THE BALI STRAIT LEGEND

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Image by Ahmad Irfan from Pixabay

Long ago, there lived a young man called Manik Angkeran in a village on Bali Island. His father’s name was Empu Sidhi Mandra. Manik Angkeran had a bad habit and he went to gamble every day. His father was very upset about his son’s behavior.


“My son, please beware of the gamble because it ruins your life easily.”
 

The good for nothing son didn’t listen to his father’s advice and he staked his money on a cockfighting game every morning. He also went to play cards after the cockfight gamble.


“If you don’t want to stop gambling, you had better move out of this house,” said his father with wide eyes.

As he was too hard to change his bad habit, all his father’s words just went in one ear and out at the other.

His father, Empu Sidhi Mandra, realized that he was barking up the wrong tree, so he entrusted his son to a Brahmin called Brahmana Dangeang.

After hearing the Brahmin’s advice, Manik Angkeran started doing the meditation. He meditated in Pura Gua temple, which was on the left front of Pura Besakih temple. He discovered that the passage in the cave of Pura Gua in Pura Besakih temple was connected to Pura Gua Lawa temple in Klungkung.


Manik Angkeran was able to concentrate on the first day. The third day, he had a feeling that he would meet a dragon.

“Hem, I’m going to ask the dragon about magic that is able to win the gamble constantly,” Manik Angkeran said to himself.

He focused his mind with all his heart to hope that he would achieve what he wanted. Suddenly, the dragon appeared in front of Manik Angkeran. He was very frightened with sweat wet his entire body. He was shivering with fear.

“Don’t be scared, I come to meet you and I’m going to make all your dreams come true,” said the dragon, growling. 

Manik Angkeran was very excited and glad. He said thank you to the dragon and went home immediately.

After having the amulet from the dragon, Manik Angkeran always won every gamble and made much money. He felt unsatisfied and intended to own that gambling house.

He went to Gua Besakih temple for meditation again. Not long after that, the dragon came out to meet him.

“I grant all your wish,” said the dragon.

Manik Angkeran was extremely happy while looking at the dragon slowly went into the cave. He was so astonished to see the dragon’s golden tail.

“I’ll be very rich if I get the dragon tail,” said Manik Angkeran.

Then he cut off the dragon tail and left the temple.

The dragon was so upset that Manik Angkeran cut off his tail. He tried to chase the wicked man but his body was too big and he ran so slowly. The dragon bit the ungrateful man’s footprints and that guy died immediately. 

As Manik Angkeran didn’t go home, Brahmana Dangeang went to temple to look for him. The dragon told Brahmana Dangeang that he had killed Manik Angkeran because the ungrateful man had cut off his golden tail.

The dragon didn’t know that Manik Angkeran was the old master’s foster child. The dragon apologized to the old master and promised to revive his foster child. The old master also said sorry to the dragon and returned the golden tail. 

Manik Angkeran became aware of his mistakes and repented of his sins he had committed.

The old master drew a line on the ground that separated him from his foster son. Water flowed out of the line and it became a river. Eventually, the river turned into a strait that separated Java and Bali. People call the strait the Bali Strait.



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