The Mysterious Snake
Long ago, there lived a great architect and builder in the village. He was popularly known as the guru. Almost all the male members of the village were his disciples. Each one was a successful architect or builder. Kings, landlords, and officers from far and near commissioned the villagers to build houses for them. The village naturally prospered very well. But nobody had mastered the art of building as much as the guru had. It was because the guru had come upon a rare manuscript that narrated the most intricate principles of the art. The manuscript had been accidentally destroyed. There was no second copy of it. Once the king of the nether world, the world of serpents, needed a new palace. One night he appeared before the guru and requested him to come down to his domain. The guru was not only a brave man but also a seeker. He found in the invitation an opportunity to learn the mysteries of the nether world. He told the members of his family that he was going out on a secret mission, and he left for the nether world.
The nether world was a wonderful place. It abounded in precious metals. Food and drink which were dreams even to kings and emperors on the earth were available in plenty to all. All seemed happy. The guru was received with warmth. All the materials he wanted was placed at his disposal. He planned the palace and began building it. Two years passed. The work was yet to be completed when the guru felt homesick. "You are endowed with supernatural vision. Kindly cast a glance through your inner eye at my village and tell how the situation there is," he told the serpent king. The serpent king shut his eyes for a while. Then he said, "All is not well with your village. There is a drought in your area. However, the bad period will pass in another month!" "Another month! By then my people might die for lack of water! No, my lord, you must arrange for rain in my area," said the Guru. "That is not possible. Your village is destined to suffer the drought," replied the serpent king. "But I know that you have the power to bring down rain!" insisted the guru. "I should not utter a lie. I have the power. But I cannot use it at my sweet will. That might disturb the scheme of laws by which the earth is governed," explained the serpent king. "In that case, I proceed to my village forthwith. I must share the fate of my villagers," declared the guru. "You must complete the work!" said the serpent king. "You must bring rain to my village," replied the guru, equally stern in his tone.
The serpent king looked angry. The guru stopped work. But he could not go out of the nether world as all of the exits were closed. It is only the serpent king who could open them. Two days passed. One morning the serpent king heard a strange sound. He came out of his room and found that the guru was trying to fell a pillar. "What are you doing?" he asked, quite furious. "I am going to destroy whatever I have already built!" replied the guru. "You deserved to be punished with death!" shouted the serpent king. "Right. That is why I am doing this mischief. I want to die," replied the guru. "But why?" asked the king, surprised. "I know what drought means. Most of my villagers, particularly, the women and children who cannot run for water to distant places, would die. If I cannot die with them, let me die here," said the guru. The serpent king stood pensive for a while. Then he said, "Very well, noble architect, I shall arrange for rain in your area. I can do so now with your justification," said the serpent king. "Was the justification not there earlier?" asked the guru. "No, if I would have used my power for rain as soon as you demanded it, my action would have been equal to merely pleasing you. That would have been misuse of power. If I am using my power now, it is to save your life, for, you seem determined to die," explained the serpent king. "May I once see the condition of my Village?" asked the guru. "You may", said the serpent king. He then gave the guru a scarf.
"Put it on and remember your village. You will be there. But don't try to talk to anybody, and return soon," he said. The guru put on the scarf. Next, he found himself bathing in rain. He recognized his village. The villagers looked happy. "It is most welcome rain," exclaimed everybody. The guru found that he could not talk. And whenever he approached a villager the villager ran away. Even the members of his own family did the same. He was surprised. Soon he wished to return to the nether world and he was there. He completed his work in another year. He was given diamonds as a reward when he was to leave for his village. The serpent king himself let him in the village square, invisible to all. The villagers were delighted to see him back. At the center of the village, he saw a shrine. "Who is worshipped in this shrine?" he asked. "A year ago a severe drought threatened our existence. Suddenly appeared a strange snake, with a scarf. Along with it came the rain. It was a beneficient snake - perhaps a god in disguise. After it disappeared, we built the shrine and placed inside it a bronze figure of the snake. We have also begun calling our village Sarpapur," informed the villagers. The guru understood that the serpent king had sent him there as a snake. He smiled and kept quiet. It was only after his death that the story became known.
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