រឿងប្រាសាទព្រហ្មកិល - PREAHBAT PRUMKEL OR PONHEA KREK - [Cambo Page - ខេមបូ ផេក]

PREAHBAT PRUMKEL OR PONHEA KREK

On that day Preah Botom Koma, the elder son of the king Preahbat Chakkrapoat, who was only 13 years old, felt very frightened and able to free himself from the hands of the thugs of the king Dambang Kronhoung. He since became a monk in the remote forest. It was known that he learnt all the powerful magic skill.

For his part, the second son, Preah Serikoma, who was only 5 years old, together with his wet-nurse, and also tried to run for their lives, only to be caught by soldiers of Dambang Kronhoung. The prince was thrown onto the fire by those soldiers. It was then a bit dark; because of his goodness and virtue, there appeared a group of soldiers who discovered him. They felt pity with the small prince and then secretly pulled him outof the fire bond. They hid the prince in the bush and fled the scene. He was not dead, but suffered burns on almost every part of his body.

It was by chance when a monk walked past the area and found the prince in such a very miserable condition; he felt pity with him and decided to take care of him. Time passed by and the wounds started to heal. But his limbs became ankylosis, making it impossible for him to stand on his feet and move forward and backward, or leftward and rightward. The prince had to move on hit buttocks. That is why the prince was called Prumkel, while other people preferred calling him Ponhea Krek.

The 17th Khmer king, Dambang Kronhoung ruled the kingdom for 7 years and 7 months. One day he ordered in a fortune teller to predict his luck. He wanted to know if there would be any holy man coming and seizing power from him. After calculating for a while, the fortune teller found out that Dambang Kronhoung could reign only 7 years, 7 months and 7 days. So there was only 7 days left before his goodness disappeared. There would be a holy man coming to seize the throne.

Hearing the prediction, Dambang Kronhoung thought to himself that if there was a holy man, he would throw his Kronhoung stick to crush him. Ifhe could not win, he would step down and handed over the throne to that holy man in order to avoid any fighting that would see only bloodshed; there would be no sin among Khmer subjects in the country. And he would not be cursed or insulted by the next generations.

The words of the prediction then spread to every subject. When the 7th day came at last, people from every comer of the kingdom thronged the capital, waiting to catch a glimpse of the holy man. Ponhea Krek or Prumkel also wanted to go to the capital. He asked the permission from the monk to go and see the holy man like the others. He was then 17 years old. He managed to miserably move on his buttocks on the way toward the capital. Prumkel believed and hoped that if the holy man did present himself, the sick, blind and disable persons would recover, could see and walk.

Ponhea Krek or Prurnkel arrived at the northern part of the capital and took a rest under a big bodhi tree nearby a pond, waiting to welcome the holy man. There was a Brahman priest with a big bag, a package of cooked rice and a container of water. He walked a horse and move up to Prurnkel. He left his horse and stuff with Prumkel and asked him to keep watch as he had to go and see the holy man. He said to Prurnkel: “You cannot walk. So you will not be able to see the holy man and can be trampled to death ". He told Prurnkel that when he felt hungry or thirsty, he could have the cooked rice and the water.

Ponhea Krek replied: "I am ankylotic. How can I take care of your horse? It will run away. But the old Brahman said: Don't worry! I won't be long". Then the old man placed the rein in Prumkel's hands and the big bag close to him before he walked away.

Once the old Brahman left, the horse just stood up and started to pull Prumkel's stiffening arm back to normal. Seeing this, Ponhea Krek or Prumkel held the horse rein in the other arm, and everything happened just the same. Ponhea Krek or Prumkel was so happy that he placed the rein again on his two legs. Like what he wished. His feet recovered. Now Prumkel had the same limbs as the other people did. He started to feel hungry and remembered the words of the old Brahman. Ponhea Krek or Prumkel drank the water in the container and used it to wash his face and body.

All the scars on his body suddenly vanished, making Prumkel look so better in appearance and look than the other people did that one could hardly identify orrecognize. Then Ponhea Krek started to have the cooked rice in the package. He suddenly felt stronger and more powerful than before. All these miracles even made Ponhea Krek or Prurnkel more curious; he then untied the old Brahman's bag. There he found the most beautiful-ever outfits and jewelry. Ponhea Krek put on that stuff and found that they were perfectly fit. It was then that Ponhea Krek or Prurnkel came to understand and believe that he himself was the holy man. Ponhea Krek or Prurnkel mounted the horse, which started to fly in the northeastern direction on the way to the palace.

Upon seeing the holy man on the horse back like the words of the fortune teller, the waiting crowds started to cheer. As for the king Dambang Kronhoung, who longed to meet the holy man, he was so furious at the appearance of the holy man that he grasped the kronhoung stick and threw at Ponhea Krek or Prumkel in order to kill him. But the stick lost the magic spell, failing to hit the holy man and falling down to the ground, where it became a small river which was since known as 0 Dambang( the river of the stick); the area was also called Battambang (the lost stick). Witnessing such a spectacular miracle, people, officers and soldiers all bowed down in respect for Prumkel. The king Dambang Kronhoung, realizing that he had no more power and merits, knelt down and surrendered to Ponhea Krek or Prumkel. He handed over the thrown to Ponhea Krek or Prumkel as he already promised before wandering out of the kingdom on the way to Laos.

At the time the Champasak kingdom was invaded by elephants, causing much suffering and losses to the people. Dambang Kronhoung came to the help of the Lao king, foiling those elephants. In return for this help and for fear of his powerful strength, the Lao king, named Sisottanakunhot, married his daughter, Soy Bopha, to Dambang Kronhoung or Preahbat Kodam Ammara Tevvareach. The Lao king thought to himself that Dambang Kronhoung was very strong; he could betray and seized the throne from him. So he had to do what he could to make the first move to eliminate Dambang Kronhoung. The Lao king persuaded his daughter to use some tricks to talk her husband into revealing the secret that helped him to survive all the killings, and into telling the best way of being able to take his life. After collecting all the information needed, she had to report to her father without any delay.

Giving himself to the comfort of his wife, Dambang Kronboung revealed all the secrets that were related to safeguarding his life. Princess Soy Sopha came back to her father with all the secrets. Upon receiving what he wished to know, without any further delay, the Lao king ordered the installation of traps in the toilet in order to kill

Dambang Kronboung. One day, on entering the toilet, Dambang Kronboung stepped on a wire that triggered the traps, sending an arrow into the hole of his buttucks, the weak part of his life. However, Dambang Kronboung did not die right away. Dambang Kronboung or Preahbat Kodam Ammara Tevvareach was well aware of the reason why his life was in danger. He murmured that he should not have been defeated by the beauty of a woman. He reminded everybody that they should not fall asleep after feeling the sweet caress of the wind. Don't tell the secret stories to their wives when in bed. Don't trust any woman that did not belong to the family. When you were hungry, take the rice, clean it and cook it before having it.

Badly wounded, Dambang Kronhoung left Laos and returned to his native village, Suon Mengkhuot, and he died there. Princess Soy Bopha, overwhelmed by remorse, rejoined her husband and tended him until death. She organized a traditional funeral and stored the ashes in a stupa in Champasak town.

- The END -