--- title: Udero Lal. — Folk tales of Sind and Guzarat · full text with trees description: Udero Lal., «Folk tales of Sind and Guzarat» by C. A. Kincaid: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Udero Lal was born on Cheti Chand, the first day of the Sindhi month Cheti and also the first day of what is known as the Chaitradi year—the year that --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76982/8/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Folk tales of Sind and Guzarat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76982/) / Udero Lal. # Udero Lal. Udero Lal. of «Folk tales of Sind and Guzarat» by C. A. Kincaid: the whole text, 119 sentences and 2048 words. 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Udero Lal was born on Cheti Chand, the first day of the Sindhi month Cheti and also the first day of what is known as the Chaitradi year—the year that begins with the month of Cheti or Chaitra instead of the month of Kartak.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") In Udero Lal’s honour the Government offices throughout Sind are closed.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") So in common gratitude every Government officer ought to enquire who Udero Lal was.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") He was the son of an aged couple called Ratno and Devki, who lived at Nasarpur.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Ratno hawked cooked gram and was a devout worshipper of the Indus river.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") They had two sons already, but had long passed the age when married couples hope for more children.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Ratno was sixty and Devki over forty, when Udero Lal was born.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") But Udero Lal’s birth was due to divine interposition.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") The cause of it was as follows:—[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") In the year 939 A.D. one Marak was governor of Tatta.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") He was a bigoted Musulman and he suddenly resolved to convert to Islam the whole Hindu population under him.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") He proclaimed by beat of drum, that he would kill every Hindu, who did not change his faith within twenty-four hours.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") So alarmed were the Hindus that, so the story runs, all their cooking pots fell from their shelves; and exclaiming that a camel had entered the king’s head \[2\], they went in a body to his minister Aho.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Through him they gained a fortnight’s respite.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") At that time, so the legend has it, the Indus flowed past Tatta.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") On its banks the despairing Hindus gathered and prayed to the great river to save them from the hands of Marak.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") At the same time they vowed that if no answer was vouchsafed to their prayers within a week, they would throw their children into the stream.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") On the fourteenth day they would with their wives in their arms throw themselves into it and thus escape the cruelty of Marak.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") On the seventh day when they were on the point of drowning all their babies, they saw the river god himself rise from the waves, a beautiful figure, all of snow-white foam.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") He bade the Hindus no longer despair.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") He had heard their supplications and within the allotted fortnight he would be born in the house of Ratno, the gram hawker.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") He bade them warn Marak of his approaching birth.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") They did so and the wicked governor sent Aho to seize the baby directly it was born.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The child Udero Lal arrived on the last day of the fortnight.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Aho was about to seize it, when it changed instantly into a youth of sixteen, then into an old man and once more into an infant.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Aho was dumbfounded and his hatred and unbelief changed to love and faith.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He begged the child to return with him to Marak, so as to convince him also.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The babe replied “Go back to Tatta.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") There stand on the banks of the Indus and call me and I shall come.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Aho went back to Tatta and told Marak.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") The governor was frightened out of his wits, still he ordered Aho to go to the river bank and call on Udero Lal to rise from the river.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Aho did so and as the words left his lips, a tall beautiful youth, riding a noble steed, rose from the river and behind him followed thousands of soldiers and horsemen, chariots and war elephants.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") The terrified minister fell at Udero Lal’s feet and begged him to send away the mighty army that followed in his footsteps.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The youth turned round and dismissed his warriors.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") A moment later the great army had vanished into the depths of the Indus.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Aho led Udero Lal into Marak’s presence and told him the marvels that he had witnessed.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Marak instantly seated Udero Lal on his right hand and craved his advice.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal bade him to cease from his cruelty to his Hindu subjects.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") But while Marak listened with pious looks to Udero Lal’s words, his heart was full of black treachery.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") After he had escorted with all reverence the beautiful youth to one of his palaces, he ordered his soldiers to surround it.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") For he now plotted to convert to Islam not only his Hindu subjects but Udero Lal also.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") But it was idle to strive to bind the Indus river.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") When the kazi and the surgeon came to convert him he had vanished.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") The indignant Marak resolved not to give his Hindu subjects a day’s more grace and announced that he would convert or kill them all that very evening.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") They went to Ratno’s house.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") There they found Udero Lal, once more a baby in the cradle.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") They prayed to the divine child and he bade them go to the river and sit in a temple that they would find there.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") When all the Hindus had assembled, a fearful thunderstorm burst and fire from heaven consumed the palace of the governor and the houses of his officers.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Marak, Aho and the kazi, although badly burnt, escaped from the conflagration and ran to the river.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") There they saw a splendid temple and in it were seated Udero Lal, once more a beautiful youth and round him thousands of Hindus, perfectly sheltered from the storm that had fallen on Tatta.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") The three wicked men fell at Udero Lal’s feet and Marak took a mighty oath never again to harass the Hindus.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal then bade the winds be still and the storm at once passed away.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal vanished and so did the magic temple.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Hindus built on the spot a real one of stone that stands to this day.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Lights burn in it day and night and it is known as the Khudio temple or the temple of Refuge.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Hindus went to Nasarpur to tell Ratno and Devki how their child had helped them, they found Udero Lal once more a baby sleeping peacefully in his cradle.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Nothing further happened until Udero Lal was a little boy of six, when his mother Devki thought that he might help his father by hawking cooked gram too.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") She gave him a tiny jar of cooked gram and bade him hawk it through the streets of Nasarpur, taking payment either in cash or in kind.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") That evening Udero Lal brought back a huge pot full of grain and gave it to his mother.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") This went on for several days until his parents grew more and more curious to know how he got grain many times its value for the cooked gram.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day they followed him and they saw their little son go to the river bank and dip the jar of cooked gram into the water.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") When he pulled it out again, it had become a great pot brimming over with grain.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") When Udero Lal was ten and old enough to be invested with the sacred thread, he asked to be given a guru.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") He took his father and mother to the river bank and found sitting near it the great God Shiva.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal went up fearlessly to the mighty God and told him that he had come in search of a guru.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") The god replied “Why do you, who are the guru of gurus, want a guru?”[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal pleaded that even Vishnu’s avatars, such as Rama and Krishna had had their gurus, why then should one be denied to him?[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") It so chanced that the saint Gorakhnath passed by at that moment and Shiva bade him take Udero Lal as his pupil.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Gorakhnath did so and taught him all his holiness and wisdom.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Now Udero Lal had a cousin called Phugar, who was greatly attached to him.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") He made Phugar his disciple and taught him the learning which he had received from Gorakhnath.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") One day to test Phugar’s faith he told him that he wished to be alone and meditate.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") But Phugar refused to leave his master’s side.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") “Will you plunge with me into the Indus?” asked Udero Lal.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") “Where you go, I go,” was the reply.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal took his cousin’s hand and dived into the river.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") A few minutes later they came to the surface and found themselves in mid-stream between Rohri and Sukkur.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") In front of them was a little island on which they climbed.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the famous island of Zinda Pir, of whom more hereafter.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") Master and pupil stayed there some weeks until Udero Lal learnt that Ratno and Devki were both very ill at Nasarpur.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") He reached his birthplace in time to bid them farewell.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") But their deaths preyed on his mind and he longed to rejoin the mighty river from which he had sprung.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") He first called to him his elder brothers Somo and Bhayandev and bade them give up the things of this world and like Phugar become his disciples.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") But though they promised always to worship light and water, they would not give up all and follow him.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal then declared that Phugar would be his only disciple.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") He called him and gave him the following seven gifts:—[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") A Var or ring that fulfilled every wish of the wearer.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") A Jot or lamp that gave to him who looked into its flame a vision of the Most High.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") A Kanta or quilt that guarded the wearer from demons and from human weapons.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") A Deg or cooking pot that remained always full of food.[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") A Tegh or sword that put to flight the five evil passions—kam or lust, krodh or anger, lobh or greed, moh or love of the things of this world and ahankar or selfishness.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") A Jhari or pitcher that remained always full of Ganges water.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") A Daklo or musical instrument that reproduced the songs sung in heaven.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") When twelve years old Udero Lal bade Phugar choose a spot, whereon to build him a temple, as he meant soon to leave the earth.[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") Phugar chose an open field owned by a Memon.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") The saint asked the Memon to give him the land.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") The Memon refused but offered to sell it.[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal scratched with his spear the surface of the earth and shewed the astonished Memon treasures of gold and silver.[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he drove his spear deep into the ground and it became a mighty kabar tree.[99](99/ "tree and pragmatics") The Memon was so startled that he went away to take counsel of his wife.[100](100/ "tree and pragmatics") On his return he bade the saint take the field as a gift.[101](101/ "tree and pragmatics") All he asked, was that he might be the majavar or attendant of Udero Lal’s tomb.[102](102/ "tree and pragmatics") The saint blessed him and promised him that his life long he would never lack food.[103](103/ "tree and pragmatics") Udero Lal took another spear and smote the ground with it.[104](104/ "tree and pragmatics") Up spouted a fountain of clear water.[105](105/ "tree and pragmatics") He mounted his horse; the earth opened in front of him.[106](106/ "tree and pragmatics") Spurring his horse he leapt into the yawning pit.[107](107/ "tree and pragmatics") At first Phugar was broken-hearted and nearly died of grief.[108](108/ "tree and pragmatics") One night he saw in a dream Udero Lal who bade him put away his grief and build a temple on the spot where the saint had vanished.[109](109/ "tree and pragmatics") Where the water had spouted from the ground he was to sink a well and near it to build a rest-house.[110](110/ "tree and pragmatics") When the saint’s wishes were known, all Nasarpur flocked to Phugar’s aid.[111](111/ "tree and pragmatics") Even the wicked Marak and his minister and kazi offered their help.[112](112/ "tree and pragmatics") But while the Hindus wished to build a temple, Marak and the Musulmans wished to build a mosque and quarrels broke out between them.[113](113/ "tree and pragmatics") At last they resolved to take the advice of Udero Lal himself.[114](114/ "tree and pragmatics") All one night they kept vigil until they heard a voice that said “In my sight there is neither caste nor creed.”[115](115/ "tree and pragmatics") Pacified, they built both mosque and temple.[116](116/ "tree and pragmatics") Of the temple Phugar was made guardian and Marak named the Memon the mujavar of the mosque.[117](117/ "tree and pragmatics") From that day on, lamps have burnt night and day in both temple and mosque.[118](118/ "tree and pragmatics") The rest-house built by Phugar may be seen to this day and near it is the well, which grateful pilgrims have called Balambho or the well of ever-running water.[119](119/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [A Sind Saint.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76982/7/) - next →: [Jinda Pir.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76982/9/) - ↑ back to [Folk tales of Sind and Guzarat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76982/)