Every city has it’s riveting tales passed down from one generation to another through written or oral traditions. These folk tales help create an aura of mysticism and magic; bring life to the city. Lalitpur has its share of folk tales which have contributed to continuing legacies, traditions, beliefs and culture. Amongst them is the legend of, “The little golden bird of prosperity.”
At Lalitpur Durbar Square, one can’t but be overwhelmed at the sheer beauty of the well-preserved temples of multiple architectural styles, monuments, courtyards and shrines. At the centre of this UNESCO World Heritage site lies a stone pillar some 40 feet in height which is supported by a solid stone base. Atop the column is a lotus capital ( bloomed lotus) which symbolises purity. Above it lies the golden statue of King Yog Narendra Malla in a seated position with folded hands facing the temple of the tutelary (guardian) deity of Malla Kings, “Taleju”. The statue is protected by a serpent called Karkotaka, rising high above the Kings head. Perched atop the serpents head is a little golden bird, poised in a manner where it looks like it’s about to take flight.
This little golden bird plays a fundamental part in the philosophy of longevity. This thought relates how Yog Narendra Malla, a 17th century Malla King is still alive. You like others who’ve heard or read this tale, would ask the same question, how? How can someone have such a long life?
This tale begins in the southern suburb of Lalitpur, in the town of Khokana. Here lived a wise elder who possessed a rare precious jewel, bestowed as an award for disclosing the truth about an incident to serpent Karkotaka of Taudaha Lake.
The incident goes like this, one day while the elder was taking a walk, he noticed ripened stalks of wheat crushed at his field. He looked closer to investigate and found two serpents who had turned the ground a trysting place for lovers. He recognised them quickly. The male was a serpent of his village, while the female was the wife of Karkotaka. Saddened at the crushed wheat and angered discovering the cause, he beat them with his big stick severely after which the lovers fled.
Full of bruises and pain the wife of Taudaha serpent laid on her bed. Her husband had been on his tour, returned to find his loving wife all beaten up. He asked her, “ What’s the matter! What happened?”
To which the wife of Karkotaka narrated a false story, and demanded the wise elder of Khokana be caught and punished. She claimed that he used his magical powers to inflict these wounds upon her and that until he is dead, she will be ill. Saddened and angered, the Taudaha serpent took human form and embarked to Khokhana with the motive of revenge. He found the elders house and entered through a window.
As he sneaked around the house, he heard the elder. He moved towards the room and found him telling his wife about the serpents in their field. “ Karkotaka of Taudaha Lake is viewed as the king of serpents. His good behaviour and repute are known to all, but his wife has no character at all. She came to our wheat field the other day; I discovered her making love with our Khokhana pond serpent. They had turned our wheat field into a trysting ground. Ripened stalks of wheat, crushed and trampled everywhere! I was infuriated so; I beat them with my stick severely. I think both lays in their sickbeds.”
Karkotaka after hearing the truth, couldn’t kill the wise elder. He was rather very impressed by him and grateful for revealing the truth about his wife’s mysterious sickness. So he appeared in front of the old couple and stated, “ Dear wise elder, I came to know the true story of the event that occurred in your wheat field. As a reward, I would like to present you something.” Karkotaka presented the elder with a precious jewel and said, “ If you keep this with yourself, even death cannot touch you. You will be an immortal man.”
To which the elder responded, “ What’s the point of living such a long life?”
He was old, and the world had lost its charm neither did he have the desire to lengthen his life. So he expressed his desire to pass away just like his ancestors, kin and peers.
Karkotaka found the concerns reasonable thus said, “ Please don’t worry wise elder! For when you wish to pass away from this world imagine eight impossible things to be accomplished.”
