I would like to introduce "Swaji, a little girl who could see the farthest star." from the picture book "Story of cosmic forest." which I produced before I started my activities at the Mithila Museum.
Swaji, a little girl who could see the farthest star.
This is a story of an incident in ancient India.
Old holy man was walking in a town called Daya.
He felt more calmness and peace in evening rather than in morning.
From his tied hair string, Ganges water was flowing out , not drying up on the way
and fell down to ground.
He saw a dumb girl sitting on a piece of dirty cloth in roadside.
Her name was Swaji.
He looked into her pure set of eyes and went away.
Swaji filled with some strange feeling followed him.
Coming out of the town, the holy man passed the rocky mountain and
went into a dark thick forest.
Quiet morning visited as usual the deep forest where he lived.
He went into a small river inside the forest and bathed there like birds
in morning brightness. He chanted a prayer as he came back
to his hut.
Sarvo Budha Jadha Yadha,
Sarvo Bokti, Pradha Yeni,
Tun Stuta, Stuta, Yeh Ikawa,
Babunt Bha, Mokta Yeni,
Swarga Bha, Balgadhi,
Devi, Narayoni, Sanstuteh,
Swarga Bha, Balgadhi,
Devi, Narayoni, Mastuteh
Then he collected dry leaves, started a fire and warmed himself.
White cow appeared from somewhere and sat beside him quietly.
Swaji also appeared. Holy man looked at the pure eyes of Swaji
She laughed timidly. Swaji asked him with her gesture why he
lived in a dangerous forest.
She went near holy man, broke the branch of a tree and drew the footprint of tiger. She told him she could not sleep due to fear last night. White cow also listened. Not only cow but birds and trees trembling with morning wind
listened too.
He said everything is in forest. Necessary things for man’s life are available
in forest. All the items and hearts are obtainable there. That is why a man who is searching a truth lives in forest. He put his hand on the forehead of white cow.
Then Swaji became fond of visiting this deep forest. That is not the whole story. Birds and animals of the forest started liking her.
Holy man felt he now understood the secret of those pure set of eyes
Several winters passed and Swaji was now reading the books of holy man.
One night, Swaji was reading a book with a small lamp as usual.
When she wanted to go out to give rest for her eyes, holy man asked
where she was going and she replied in gesture she was going to see
stars to give rest to her eyes.
Holy man kept silence for some time. The sound of birds could be heard.
Holy man pointed the sky saying you could see stars from here only. Swaji
was fond of holy man who spoke this way.
The curled hair of holy man with a faint light oozing made him look divine. But Swaji could not see any stars. She could only see the dirty sooty roof. Holy man was still watching stars.
Slowly Swaji started being able to see like the holy man.
By thinking about stars which could be around there, stars could be seen
a little by little. Holy man asked her to observe stars of further away.
Swaji tried and the light appeared in her eyes which became brighter.
Holy man told her “You can see the stars which have not been seen by
anybody. They say the person who saw those stars can float among stars.
You can see the star in the farthest place.”
It did not take much time for Swaji to see the farthest star.
Her eyes were filled with bright light and deep light flashed inside her eyes.
Swaji is said that she stayed among stars even when she was playing with
deers and birds lived in the forest.
