Tumburu and Rambha

“You sing beautifully. You are a very talented and hardworking musician. After all, you are the chief of the Ghandharvas. Would any gandharva allow you to be their lord and master if your music skills fall even a wee bit beneath their high standards? Lord Vishnu is going to be very happy with your songs,” Rambha convinces her husband, Tumburu, as he deals with self-doubt. 

“I’m a good musician, and I know it. But in front of the Lord of the Universe, I always worry I’m not giving my best. That I have his favourite disciple, Sage Narada, for company gives me strength.” Tumburu finished, his self-doubt allayed, somewhat, thinking of his music teacher and mentor, and the ace devotee of Lord Vishnu.

“Humility is good, Tumburu. But don’t let it create self-doubt. Being grounded is enough. Arrogance and pride will not be able to touch you. You follow in the steps of your esteemed parents, Sage Kashyapa and Pradha. I’m blessed to be your wife,” Rambha’s words assuaged her husband’s fears a bit more.

“Thank you for always encouraging me.”

“Because you do the same for me, my dear husband. Now go and sing with the confidence your talent deserves.”

Tumburu smiled, hugged his wife, and left for Vaikuntha, Vishnu and Lakshmi’s abode. Today was Ekadashi, the blessed day for the Lord of Preservation and Sustenance; singing his praises on this auspicious day not only made him and his consort happy but also blessed the singers with abundance and peace.

Tumburu and Narada Sing for Lord Vishnu

He met Narada at the entrance of Vaikuntha. Tumburu fell at the older seer’s feet and was blessed with long life and happiness. They proceeded to Vishnu’s personal abode where he lay, seemingly supine and uncaring but always on alert for the welfare of his devotees, on his favourite serpent, Adisesha, even as his spouse, Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, sat at his feet, working together to sustain and protect the cosmos.

The divine couple smiled and welcomed Tumburu and Narada. Vishnu said, “Aah! My favourite singers. Come in, my dears. I’m waiting to hear your soothing music.”

Both smiled, Narada, a little smugly, and Tumburu, hesitatingly driven by his remeerging self-doubt. They bowed and started singing. The songs that emanated from their lips were truly divine, filling Vishnu and Lakshmi’s hearts with joy. A beautiful peace permeated throughout Vaikuntha, touching everyone there. For a few minutes, all stopped whatever they were doing and listened, mesmerised, to the songs flowing like a silvery, meandering river, moving in harmony with nature, merging with its soul, the ocean.

The music session ended. Narada smiled happily.

I am the best! And I have taught Tumburu well. He is almost as good as me. 

Tumburu was so lost in his devotion to Vishnu that he remained in a meditative state. Tears of happiness flowed down his cheeks even as his eyes remained closed in that perfect state of unconditional joy felt when pure music touches your soul. 

After a few minutes, Vishnu called his name, his voice gentle with love, “Tumburu, you have given me the joy of listening to some of the best music in a very long time. May you prosper always.”

He turned to Narada, “Thank you, too, Narada.”

Both paid obeisance to the Lord and his lady and left. While Tumburu left Vaikuntha with his heart full, Narada felt slighted. At the exit, he said, “You carry on, Tumburu. I need to ask the Lord something.”

Narada Learns from Gaanabandhu

“Yes, Narada, come in,” Vishnu called from inside even as Narada lifted his hand to hit the knocker on the door.

He pushed open the door and walked in. “How did you know I was there?”

“You are my beloved devotee. I know everything about you.”

Narada’s feeling of being slighted earlier was somewhat mollified. “I am your most devoted devotee. My music is the best because I have learnt it from Goddess Saraswati herself. Thank you, my Lord. I was a little worried earlier when you gave such high praise to Tumburu and merely thanked me for my songs.”

Vishnu’s eyes twinkled as he and Lakshmi exchanged meaningful glances. “I meant that. His singing was way better than yours. You are good, no doubt. But Tumburu is amazingly good. He has surpassed you even though you are his music mentor.”

Narada’s heart filled with envy. “What do you mean, my Lord? How can he be better than me? I am the best musician in the world. In my last birth, I was a gandharva like Tumburu. The karma from the great music I played helped me be reborn as your highest and most famous devotee. How can he be better than me?” His voice cackled with anger and frustration.

Lakshmi spoke up. “Your music is beautiful, too, Narada. Why are you so worried if Tumburu sang better than you? He has worked hard. You can also work hard and learn more about music to improve your skills.”

Narada’s eyes lit up. “Yes, you are right. I need to pick up some more new music techniques. Tell me, O Goddess, who can make me a better musician?”

“Well, there is Gaanabhandhu, the owl, whose musical prowess is famous across the cosmos,” Vishnu said, a smile crinking up his handsome face.

“Aah, yes! I will go to Gaanabhandhu right away,” Sage Narada bowed hurriedly and left immediately.

Vishnu raised his hands to stop him, “Wait! Thats not as important as…”

But Narada was gone like the wind. Lakshmi said, “Let him be, Vishnu. He will learn his lesson. He is an eternal student.”

Narada apparated himself to Gaandabandhu’s house. Calling out the owl’s name, he waited beneath the tree where the bird lived. 

“Gaanabandhu! Gaanabandhu!”

The tiny door opened, and the owl peeked out. “Who is it?” 

Even his speech has a lilt!

Seeing the divine seer, Gaanabandhu hopped out and paid obeisance to him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“Lord Vishnu tells me you are skilled in music. I would like to learn from you.”

“If the Lord Himself has sent you to me, then I’m glad to be of help.”

The lessons started immediately. The lyrical owl taught Narada new tricks and techniques that he hadn’t even heard of. 

No wonder Vishnu feels I’m not as good as Tumburu. There is still a lot to learn. But once I master these techniques, I will be unbeatable. 

Gaanabandhu taught Narada for six months, picking up new ragas while perfecting the old ones. At the end of each lesson, the wise owl said, “Remember to sing from your soul. Don’t sing to impress anyone. Sing because you love it.”

And each time, Narada replied, “Yes, yes. I know,” while his mind reminded him of the feeling of insult he had felt when his disciple got more praise than he had.

Narada Visits Tumburu’s House

When Gaanabandhu had nothing left to teach, Narada, with a deep sense of accomplishment, went to Tumburu’s house to challenge him to a singing duel. When he reached Tumburu’s house, Rambha came running out to welcome the seer. 

“Welcome to our humble abode, Narada. Hope all is well. My husband is busy with some healing work. Can you please wait here?” She offered him a comfortable seat in the huge foyer of their home, leaving ample fruit and drink in a tray in front of him. “Please refresh yourself, and I will return with some water to wash your tired feet.”

Her eyes twinkled merrily because she knew of Narada’s vanity much more than her husband, although her welcome to the seer was genuinely warm and affectionate. 

From the foyer, a door on the right led to a room in which Narada saw many men and women sitting in the foyer, their bodies filled with wounds and bruises, and their suffering clearly evident in their painful groaning and moaning. 

They went into another closed room one by one. When they returned, they had no pain. Their skin regained colour and vitality, and they wore wide smiles, their eyes glinting with heartfelt joy. 

I wonder who they are. And when did Tumburu learn healing work? Anyway, what is it to me? I have learnt such wonderful musical techniques that I will easily defeat him in a one-on-one.

Narada waited for a long while, and he was getting impatient, although his intrigue at the action in the next room increased exponentially as healed people came out of the closed room one after another. After a while, a servant passed by. Narada stopped him.

“Who are these people?” Narada realised this man didn’t recognise him because there was no customary bowing from his side. 

The servant looked blankly but with the correct amount of respect at Narada and replied, “They are all gods and goddesses of the various ragas.”

Narada couldn’t hide his surprise. “What are they doing here?”

The servant replied. “You didn’t hear the story of that wretched musician who, in the name of learning new ragas and techniques, was doing such a bad job at every practice that these gods and goddesses are hurting, physically, mentally, and spiritually. The gods and goddesses of the ragas are brutally assaulted each time that musician sings or plays their songs. They come here to listen to Tumburu’s music to undo the negativity of that musician and get healed.”

Aghast, Narada stood up from his seat and asked, “Do you know the name of that musician?”

“No, sire. I do not know. But I heard he was learning from Gaanabandhu, who was also relieved because he recently left the poor owl’s house proclaiming he had learnt everything there was to learn in the realm of music.”

The servant walked away, shaking his head and saying, “Some people don’t ever learn the importance of humility, and learning for the joy of it, not to impress.”

Narada’s face was impregnable. But his heart broke into a thousand pieces as the truth of the servant’s words hit him. He shed tears of regret and walked out of Tumburu’s house, learning the most important lesson of his life – the power of humility over all-encompassing knowledge.

Author’s Note:

This story appears in the obscure Ramayana version known as the Adbhuta Ramayana, believed to have been authored under the aegis of the Shakta tradition. This Ramayana version is narrated from Sita’s viewpoint, wherein she is the one who kills Ravana in the end. Further, several folklore traditions, especially in South India, depict Tumburu and Rambha as a married couple. I have taken the creative liberty to use this version for my story. 

This post is a part of ‘Fam Jam Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series