Uttanka's Gurudakshina

Once upon a time there dwelt in a forest hermitage a young boy called Uttanka. Many years passed by and he grew up. He had learnt all that his master could teach him. One day he went to his master and said, 'O master you have taught me all these years and not even once I have repaid you. Tell me of something that I may bring you that will please your heart.

His teacher replied in the negative and instead asked him to go to his mistress and ask her. So Uttanka went to his mistress and asked her if there was anything she desired. "Yes," she replied. Get me the ear -rings worn by the queen. Uttanka hearing this was little confused but nevertheless set out to the city to get the ear-rings. He had not gone far when he noticed a huge bull with a man seated on it coming towards him.

He drew back with fear but the man called "Uttanka drink this," and he held out a cup full of dirty water which he drank after initial hesitation. At last he reached the king's palace and boldly went inside till he saw the king himself seated upon the royal throne. "Sir," I have come from a hermitage and my wife desires to wear the ear-rings of the queen and if I do not take them to her I will be let down in my teacher's eyes.

The king smiled kindly, and asked him to proceed to the queen's chamber directly and ask her. Uttanka went to the queen's chamber and asked for the ear-rings. The queen immediately held out her hand and Uttanka saw the ear-ring sparkling in her palm and she gave it to him. But she warned him that these ear-rings have for long been coveted by the serpent king, so do not loose them. Uttanka thanked her and started for home.

Leaning against the trunk of a tree, he rested, placing the ear-rings on the ground besides him. Suddenly, he saw a hand snatch the fear-rings and disappear. It was none other than the Serpent King who entered into a hole in the ground. Suddenly an old man appeared " Do not worry, my son I have come to help you." Even as he spoke there was lightning and a great thunderbolt fell. The whole earth shook with the force of it. Suddenly all was quiet again, but next to where Uttanka stood was a big whole in the ground.

Uttanka entered the whole and found himself in the kingdom of the Serpent King. He saw two women weaving a piece of cloth, and asked them the way to the palace of the Serpent king. They did not heed him and went on with their weaving. He saw their cloth was made of black and white threads. Next he came to a wheel with two spokes. Six boys turned the wheel round and round. He asked them "what are you doing?" They did not answer him, and went on with their work. So he went on till he saw a man with a beautiful horse. He bowed respectfully to the man and said," O, Lord, I bow to you.

Grant me a favour. Let the Serpent King be brought under my control." Blow into this horse," the man replied. Uttanka went up to the horse and blew and blew, and from every hair of the horse's body came out a flame that shot through every space in the kingdom of the Serpent King. All the Serpent came out, begging to Uttanka to save their lives. "Let the Serpent King return the ear-rings," said Uttanka and he immediately complied with the demand.

The man gave Uttanka the horse and in a few moments he was back at the hermitage, just in time to give the ear-rings to his mistress for the feast. When Uttanka related his adventures, his master smiled and said, " The dirty water you drank was ambrosia, that will give you eternal youth. The two maidens weaving the black and white threads are night and day. The wheel with twelve spokes is the year with its twelve months and the boys, the seasons. The man was the God of Rain and the horse was the God of fire. Go into the world now, for great fortune awaits you." Thus Uttanka went into the world to fulfil his living. He was not as other men, for he knew that God protected him. He had nothing to fear.