Storytelling for Week 4: Perception

It's All About Perception

The Story of Guha

Their arrival was sudden. Chariots, wagons, and carts pulled by hoofed beasts, snorting and stamping their disapproval at the dogs weaving between their legs and throughout the bustling caravan. The men carried familiar flags, those of Ayodhya and changed or sang praises of Shiva as they made their way further and further into my forest. I watched them from the trees at first, observing and wondering what their arrival might bring. The men and their companions slowed to a stop and immediately began setting up camp. They raised fancy tents, lit fires, tied off their beasts, and prepared gifts to be given as sacrifices to Shiva.

I watched, growing concerned about the intentions of my unexpected guests. Then, they unveiled a statue which upon further investigation turned out to depict Shiva. They made various sacrifices and offerings before returning to camp. I followed them back and revealed myself, offering my welcome and good will. I received them graciously, but asked why they had come. They were brahmanas who'd been sent by Vasishtha to "reform"  me and my people by teaching us to worship the glory of Shiva. I remained courteous and gave them many gifts, but made sure to inform them that I only worship ONE god, and that god is a tree.

Shiva Statue Temple Murdeshwara (2008)

Found on Wikipedia

Even after I explained my views, the brahmanas remained persistent; they bombarded me day after day with stories of the strength, power, and glory of Shiva. I couldn't help but get... frustrated. So, to work out some of that tension, every night after hunting I would visit the statue and give it a good, solid kick. I endured the brahmana's and their mission to "reform" me for what seemed like forever. The forest changed from one season to the next and all was the same: hunting, drinking, avoiding the brahmanas, and kicking Shiva. Things did change though when the rains came and flooded my beautiful forest. Ganga rose up and soaked the ground, rising higher and higher until it was up to my waist! The brahmanas fled to higher ground, leaving the statue of Shiva alone and half underwater for days at a time.

They may have abandoned their deity, but I wasn't going to. No matter what, rain or clear skies, high waters or relatively low waters I was going to kick that statue. I waded in every night in order to kick that statue. It was a daily ritual that I looked forward to and one day when I was unable to approach the statue directly due to a pack of wolves surrounding it, I remained dedicated to my cause. I climbed the closest tree to the statue and waited for my chance to get that kick. I waited all night, growing hungry and cold, but the wolves remained. I tried to eat some green nuts but they were awfully bitter! So, instead I sat back and tried to get comfortable because it seemed like I was looking forward to a long night. I shivered from the cold, my body violently shaking so hard that leaves, dew, and bitter green nuts fell from the tree to rain down on the statue. This continued throughout the night with me not getting any sleep and not being able to get down.

Finally, at dawn, my men came searching for me and scared off the wolves. I climbed down slowly, angry that I had not been able to complete my nightly ritual of kicking Shiva. My anger grew and became directed at the brahmanas. After all, I wouldn't have gone through all of this if it weren't for those idiots! I rushed their caravan, my men screaming and howling. The brahmanas were terrified and ran like children back to the skirt of their mother. We chased them all the way back to Ayodhya where I met King Dasaratha and was crowned an official king!

After my official crowning, we marched back to my forest where life went on as it had before the brahmanas arrived. We resumed our hunts and ran joyfully through the forest until one afternoon when I got really sick. I couldn't move. My skin felt like it was on fire and being pricked by thousands of small needles at the same time. Sweat poured down my face and my eyes sunk in creating deep, dark circles around them and giving my face a hauntingly skeletal appearance. I couldn't eat or drink and was not getting any better. Then, the terrible fever consumed me. I died and not long after did Yuma's messengers come to retrieve my soul. However, their efforts were thwarted by a small, mean-looking dwarf (who turned out to be Nandin, guardian of the wild). He told them to stop by order of Shiva and so they did.

I looked to the dwarf, entirely bewildered. Why would Shiva send him for me? Have I offended him? Fear crept up in my throat as I accompanied Nandin to Earth. We landed on the soft grass and just seconds later I was blinded by a white light. When it subsided, I looked around and found that Nandin had taken his true form, that of a white humpy bull and was advancing towards me. I backed up slowly as the great white bull took me into his jaws and carried me off. He delivered me to Shiva, but before I could ask any questions or figure anything out, Yama appeared. He asked Shiva why he had taken my soul (a sinner's soul) and left an empty place in hell. Shiva simply replied that I was the one person who was truly devoted to saluting him. He recalled the night I spent in the tree saying that I had watched over him all night without sleep and gave him the food that I needed. He also said that I had showered him with water and given him ornaments of leaves to appease him. However, the most telling part to Shiva of my devotion was that I drove out the men who were pretending to love him. I showed him who was truly devoted.

Yama accepts this answer and returns to his kingdom, leaving me in total awe with Shiva's interpretation of my misfortune. I almost went to correct the god, and reveal my true intentions but decided against it. Instead, I took the blessings of Shiva and was incredibly grateful when Shiva instructed Nandin to return me to my body. I guess every situation really does have multiple sides...


Author's Note:
I chose this story because it involves shape-shifting which I plan to do my storybook about. Plus, Guha seemed like a lively, charismatic character and his story was pretty funny. I chose to do it from Guha's point of view just to mix things up and try to get into the character's head. I didn't change much from the original story, just added details and obviously changed the narrator/storytelling style.