Kesar Saga I
A very long time ago, there was an old couple, Maymay (grandfather) and Abi (grandmother) by the name “Lingpa Sonam”
Usually we say “Enjuu” (signifying listener’s interest in story) when we narrate a story in groups.
This is my Ladakh, our Ladakh, our fatherland and our birth land. There was a time when Ladakh was called as “Jangjung chhenmo” as well as “Jangjung chhun” and even as “Maryul” and “Mangyul”.
And nowadays it is “la-dvags”, la meaning “pass”. Like the way we say ree-dvags (wild animals) and ee-dvags (hungry ghosts) dwelling high in the mountains, hence we are also known by la-dvagspa for inhabiting among these passes.
Then this precious land has been blessed by many great Lamas from the past. Initially it was Da Chompa Nyima Gungpa who came and blessed this land then the great saint Naropa descended and blessed it and then Urgyan Chenpo Padma Jungnas (one of the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava) came and sanctified this land.
Then it was rGyalam Kesar who was also known by Norbu Dadul visited and blessed us. You must have the question that “whether this epic of Kesar is true or not, if such a story really existed in reality and from where did he come from?”
rGyalam Kesar actually visited Ladakh and as an evidence, in 8th- 9th century when Urgyan Chenpo Padma Jungnas was meditating in the caves of “Takthog” and later at “Gotsang”, where a female demon continuously tried to interrupt in his prayers who after chasing for sometime was subdued at “sNyemo ralpa” (the narrow gorge from where the river Indus passes to meet the Zanskar river) in sNyemo village then on the right side of the ralpa there is a sacred spring, you all should visit it It is called the “rTemdel chhumik” (auspicious spring), if we ask how did the spring originated, then it was Urgyan Chenpo Padma Jungnas and Ling rGyalam Kesar they met there and both felt thirsty, so agreed upon creating a spring, and such that they both produced a spring out of sheer barren land that is why it’s known as rTemdel chhumik (auspicious spring), you all must visit and drink the water.
If we ask where Kesar belonged to, then the answer to it is “Ling”, and if we ask where “Ling-yul” is, then it is along the border of Tibet and China. You must have heard about Ling Rinpoche, The Supreme victorious, omniscient leader of God and Men endowed with exalted wisdom i.e. His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His precious tutor who is referred as Ling Rinpoche because he belongs to Ling. Likewise Kesar is called as “Ling rGyalam Kesar” as he comes from Ling-yul. Eventually he descended towards Ladakh.
The Kesar Saga is very long, and today I will briefly highlight about Kesar. A very long time ago, there was an old couple, Maymay (grandfather) and Abi (grandmother) by the name “Lingpa Sonam” Usually we say “Enjuu” (signifying listener’s interest in story) when we recite a story in groups, but since I am narrating it virtually its not needed now.
So this old couple lived in a village where there were large cultivable lands. All the people, neighbours and fellows villagers were getting ready with shovel, sickle, hoe, and pitchfork to prepare the field for sowing period.
So when the Abi saw from her rooftop that people were going towards their fields, she called her husband and told about it Her husband replied, “What are you saying? What should we wait for? Let us also go and work on our field.”
So they both left with shovels to water the field. After some days since they had watered the field, the Abi saw their neighbours again walking in the direction of their fields.
They were going with their ‘dZo’ (Hybrid of Yak and cattle) and donkeys loaded with sacks of grains towards the field.
The Abi immediately called her husband and said, “Our fellow villagers are again heading towards their field, are we both going to remain here?”
To which he replied, “How can we both stay here? What are you even saying? Come let’s go, fetch the donkey from the stable while I will get the sack of barley grains from upstairs.” that, Abi (Old Lady) went to take out the donkey from the stable and Apo (Old Man) went upstairs to get the barley seeds from the place where they roasted their barley.
By the time Apo came down near the stable with the sacks of barley grains, Abi met him there ready with the donkey.
However both of them didn’t bother to check whether the barley was roasted or not, and headed towards the “Dok” (highland pasture).
By the time they reached the field, all of their neighbors were in middle of sowing their fields while singing in full vigour.
The Abi asked her husband, “Old man, now that we don’t have a Dzo, will someone lend us?’’
Then Apo said, “Why won’t they? They are all good people, they will. I will go and borrow the dZo;
meanwhile you can arrange “timbik” (barley wine, roasted barley flour and other eatables that farmers take to the field while working.) laid out “chhang” (local barley wine), roasted barley flour and other eatables… Meantime, Apo got a pair of dZo, and they started ploughing and scattered the barley grains… the field was ploughed, sowed, “yali lamo” (a traditional work song in Ladakh) was sung, ate, drank and all sorts of merrymaking was done too.
After doing all these, like everyone, they both came back to their place. Once again, they saw their neighbours leaving for work, and then the neighbourhood girl called, “Abi! Are you not going to water the field? Everyone else is going”. To which Abi replied, “of course we are going, how nice of you to remind us Abi’s dearest one, I will come with Maymay. Can you wait? He has gone to fetch the donkey. Let him come and we will go together.” By then Maymay also arrived, and when inquired upon, the neighbourhood girl said they are going to water the fields. To which Maymay replied, “Abi has forgotten about it, let’s rush, let’s rush.”
So the old couple, the girl and her friends in full swing headed towards the fields. On reaching there, everyone’s field looked lush green and had started growing. However the old couple’s field was barren, nothing has sprouted on it yet. Both were taken aback, and Maymay asked his wife, “What are we seeing? What’s wrong with our field? Did we not sow anything?” To this the Abi replied, “We did sow we did sow and plough as well but nothing has sprouted…Look at our neighbour’s field, it’s all lush green, ready to grow and looks so lovely, why am I facing such a situation?”
Saying that Abi dug her head in the “Lokpa” (traditional goat pelt) and cried.
The Maymay tried to console her and said, “Why are you crying? There is no point, now look over there.”
“What happened?” replied the Abi , “See there is one green stalk sprouting in the middle of our field”, exclaimed the Maymay.
The poor Abi somewhat rejoiced upon hearing this, and when she looked up, saw a green stalk which was bigger and taller than those of her neighbours.
“Pour, pour, let’s pour some water on it as well,” said both of them. So the Abi went to the stream, drew some water in her cupped hands and watered that single sprout.
As they were walking back towards the home, with each step they took, the old couple kept looking backwards at that single stalk and finally upon reaching their home, Maymay said,
“So Abi, we will be free during this year, nothing grew on that field, and what should we do with that single crop? It won’t be sufficient to sustain us the whole year. Anyway let’s sleep and think about our life during this forthcoming year.” Saying that both retired for the day, meanwhile the neighbors were going to the field again to water it, the neighborhood girl called them and said, “Dear Maymay, are you going to stay and not water the field?”
To which the Apo replied, “What’s there to water, after working so much only one crop sprouted out, my dear can you please water it, if it’s still there?
The girl replied, “You old man have so much to say, come let us all go and water it, we can slowly drudge together.”
While gossiping, sharing about some good and bad memories, all three of them headed towards the field and upon reaching,
Surprisingly they saw that now the crop had seeded, stood taller and bigger than the entire fellow villagers’. That particular plant was unique in every sense and had something special about it. “Strange! There is indeed something unique about our crop, the neighbour’s plants are shorter and even their seeds are smaller than ours,” said the Maymay. “Yes, ours is really big, and very unique, it must be something special,” replied back Abi. “Come Abi! Let’s water it!” said Maymay.
The Maymay took out a cup from his chest pocket and went to the stream, drank one cup of water first and then watered one cup to the plant. After watering, they both came back home and waited…Then one fine day, the neighbours with sickle and ropes in their hand were moving towards their field.
When the old lady saw the sight while peeping through her window, she confessed to her husband “Apo, Everyone is going towards the field, I will die out of jealousy, my chest is on fire and there’s a lump in my throat, now what should we both do?.”
The Maymay remarked “Put some sand in your mouth and don’t think much or what else we can do?
Let’s stay and think how else we can earn, we can go to places and sell some eggs, barley and such things and make our living.”
“No! No! No! I am feeling some uneasiness, I think we should go and check that barley, and harvest it,” exclaimed the Abi.
The old man said “you are so stubborn and such stubbornness in women is not good”, “I will look stubborn to you, till now was I good in your eyes? Anyway you will not see any goodness in me. Now let’s not waste any time and get ready to go,” rebuked the Abi.
So both quickly got up, even took a rope and a pick axe with them.
They both went unsteadily….. and as they were about to reach, they saw a big tree amidst the field.
The Maymay exclaimed, “Abi! Do you also see what I am witnessing right now?”
“What do you see?” asked the Abi. The old man said “I see a big tree on our field, isn’t it so?”
The Abi with her hand on the forehead gazed at the field, and there she saw that tree, and both of them hurried towards the field and couldn’t wait to reach there. “There must be something special, even if this tree doesn’t bears anything, we can still can make cups, ladles, whiskers, and flour containers and sell them. Like that, our one year will be spent with utmost comfort and joy.”
Saying that, both of them marched towards the field, and when they reached, they saw that the tree was too big, and so the Abi asked, “we don’t have an axe. Do we?” Maymay replied, “We do have in our farm house”. Maymay geared up himself, rolled up the Kos (traditional male dress) flaps and then even took off his cap as well He went inside the farm house and brought out an axe, and after praying to the “Three Jewels”, rolled up his Kos flaps and with enough energy he stroked the axe on that tree.
A thunderous sound came from within.
Upon striking they heard a loud sound and he asked “Did you also hear that thundering sound?”
“Yes the sound was really loud, strike once or twice again,” remarked the Abi.
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Then he took the axe and hit it again and a little crack was made.
She said “do it once more,” Upon knocking again, surprisingly barley grains started flowing out of the crack.
The barley grains that came out were round enough, good in quality and taste.
Feeling rather overwhelmed, Abi lost her balance and exclaimed, “What am I witnessing?” Apo helped her up and gave her some water both hurried inside the farm house to look for barrels, sacks to store the barley, in fact got every utensil that they could find and filled them with the grains both transported it again and again, and when they got tired, Abi said “This will not finish and it is tiring. What shall we do with more? Leave it, let’s dig a pit and store the leftovers here near the field itself.”
So when the barrels were filled, both of them dug the ground, and stored the remaining barley grains in that, and covered it with a stone.
Then both started back towards the home, hyperventilating the Abi was not able to restrain her happiness She started saying, “look at our neighbours, they used to laugh and talk behind our back about our work, rebuked us saying that our harvest failed, now we have so much happiness on our way, we can eat our own food and wear our own clothes, come now, let’s sing and dance,” and upon saying that both drank chhang (barley wine) and sang.
so when the neighbours heard, they said, “Can you hear the old couple? Even a single stalk of barley is not grown on their field, and yet they are rejoicing.” The husband said “why not, go and look? I heard that the single tree which grew on the field was filled with barley, and there were not enough barrels to fill it, hence dug out a pit on the field itself.”
The wife questioned “is that so?
If it’s true then we should stick around them and be nice, give them some food, who knows if later on when we run out of barley, we can borrow from them”. “Oh! You make sense, we should help them now,” said the Husband.
The old couple were generous, they gave the barley to whoever needed, whoever needed to make flour or chhang (barley wine), and even gave it to those who wanted to make “chhan” (unroasted Barley porridge), meaning the old couple fulfilled the hunger of all the neighbours, satisfied them until they found the food mundane.
Due of which the old couple received lots of favour and respect from everyone and praising Apo, they sang “Old man of chuli chan, resembles the great sandalwood trunk” To Abi, they sang, “Old lady of chuli chan, the spring of nectar, may you be bestowed with abundant nectar.” they both were on top of their world and even gave more grains to the neighbours, until they ran out of the stock at home.
So when ran out of the indoor stock, that’s when Api said “what should we do? Let’s go and get some more grains stored in the pit near the field.” So both took sacks and ropes, fetched the donkey and moved towards the field.
The old man went and knocked the lid, upon which they heard a thud coming from within.
The Abi said, “let’s open it,” the Maymay with all his might opened it, and upon that the Abi fell down with aghast.
She fell with shock because all the grains had been transformed into thousands of worms.
The whole of the pit was swarming with worms and she cried and cursed saying “what am I witnessing with this dying eyes? I gave away all my barley to people without being a miser, without any regrets and now we are left with nothing, what should we eat and drink now?” said the Abi. “Shut up! Let’s not talk about it, let’s close it and go” said the Maymay and so both came back to home.
That night they couldn’t sleep, not even the second day and not even until the seventh day. “Apo, I cannot sleep, I am wondering what are those worms doing, should we go and check?”said the Abi. “They must be in the pit, having nothing to eat, must have died,” replied the old man.
“No! No! There’s something unusual about our field, a peculiar stalk grew on it, and it further turned into one large tree and out of that tree came abundance of barley, and now these worms. What if something else has happened, let’s go and check,” pleaded the Abi.
Upon hearing that, the old man with slight reluctance got up and both wobbled towards the field, going there he knocked on the door and again a thud came.
On opening it, the Abi was surprised yet again and fell on the ground with shock.
Why did she fall? Because the pit full of worms had now turned into one huge worm and was gliding here and there.
The worm was a large green one, as it is supposed to be, “This one worm has eaten all the other worms in the pit, look Abi,” said the old man.
“This is not worth watching, let us both proceed towards home,” saying that both closed the door and came back.
They both came back home, remained lost in thoughts and their thoughts were solely occupied about that large worm in the pit.
“Abi, you were right about our mischievous field this year, it is either auspicious or inauspicious, either a good omen or a bad one, “this will be decided, get up, let’s go and check,” said the old man. They both got ready, however that day they felt dressing up in good clothes, the Apo put on the red “Kos” (traditional male dress) on top of the usual white Kos and Abi wore a waistcoat on top of “Sulma”(traditional female dress). “Now we look better, it made us wear new clothes, and on top of that my heart is feeling a bit lighter today, it must mean something, now let’s go,” said Maymay.
Then both headed towards their field, on opening the lid of the pit with full strength, Inside they found a beautiful boy, whose beauty was exceptional that ‘if kept in sun, it shall freeze; if kept in shade it shall melt’ (Ladakhi proverb to describe exceptional beauty).
The boy was such a rare beauty that the old couple couldn’t even express it, like if we ask how the mother’s breast milk tastes? We have no answer to it.
Likewise if we ask how does the flower smells? We cannot express its scent or beauty.
The old lady took off her Lokpa and covered the boy in it with her cap, and took the boy inside their farm house.
However the boy was green in colour, they decided not to tell to their neighbors fearing humiliation.
On top of that, the child was big enough to not call it a baby and the old man said “look at the face, it resembles a cat”. “Shut your mouth, it was not you who gave birth to him. It came out of the pit. Hide it and let’s go,” hastened the Abi.
In the evening when it got darker, they veiled the child and took it to home On reaching home, they fed the boy with milk. The old couple had cows; calves as well as the goat had recently given birth The boy was fed with their milk. “Abi…” said the old man, “yes!” exclaimed the old lady.
“How about naming this boy?” said the old man. “Oh yes! A name must be also given,” said Abi.
“Go to Lopon Serbum in the mountains and request a name for this boy,” asked the Abi.
The old man carried a can full of chhang for himself and some butter for the Maymay Lopon Serbum and set for the abode of Lopon.
Maymay Lopon was residing on the upper slope of the valley.
Prostrating thrice with his folded hands, the old man thus sang, “Please listen to me, Maymay Lopon Serbum lay”, “Please heed to me, Lama Lopon Serbum lay,”
“Please bestow us with a name,” “Please name my grandson.”
“Maymay Lopon, will you please bestow upon us a name? Abi and I, this old couple are blessed with a child,” said the old man.
“You old couple could not have given birth to a child, you both are 60–70 year old, don’t lie and tell the truth, what lies you want to make in front of me, just speak out the truth” said the Lopon.
The old man went inside and asked, “May I tell the truth?”
“Yes I want the truth,” said the Lopon. “Don’t share with anyone please,” requested the Maymay.
“We cultivated the field, and on it grew a tree, from the tree came out the barley grains which turned into worms and those worms became one worm and later on, I don’t know how to even express it to you but this exceptionally beautiful boy came out.”
“Oh! Then say like that, anyhow what about the boy’s appearance?” asked the Lopon,
“It is green in colour,” replied the Maymay.
The Lopon further inquired, “What about his face?”, “If we stare at it for some time, he appears like a cat,” said the old man.
The Lopon sat there and checked his texts for some time, then finally announced, “Oh! Name him, “lDdong Sum Bila sNon-mo”.
Upon receiving the name, the old man headed back to his home. “Abi, Abi, The child has been named as lDdong Sum Bila sNon-mo,” said the old man.
Disappointed, she said “Was Maymay Lopon short of names, that our child is given such an embarrassing name?”.
Thank You. Jullay!
Narrated by: Padma Shri Morup Namgyal
