

number Krishna and Avatar of Vishnu the

preserver would free

them but I did one thing to make that

easier I left the pair of arjent trees

exactly next to the house that baby

Krishna would be in a 100 years from

now and with that I left the

scene now let's fast forward a 100

years if you haven't heard episode 11

the boy who lived here's a quick

recap C was an evil Tyrant King he

imprisoned his sister and her husband

when it was predicted that a child of

the couple would kill

him before he could kill their baby

however the father pulled a

Switcheroo with some divine

intervention and so it came to be that

the newborn baby Krishna lived in the

home of Yoda the milkmaid and nandaba

the cow herd who both thought he was

their own

child even as a toddler Krishna had

quite a reputation for being

mischievous most of his pranks were

driven by his love for

butter one day just as he was helping

himself to a big Fistful of butter

directly from the pot just as his mother

had wanted him not

to she walked

in he was caught

red-handed I mean technically

white-handed

given all the butter but you get the

point to Yoda's surprise Krishna denied

that he had been eating

butter this was followed by exactly the

dialogue from a popular children's

rhyme Krishna Krishna yes

mommy eating

butter no mommy telling

lies no Mommy

open your

mouth and at this point yeshoda was

going to laugh at the obvious signs of

butter inside the boy's mouth but she

stopped what she saw inside her

son shook her to the

core she saw the

universe yes galaxies Stars even the

Hubble Deep Field

either my child has swalled a

planetarium or I'm hallucinating she

thought it had to be the

latter she had probably just been

working too long in the

sun well she was krishna's mother she

knew he had been eating butter even if

she couldn't prove

it the boy had to be taught a lesson

she told Krishna to go stand in a

corner yep she said right there next to

that big grindstone that's about twice

your size and 100 times your

weight but Krishna wouldn't stay in one

place so Yoda ultimately bound him to

it before you get worried he wasn't

bound

uncomfortably it's just that his

movement was

restricted he couldn't move too far away

from the

grindstone Yoda then went off on an

errand Krishna the toddler didn't want

to spend his whole day stuck in the

corner so he

didn't he wandered off easily pulling

the grind Stone behind him as if it was

made of

plastic he had an idea of how to get rid

of the

grindstone he could just wander in

between those two trees in the

yard yep those two arjent trees that

were growing so close together like they

were brothers or

something he had seen snakes crawling in

between narrow passages to shed their

old

skin this was going to work for him

too as he passed between the

trees he kept gradually uprooted them

and that released null and money

instantly they had beards now and the

guacamole on null's head had dried

up but they didn't

mind they had learned their

lesson no more partying hard for

them yes they would partake in the

occasional social event or two but only

when invited to

it and they would drink to

moderation and maybe they'd even start

helping their dad out with some work

here and

there he had been mentioning just the

other day oh 100 years ago how he could

use a hand in the

treasury that's all for now some notes

on the

show the core of the story might remind

you of Sleeping

Beauty there's a theme of someone

offending someone else 100e spell and

then

release in the fairy tale Maleficent

cursed the baby princess because her

parents didn't invite her to a

party the curse was that the princess

would

die but the good fairy changed that to a

100 years

sleep yeah there's a 100-year spell in

both cases but while Princess Aurora's

is real sleep null and money are

actually awake and conscious as trees

observing everything around

them the trees that the brothers are

transformed into are called Arjun trees

or Arjun capade in Hindi their

scientific name is terminalia

Arjuna I've link pictures on the site

sfip podcast.com check them

out the character this week is not a

single person instead it's a

role the role is that of Manu the very

first Manu was

swua and the most recent one was

vasata there are seven more to come in

the future

we have so many Manus because in Indian

mythology the world was destroyed not

once not twice but seven

times every destruction and rescue is

part of a rinse and repeat

cycle the Earth gets destroyed in some

sort of

cataclysm Vishnu is appropriate in his

role as

preserver he helps Manu each time as

Manu rescues seven other sages and all

kinds of books to continue the human

civilization the gap between each cycle

is roughly 4 and2 billion

years you may be tempted to point out

that the Universe isn't old enough to

have been around for 7times 4 and A2

billion

years but then who's to say the Big Bang

itself isn't just one of the those

cycles of

Destruction that's all for this week if

you have comments or suggestions please

leave a comment or a review on the site

SFI podcast.com or tweet at SFI podcast

you can also find me on Instagram and

Facebook be sure to subscribe to the

show to get notified automatically of

new

episodes thanks to all your listeners

for your continued support and your

feedback the music is from purple

planet.com that's

purple-planet.com

next week we are actually back to Vikram

and

Bethal now I usually like to spread out

my stories but I've had a listener

request for this one

specifically so I'll break with

tradition

here the character next week is a

sibling of waron who was a recent

character of the

week this one rides a

gazelle not surprising then that he's as

fast as the

wind another reason for that is that he

is the

wind I'll see you next

[Music]

week