There is a Tamil proverb dipam lakshmikaram, meaning, "light makes
prosperity," and the following story is related to explain it:--
In the town of Govindapathi there lived a merchant named Pasupati
Setti, who had a son and a daughter. The son's name was Vinita and the
daughter's Garvi, and while still playmates they made a mutual vow,
that in case they ever had children that could be married to each
other, they would certainly see that this was done. Garvi grew up
to marry a very rich merchant, and gave birth in due course to three
daughters, the last of whom was named Sunguni. Vinita, too, had three
sons. Before, however, this brother and sister could fulfil their
vow an event happened which threw a gloom over all their expectations.
Pasupati Setti died, and his creditors--for he had many--grew
troublesome. All his property had to be sold to clear his debts,
and in a month or two after his father's death Vinita was reduced to
the condition of a penniless pauper. But being a sensible person he
patiently bore up against his calamity, and tried his best to live
an honest life on what little was left to him.
His sister Garvi was, as has been already said, married into a rich
family, and when she saw the penniless condition of her brother the
engagements she had entered into with him began to trouble her. To
give or not to give her daughters in marriage to the sons of her
brother! This was the question that occupied her thoughts for several
months, till at last she determined within herself never to give poor
husbands to her children. Fortunately for her, two young merchants of
respectable family offered themselves to her two eldest daughters,
she gladly accepted them and had the weddings celebrated. The last
daughter, Suguni, alone remained unmarried.
Vinita was sorely troubled in his heart at this disappointment,
as he never thought that his sister would thus look down upon his
poverty; but, being very sensible, he never interfered and never said
a word. The vow of his childhood was, however, known to every one, and
some came to sympathise with him; while others spoke in a criticising
tone to Garvi for having broken her promise, because her brother had
become poor through unforeseen circumstances. Their remarks fell on the
ears of Suguni, who was as yet unmarried, and also was a very learned
and sensible girl. She found her uncle Vinita extremely courteous and
respectful, and his sons all persons of virtue and good nature. The
thought that her mother should have forgotten all these excellent and
rare qualities in the presence of fleeting mammon (asthiraisvarya)
vexed her heart very greatly. So, though it is considered most
contrary to etiquette for a girl in Hindu society to fix upon a boy
as her husband, she approached her mother and thus addressed her:--
"Mother, I have heard all the story about your vow to your brother
to marry us--myself and my sisters--to his sons, our cousins; but
I am ashamed to see you have unwarrantably broken it in the case of
my sisters. I cannot bear such shame. I cannot marry anyone in the
world except one of my three cousins. You must make up your mind to
give me your consent."
Garvi was astonished to hear her youngest daughter talk thus to her.
"You wish to marry a beggar?" said she. "We will never agree to it,
and if you persist we will give you away to your penniless pauper,
but we will never see your face again."
But Suguni persisted. So her marriage with the youngest son of Vinita
was arranged. He had never spoken a word about it to his sister,
but he had waited to make matches for his children till all his
sister's daughters had been given away, and when he heard that Suguni
was determined to marry his youngest son, he was very pleased. He
soon fixed upon two girls from a poor family for his other sons,
and celebrated the three weddings as became his position.
Suguni was as noble in her conduct as in her love for her poor
cousin. She was never proud or insolent on account of having come
from a rich family. Nor did she ever disregard her husband, or his
brothers, or father.
Now Vinita and his sons used to go out in the mornings to gather
dried leaves which his three daughters-in-law stitched into plates
(patravali), which the male members of the family sold in the bazar for
about four panams each. [90] Sometimes these leaf-plates would go for
more, sometimes for less; but whatever money the father-in-law brought
home his daughters-in-law used for the day's expense. The youngest
of them was Suguni, who spent the money most judiciously, and fed her
father-in-law and his sons sumptuously. Whatever remained she partook
of with her two poor sisters-in-law, and lived most contentedly. And
the family respected Suguni as a paragon of virtue, and had a very
great regard for her. Her parents, as they had threatened, never
returned to see how their last, and of course once beloved, child
was doing in her husband's home. Thus passed a couple of years.
One day the king of the town was taking an oil bath, and pulling a
ring off his finger, left it in a niche in the open courtyard. A garuda
(Brahmani kite) was at that moment describing circles in the air, and,
mistaking the glittering rubies in the ring for flesh, pounced upon it
and flew away. Finding it not to be flesh he dropped it in the house of
Suguni's husband. She happened to be alone working in the courtyard,
while her sisters-in-law and the others were in different parts of
the house. So she took up the sparkling ring and hid it in her lap.
Soon afterwards she heard a proclamation made in the street that the
king had lost a valuable ring, and that any person who could trace it
and give it back to him should obtain a great reward. Suguni called
her husband and his brothers and thus addressed them:--
"My lord and brothers, I have the king's ring. Exactly at midday a
garuda dropped it in our courtyard and here it is. We must all go to
the king, and there, before you three, I shall deliver up the ring,
explaining how I got it. When his majesty desires me to name my
reward I shall do so, and beg of you never to contradict or gainsay
my desires, if they appear very humble in your opinion."
The brothers agreed, and they all started for the palace. They had
a very great respect for Suguni and expected a good result from this
visit to the king.
The palace was reached, and the ring was given back to the king
with the explanation. His majesty was charmed at the modesty and
truthfulness of Suguni, and asked her to name her reward.
"My most gracious sovereign! King of kings! Supreme lord! Only a slight
favour thy dog of a servant requests of your majesty. It is this,
that on a Friday night all the lights in the town be extinguished,
and not a lamp be lit even in the palace. Only the house of thy dog
of a servant must be lighted up with such lights as it can afford."
"Agreed, most modest lady. We grant your request, and we permit you
to have the privilege you desire this very next Friday."
Joyfully she bowed before his majesty, and returned with her husband
and the others to her house. She then pledged the last jewel she had
by her and procured some money.
Friday came. She fasted the whole day, and as soon as twilight
approached she called both the brothers of her husband, and thus
addressed them:--
"My brothers, I have made arrangements for lighting up our house
with one thousand lamps to-night. One of you, without ever closing
your eyes for a moment, must watch the front of our house and the
other the back. If a woman of a graceful appearance and of feminine
majesty wishes you to permit her to enter it, boldly tell her to
swear first never to go out again. If she solemnly agrees to this,
then permit her to come in. If in the same way any woman wishes to
go out, make a similar condition that she must swear never to return
at any time in her life."
What Suguni said seemed ridiculous to the brothers; but they allowed
her to have her way, and waited to see patiently what would take place.
The whole town was gloomy that night, except Suguni's house; for,
by order of his majesty, no light was lit in any other house. The
Ashtalakshmis--the Eight Prosperities--entered the town that night and
went house by house into every street. All of them were dark, and the
only house lit up was Suguni's. They tried to enter it, but the brother
at the door stopped them and ordered them to take the oath. This they
did, and when he came to understand that these ladies were the Eight
Prosperities, he admired the sagacity of his brother's wife.
A nimisha after the eight ladies had gone in, there came out of the
house a hideous female and requested permission to go, but the brother
at the back would not permit this unless she swore never to come back
again. She solemnly swore, and the next moment he came to know that
she was Mudevi, or Adversity, the elder sister of Prosperity.
For she said:--"My sisters have come. I cannot stay here for a minute
longer. God bless you and your people. I swear by everything sacred
never to come back."
And so, unable to breathe there any longer, Adversity ran away.
When the morning dawned, the Prosperities had already taken up a
permanent abode with the family. The rice bag became filled. The money
chest overflowed with money. The pot contained milk. And thus plenty
began to reign in Suguni's house from that day. The three brothers and
her father-in-law were overjoyed at the way Suguni had driven away
their poverty for ever, and even Suguni's parents did not feel it a
disgrace to come and beg their daughter's pardon. She nobly granted
it and lived with all the members of her family in prosperity for a
long life.
It is a notion, therefore, among orthodox Hindus, that light in the
house brings prosperity, and darkness adversity. [91]