Wayang: Durna

From: Hartoyo Soehari <hsoehari@GARNET.ACNS.FSU.EDU>
Subject: Durna...

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Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to forward this topic of Durna, and yet apologize me to disturb your time to read it. Nonetheless, I am hoping it a useful reading.

Almost all friends of mine in my village tended to refer Durno to a dishonest sense. I followed them. It was years ago. Now I am thinking that Durno was also a great person. Is it true?. Please follow this.

........Shortly speaking...there was a young handsome boy from Atasangin in cross-land (tanah seberang). His name was Kumbayana. He heard bird news (kabar burung) thathis playmate, Sucitra, became a king. Kumbayana desired to visit Sucitra. One challenge came. He must cross the ocean, yet as a human being he realized he could not do that. He spontaneously said..."whoever can cross me..if gentlemen, he will become my true brother, if women, she will become my wife". Immediately, a female horse appeared and was ready to help him.....oh..oh "I must marry him"...and no choice, he had to do that......He married the horse. It was not an ordinary horse, it was a horse from Kahyangan....What do you think? He was consisten, wasn't he?.

.........Kumbayana landed on the kingdom of Sucitra. The news became clear and clearer that the king was Sucitra, his close friend. He strongly believe that the king was his friend. ...One day the king, which named Drupada (originally Sucitra), was in a meeting with his mahapatih (vice king?), Gandamana, and other high level officers.....Immediately, Kumbayana appeared in the meeting,..and said...Oh Sucitra, my friend, Sucitra my friend, I was happy you became a king...you remember me Sucitra?....However, his action was considered impolite and disrespected to the king. The mahapatih kicked Kumbayana out the palace and broke his left hand....Kumbayana was weak to defeat the mahapatih. He cried and spontaneously said...oh Gandamana..remember..one day you will experience the same thing like this. What do you think?. Was he impolite?. Should he be punished like that?.

.......Kumbayana "ngulandoro"...going somewhere whithout specific destinations, finally he arrived in a kingdom of Hastinapura. He established a padepokan..a learning center to achieve kesaktian/invisible power, etc...............

Two of his students were Arjuna and Duryudana, both were close brothers from the same grandpa......Both were royal families. One day, Kumbayana whose name changed to Durna was teaching of arrowing/memanah... Duryudana was tested to shot a bird in a tree.

Durna,"What do you see, my son Duryudono".
Duryudono," I see blue sky, tree, branches, birds, flowers, fruits,..."
Durno,"Good...but please stop, do not continue".
Dur,"Why, ..?.
Durno,"..because you are not ready, you are not concentrated, and your
shot will go far from the bird".
The, he asked Arjuna.
Durno,"Arjuna, shot that bird in a tree".
Arjuna,"Yes sir...".
Durno,"Are you ready?, what do you see Arjuno?."
Arjuna,"I see a bird in a branch".
Durno,"and waht else".
Arjuna,"..nothing".
Durno,"..and what else".
Arjuna,"..nothing".
Durno,"Great..shot it".

.....and shot ...the bird was shot...... ......What do you think?..............................It was a good teaching, wasn't it?. ......