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| Sunday, 14 August 2005 |
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The Prince
of Five Weapons
Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra
The prince of five weapons knelt down to worship his teacher Disapamok and walked steadfastly towards his kingdom. In this way, he had to walk across a jungle, where a fierce demon called Silesaloma lived. He was called Silesaloma as he had sticky long hair all over his body and matted hair on his head. He was a very tall and strong, fierce man-eating demon, who would devour any human being who crossed the jungle. So no human ever dared to meet this demon, and instead take another circuitous route. But the Prince with five weapons was familiar with the use of weapons, that he did not care to have fear for the demon. The villagers in the vicinity of the jungle feeling sorry about the impending disaster of the prince, approached him to warn him. "Dear Prince, please don't go across the jungle, there is a fierce demon called Silesaloma. He will kill you and we are going to lose a good king in the future. So please listen to us and take another route." "Do you know who I am? I am known as the prince of five weapons, Panchayudha kumaraya. I should not be afraid of any demon. I don't care for the king or the demon." But the villagers including the headman insisted that he should not go across the jungle. "I am not at all afraid of any demon in any jungle, so please allow me to meet him, I am sure he could be conquered and tamed if possible," said the Prince and walked across the jungle. The villagers were dumbfounded at the Prince's head-strong decision to move on. The prince thanked the villagers for the information and walked through the jungle. In the middle of the jungle the prince met the demon, Silesaloma. "Who asked you to cross this jungle and don't you know that this is my territory and that I am a man-eating demon?" "I have heard of you, but I don't care about you." "You are so proud, poor young bastard?" "I am the Prince of five weapons, Panchayudha kumaraya" "Huh, get ready to be my prey." "I am not going to be your prey, I will finish you." The demon laughed at the top of his voice. At that moment, the Prince drew his bow and arrow targeting the chest of the demon. But as soon as the arrow touched the body of the demon it got stuck in his sticky body. In this manner, he exhausted all his arrows and all those got stuck in the hairy body of the demon. Then the Prince pulled out his lance (hella) and threw it as hard as possible. That too got stuck in the hairy body of the demon. Then he had some clubs (tomara) which he threw one by one trying to hurt the demon. All of those clubs too, got stuck in the sticky hairy body. Then he drew the long and sharp sword which he had hung. He brandished the sword and in the end that too got stuck in the body of the demon. The Prince was left with one more weapon, the sharp and long spear. The Prince got closer to the demon and tried to stab him but failed miserably. "Now what are you going to do you humbug?", asked the demon loudly. "I am going to fight with you sticky man-eater," said the Prince, "But I am going to devour you before that." When the demon was about to devour the Prince, the latter said in a mild tone. "Listen to me you, man eating demon. If you are going to eat me, I am going to warn you of just one thing." "What is that?" asked the demon. "My whole body is a sharp weapon which when eaten by you will cut your intenstines in your belly and instantly kill you, there is no hairy sticky covering in your belly." The demon without much fuss was taken aback with that comment. "Please say it clear. What do you really mean?", asked the demon more calmly. "If you care to listen to me, I am going to tell you all about it," said the Prince teaching him the vanity of killing and man eating. It happened to be a long sermon where the emphasis was a symbolic reference to the last weapon of self sacrifice called dharmayudha or the weapon of dharma or doctrine of good living. The demon was cleansed out of his evil deeds and asked to protect the villagers instead of killing them. Then the following day the demon was introduced to the villagers who gave him whatever food they had. The sticky bodied demon, Silesaloma was tamed and made to look after the village, while the Prince of five weapons, panchayudha kumaraya became the King of the region. Those parents, who heard the story of the Prince of five weapons wanted their children to become fearless sons and daughters. Since then, they are gifted with a golden pendent, in which the five symbols are marked, to be adorned round their necks, denoted by the term panchayudhaya (the pendant with the five weapon symbols). Though this is a folk tale which has several versions all over the world (the little tar baby is one version) the story too is found in the great collection of Jataka tales as Panchayudha Jataka. |
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"From now onwards you will be known as "The Prince of Five Weapons" or
Panchayudha Kumaraya as you have mastered not only the great learning
necessary for a future king but also the great martial arts and the use of
weapons in defence of the kingdom you are destined to rule," said the great
teacher, Disapamok of the Taksila seat of learning, where the princes are
trained as future kings, bidding farewell to his erudite pupil. 
