Devdutt Pattanaik - Saraswatis Secret River

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Dr Devdutt Pattanaik studied medicine but decided he loves telling stories better. He feels stories are like Eclair sweets; if you chew long enough, you get a burst of chocolate that is locked inside. So rather than working as a doctor, he decided to write and tell ancient Indian stories and reveal the idea-chocolate locked within them. He believes these stories are the gifts of our ancestors. He has been doing this for a long time and even uses the wisdom of these stories to help businesses. He is currently Chief Belief Officer of Future Group. To know more visit www.devdutt.com

Read these books in the Fun in Devlok series:

Indra Finds Happiness

An Identity Card for Krishna

Gauri and the Talking Cow

Kama vs Yama

Shiva Plays Dumb Charades

Illustrations by Vishal Tondon

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This collection published 2011

Copyright Devdutt Pattanaik, 2011

The moral right of the author has been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-143-33196-4

This digital edition published in 2012.

e-ISBN: 978-8-184-75513-8

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

On Tuesday morning, Mrs Sivakami, principal of Madame Mira High School, in the town of Mirapur, found Saraswati walking down the school corridor, her pet goose behind her, peeping into classrooms. Yes, it was Saraswati, the goddess of learning. She looked just like the image kept at the school entrance. She wore a white sari, had a book and a pen in one hand, and a stringed musical instrument in another. Was it a veena or a sitar or a tanpura? Mrs Sivakami was not curious to know. She was just too surprised and much pleased to have a goddess as a visitor to her school.

Mrs Sivakami had spent ten years teaching English, History and Geography at the school. Every year she taught eighty students. This means in ten years she had taught the three subjects to eight hundred students. No, eight hundred and ten students! Last year and the year before last, she had eighty-five students in her class, accounting for the ten extra students. She was sure that some day somebody would appreciate her for teaching so many subjects to so many students. Could it be that the goddess was looking for her? Could it be the goddess had come down to appreciate her? No harm hoping, she told herself, as she walked towards the goddess.

Can I help you? she asked Saraswati in an extremely polite voice.

Instead of replying, the goddess caught the teachers ear. Do you realize that the river will stop flowing in your school very shortly? The goddess sounded rather agitated.

River? There is no river in our school, said a very startled Mrs Sivakami. She was not used to having her ear held so. There is a pond, near the back gate. But no river, I am sure of it. What is the name of this river which you say will dry up?

River Saraswati, of course, replied the goddess in a calm melodious voice. Is that not your name? asked Mrs Sivakami.

It is my name. It is also the name of the river that was named after me. Surely you have heard of it? Dont you teach History and Geography?

Yes, but I have not heard of such a river anywhere near our school. Mrs Sivakami was afraid that the goddess was here to punish her. Oh, please dont twist my ears. I will find the river, I promise you, she pleaded in a voice that quivered. She felt her knees wobble. Is that how her students felt when she shouted at them, she wondered. But the goddess was not shouting. She was smiling and sounding very sweet, she noticed. Why then were her knees shaking?

Twist your ears? Why would I do that? asked Saraswati, sounding rather surprised.

Er you are holding my ear, Mrs Sivakami pointed out with a sheepish grin.

Oh that. The goddess laughed, releasing Mrs Sivakamis ear. I thought I saw wax in your ear. Just checking.

Ugh, said Mrs Sivakami, feeling rather offended. I clean my ears every Sunday with cotton buds. There cannot be any wax in my ears.

Please dont be upset. I like ears to be clean. How else will you listen to what I have to say? said Saraswati once again peeping into the principals ear, just to make sure. Since you have never heard of River Saraswati, or seen it flowing in your school, you clearly would not notice if it was dying, now would you?

Mrs Sivakami did not know how to respond. She wondered what was the proper way to address the goddess. Should she call her Goddess or Madam or Saraswati-ji or simply Saraswati? Would the goddess mind? No one teaches these things at school, or at home. No one prepares you with a situation where you are face-to-face with a goddess. Teachers are as clueless as students.

Mrs Sivakami ventured cautiously, Madam-ji, could it be you are referring to the River Saraswati mentioned in the Vedas? The Vedas are ancient books of knowledge, containing hymns composed over 4,000 years ago.

Yes, so you know about it. The goddess felt relieved.

I believe that river dried up.

Oh it still flowssecretly, said Saraswatis goose flapping her wings. Her name was Hansa.

Where? exclaimed Mrs Sivakami. In my school? Is this a joke?

Not quite, said the goddess. Would you like to see the river when it flowed on earth?

Oh yes, I would. I heard it was a mighty river before it disappeared. Some say it flows underground and is the third river that joins the rivers Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag Sangam near the city of Allahabad. See, I know my history, and my geography, Mrs Sivakami proclaimed smugly.

Saraswati picked up Mrs Sivakami by her waist and placed her on Hansas back. She then sat on the goose and off they went to see the River Saraswati.

Have you flown on a goose before? asked Hansa.

No. I do not think any human can. Hey, I always thought that Saraswati rides a swan.

Artists prefer drawing a swan than a goose, said Hansa, sounding a little bitter. A swan is much more elegant than a goose, you see.