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It
is a well Known legend in Kerala that the famous Brahmin
Vararuchi had got twelve children in a "Chandala" (Schedule
tribe) woman. There are so many stories about the children.
More stories were heard about the son Pakkanar. There are
stories about the chastity of his wife.
It
was a regular system that all the sons, except one, will
gather together every year for rituals on the day of demise
(sradha) of their father Vararuchi. In a year all the sons
sat together for food after performing rituals. But the
wife of the eldest son Agnihothri hesitated to come forward
to serve food. She came forward hiding her face with an
umbrella in her hand. Pakkanar asked Agnihothri why she
is appearing in such a manner. Agnihothri proudly replied
that chastened woman will appear in such a way and that
she will not look upon other men. Pakkanar told that these
acts are not the proof of chastity. Brahmin woman are ignorant
of true spirit of chastity. It is not in umbrella or in
blankets. There is no other lady in the world who performs
chastity as my wife, Pakkanar claimed.
Agnihothri
ridiculed Pakkanar saying that even the principle of chastity
is unknown to Chandala women. They engaged in heated arguments.
At last Pakkanar told that he would prove who is more chastened
among their wives. Pakkanar took his brother to his house.
Arriving
in his house, Pakkanar called his wife and enquired how
much paddy is available there. "5 Kilos", she replied. "Take
half of it. Prepare food after pounding it." He directed
her. She promptly took the paddy, pounded it, prepared food
and brought it before him. Seeing the rice, Pakkanar told
her to throw it in the garbage. Without even a slight hesitation
she threw the rice in the garbage. Pakkanar told her to
prepare food with balance paddy. She promptly obeyed her
husband. When the rice was brought before him, Pakkanar
again told her to throw it in the garbage. She did so. Pakkanar
was in acute poverty. His wife had not taken any food on
that day. There was not even a single grain of paddy or
rice left in the house. She was just starting to prepare
food with the paddy when Pakkanar and Agnihothri reached
home. Even then, she had promptly obeyed her husband.
Pakkanar
went with Agnihothri to his house and told his brother to
instruct his wife to do exactly what he had got done by
his wife. Agnihothri instructed his wife to take 2 ½ Kg
of paddy pound it and prepare food. She told him that there
is rice in the house and no need to making rice-pounding
paddy. When Agnihothri compelled her, she went back with
swelling cheeks and murmurs. She came back with prepared
food. Agnihothri told her to throw it into the garbage.
"What? Are you mad? Even wastage of food is sin. I prepare
this food after hard processing. Then you are asking to
throw it away! What a pity!" It was the response of his
wife. She was not ready to throw the food, raising more
and more arguments.
At
last, after heavy compulsion, she threw it into the garbage.
Then Agnihothri told her to take 2 ½ Kg of paddy, prepare
food and bring it again before him.
She
became angry. "You are really mad. I am not prepared to
dance to your tune. There is a limit to absurdity!" She
hurriedly went into the house with hatred. Though Agnihothri
called her to come and she did not obey. "Is this the principle
of chastity?" Pakkanar asked his brother with a smile. "The
principle of chastity is to promptly obey the husband. Discretion
or argument does not arise." Agnihothri agreed to his brother.
Another
day Pakkanar took his brother to his house. When they reached
in front of house, Pakkanar called his wife to take a wooden
plank to sit. When Pakkanar was calling her, she was fetching
water from the well. She left the bucket with water half
way and ran for taking the plank. The bucket with full of
water remained in the same position even as she left the
rope. Agnihothri exclaimed seeing the wonder. "This is the
evidence of chastity" Pakkanar said.
Variyar
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