Aum SRI Sai Ram

Song of The Cow:

PUNYAKOTI

A story of Truth

First Draft
AUM SRI SAIRAM

TRUTH

(A CLIP OF SWAMI TALKING ABOUT TRUTH)

NARRATOR:

In the sprawling landscape of Karnataka, the land of

wisdom illuminated by the presence of God, there lived
with inexplicable splendor a cowherd by the name of
Kaalinga. Reminiscent of a deity, he would arrive every
beautiful morning on these slopes, with a voice as lovely
as music and feet as light as the air, impatiently calling
their names - the names of his beloved children, his cows.

(Kaalinga enters the scene, his palm shading his

eyes, looking for his cows)

KAALINGA:

(playing flute ala ‘Peter and the Wolf’ Style)

IWhere are you, dear ones? Where are you? (plays flute) Oh Parvati (plays flute),
lakshmi, Saraswati and Manikya, Ganga, Gowri, Thungabadra, come to me, come to me!
Punyakoti, Kamadhenu, Punya Vahini, come come!!The Universe, the Earth, God and I
need you! Please come!!

NARRATOR:

The cows and their calves, on hearing his loving,

affectionate, happy and melodious call, came and
surrounded him and let him lead them to the jungle to
feast on the tender green grass and satiate their thirst with
the sweet water of the stream.

The innocent cows were of course unaware that they

were being watched.

In the midst of the sprawling mountain range, by the foot

hill in a cavern, a creature lay, basking in the shadows, a
creature who had not eaten the previous week, a tiger.
And not just any tiger. A hungry tiger - the most
dangerous kind.
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(here, tiger shifts its shoulders and enters into the

scene, saliva pouring from its jaws)

Adhbhutar wonderful, for that was the tiger’s name heard

the tinkling of bells, and as we humans are drawn to the
sweet, chocolatey richness of dark chocolate cake, he
was enticed. The smell was driving him crazy!!

TIGER (from his cave)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.!!!

(the sound reverbrates around the countryside. The

other cows look up.)

Adhbhutar wonderful was a clever tiger. He made no

sound as he crept quietly up on the herd.

(Silence. Heartbeats)

COW1 (looking up from grazing)

Oh! What’s that??

And then, with lightning speed and silence, he sprang at

the nearest cow.

(Cows screaming - AAH AAAHHH!!)

But for all Adhbhutars’ scheming, he had missed. Barely

scratched the back of a single cow. He roared in
frustration.

TIGER
(roars with FURY and frustration)

When he saw her. A lone cow walking slowly quite

unaware of the tiger. Punyakoti. His eyes glowed.

TIGER
(licking lips)
Mmmmmmmmm.
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(tiger goes towards Punyakoti, and then just as

Punyakoti turns, he BLOCKS her.

TIGER (jaws wide)

Hello!

(She takes a step back, reversing. He blocks her

again.)

TIGER
(opening his jaws)
HAAAAH!!! You can’t escape from me, cow!! You destroy the fields by eating its
crops!! Providence has sent you to me as a meal, and I will NOT let you escape!

PUNYAKOTI
Oh, please wait, great tiger!!

TIGER
Wait? WAIT??? I have waited long enough!! Today, you must DIE!

PUNYAKOTI (frantically)
Oh great tiger, I do not lay the land waste! I do not eat up the crops, i graze on the grass
in the forest and drink from the streams, I provide milk for the children and help
mankind, I only follow my master's orders. Please let me pass!

TIGER
Pass? You are my prey! I will break your neck and bite your head off!

PUNYAKOTI
Then do so by all means. But first, you must let me pass. I have a child at home who
needs me! Let me do my duty and feed him. Then I shall return.

TIGER
HAH! What do you take me for - A FOOL? If I let you slip now, you won’t come
back...

PUNYAKOTI
Truth is my mother, truth is my father, truth is my friend, truth is my relative. If my
action is contrary to my promise, it will not please God. I will come back!

TIGER(advancing)
Words! They are MEANINGLESS! Why should I believe you?
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PUNYAKOTI
How can I assure you that I will be back soon? Oh tiger, I do not covet dishonor in this
world by uttering untruth! This body of mine is perishable and I shall not deviate from
the path of Dharma for the sake of this mortal body. This life of mine is like an air
bubble on the surface of water, but my actions of righteousness and truth are eternal. I
swear in the names of the Sun, the moon, Brahma the creator, Vishnu the sustainer, I
must do my duty to my child. And then I shall return to you so you can do what you
will! I will return soon!!

(Pause)

TIGER(sighs)
This - could be my only act of mercy or my greatest mistake! I shall wait here. Go
before I change my mind. Quickly! (tiger turns away)

(Punyakoti stares at him paralyzed, unable to believe her ears)

TIGER (bellows)
GO!

NARRATOR:And Punyakoti ran back home, faster than

she had ever run in her life. The rest of the herd, worried
were pleased to see her until she told them why she had
come.

COW1
But Punyakoti, you can’t go back!!! If you do, we will all go with you!

PUNYAKOTI
I cannot break my promise! And you must not follow me - this is the result of my past
Karma and I alone must atone for it! Now - I don’t have much time. Where’s my son?

SON
Mother! Here I am - mother! They are all saying things - about a tiger...

PUNYAKOTI
Oh my son! Son (weeping) I don’t have much time. It’s true. All of it is true!

(the son covers his face.)

PUNYAKOTI
Listen to me. I was a-attached by a wicked tiger - a tiger who wants to eat me.He kindly
let me return in order to see you. I have promised to return to him.
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SON (GASPS)
No! M-Mother, please....

PUNYAKOTI (INTERRUPTING
HIM)
My son, never go alone near that craggy mountain, the tiger will kill you! Promise me!

SON (SOBBING)
Ohh mother! Why can’t you stay here like the others? Why is it that you have to die?
Who will look after me? How - how will I live without you? Who will l-love me????

PUNYAKOTI
Your aunts will care for you in my stead. Sisters -

(turning to the cows)

PUNYAKOTI
Please care for my orphan child as your own. He has no one. Please treat my beautiful
child with kindness. (to son) My son! Do not grieve for me, live this earth according to
Dharma!

NARRATOR:
So saying, Punyakoti fed her child one last time - and
then made her last fateful voyage to the tiger.

The tiger, as surmised, waiting in his cave lay impatiently

licking his fur.

PUNYAKOTI
Tiger! I have come!

TIGER
(stops his licking, spits a hairball, gasps in astonishment)
You - you...you came back? But - WHY???????

PUNYAKOTI
I promised. And I have incurred sin for having kept you hungry and waiting. I am truly
sorry! Delay no more, your food is here. Warm blood is flowing through my heart and
there is plenty of meat. Dine on this to your hearts content. May you live long.

TIGER
But aren’t you afraid, surely? You are going to d-die! You are going to feel pain like you
have never felt before! Are you not TERRIFIED?
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PUNYAKOTI
I am, dear tiger. I am very frightened, my limbs are quivering with fear! But I know deep
in my heart that it will all be all right in the end, for my soul is truth. It is - it is
imperishable. I am frightened...but I am happy.

NARRATOR: Punyakoti closed her eyes, waiting for

the blow. The tearing, ripping sounds and sensation of
dying. But nothing happened. She waited. Then she
slowly opened her eyes. The tiger was cringing, shrinking
away from her.

TIGER
What have I done? I am a sinner, a scourge of the earth! I cannot - and will not kill you.
I have killed hundreds of animals! This kind of life must end now. You are a divine
being. I will never kill again! It is fit and proper that I offer my life at your feet! You are
my sister! Please forgive me!

(the tiger falls at Punyakoti’s feet)

PUNYAKOTI
What are you doing, O great tiger! You do not have to give up your life! Eat me and
satisfy your hunger!! I do not want to deny you a promise and a good meal! Take my
flesh, take my meat! Take the warm blood from my heart. Oh fierce tiger, have
all this and be happy!

TIGER
No, no I cannot!!! Let me sin no more!!! Oh God, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara!! Save
me from sin!!! I have been greatly humbled by my own prey!!

NARRATOR
And at that very moment, a marvelous thing happened.
Light formed at the top of the mountain - and the tiger
shed his mortal coil. God had heard his plea. The soul of
the tiger attained the presence of Brahma, Lord Shiva
accepted the tiger skin and Lord Vishnu blessed the cow.

And Punyakoti returned home to her son and her sisters,

who all jumped with joy, marvelling at the turn of events.
Kaalinga the cowhered prostrated at the feet of Punyakoti
and said that he was blessed for having such a great and
divine being amidst them. (Chant: Sathayameva Jayathe
Nanruthum...etc.” (Satyam Vada - dharmam Chara)

THE END.
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