 Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar belonged to the shishya parampara of Tyagaraja. His branch of specialisation was, however, Harikatha and not vocal concert performances. He was known for his devout recitals of stories, incidents and episodes from the lives of our mythological heroes.
It so happened that one evening, Krishna Bhagavatar was giving a performance at the residence of a zamindar in a village near Tanjavur. The Harikatha was a thundering success and Bhagavatar was amply rewarded by the pleased
zamindar.
It was late in the evening and the route back to Tanjavur was infested with thieves. The zamindar requested Bhagavatar to stay the night at his residence and proceed the next day at daybreak. Bhagavatar's disciples were also equally keen to avoid any meeting with the dreaded dacoits. But Krishna Bhagavatar was firm. Bandit or no bandit, he was insistent that he must return home for the night.
The little party set out in a bullock cart. With them was the bundle of cash and jewels that the patron had presented. Shortly after the group entered the forest, it became pitch dark. Bhagavatar and his disciples dozed off. Suddenly, the stillness of the night was broken by the sound of running feet. The bullock cart halted with a jolt. The driver was thrown on the ground and pinned there by a couple of ruffians with knives. A group of seven equally tough characters surrounded the cart and asked its inhabitants to dismount.
The students were panic-stricken. But Bhagavatar was not. He calmly removed all the jewels on his person and handed them over to the chief of the gang. He also handed over the bundle containing the gifts. The thieves fell on the loot and the leader looked carefully at all that the bundle contained. He then asked the Bhagavatar how he had come across so much money. Krishna Bhagavatar told them that he was a Harikatha exponent and to explain it to their primitive minds, he added that he was a story-teller.
The gang leader smirked and asked if Bhagavatar could tell them a story about Subrahmanya. Bhagavatar agreed and summoned his nervous disciples to arrange for an impromptu performance. The gang sat down and listened. After a few hours, the story ended with Valli's marriage to her beloved.
The gang was silent. The leader got up and prostrated at the feet of Bhagavatar. He returned all that he had taken from them. He also gave as gift some money of his own. He then ordered his assistants to escort Bhagavatar and his group safely to the boundary of the forest.
Powered by
Sangeetham.com
|
A Harikatha for thieves
