The parrot (or the Indian parakeet) is a recurring motif in Indian mythology and folktales
The parrot (or the Indian parakeet) is a recurring motif in Indian mythology and folktales
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In many south Indian temples, the Goddess holds a parrot in her hand. This is the gentle form of Devi, a contrast from her more fierce form where she is associated with tigers and lions. Both Kamakshi of Kanchi and Meenakshi of Madurai hold parrots.u00a0 These goddesses are various forms of Parvati, wife of Shiva. In this form she is the love-goddess or enchantress who charms Shiva and transforms the hermit-god into a householder, thus ensuring a participation of god in worldly life. Thus, parrot or Suka has very strong sexual and romantic connotations. Little wonder then that one of the earliest collections of erotic stories in India is known as Suka-Saptati or 70 tales of the parrot.u00a0 Before leaving on a trading expedition across the sea, a merchant leaves a wise parrot in the care of his wife, more so that the parrot takes care of the wife for he was a very wise parrot. As soon as he is gone, the wife, Padmavati becomes extremely lonely and influenced by a wanton woman decides to take a lover. As she prepares to leave the house, her pet mynah admonishes her for behaving so. Enraged, the wife wrings the mynah's neck. In some versions, the mynah flies away.
The parrot, determined to stop Padmavati, decides to use a different tactic. He begins by approving her intention, saying that pleasure or kama was indeed a goal of life and in the absence of her husband it is perfectly valid for her to go to another lover.u00a0 But then he asks should she be caught with her lover, does she have enough wits to get out of the troublesome situation.u00a0
Padmavati naturally has no clue about this and asks the parrot what she should do. In response the parrot tells her a story about adulteresses. At the end of the narration Padmavati changes her mind and stays home.u00a0 The next evening, the same series of events occurs. This continues over 70 nights, until the merchant's son returns.u00a0
Typically, the stories are of the wife being caught by her husband while she is in the act of committing adultery.u00a0 In one episode, she has to prove her innocence by passing between the legs of a Yaksha. The clever adulteress asks her paramour to behave like as a lunatic and grab her in public. When that is done she tells the Yaksha that two men have touched her since her marriage: one is her husband and second is the lunatic.u00a0 In a way she is right, and therefore Yaksha is unable to crush her between his legs as he would have, had she told a lie. In another story, the wife discovers her husband hiding under her bed while she is with her lover and has to think fast how to save herself from the situation.u00a0 She then shouts loudly at her lover, winking as she does, "The only reason I am doing this terrible thing with you is because an astrologer said that unless I do this, my husband will die in a week's time of a snake-bite. I don't mind going to hell for being an unchaste wife so long as my husband is safe from that cruel snake."
The husband hears this and is convinced that his wife is actually a great soul, totally devoted to him. He even goes to the extent of praising her conduct before his neighbours. One adulteress gets her lover inside the house by introducing him as her cousin but when the lover refuses to have sex with her on the basis that they are now 'cousins',u00a0 she threatens to accuse him of incest and rape.u00a0 In these stories, husbands are typically shown as fools who are easily cuckolded by cunning wives.
At the end, prompted by the parrot, Padmavati confesses to her husband, who forgives her. Thus at the end of the story the parrot extols the virtue of understanding and forgiveness.u00a0
The story Suka-saptati has been translated in many languages. In Persian, it is called Tuti-nama or parrot-tales. In one version, the husband returns after being informed of her adultery by the self-righteous and vengeful mynah. He kills his wife, not realising that, thanks to the parrot, she has never cheated on him. In despair, he becomes an ascetic. The stories even reached Europe. In one Italian version it is said that the parrot turns into a prince and seduces the merchant's wife.
Disclaimer > This column attempts to explain sacred beliefs in the spirit of genuine and respectful curiosity without claiming any authority on the same.
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