10. Siva & The Pigs

Having pervaded this universe, with one fragment of Myself, I remain. I am the Self, seated in the heart of all beings; I am the Beginning, the Middle and also the End of all beings … nor is there aught, moving or unmoving that may exist bereft of Me.                -- Bhagavad-Gita In ancient days, in a place called Turaiyur in South India, there lived a man called Sukala with his wife Sukalai.     They had twelve sons who grew up to be healthy and active boys. But, alas, they were all given to mischievous and troublesome ways. Their chief pleasure lay in cruelty to animals. To torture beasts or wound poor helpless birds and pet animals was their favourite pastime. Their parents did not correct their ways. The result was that the twelve boys gave immense trouble to their neighbours. When they were chastised by those neighbours they ran to the woods in search of more animals to catch and torture.     Once as they were wandering in the woods, they saw a sage seated in tapas under the shade of a large tree. One after another they slowly approached him. But he did not seem to notice them. So they began to throw leaves at him. He did not open his eyes. This emboldened them. So they hurled stones and twigs at him.     The sage could stand their mischief no longer. He opened his eyes and looked at them. There were twelve boys- a most thoughtless set of boys whose sole pleasure was the torture of anything living they came across. They appeared to the sage never to have been taught to do anything useful for themselves or for others. They were a burden to others. They were also a danger.     The sage saw that these boys must be made  to stop their wicked ways. So he cursed them. He said, 'Boys, you will suffer in your next birth for your folly and wickedness; you will then be born as pigs.' The sage thereafter resumed his meditation.     The boys now saw that their jokes had been very foolish and had brought on serious trouble. They began to weep bitterly, repenting of all their thoughtless deeds. The sage was a tender-hearted man. He was moved to pity by their weeping.     He then called them to him and consoled them saying, 'Yet, one day you shall be saved and shall even be the ministers of a king. Do not weep'.     In course of time, it happened that these twelve boys died and were born as twelve pigs. While yet young they ran about with their mothor. A hunter who saw the fat mother pig, killed her. Thus the young ones lost their mother. They began to suffer from extreme hunger and screamed wildly.     Siva, the Hindu God, says the story,  heard the cries of the twelve young pigs. He pitied them. He himself assumed the form of a mother pig and suckled the Young ones. He removed the curse of the sage and restored them to human form.     Their sufferings taught the twelve brothers to give up their cruel ways and they lived to serve the king of their country as ministers and high officers. ****  **** Additional Information of Interest Click here to find out more about the towm of Thuraiyur in Tamilnadu, India.