Continued from last week
King Hiranya Kayshapu possessed a boon from the gods which made him virtually invincible, but he was also consumed by the tragic flaw of overweening pride. He felt so great that he commanded all in his kingdom to worship him. But his own son Prahalad refused to obey, declaring to all that he would only worship the true God, who was not his father. This rebellion coming out of his own household embarrassed and infuriated the king, but no amount of threats would cause the boy to capitulate. Kayshapu, therefore ordered his son’s death. His sister Holika was also in possession of a boon. She could not be burnt by fire. The king ordered the lighting of a large pyre in which the boy was to be burnt. Holika took hold of her nephew and sat with him in the fire, but by a miracle, she perished and Prahalad came out unscorched.
The way the proud king met his end is even more interesting. His gift was that he could be killed neither by man nor by beast. He could not be killed by night or by day, indoors or outdoors, on the earth or in the air. What all of these add up to is that he just could not be killed at all. But his conqueror came dressed in a costume that could not be defined as either man or beast, he took hold of the king at dusk when it was neither day nor night and killed him on a balcony which was neither on the ground nor in the air, holding him in the doorway which was neither indoors nor outdoors.
This is similar to other myths and tales about kings overcome by pride. Like Macbeth, Kayshapu was misled by a false sense of security. Macbeth was assured by the deceptive witches that he could not be defeated until Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane, neither could he be harmed by any man that was born of woman. Since Birnam Wood was a forest and Dunsinane was a castle neither could move to “come to” the other. Likewise, since every man was “born of woman,” Macbeth was convinced that his defeat was impossible. Of course, his conqueror was Macduff, who had a caesarean birth – “Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” – and when he led his army to advance on Macbeth’s castle at Dunsinane, they cut down large branches of the forest’s trees and held them in front of them in order to disguise their advance. The forest was virtually moving to the castle.
Macbeth had declared “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield…” and similarly, Kayshapu felt eternally protected. This seems a common device in the different cultures used to bring down the mighty dictators. The Hindu story illustrates the fall of pride and the inevitable conquest of good over evil, messages that will appeal to non-Hindus and is indeed also preached by other religions. It also demonstrates the rewards of unyielding faith and devotion as held by Prahalad in his refusal to depart from God. There is also the theme of sacrifice because the boy was prepared to risk his life for his belief. This is shared by Islam and demonstrated by the story of Ishmail and Ibrahim who were both willing to sacrifice in their obedience to God. That same story is also celebrated by Christian mythology which has several other similar tales.
King Kayshapu’s story therefore serves as a good example of the way such narratives function in the great religions. In addition to its own very interesting narrative characteristics, it demonstrates the presence of the sacred and the popular in the Hindu festival. The plot and themes dramatise principles that are at the heart of the religion and its beliefs. The story and its meaning contain lessons for the instruction of the audience and the satisfaction of the faithful. The dramatic devices employed do even further service. They provide metaphors and symbols which not only make the narrative effective but also serve the public expression of the festival in its contribution to the ritual, the spectacle, the message and the public outreach.
One over-riding theme/ message/lesson is the triumph of good over evil which the story dramatises in a number of ways. The king allows his power to consume him. He also misuses it since the boon given to him could have been used for good, but instead, he abuses it for evil. Instead of serving the religion, he attacks its core through his pride, presumption, deification of himself, forcing others to depart from these principles in worshipping him and his persecution of the faithful, courageous and steadfast. For these, he is punished.
The fate of Holika is similar to that of her brother. She also attempts to use the boon given to her for an evil purpose in using it to carry out the king’s campaign against Prahalad. Her punishment fits her crime in that the very element (fire) in which she was safe and invincible turns around and destroys her because she was abusing it. Her evil intentions cause the gift to be rescinded. She had a false sense of security just like her brother.
Prahalad demonstrates the triumph of good in that unlike his father and aunt he immediately recognises the principles of the religion and chooses to stick to them. He was rewarded by a miracle. The unexpected happened; the boon that had been given to Holika was at once taken from her and given to him. Very similar stories appear in Christian mythology, including stories in which the faithful are thrown into fire and miraculously escape unscathed.
The way the story provides the festival with public symbols (in addition to the religious rituals), as in the burning of Holika, is another of the common functions. In similar fashion the story of Ibrahim and Ishmael in Islam gives rise to strong symbols of obedience and service to God, as are contained in the Phagwah story. One of the great symbols and public outreach of Eid is the practice of Qurbani (the sacrifice of cattle and the sharing of the meat) as well as the dramatic stoning wall ritual during the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Other symbolic dramatisations are known in the Christian Christmas and Easter, the story of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, and Daniel thrown in the lion’s den, among others.
All of these, because of their common universal themes can appeal to humanity in a public way quite outside of religious practice. They tend to attract the interest of even those who do not belong to the religion, or who may not be religious at all, and contribute to the content, proceedings and cultural expression in traditional popular festivals.
