Shantavana and Gyanwati had lived like two spiritualists in the forest of Naimisha for 12 years, lived on roots and wild fruits, made penance and gained boon from the propitiated Brahma. They were very pleased with their achievement. The two returned to Ayodhya happily to resume their domestic life as before.
They were sure of the boon of Brahma bearing fruit very soon. And it so happened. Only a few weaks later Gyanwati felt signs of pregnancy. She gave the good news to her husband.
“Master!” Gyanwati happily squealed, “You will be glad to know that the boon of Brahma is going to fructify soon. It is in my womb.”
“In your womb!” Shantavana exclaimed, “How do you know about it? I don’t see any bulge.”
“It is other things the women feel in pregnancy condition like feeling to vomit and craving for sour fruits like raw mango…”
“Really! I had heard about those things from my mother and aunts. But due to our issueless state of married life never got chance to see it happen. Are you sure of it?”
“I am pretty sure. It is certain. For these unique pregnancy signs, I have waited all my life. And now it is happening due to the boon of Holy Father. You must be careful now.”
“Careful? Why me?”
“In pregnancy woman becomes difficult to deal with. Her moods change quickly. I can be often irritable and short of temper.”
“Don’t worry my dear. For a child I can even put up with devil. You must be careful. Don’t carry loads. Just tell me if something needs moving.”
“Alright!” Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?”
“We should be celebrating. Distribute sweets to our neighbours and give them the good news after such a long time. I would have liked to see the faces of all those women who used to mock at me for my barrenness.”
“Be cheerful, my dear. Forget old grudges. Forget and forgive for the sake of the boon of Brahma. Be generous dear.”
“May be, you are right.”
As the news of the pregnancy of Gyanwati went around the neighbourhood women folk gathered at Shantavana’s home and celebrations started in traditional style. The women sang songs and the men congratulated Shantavana. Their household become the centre of gaiety.
In such happy mood the time began trickle by and nine pregnancy months passed away. The child was due any time now. So excited were Shantavana and his wife that they had simply forgotten the negative part of the boon of Brahma.
At last the child arrived. It announced its arrival with a cry which rang through the house. To hear that divine voice Shantavana and Gyanwati had waited all their lives. It sounded like music. At last the boon of Brahma had fructified.
Shantavana and Gyanwati wanted to see the face of their new born. But they were not destined to do so. The curse part of the boon also worked as soon as the baby cried. Shantavana and Gyanwati both lost eyesight instantly at the same moment. Their world had gone dark. They could feel their new born but could not see it. It was ironic. Both were stunned.
Although they knew it would happen and was condition to the boon of the child yet they were not prepared to face it at practical level. They had paid the price. The curse of the female rat was still valid and Shantavana would never see the face of his son. Somehow he tried to console himself as it was the consequence of his own cruel act. But there was no such consolation for Gyanwati. She cried. The cry of the child had made her ecstatic but the blindness dampened her spirit. She could see little joy in the dark where she could not see her own child.
She lamented, “Lord! What kind of divine justice is this? When we had eyesight we had no child. Now we have the child but no eyesight!”
“Gyanwati dear!” Shantavana pleaded, “It is no time to curse and lament. It is the joyous hours of the birth of our child.”
“I know it is the hour of our joy. But what joy can I feel without seeing the face of my baby?”
“Be reasonable. No one has cheated us or played any trick—when Lord Brahma booned us a son we were told about the blindness that would befall on us. We accepted the deal. Now if we go on cursing blindness it will be a blasphemy.”
“Master, I remenber what Lord Brahma had said while booning us a son. He said for the child we would have to go through a woe.”
“Do you remember what that woe was supposed to be? Brahma had explained it to you.”
“We had said we would accept any woe for a child. Brahma had said we could be blessed with a son but we could lose eyesight at his birth. That was what I remember.”
“My dear. It has come true. The boon of Brahma has fructified and we have lost our eyesight. We have little right to lament or cry over the loss of eyesight. We knew it was coming.”
“I know master. We have no right or reason to grieve for the loss of eyesight. But it is human weakness. We make all kinds of promises when we seek loan from someone and when it comes to pay back time we remember nothing. We hope that other person should also have short memory.”
“You must exercise control over yourself. If you go on lamenting like this Brahma may get displeased. Your behaviour is disrespect to the boon of Brahma.”
“I own my mistake, master. I was too taken up with my own loss of sight to realise the fall out matters. I won’t sorrow or lament any more. I can’t even imagine of showing disrespect to Lord Brahma who has been so kind to us.”
The woman wiped off her tears.
Shantavana and Gyanwati kissed, fondled and hugged their precious new born. Gradually loss of eyesight became less and less painful. The two learnt to see things through the senses of touch and sounds. Their sixth sense became sharper and more sensitive.
The helping women told Shantavana and Gyanwati that the newborn was a male child in perfect health. It was a cute thing. The blind couple listened in awe and wonderment.
In respect of the loss of eyesight of Shantavana and Gyanwati some scriptures relate a different story. It is unrelated to the birth of their child. It would be appropriate to mention that story as well for the benefit of the readers. In the story the onus of the loss of the eyesight falls on Gyanwati unlike the other story in which Shantavana is the culprit. The story is as under :
