Indian mythology stories for kids & youngsters. curse and boon stories. Curse & boon mythological stories: Who is the real culprit of Yamaraj?
In Kashi, there lived a king who held Brahmins in high regard. One day, we see two royal cooks preparing kheer in a large cauldron placed over a fire in the royal garden. They are stirring it from both sides. From afar, an eagle is seen flying with a snake clutched in its talons. As the cooks stir the kheer, they talk.
Cook 1: Our king always makes us work to serve the Brahmins. By the way, do you know why he is always so happy? And as far as I remember, this is the fifth time this month that we are cooking for the Brahmins, right?
**Cook 2**: You are new here, so you might not know. Our king owes everything he has to a very learned Brahmin.
**Cook 1**: Oh, how is that?
**Cook 2**: Well, that Brahmin had predicted everything for our king, from his marriage to his victories over enemies, and all those predictions came true. In return, the Brahmin asked our king for one thing.
**Cook 1**: What was the condition?
**Cook 2**: The condition was that our king would always respect and serve the Brahmins of this kingdom for his entire life. That learned Brahmin is no longer in this world, but our king is still keeping his promise by serving the Brahmins.
**Cook 1**: Wow, our king is truly amazing...
Suddenly, they hear a loud bell ringing.
**Cook 1**: Who rang the emergency bell at this time?
**Cook 2**: Maybe it's for us. Let's go and see what's happening...
They both leave. Meanwhile, the eagle, carrying the snake, flies over the cauldron. The snake struggles to free itself, causing a few drops of its venom to fall into the kheer, turning a portion of it green. The two cooks return but do not notice this and continue stirring the kheer, mixing the venom into it...
Seeing this, Parvati asks seriously in Kailash.
**Parvati**: Didn't the two royal cooks see that the kheer was poisoned? Did they serve that kheer to the Brahmins, my lord?
**Shiva**: Yes, Devi. Because neither the king nor the Brahmins knew about the poison.
We show three Brahmins seated in a row for a meal. The king arrives.
**King**: Greetings, esteemed guests. I am especially grateful that you have honored our invitation by coming here. May your blessings always remain upon me. Today, we have prepared a very delicious kheer for you, which I am sure you will enjoy. (Claps) Bring the kheer.
The two royal cooks bring the kheer, and the king starts serving it to everyone.
**King**: Now, please partake in the kheer, dear guests...
The three Brahmins begin eating the kheer. The king is pleased to see them eating. Suddenly, one of the sages starts foaming at the mouth, another begins bleeding from the mouth, and the third struggles to breathe. Seeing this, the king becomes terrified. The two cooks are also scared.
**King**: What is happening to you, dear Brahmin guests? Oh God, what terrible thing is happening to them...
The three Brahmins writhe in agony and die right there.
**King**: Could there have been poison in the kheer?
**Cook**: How could there be poison in the kheer, Maharaj? We were present near the kheer the whole time.
In a quick flash, the second cook remembers that they were not there for a short while. He becomes frightened. The king starts crying over the bodies.
**King**: Oh God, what a sin I have committed... No one can save me from this brahmacharya (the sin of killing a Brahmin), no one. Because these Brahmins died after eating the food I served them... Oh God, what a terrible sin and injustice I have done...
The king begins to weep. Suddenly, thunder and lightning roar. The king looks in that direction and sees only the shining noose of Yamaraj in the sky.
**King**: The noose of Yama, the god of death!
The noose descends and wraps around the three dead Brahmins, making them disappear.
**King**: Yama has taken the three dead Brahmins with him. But he won't spare me either because I am the cause of their death...
The king starts crying. Seeing this, Parvati asks in Kailash...**Parvati**: Was the king really responsible for the death of those three Brahmins, my lord? The king didn’t do anything wrong to be blamed for their deaths. Perhaps the real culprits were the two royal cooks who made the kheer for the Brahmins, as this terrible incident happened because of them.
**Shiva**: But they were simply doing their job, Devi.
**Parvati**: But for a moment, they left their work and went inside, my lord. And it was during that time that the eagle flew over with the snake in its beak, causing the snake's venom to fall into the kheer.
(Quick flashback to the eagle flying over the kheer with the snake)
**Parvati**: If the two cooks hadn't gone inside upon hearing the bell, they might have noticed when the snake's venom fell into the kheer.
**Shiva**: But that bell was an emergency bell, rung by the king to call the cooks to find out how much longer it would take for the kheer to be ready. So, it's not fair to blame the cooks for the Brahmins' deaths.
**Parvati**: Then, the blame must fall on the snake that dropped the venom into the kheer.
**Shiva**: But the poor snake was just trying to defend itself, Devi. That's why the venom came out of its mouth, and self-defense is not a crime, is it?
**Parvati**: Then the blame should go to the eagle. If it hadn’t caught the snake, the snake wouldn’t have needed to defend itself, and the Brahmins wouldn’t have died from the poisoned kheer.
**Shiva**: But if the eagle hadn't caught the snake, it wouldn’t have had food for that day, Devi. Every creature needs food to survive. So, it would be unfair to blame the eagle for this.
**Parvati**: Neither the king, the cooks, the eagle, nor the snake were to blame for the death of those three Brahmins. Then who is responsible for this sin, my lord?
**Shiva**: Yama himself was puzzled about who to blame for the death of the three Brahmins. After much contemplation, when Yama couldn’t find a solution, he decided to keep the matter pending for a while. However, even after their deaths, the three Brahmins waited for Yama to give his final judgment and punish the one responsible for their deaths. In Yamlok, the three Brahmins stand near the gate in their spiritual forms.
**Brahmin 1**: Even after so many years, Yama has not made a decision about who is responsible for our deaths.
**Brahmin 2**: Yes, never before has Yama taken so long to make a decision. Who knows how much longer it will take?
**Brahmin 3**: Yama is known as the god of justice, so he never makes a decision without thorough consideration. We must understand this; otherwise, why would he make us wait so long?
**Brahmin 1**: It seems we will have to wait even longer...
Just then, they hear Yama's voice.
**Yama (voice)**: Oh Brahmins, I apologize for making you wait so long for my decision. But now, I have concluded that the entire blame for your deaths falls on a woman who is currently on Earth.
The three Brahmins are astonished and look at each other, bewildered by Yama’s decision. Meanwhile, Parvati asks,
**Parvati**: Who was this woman, my lord, and how was she responsible for the deaths of the three Brahmins? On what basis did Yama find her guilty?
**Shiva**: Listen, Devi... Even after the death of the three Brahmins, the king continued to respect and serve Brahmins. One day...
We see a poor Brahmin carrying a bundle, heading to meet the king. On the way, he encounters a woman selling water with a pot. The hungry and thirsty Brahmin approaches her.
**Poor Brahmin**: Please give me some water, mother.
**Woman**: How much will you pay for the water?
**Poor Brahmin**: How much for the water? What do you mean?
**Woman**: Can't you see I sell water? I don't give it for free. By the way, where are you headed?
**Poor Brahmin**: To the king, who serves Brahmins...
The woman speaks mockingly.
**Woman**: (Laughing loudly) Oh, to that king who poisons Brahmins like you! Go on, go on... I find great joy in telling others about that king. I sit here every day just to tell everyone about this incident and enjoy myself.
**Poor Brahmin**: (Smiling) Well, you've made my task easier, mother... On the tenth year of the month of Magh, on a Saturday afternoon, we will meet again.
**Woman**: Where?
**Poor Brahmin**: In Yamlok, mother, where else...
Saying this, the poor Brahmin vanishes.
present in Kailash**
**Shiva**: That poor Brahmin was none other than Yama, Devi...
**Parvati**: But how did he find that woman guilty of the deaths of the three Brahmins, my lord?
**Shiva**: Yama thought deeply about who benefited the most from the deaths of the three Brahmins if no one was directly responsible for their deaths. It was the woman on the road who mocked their deaths every day and found joy in it. Therefore, Yama found her guilty of their deaths.
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indian mythology curse & boon stories
