A MATTER OF DESTINY
There was a Raja and there was a Rani and they had a daughter – a Rajkumari of marriageable age. One day the Raja sent for a Brahmin and asked him to find a suitable boy for the Rajkumari.
The Rani on her own despatched another Brahmin to fix a suitable boy for the Rajkumari.
Both the Brahmins found bridegrooms for the Rajkumari and gave them the shagun of a coconut and a rupee each. An auspicious date for the marriage was also fixed. Preparations for the wedding started – women started singing suhaag songs.
Gods and goddesses sitting in Devalok were watching keenly the preparations of the forthcoming wedding. They asked Bidhimata – the goddess of destiny, "How come? The girl is only one but boys who are going to marry her are two. Which one of the two will get married to her – the one fixed by the Raja’s Brahmin or the one fixed by the Rani’s Brahmin?"
Bidhimata replied, "Neither of them."
"Then whom shall she wed?"
"The one who has been destined to marry her. This boy is studying scriptures at Kasi. He will come this side with his guru and he will marry her."
"But how will that happen?"
"You’ll see for yourself. Have some patience," replied Bidhimata.
The day of marriage arrived and two marriage parties with two bridegrooms dressed for the wedding ceremony also arrived. People in the city wondered what would happen. The Raja was also in a quandary. He asked his minister, "How to save our honour now? How to send back one of the two?"
The minister said, "Don’t worry, Maharaj. I have two daughters, quite grown up. I will give one of them in marriage to one of the two."
The Raja was relieved.
On the other hand, the Rani thought that Raja will give our daughter to the one fixed by his Brahmin. "I cannot allow this. Never," she said to herself. She decked her daughter with the bridal dress, called for a large sized box and all the things required for the marriage ceremony, put her and things in the box and locked it from outside. She asked her servants, "Go and place this box in the jungle. Leave the key in the lock."
The hour of wedding ceremony was near. The Raja went in to bring the girl to the marriage pandal but there was no girl. He looked around and asked his ministers, "What shall we do now? My honour is at stack. Rajkumari has disappeared."
The minister said, "Don’t get upset, Maharaj. My other daughter is there."
The minister’s two daughters were got ready for the marriage ceremony with two bridegrooms who had arrived with their respective parties.
On the other side, on the outskirts of the jungle, a Brahmachari from Kasi was camping with his guru. He felt an urge to answer the call of nature. He entered the forest and reached the place where the box containing the Rajkumari was lying. He saw the box stopped by it. At first he thought that some decoits must have stolen it but if that was so, why should the key be left in the lock itself. He approached the box, opened it and raised the lid. As he did so, the Rajkumari emerged out of it. Coming out, she bowed to the Brahmachari and said, "Swami, Pranam."
The Brahmachari was nonplussed and kept looking at her in surprise. The Rajkumari said, "The auspicious hour is here. All the things for the ceremony are there. Let’s perform the wedding ceremony."
"No, no. How can I do that?" said the Brahmachari.
In the meantime the Rajkumari had put the varamala around his neck and pressed the other varamala in his hands. She said, "Marriage is a matter of Sanjog. My mother told me that whosoever opens the box will be my husband."
She took out the things required for the marriage ceremony from the box and asked him to recite the appropriate mantras. "You know them. Don’t you?"
The gods and goddesses in heaven were telling Bidhimata, "You look very happy, as though it’s your won wedding."
"Why not? A wedding ceremony is taking place down there in the jungle where neither the bride’s parents nor the bridegroom’s parents are present. I am singing suhags for the women of the bride’s side and ghoriyan for women on the side of the bridegroom."
The gods were not quite convinced. They asked Narada Muni to go down to the world of mortals and check up if a wedding ceremony was really taking place there.
Down on the earth, the Rajkumari and the Brahmachari had performed the ceremony and tied their hands together in what is called hathjaoli but there was no Brahmin around to separate their joined hands. They were looking around when suddenly Narada Muni arrived there in the grab of a Brahmin. They were delighted to see him and requested him to perform this bit of the ceremony.
Narada Muni untied the hathjaoli. They tied the sacred thread Khammani on his wrist. He collected his daan-dakshina from them and went back to the heavens. He reported to the gods, "Bidhimata was right. The play of destiny is surely strange." Then he showed them the thread tied on his wrist and the fee he had got for his labour. All the gods spoke with one voice – "Destiny is all – inevitable and irrevocable. One may do what one likes, but one will have to accept what Destiny ordains."
http://vasukimahal.blogspot.com/
There was a Raja and there was a Rani and they had a daughter – a Rajkumari of marriageable age. One day the Raja sent for a Brahmin and asked him to find a suitable boy for the Rajkumari.
The Rani on her own despatched another Brahmin to fix a suitable boy for the Rajkumari.
Both the Brahmins found bridegrooms for the Rajkumari and gave them the shagun of a coconut and a rupee each. An auspicious date for the marriage was also fixed. Preparations for the wedding started – women started singing suhaag songs.
Gods and goddesses sitting in Devalok were watching keenly the preparations of the forthcoming wedding. They asked Bidhimata – the goddess of destiny, "How come? The girl is only one but boys who are going to marry her are two. Which one of the two will get married to her – the one fixed by the Raja’s Brahmin or the one fixed by the Rani’s Brahmin?"
Bidhimata replied, "Neither of them."
"Then whom shall she wed?"
"The one who has been destined to marry her. This boy is studying scriptures at Kasi. He will come this side with his guru and he will marry her."
"But how will that happen?"
"You’ll see for yourself. Have some patience," replied Bidhimata.
The day of marriage arrived and two marriage parties with two bridegrooms dressed for the wedding ceremony also arrived. People in the city wondered what would happen. The Raja was also in a quandary. He asked his minister, "How to save our honour now? How to send back one of the two?"
The minister said, "Don’t worry, Maharaj. I have two daughters, quite grown up. I will give one of them in marriage to one of the two."
The Raja was relieved.
On the other hand, the Rani thought that Raja will give our daughter to the one fixed by his Brahmin. "I cannot allow this. Never," she said to herself. She decked her daughter with the bridal dress, called for a large sized box and all the things required for the marriage ceremony, put her and things in the box and locked it from outside. She asked her servants, "Go and place this box in the jungle. Leave the key in the lock."
The hour of wedding ceremony was near. The Raja went in to bring the girl to the marriage pandal but there was no girl. He looked around and asked his ministers, "What shall we do now? My honour is at stack. Rajkumari has disappeared."
The minister said, "Don’t get upset, Maharaj. My other daughter is there."
The minister’s two daughters were got ready for the marriage ceremony with two bridegrooms who had arrived with their respective parties.
On the other side, on the outskirts of the jungle, a Brahmachari from Kasi was camping with his guru. He felt an urge to answer the call of nature. He entered the forest and reached the place where the box containing the Rajkumari was lying. He saw the box stopped by it. At first he thought that some decoits must have stolen it but if that was so, why should the key be left in the lock itself. He approached the box, opened it and raised the lid. As he did so, the Rajkumari emerged out of it. Coming out, she bowed to the Brahmachari and said, "Swami, Pranam."
The Brahmachari was nonplussed and kept looking at her in surprise. The Rajkumari said, "The auspicious hour is here. All the things for the ceremony are there. Let’s perform the wedding ceremony."
"No, no. How can I do that?" said the Brahmachari.
In the meantime the Rajkumari had put the varamala around his neck and pressed the other varamala in his hands. She said, "Marriage is a matter of Sanjog. My mother told me that whosoever opens the box will be my husband."
She took out the things required for the marriage ceremony from the box and asked him to recite the appropriate mantras. "You know them. Don’t you?"
The gods and goddesses in heaven were telling Bidhimata, "You look very happy, as though it’s your won wedding."
"Why not? A wedding ceremony is taking place down there in the jungle where neither the bride’s parents nor the bridegroom’s parents are present. I am singing suhags for the women of the bride’s side and ghoriyan for women on the side of the bridegroom."
The gods were not quite convinced. They asked Narada Muni to go down to the world of mortals and check up if a wedding ceremony was really taking place there.
Down on the earth, the Rajkumari and the Brahmachari had performed the ceremony and tied their hands together in what is called hathjaoli but there was no Brahmin around to separate their joined hands. They were looking around when suddenly Narada Muni arrived there in the grab of a Brahmin. They were delighted to see him and requested him to perform this bit of the ceremony.
Narada Muni untied the hathjaoli. They tied the sacred thread Khammani on his wrist. He collected his daan-dakshina from them and went back to the heavens. He reported to the gods, "Bidhimata was right. The play of destiny is surely strange." Then he showed them the thread tied on his wrist and the fee he had got for his labour. All the gods spoke with one voice – "Destiny is all – inevitable and irrevocable. One may do what one likes, but one will have to accept what Destiny ordains."
http://vasukimahal.blogspot.com/
