The Music and Musical Instruments of Southern India and the Deccan c5.41

c5.41

It is said that those who play the râga Ahiri shall go without food for the rest of the day. Many have essayed to do so, but have for some unaccountable reason always failed. Years ago—such is the story—there was a musician who was determined to discover whether or not there was any truth in the power attributed to this râga. After packing some food in a basket, he took his instrument and set out upon his travels. Very soon he came to a large tank, with a cool and shady grove of bamboos by its side; there he thought he would rest during the heat of the day. Accordingly he hung up his basket on one of the overhanging bamboos and began to sing. When he had sung for some hours he began to feel hungry, and so looked about for a place to cook his mid-day meal; but to his great chagrin he found that as the sun rose higher the bamboo upon which his basket was hung had bent upwards out of his reach. This solution of his difficulty did not however satisfy him, as he thought it due to his own neglect rather than to Divine interference. Continuing his journey, in the evening he arrived at a large town, the Râjah of which had built a “Chattram,” or rest house, for the free accommodation of all poor travellers. The musician was hospitably received there, and food was laid before him. The Râni herself used to serve the guests with ghi, or clarified butter, before they commenced to eat. As she served the musician he was unable to restrain his glee, and exclaimed, “At last have I overcome thee, Ahiri!” Unfortunately for him, the name of the Râni happened to be Ahiri, and he naturally fancied that he intended some impertinence. He was promptly arrested and condemned to be impaled. As he was led to execution he implored the Râjah to grant him a hearing; his request was complied with, and he told the whole story. The Râjah then commanded that he should be set at liberty, and dismissed him with a present, bidding him at the same time refrain from tempting the gods farther, as it had already so nearly cost him his life.