Story of Cirakarin

Story of Cirakarin is one of the fables in the Mahabharata which deal with morality and ethical instructions. It is not only the morality of asceticism which finds expression in the moral narratives of the Mahabharata. Many of them are appealingly particularly for the reason that they teach more the every-day morality which is rooted in the relations between husband and wife, parents and children.

One of the most beautiful of these narratives is that of Cirakarin or the Youth Ponder- well. He is advised by his father to kill his mother as she has sinned grievously. As he is by nature slow and considers everything at length, he delays the execution of the command, and considers from this and that point of view, whether he should carry out his father`s command and burden himself with matricide or neglect his duty to his father. While he is pondering so long, his father returns and, as his anger has in the meantime vanished, he rejoices deeply that his son Ponder-well has, true to his name, pondered the matter so long. In the centre of this narrative, which is presented in simple popular tone with a certain humour, stands the soliloquy of the youth. In beautiful words he speaks of paternal love and filial duties, and in still more beautiful words, of maternal love.

He says that for as long as one has a mother one is well-cared for and when she is lost then a person is left without protection. A mother`s love will ensure that one is not oppressed by sorrow and is undisturbed by age even if he is robbed of all wealth. Even if a man has sons and grandsons he still behaves like a child when he is near his mother. It is only when one has lost his mother that one becomes old and unhappy and the world becomes empty.

Thus the love, care and value of a mother in a person`s love is beautifully expounded in this fable of Cirakarin in the Mahabharata.