The Himalayan mountain range stretches along northeastern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bhutan and Nepal. Many beautiful forests dot this enormous mountain range which is also home to the world’s highest mountain, Everest.
The Himalayan range has been home to hermits and ascetics from time immemorial.
Long ago, in India during the reign of the great King Brahmadattha‘s reign a Himalayan forest was home to a hermitage.
Many hermits lived here and each had a separate kutiya or hut. Each kutiya was built under large trees. The hermits also had a chief hermit or leader.
A baby serpent
One day, a baby serpent slithered its way to the hut of a hermit.
It won the hermit’s affection and was allowed to stay in the kutiya.
The hermit split a piece of bamboo and cleaned it. He put a lid on it leaving two holes at the sides and this was the baby serpent's home.
The hermit put food for the serpent through the space at the end of the bamboo piece.
Bamboo is known as Veluka and the serpent was known as Veluka as he lived in a bamboo piece. The hermit became known as Veluka’s father.
The leader of the hermits got to know about Veluka and he visited Veluka’s father and asked him about his pet serpent. “He is like a son to me”, said Veluka’s father. The leader of the hermits advised Veluka’s father about the danger of bringing up a poisonous and dangerous serpent. But he did not listen and brought up Veluka to adulthood.
One day the hermits went into the forest to gather fruit.
As there were plenty of fruits the hermits stayed there for a few days. Veluka’s father worried that Veluka would go hungry.
Veluka stings
As soon as the hermits returned home Veluka’s father went to feed it. Having had no food for a while Veluka was hungry and angry.
It promptly stung the hermit’s hand and the hermit became unconscious.
Veluka slithered out of its bamboo cage and swiftly went into the jungle.
The leader of the hermit’s said that if Veluka’s father had listened to him this would not have happened.
He also said that it was dangerous to keep company with evil people.
