The Demon's Daughter: A Love Story from South India

Chapter One

Chapter One  Prayers Uma and Siva became two halves of a single body because they wished to show each other how thin they’d grown from missing one another when they lived apart. Their love is ever new. May that loving couple bring fame to the lord of this book. Couples love each other because of Love. That same Love was born to the Ancient Couple, Vishnu and Lakshmi.1 None can equal their togetherness. May they bless my father, Amaresa Mantri, son of Pingali Surana,2 with every joy. The Goddess of Speech and the Creator enhance with their own colors the white and gold of the goose they ride. To those who believe in them 3 they give silver and gold, fame and power, whenever asked, as if they held in their hands all the wealth of their creation— for my father Amara. My Family After praising the three ancient couples who cause the world to revolve, I was thinking of the first poets, Valmiki and Vyasa, as I began to compose a very remarkable work, the Prabhavati-pradyumnamu . One day I thought to myself that, although I had composed the Garuda-puranamu, the Raghava-pandaviyamu, the Kala-purnodayamu, and any number of other Telugu books, none of them gave me satisfaction —since none of them includes any history of my family, beginning with my father. The Veda tells us that a father is a god to his children. So how can I fail to offer worship to my father, as other sons do? My younger brother Errana performed death-offerings to our father in Gaya, Kasi, Prayaga, Srisailam, Haridvara, the Blue Mountain [Puri], Ujjayini, Dvaraka, Ayodhya, Mathura, the Naimisa Forest, and Kuruksetra. I thought I too should do something to honor him. I can give him a book and establish his fame in this world forever, through the grace of God. Having decided, I began to compose the Prabhavati-pradyumnamu , with my father’s name on it. For an auspicious opening, I will now describe my family’s history. A profound sage brought a branch of the Ganges to this world and called it by his name. He was Gautama, a great ascetic. Siva himself , unable to conquer him in debate, opened his burning third eye; Gautama, in turn, revealed an eye on his foot. He composed the textbook of logic with its scientific criteria for argument. In his line was born the famous Gokana of Pingali town. He made a gandharvi called Peki his servant because he was a great Yogi.3 He became famous with his poem on Visnu’s sword.4 Having no children, his wife prayed to the Sun. He came to her in a dream and gave her a donda vine, promising that she would become fruitful through it. The family expanded and flourished with children and grandchildren for many generations, like a vine spreading far and wide. 4 The Demon’s Daughter If people live in the same village for four or five generations, the family genealogy is forgotten, and they are known only by the name of their village. That’s what happened to our family. Gokamantri’s descendents were all called Pingalis. Some, like Pingali Ramaya and others, lived on the banks of the Gautami and Krsna rivers. Some, like Pingali Gadaya and others, lived in Palanadu and Pakanadu. As for me, living here,5 we are all known to be descended from the same Pingali Goka. In that great family, the illustrious branch that produced my father is as follows: A certain Gangaya, as pure as Ganga, was born. He had three sons: Suranna, Kupanna, and Ramana. Kuppana had a son called Surana. His sons were Papaya, Bhadrana, and Kupparya. Their sons were Erraya and Papaya. They were wise. As for Ramana, his son was Gangana, whose son was Gadana, who produced Peddaya and several other sons. Surana, son of Gangaya, was much admired by his brothers and their offspring. Because he had the lotus sign of royalty on the soles of his feet, kingship came to him. He had the honor of being carried in a palankeen and fanned by yak-tail whisks. No lord was equal to him except the lord of heaven. He was so generous that those who begged from him became donors in their own right. This Surana’s son was also Suraya.6 Lions give birth only to lions. That...