Balarama and the Donkey Demon

Transcript

Evidence labels distinguish sourced context from the episode's fictional story.

1. Hush now. Settle in. Can you hear that? Rustle, rustle, rustle. Just the wind, outside the window. Mira and Kannan were sitting on the living room carpet one chilly evening, with a plate of sliced fruit between them and a flashlight that Kannan was not supposed to be waving around. The lamp in the corner gave off a low, golden glow, and the radiator ticked softly as it warmed. Kannan froze. 'Mira,' he whispered. 'Something is going swish-swish in the trees.' Mira put a calm hand on his shoulder. 'It's only the branches, Kannan. But you know what? That sound reminds me of a story. A story about a grove of tall palm trees, full of ripe fruit that nobody dared to touch. A mystery, in fact. Want to solve it with me?' Kannan swallowed, then nodded. 'Okay. But stay close.'

   Evidence:Fictional scene

2. Long, long ago, in the green cattle country, two brothers were taking their cows out to graze. Their names were Krishna and Balarama. Balarama was the strong elder brother, and Krishna was the clever, smiling younger one. The morning was bright and the dust of the path was warm under their feet. The cows ambled along, ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, their bells ringing, and the brothers walked beside them, driving them gently on. Soon they came to a lovely grove of palm trees. Tall trees, swaying trees, trees whispering in the breeze. Their long fronds made patterns of light and shadow on the ground. But this grove had a secret. A demon named Dhenuka lived there, and he looked like a donkey.

   Evidence:Supported

3. 'A donkey demon?' said Kannan, his eyes wide. 'Hee-haw!' Mira laughed. 'Don't worry, he's very far away, in a story. Now listen. Here is the puzzle. The palm trees were heavy with ripe fruit. Golden, sweet, and ready to eat. So why was nobody eating it?' Kannan scrunched up his nose and thought very hard. 'Maybe the fruit tastes yucky?' 'Nope,' said Mira. 'Maybe the trees are too tall?' 'Closer, but no. Think about it like a detective, Kannan. When something good is sitting right there and nobody touches it, what does that usually mean?' Kannan chewed on a slice of fruit and thought. 'That somebody is guarding it,' he said slowly. Mira grinned. 'Keep that thought tucked in your pocket. Let's find out what the cowherd friends said.'

   Evidence:Fictional scene

4. The young cowherds, the brothers' friends, looked up at all that fruit and their mouths watered. The air smelled sweet, like honey and warm sunshine. 'Oh, look at it!' they said. 'But we have to be careful. Dhenuka always lives here. That is why nobody picks the fruit.' They stood there a while, sighing, the way you might sigh at a treat on a high shelf. Then they had an idea. 'Krishna! Balarama! You two are so strong. Could you shake some fruit down for us?' And the brothers, always kind to their friends, said yes. Balarama stepped up to a palm trunk, set his hands against the rough bark, and shook it, and Krishna shook another one.

   Evidence:Supported

5. Thump! Thump! Thump! Down came the ripe fruit, tumbling through the leaves and landing in the grass. The cowherd friends cheered and ran about, filling their arms. But in the middle of the grove, a donkey's ears twitched. The leaves went still. Even the breeze seemed to hold its breath. Far off, something went hee-haw, hee-haw, loud and cross. Kannan hugged a cushion. 'He heard it,' he said. 'He heard the fruit fall.' 'Yes,' said Mira softly. 'And he was not happy about it.' Kannan peeked over the top of the cushion. 'Is this the scary part?' 'It's the exciting part,' said Mira. 'And I promise it turns out funny. Listen.'

   Evidence:Fictional scene

6. Dhenuka came galloping through the trees, clip-clop, clip-clop, very fast and very angry. Dust puffed up behind him, and the palm fronds shivered as he passed. He turned his back to Balarama and kicked out with his hind heels, right on Balarama's chest! But Balarama did not fall. He stood like a mountain. He caught the demon's back legs, spun him around and around, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and tossed him up to the very top of a palm tree. And what do you think happened then? The whole tree shook, and fruit came raining down like big, round raindrops! Plop, plop, plop, plop! The cowherd friends squealed and covered their heads, laughing, as the fruit bounced all around them.

   Evidence:Supported

7. Kannan burst out laughing. 'Fruit rain! It rained fruit!' He opened his mouth and tilted his head back as if to catch some. Mira giggled. 'Now you can see why Balarama is known as such a mighty hero. He was never scared of the grove, and he wanted his friends to be safe.' Kannan nodded slowly, and then he frowned. 'But Mira, what about the other donkeys? Dhenuka must have had friends.' 'Good noticing,' said Mira. 'You always notice the details. And yes, you're right. Wait for it, there's a little more.' Kannan sat up straighter. 'And the grove is safe after that?' 'Let's see,' said Mira.

   Evidence:Fictional scene

8. Dhenuka had relatives, other donkey-shaped demons, and when they saw what had happened, they ran to help him. But the brothers dealt with them in just the same way. When it was all over, the grove was calm. The air was still. A single leaf drifted down and rested on the grass. And then the cattle did something wonderful. They wandered freely through the palm groves, munching and munching, and they ate fresh new grass in places where they had never been able to go before. Soft, green, juicy grass, right up to the roots of the tall trees. Moo! The cows were so happy.

   Evidence:Supported

9. Kannan, are you feeling all right? That was the scariest part, and it is over. Nobody in the story was left frightened or alone. The brothers were fine, the friends were fine, and the cows were fine. Take a slow breath with me. In, and out. And here in our living room, everything is cozy and safe. The only thing outside is the wind in the branches, and the wind is a friend.

   Evidence:Fictional scene

10. Now that the donkey demon and his relatives were gone, the cowherds and their wives felt free to wander in the palm grove. What a joyful time! The grove that had once been avoided was now full of footsteps and chatter. The two sons of Vasudeva, very happy, went to a huge old fig tree called the Bhandira tree. They shouted! They sang! They picked fruits and flowers! They called each of the cows by name, and the cows came trotting. They wore garlands of forest flowers around their necks. And they played, oh, how they played. They wrestled, they swung from the branches, and they threw stones, just for fun. The afternoon light turned golden, and the whole grove rang with laughter.

    Evidence:Supported

11. And so the mystery was solved, wasn't it? The fruit was untouched because a donkey-shaped demon guarded the grove, and nobody dared go near. Until two brave brothers came along. Later in the same tellings, when a wise sage named Narada went to visit the wicked king Kansa, the old tales list Dhenuka among the troublemakers who had already been put right. He is named alongside the bull demon Aristha and the demon Pralamba, and alongside other famous adventures, like the lifting of the mountain Govardhana, the taming of the serpent Kaliya, and the defeat of the fiend Putana. So the donkey demon of the palm grove takes his place in a long list of stories, and each of them ends with the people and cattle safe.

    Evidence:Supported

12. Here is a question for you and your family to chat about. Have you ever helped a friend with something that felt a little scary, like Balarama did? What made you brave enough to try? Take a moment and tell someone near you. You might also wonder what you would have said if the cowherd friends had asked you to shake the tree.

    Evidence:Fictional scene

13. Kannan yawned, and the flashlight rolled onto the carpet. Outside, the branches went swish-swish, and this time he smiled at the sound. He leaned against Mira's shoulder, and the last slice of fruit sat forgotten on the plate. 'Goodnight, palm trees,' he whispered. 'Goodnight, cows.' 'Goodnight, Kannan,' said Mira. And the wind hummed softly on, as gentle as a lullaby. Sweet dreams, and goodnight.

    Evidence:Fictional scene

Source notes

These notes show what a source supports. They do not turn fictional dialogue or scenes into historical claims.

• Vishnu Purana (English translation, Internet Archive scan in.ernet.dli.2015.180620)

  Narrated by Parasara in the text; translator not named in the excerpt

  Evidence:Supported

  After the demon and his relatives were slain, the cowherds and their wives roamed freely in the palm grove, and the two sons of Vasudeva went to the Bhandira fig-tree, where they shouted, sang, collected fruits and flowers, called the cattle by name, wore forest-flower garlands, and played at wrestling, swinging on boughs and hurling stones.

  Claims: c5 · Evidence: e133-after-dhenuka-cowherds-roam-v1

  View the registered source

• Vishnu Purana (English translation, Internet Archive scan in.ernet.dli.2015.180620)

  Narrated by Parasara in the text; translator not named in the excerpt

  Evidence:Supported

  The Vishnu Purana later lists Dhenuka among foes already destroyed (with Aristha and Pralamba, and episodes such as Govardhana, Kaliya and Putana) before Narada went to Kansa.

  Claims: c6 · Evidence: e133-dhenuka-listed-among-defeated-demons-v1

  View the registered source

• Vishnu Purana (English translation, Internet Archive scan in.ernet.dli.2015.180620)

  Narrated by Parasara in the text; translator not named in the excerpt

  Evidence:Supported

  In the Vishnu Purana translation, Krishna and Balarama, driving their cattle, came to a pleasing grove of palms where a demon named Dhenuka lived, who looked like an ass (donkey). The cowherd friends saw ripe palm fruit, said Dhenuka always lived there, and asked the two brothers to throw some down; the brothers did so. Hearing the fruit fall, Dhenuka came quickly, angry, and kicked Balarama (Rama) on the chest with his hind heels. Balarama caught his hind legs, whirled him until he died, and threw the body to the top of a palm tree, so fruits fell like raindrops.

  Claims: c1, c2, c3 · Evidence: e133-dhenuka-palm-grove-fight-v1

  View the registered source

• Vishnu Purana (English translation, Internet Archive scan in.ernet.dli.2015.180620)

  Narrated by Parasara in the text; translator not named in the excerpt

  Evidence:Supported

  Dhenuka's relatives ran to help him and were dealt with in the same way. Afterwards the cattle grazed unhindered in the palm groves and ate new pasture where they had never gone before.

  Claims: c4 · Evidence: e133-dhenuka-relatives-cattle-graze-v1

  View the registered source