A Titihari couple lived in one part of the Chambal beach. Before laying eggs, Titihari asked her husband to search for a safe land. Titihare said – “All the places here are safe enough, don’t worry.”
Titihari was perplexed hearing this – “When the tide comes in the sea, its waves drag even the drunken elephant away, so we should look for some place away from these waves.”
Titihara replied “The sea is not so daring that it can harm my children. It is afraid of me. Therefore, you should be free to lay eggs here on the shore.”
The sea heard these words of Titihar. He thought – “This Titihara is very arrogant. Even with legs towards the sky, it sleeps because it will hold the sky while falling on these legs. Its pride should be broken.”
When Titihari came the next day, seeing the eggs flowing, she said to Titihar – “Fool! I had already said that the waves of the sea will carry them away. But you arrogantly did not pay attention to me. The one who does not give ear is bound to suffer misfortune.
Apart from this, the wise are also successful among the wise, who think in advance about the calamity without coming, and whose intellect immediately thinks of a way to protect itself.’
Hearing this, Titihare said to Titihri – I am not as foolish and selfless as ‘Yadbhavishya’. Behold the miracle of my intellect, I now take out the water with my beak and dry the sea.”
Titihari – “Your enmity with the sea does not suit you. What is the use of getting angry on it?”
Titihara still kept on bragging about drying up the sea with his beaks. Titihari asked “how will you empty the sea which is constantly being filled with water by hundreds of rivers like Ganga-Yamuna?”
Even then Titihara remained bent on his stubbornness. Then, Titihari said “If you have persisted in drying the sea, then act after taking advice of other birds also. Sometimes two small creatures together defeat a creature much bigger than yourself; like birds, woodpeckers and birds.” The frog had killed the elephant together. it’s a good thing. I will also try to dry the sea with the help of other birds.”
After saying this, he called many birds like heron, crane, peacock etc. and narrated his sad story. He said “We are handicapped, but our friend Garuda can certainly help us in this regard.” Then all the birds came together and started crying and shouting – “Garuda Maharaj! During your time, the sea has done this atrocity on us. We want revenge. Today he has destroyed the eggs of Titihari, tomorrow he will take away the eggs of other birds. This atrocity must be stopped.”
Garuda, hearing the cries of the birds, decided to help them. At the same time the messenger of Lord Vishnu came to him. Lord Vishnu had called him for a ride by that messenger. Garuda angrily asked the messenger to ask Lord Vishnu to arrange another ride. When the messenger asked the reason for Garuda’s anger, Garuda narrated the story of the tyranny of the ocean.
Hearing the story of Garuda’s anger from the messenger’s mouth, Lord Vishnu himself went to Garuda’s house. On reaching there, Garuda bowed down and said in humble words – “God! Taking pride in your ashram, the sea has kidnapped the eggs of my fellow birds. In this way I was also humiliated. I want to take revenge from the sea for this insult.”
Lord Vishnu said “Garuda! Your anger is justified. The ocean should not have done such a thing. Come on, I will now get those eggs back from the sea and get them to Titihari.”
Then the Lord said to the sea by offering ‘Agneya’ arrow on his bow – “Wicked! Give back all those eggs now, otherwise I will dry you in a moment.”
Fearing Lord Vishnu, the ocean at that very moment gave back the eggs.
Folktale from Panchantantra
Picture Courtesy: Rajendra Shyam
Titihari- The Red Wattled Lapwing bird: It is the bird that predicts good or bad monsoon in India. For instance, Villagers in Tonk say that the laying of eggs by Titihari in lower areas is suggesting that the monsoon won’t be good this time. It is a common bird in India, Red Wattled Lapwing is called Titeeri in Hindi.
