A Tale

A Tale : Bishweshwar Prasad (B.P.) Koirala, Nepal (1914-1982)

Summary

The narrative "A Tale" by B.P. Koirala is old. It discusses the early history of the interaction between god and man. On the one hand, the sage seeks to defy society conventions and morals, while on the other, he seeks to become a deity and find happiness. He chooses the jungle as a result to live away from human culture. He believes that for men, societal responsibilities and the love of friends and family stand in the way of achieving godhood. He then moves to a remote forest location to live alone in order to attain absolute godhood and enlightenment.

The sage becomes thirsty as he enters the remote jungle. He then walks to a nearby stream to sip water. He engages in a difficult and extensive penance. It's noteworthy to note that the sage continues to do penance despite the passage of time, the changing of the seasons, the growth of new tree leaves, bird nests on his beard, destruction of the grasses under him, and the renewal of those grasses. He conquers his body as a result of his diligent and arduous penance. Indra is forced to break his fast. Indra responds by sending a gorgeous damsel (a beautiful nymph) from heaven.

The nymph begins dancing while still partially clothed as soon as she approaches the sage from heaven. The sage opens his eyes and falls in love with the nymph when he sees her dancing. He gets so emotional that he is unable to control his desire to have sex with her. It causes him to forget about becoming a god or performing penance and instead chooses to get married to her.

The sage and nymph are married after they fell in love. They make the decision to leave the isolated wilderness and live in civilized society. The monarch is pleased and grateful for the sage after seeing such. They establish themselves as a family in the village and have two sons as their only offspring. They commence assisting their neighbors. They actually enjoy happiness and calm in their daily lives. The sage realizes and enjoys greater ecstasy (happiness and pleasure) as a result of all of these than his penance from the isolated bush.

Application of Four Levels

• Literal Comprehension
  • B.P. Koirala's "A Tale" is a very old piece of literature. The god and the human race were rivals at the time. People sought to become gods and possess the highest knowledge. A guy once renounced the material world and went to the forest to do penance. He finally defeats his flesh and intellect after much struggle. The heaven is in danger because of the sage's penance. The most stunning nymph is sent by Indra, the king of the gods, to terminate the sage's penance. The nymph's attractiveness draws the sage's attention. The wise man abandons his penance. They marry and establish homes in the community. They begin leading a basic home life. They have two boys as well. They lend a hand to neighbors. However, the neighbors do not think highly of them. Instead, they believe that the nymph was the reason for the sage's demise. In any case, the sage finds more ecstasy (pleasure) at home than he does by himself in the wilderness.
• Interpretation
  • The tale casts doubt on the Hindu idea of attaining enlightenment and divinity. Ecstasy does not need a complete renunciation of domesticity. Ecstasy can be felt by people even in everyday domestic situations. The sage and nymph love their lives despite the favorable attitudes of their neighbors. This tale also demonstrates how much preferable a home or social life is to one spent alone. Living in society and carrying out our social and household duties makes us happier and more enjoyable.
• Critical Thinking
  • The significance of domestic life is emphasized in the narrative. It serves as a timely reminder that practicing a life of penance, solitude, and sagelike living would never lead us to godhood and ecstasy. But the social and domestic spheres of life are where true enjoyment and the essence of life can be found. The narrative also rejects the notion that the biggest challenges to becoming a deity are love, friendship, and sex. However, the story contains some dubious notions. Do you believe in God? Are the gods envious? How might a celestial nymph exist in the real world? How could the sage's penance put the king of heaven in danger?
• Assimilation
  • I thought about Susmita as I read this narrative. My friend is Susmita. She longs to visit the shrine constantly. She enjoys worshiping constantly. She views worship as the only means of obtaining joy and pleasure in life. She believes that love, marriage, sex, and other similar endeavors are pointless. Even talking about them makes her uncomfortable. I believe she is mistaken in her beliefs. It's because I've come to understand that relationships, marriage, sex, domestic life, and social interactions are the only ways to find true happiness and the meaning of life.

Referance

(Subedi, K.P. and Bhandari, M.B. (2014). Business English. Kathmandu: Highland Publication P. Ltd.)