"A Copper Scroll and the Ancient Secret"

By Thomas George

I was born into a family of traditional healers, inheritors of ancient scripts and secret remedies passed down through generations. 

In my childhood, vivid memories linger of people from far and wide seeking solace from our family's senior members. 

Our ancestral home, an "ettukettu" – a radiating, eight-unit structure unique to our Indian heritage – held secrets and stories within its massive wooden walls. 

As children, we'd climb to the upper levels, discovering forgotten treasures and sparking imagination. Yet, some rooms remained off-limits, secured by massive doors and brass locks, their contents whispered about but unknown to us. 

Whenever we'd climb, old woden ladders make noise, tiny house bats would suddenly take flight, their leathery wings flapping wildly as they escaped through windows and hidden crevices, often protruding me into a frightened cry.

After completing my primary education, which included studying Hindi and Sanskrit – a family tradition that dignified the importance of reading ancient scripts – I pursued higher education abroad to uphold our family's pride. 

I am little bit shyness, I didn't succeed in this task and returned home. I later discovered great opportunities to explore many abandoned knowledges hidden in wooden boxes and dusty corners of old rooms. 

As a prominent family member, I now possess the brass keys that unlock previously forbidden doors. During my time at home, between the end of education and taking on family responsibilities, I've excavated secret palm-leaf writings, unraveling mysteries that had long been abandoned.

One day, I pried open a heavy rosewood box that had likely remained untouched since our family's first generation. Inside it, I discovered a small, intricately crafted golden box lay among other, boxes made of various metals. 

It wasn't the gold that drew me in, but an insatiable curiosity. I carefully carried the box to my room, my heart thumping wildly as festival drum. 

The box itself was a marvel – round in shape with a marvellously woven screw-top lid. As I slowly unfolded the lid, my heart skipped a beat: what secrets or treasures could a golden box possibly hold?

Inside the golden box, I found a copper scroll, kept in place. The unexpected pairing of copper within gold sparked my curiosity – what could be more valuable than gold itself? 

As I gazed at the scroll, I noticed vague letters etched onto its surface. The writing seemed to hold secrets, and I felt an excitement all over me. This ancient text might hold the key to understanding a valuvable secret? 

Is it like those palm-leaf scripts I've been studying?

For my readers, let me walk you through the process of preparing and reading these ancient scripts, as described in the scroll, to give you a reasonable understanding of this ancient art.

The process begins with carefully cutting and drying pieces of "Dobb palm" leaves according to traditional measures. The learned scribe would then use a sharp needle, known as "Narayam" or "Ezhuthani," to etch letters onto the palm leaf's surface. Since these scratches are barely visible, the reader would apply coal powder to reveal the text. 

In ancient schools of knowledge, disciples would prepare smooth coal powder for this purpose. The reader would dip their fingertip into the powder and gently wipe it over the palm leaf, allowing the powder to fill the scratches. As the letters became visible, the text would come alive. 

Experienced by this method, I decided to apply it to the copper scroll. First I stretched open the scroll. After coating the surface with black powder, I gazed at those letters began to emerge as from a primordial world. 

At first, the lines were faint, but as my hands steadied and my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I recognized the language – ancient Pali, precious and elusive. Though I'm well-versed in Sanskrit, understanding Pali proved challenging.

Finally I managed to translate the few words: "Then the mystic serpent would appear with enormous hood." A shiver ran down my spine as I read the shocking words.

I read carefully the scroll's ancient text, I felt compelled to share its secrets with my readers. The script spoke of magnification of the extraordinary properties of a medicinal plant the "Shame plant," (a herb revered for its potent healing powers).

According to the text, finding a perfect specimen was important. The instructions were clear: "Locate a flawless Shame plant, perform the sacraments and rituals with utmost detail, and await the marvellous transformations... On the seventh day, the plant will transmute into a serpent! Fearlessly grasp it by the hood and utilise its power to create a sacred remedy." 

I would elaborate on the specifics of the script as the narrative unfolds, revealing the enigmas of this ancient ritual.

Thirty years have passed since those narrative had happened. A burning curiosity emerged within me: what if I were to attempt this ancient ritual once? 

I carefully selected a flawless plant, as described in the script, in a secluded corner of our family farm. 

The ritual's preparation began with clearing the surroundings, followed by overlaying three distinct layers of powder. 

The first layer consisted of vibrant turmeric powder, symbolizing purification; the second, holy ash, representing neutrality; and the third, fragrant holy camphor, signifying clarity. 

The ritual commenced at four o'clock in the morning, precisely seven days before the new moon.

The memories seemed to be vividly etched in my mind, even after all these years. 

The details, like the black powder staining my finger, and the mental recall of the chants, pushed me depth of the experience. It was fascinating how certain events could leave lasting impressions.

Rising before five o'clock to prepare for the ritual was easy, but walking through the woods without a torch you know, difficult, especially on the last day – the new moon. 

I remember those nights had been sleepless and tormenting, with nightmares that left me shivering and wide awake. In feelings, moments of sleeps, I was haunted by visions of terrible serpents waiting for me. 

On the seventh day, I woke up earlier than before, bathed, and prepared to head to the sacred spot, where the mystical serpent was expected to evolve.

I walked through dense dark that the new moon had seen no mercy to spare a single beam of light. I imagined hissing sounds of snakes everywhere near to my legs and from far. I prepared my ears and cleared eyes with a mixture of fear, anxiety and eagerness and reached the sight where the snake was supposed to appear. 

There..I saw no serpent or heard a light hissing sound. My spirit had dropped into great pits, I gazed to the plant hopelessly.

And, I decided to pluck the plant. As I held tight the creeper, for my surprise, the plant seemed to be pulling itself out of the earth, defying a usual resistance of roots and soil. 

I felt a surge of energy, as if the plant was alive and responding to my chanting. The sensation was both exhilarating and unsettling, like harnessing a force beyond my control my body moved backwards. 

My astonishment turned to awe as the plant continued to rise, its roots snapping free from the ground with an audible crackle and hanging in my first like a snake.

Then, after grinding the plant as the script directed, I divided it into five equal parts and made five granules. 

I returned the golden box and copper scroll to  place, keeping the discovery a secret. 

The granules were stored in a tightly sealed plastic bottle, one of the best available at the time. Though I never mustered the courage to test their power. The granules remained preserved in my room, glittering memories of my immortal journey. 

Later, to my carelessness, they went missing – possibly discarded by a servant during cleaning. 

But, I prefer to imagine that an ancestral spirit of family moved by my dedication, carried the granules to a place where ancient treasures are safeguarded. 

I like to think that one day in far future, a descendant of mine will painstakingly uncover them and through improved science and research, unravel the secrets of their potent power.

By Thomas George