Kunti ar Gandhari Prasav: Childbirth /Parturition by Kunti and Gandhari
Garhwali Folktales/Fables/Traditional stories for Managers /executives/boss/supervisors from Garhwal part- 6
Folk Tales Collected and edited by: Bhishma Kukreti
Folktales also provide society with many precautions for various complex situations. Childbirth or Child delivery is a complex process. Child delivery is an intense event today too.
In old-time, in villages, there were no professional medical facilities for child delivery. The village women use to take care of all arrangements for childbirth. In Garhwal, there are sayings, proverbs, and folktales for pregnancy care and for delivering the child by women. One of Garhwali folk sayings or folktales about child delivery care is as follows-
Kunti ar Gandhari Prasav: Childbirth /Parturition by Kunti and Gandhari
The initial part of the folk story is taken from the Mahabharata epic. Dhritarashtra was the eldest prince, Pandu was the younger prince and Vidur was the youngest prince of the Kuru dynasty Kingdom Hastinapur. Since Dhritrirashtra was blind by birth the crown was ascended to Pandu. However, Pandu had to leave the kingdom and had to spend his life in the forest due to a sinful act.
For time being Dhritrirashtra was acting like King of Kuru Kingdom. It was decided by nobles that whoever is elder from Dhritrirashtra and Pandu sons would be Kuru Hastinapur King. Gandhari was the wife of Dhritrirashtra and Kunti was the wife of Pandu.
Coincidently, Gandhari and Kunti conceived simultaneously or both became pregnant at the same time. Gandhari was in Hastinapur city or the capital of Hastinapur. Kunti was with Pandu in the forest. Both Gandhari and Kunti were eager to deliver their first child earlier than other.
In the ninth month of pregnancy of both women, both were eager to deliver a child before the other. Both Gandhari and Kunti felt parturition pain or the first phase of delivery pain at the same time though they were far from each other.
As soon as child delivery pain started Kunti went to a Banyan tree. She caught the aerial root of the Banyan tree and hung her there for a time to time for contraction expansion. At an appropriate time, she delivered a male child.
In Hastinapur, as soon as Gandhari felt the first phase of child delivery pain she came out of the palace and started running after goats on the field with speed for contraction and expansion. She ran after goats for much time. Unfortunately for Gandhari, she got a miscarriage. Gandhari delivered a clump of flesh and blood. She kept that blood-flesh clump into a pitcher. Till that time, the news came in Hastinapur that Kunti (wife of Pandu) delivered a male child. Sage Vyas came to Hastinapur and through the ritual performance, he transformed the flesh-blood mass into hundred sons and a daughter of Gandhari. Eldest was the son and his name was Duryodhan.
Kunti took the right path of child delivery and Gandhari chose the wrong path of child delivery and Yudhistar the son of Pandu-Kunti came into this earth earlier than Duryodhan (eldest son from flesh-blood mass) the son of Dhritarashtra-Gandhari.
@@ This story was narrated by Shri Ram Prasad Kukreti, village Mall, Malla Dhangu,Pauri Garhwal
References
1-Bhishma Kukreti, 1984, Garhwal Ki Lok Kathayen, Binsar Prakashan, Lodhi Colony, Delhi 110003
2- Bhishma Kukreti 2003, Salan Biten Garhwali Lok Kathayen, Rant Raibar, Dehradun
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