Dakshin by Nitin Kushalappa MP

Author:Nitin Kushalappa MP [KUSHALAPPA MP, NITIN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789354929328
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2023-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

7

The Cow and

the Tiger

This story, which comes from Karnataka, is the translation of a well-known Kannada poem. It is called ‘Govina Haadu’, meaning ‘the cow’s song’, and is sung during festivals.

* * *

In the centre of this Earth is a land that is known today as Karnataka. It is one of the five states in South India. In this region there lived a cowherd called Kalinga. He was the gowda (chief) among the cowherds.

Kalinga had a large herd of cattle. He led them every day from his cowshed to a forest. There, he would play his flute under a mango tree while his cattle grazed on the grass.

Cheerfully, he would call out to all his cattle and summon them with these words: ‘Ganga and Gowri, come here. Mother Tungabhadra, come here. Punyakoti, you too, come here.’ These were the names of some of the cows in his herd. It was common practice among ancient Indians to address a cow as ‘mother’.

Hearing the cowherd’s voice, all the cows would gather before him. They would let him milk them, and he would do so until his bucket was full. Afterwards, the cows would quietly walk back to graze on the grass of the forest. At dusk, Kalinga would lead them back to the barn, where they stayed at night.

Amidst this large jungle lived a tiger named Arbuta, who rested atop a large rock. One day, the tiger was tired and angry from hunger. He roared loudly as his stomach grumbled, and the noise resembled a thunderstorm. Upon hearing the sound, all the cows grazing nearby scattered in fear in all possible directions.

‘Food!’ cried Arbuta as he pranced towards the cattle herd that was grazing there. With a few leaps, he sprang from the rock and threw himself upon the frightened herd. They ran so fast for their lives that the tiger couldn’t catch up with them.

However, the cow called Punyakoti was grazing elsewhere and didn’t hear the commotion. She was actually lost in her own thoughts. Punyakoti was late; she wanted to go early to the barn to feed her calf. She was now worried that her child would be very hungry.

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