Bali Week Specials :- Dewi Saraswati ( A Myth Explained)

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Where Does Knowledge Come From?

 

Once upon a time, a king by the name of Sang Hyang Kulagiri ruled

over Jalangsanggara. He had two consorts called Dewi Sinta and Dewi

Landep and the former gave birth to Si Jabangbayi.

 

As his children began to reach infancy, the king decided to practice

asceticism in a mountain and entrusted his throne to his two consorts.

One day, Dewi Sinta happened to be cooking rice when Si Jabangbayi

wailed loudly and rolled over the ground for the rice that was not

yet done. Dewi Sinta got angry and struck him at the head with wooden

spoon until his head bled. Dissatisfied with the treatment he had to

endure, Si Jabangbayi left his home unnoticed for Watumerta mountain

to practice asceticism.

 

For years in the mountain, he conducted severe asceticism practice

until a God by the name of Sang Hyang Siwa Buda descended from heaven

and said: "My son, your faith is as firm as a mountain and so I dub

you Sang Watugunung."

 

"I would like to be a king of grandeur and might," Watugunung

mentioned his wish. "I grant your wish. You will conquer 27 kings and

no weapon, man and fire shall put an end to your life," so said was

the utterance of the God.

 

Jalasanggara kingdom ruled jointly by Dewi Sinta and Dewi Landep was

soon subject to his conquest. He wanted to marry Dewi Sinta, his own

mother. Upon searching for bugs among his hairs, Dewi Sinta spotted a

scar at his head. She at once realized that Watugunung was her son.

She then made the most of her wits to avoid marrying him. She imposed

a requirement for him to propose to Dewi Nawangratih, the wife of the

God Wisnu, to be his third consort before marrying these two

Jalasanggara rulers.

 

He agreed to this requirement and told Waregadean to bring the letter

of proposal to the God Wisnu who then felt offended and turned down

the proposal. Watugunung burst into anger and decided to attack

Wisnu's abode. For the whole day, they had been fighting and

stopped

only when it got dark. Wisnu was sitting alone in disappointment when

Bhagawan Wrehaspati approached him and said: "Don't let

disappointment ruin you, my son. Send Sang Lumanglang to find out the

secret of his supernatural prowess by assuming the form of a spider,"

as an advice to follow.

 

So, Sang Lumanglang went spying at Sang Watugunung's palace and

saw

him lie down by the side of his wife to be. His ardent love for Dewi

Sinta prompted him to disclose the secret of his power. Sang

Lumanglang immediately returned to Wisnu's abode to tell the

secret.

On the day termed as Sunday Kliwon, Wisnu attacked Watugunung's

palace and beat him. As Wisnu was about to slay him, Sang Hyang Siwa

stopped him by saying: "Oh, Wisnu the God, don't kill Sang

Watugunung! Spare his life, for there shall be a story for the

earthlings to ponder."

 

Wisnu agreed but he cursed that Sang Watugunung shall fall down to

the earth or sea every six months. Watugunung accepted and begged

that, when falling into the sea, the sun shall shine brightly and,

when falling down to the earth, the downpour shall come to lessen the

heat of the sun. His wish was granted.

 

On Saturday Umanis Watugung, the God Siwa then ordered the goddess

Saraswati to come down to the earth to recount this story and

transfer knowledge to the earthlings. The descent of Saraswati is

commemorated as the day when knowledge was bestowed to human beings.

 

Retold by Nerta