“Panch Parmeshwar” is a Hindi term that translates to “Five Supreme Beings” in English. This concept is associated with the worship of five principal Hindu deities who are considered to be the supreme gods in various Hindu traditions. Read More Class 11 English Summaries.
The Panch Parmeshwar Summary
The Panch Parmeshwar Introduction:
This story introduces us to the natural agency of self-governance and justice in a rural community. It tells us about the Panchayati Raj System in which the Panch is considered the Parmeshwar (God). It is believed that God speaks through a panch’s lips.
And the people accept the decision of the panches as the decision of God. This story also tells us that friendship is a divine bond. But in case of justice, it must be kept in its proper place. Man’s primary duty is to be just and true. This fact is brought out in this story.
Algu Chowdhari and Jumman Sheikh were very good friends. They trusted each other deeply. But a misunderstanding arose between them when Algu, despite being Jumman’s friend, had to decide against Jumman in a case.
Being nominated as a panch, he was on the highest position of justice and dharma. And he had to stand by the truth. But Jumman couldn’t understand it. He realized it only when once he had to decide in favour of Algu.
Though he wanted to take revenge on Algu, he realized that a panch is nobody’s friend or foe. A panch cannot see anything except justice. That day, Jumman was convinced that God speaks through a panch’s lips.
The Panch Parmeshwar Summary in English:
Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chowdhari were very good friends. They did not belong to the same religion, but they used to think alike. They trusted each other deeply. When Jumman went to Mecca, he left his house in charge of Algu.
And whenever Algu went out of the village, Jumman took care of his house.Jumman had an old aunt who had no close relative except Jumman. She had a small property. Jumman wanted to have that property in his name. And for that, he made many false promises with the old woman. He took great care of her. He gave her good food and fine clothing.
But when after he old woman had transferred her property in his name, Jumman became quite indifferent towards her. His wife ill-treated the poor old woman. She didn’t give her enough food. She would curse her day and night, “God knows how long the old woman will live !” The poor old woman had to listen to such harsh words daily. But for how long after all ?
One day, she decided not to live with Jumman’s family any longer. She said to Jumman, “Just give me a few rupees and I’ll cook my own food.” Jumman grew angry at this. He refused to give her any money saying, “Does money grow here on trees ?” The old woman became very upset. She decided to solve the matter in a panchayat.
She took her stick and went from house to house in the village, telling the people about her sad story. In the end, she went to Algu and requested him to come to the panchayat meeting for her sake. Algu said that he would come there, but he would not say anything during the panchayat. He told the old woman that Jumman was his friend and he didn’t want to spoil his friendship.
The old woman asked Algu, “Would you turn your back on justice for fear of ruining your friendship ?” Then she went away, but her words kept ringing in Algu’s mind. In the evening when the panchayat sat down the old aunt appealed to them, “Members of the panchayat ! Three years ago, I transferred my property to the name of my nephew.
All of you know this. In return for this, Jumman had agreed to feed and clothe me.” She told the panchayat that Jumman had not kept his word. He and his wife ill-treated her. They did not give her enough food and adequate clothes. “I am a helpless widow. Except you all who else will listen to my grief?” She said to the panchayat members. She requested them to do the justice.
Ramdhan Misra, one of the panches, asked Jumman to settle with his aunt or name his own head panch. Jumman noticed that most of the people present in the panchayat were obliged to him in one way and the other. He was sure that he would win the case.
Summary of The Panch Parmeshwar
So he said, “Let my aunt select the head panch.” The old woman proposed Algu’s name as the head panch. But Algu didn’t want to involve himself in their quarrel. He tried to back out. The old woman said to him, “No one will turn his back on justice for the sake of a friendship. God resides in the heart of a panch. He speaks in God’s voice.”
When Algu’s nomination was accepted, he said, “Jumman! You and I are old friends. But at this moment, you and your old aunt are both equal in my eyes.” Then he asked Jumman to make his statement in the panchayat.
Jumman thought that Algu was talking just for effect. So he spoke very peacefully. He said that three years ago, his aunt had transferred her property to him. In return, he had agreed to look after her needs. And he had not caused her any trouble since then.
He said, “Now my aunt wants a separate monthly allowance from me. There is not enough income from her property to pay her a monthly allowance. Moreover, there is no mention of any monthly allowance in our agreement.” He further said that he would accept whatever the panchayat would decide.
Algu, who used to visit the courts frequently, knew a great deal about the law. He began to cross-examine Jumman. Jumman was wondering what had happened to his friend, Algu. He was shocked when Algu announced the decision. “Jumman Sheikh ! The panches have decided that the aunt should be paid a monthly allowance because there is enough income from her property.
If you are unwilling to do so, the agreement should be cancelled,” said Algu. Jumman could never imagine that his dear friend would go against him. However, Ramdhan Misra and other members of the panchayat openly praised Algu for the just decision.
This decision broke the friendship between Algu and Jumman. Jumman all the time thought about Algu’s betrayal. He lived now only to take revenge. And he didn’t have to wait long for his revenge. The previous year, Algu had bought a pair of beautiful, long-horned oxen from Batesar.
Unfortunately, a month after the panchayat decision, one of the oxen died. Jumman was very happy when he heard about it. “This is the punishment for treachery,” he said to his friends. Since one ox is of no use to a farmer, Algu decided to sell the other ox.
The Panch Parmeshwar short Summary
He sold it to Samjhu Sahu who was a trader in the village. Samjhu bought the ox on the condition that he would pay the price of the ox after a month. Algu wanted to get rid of the ox. So he agreed to it. Samjhu used to make one trip to the market on his ox-cart. He took gur and ghee to the market and returned with salt and oil which he sold to the villagers.
With the new ox, he started making three to four trips to the market instead of one. Samjhu was very careless towards the animal. He would neither take care of food and water for him nor give him proper rest. At Algu’s house, the ox had been looked after very well.
But here the poor animal had to go through a life of torture. He had become so weak that its bones had stuck out. One day Samjhu, while making his fourth trip to the market, had overloaded the cart. The poor ox was very much tired after the long day. It could hardly lift its feet. Samjhu began to whip it and it began to run.
But after running for a few yards, its strength failed and it collapsed on the ground. Samjhu whipped the dead animal and said, “If you had to die, why didn’t you wait till you reached home ?” There were several tins of oil and bags of salt loaded on the cart.
Samjhu couldn’t leave them unguarded. So he decided to spend the night on the cart. When he woke up in the morning, he found his money gone along with many tins of oil. He beat his head with sorrow and wept. He cursed the ox for his loss.
Several months passed, but Samjhu didn’t give Algu the price of the ox. According to Samjhu, Algu had cheated him. He had given him a sick ox. So he wouldn’t pay any price for the ox. Algu went to the panchayat to decide the matter. The panchayat sat down. Ramdhan Misra asked Algu to nominate his own head panch.
But Algu said very politely, “Let Samjhu select the head panch.” Samjhu purposely proposed the name of Jumman Sheikh. On hearing this, Algu’s heart began to beat very fast. He feared that Jumman might take his revenge on him.
But as soon as Jumman was appointed Sarpanch, he felt a sense of responsibility. He thought that he was sitting on the throne of dharma. His words would be considered as the words of God. So he decided that he would not stray even an inch from the truth.
The panches questioned both the factions. After a long discussion, Jumman announced the decision. He said that Samjhu Sahu would have to pay the full payment for the ox because the ox was in good health when he had bought it.
“The ox died because it was made to work very hard and it was not fed and looked after properly,” said Jumman. Algu shouted with joy, “God bless the sarpanch.” Everyone praised the decision. “God lives in the heart of a panch.”
The Panch Parmeshwar esssay Summary
from her property. If you are unwilling to do so, the agreement should be cancelled,” said Algu. Jumman could never imagine that his dear friend would go against him. However, Ramdhan Misra and other members of the panchayat openly praised Algu for the just decision.
This decision broke the friendship between Algu and Jumman. Jumman all the time thought about Algu’s betrayal. He lived now only to take revenge. And he didn’t have to wait long for his revenge. The previous year, Algu had bought a pair of beautiful, longhorned oxen from Batesar.
Unfortunately, a month after the panchayat decision, one of the oxen died. Jumman was very happy when he heard about it. “This is the punishment for treachery,” he said to his friends. Since one ox is of no use to a farmer, Algu decided to sell the other ox.
He sold it to Samjhu Sahu who was a trader in the village. Samjhu bought the ox on the condition that he would pay the price of the ox after a month. Algu wanted to get rid of the ox. So he agreed to it. Samjhu used to make one trip to the market on his ox-cart. He took gur and ghee to the market and returned with salt and oil which he sold to the villagers.
With the new ox, he started making three to four trips to the market instead of one. Samjhu was very careless towards the animal. He would neither take care of food and water for him nor give him proper rest. At Algu’s house, the ox had been looked after very well. But here the poor animal had to go through a life of torture.
He had become so weak that its bones had stuck out. One day Samjhu, while making his fourth trip to the market, had overloaded the cart. The poor ox was very much tired after the long day. It could hardly lift its feet. Samjhu began to whip it and it began to run. But after running for a few yards, its strength failed and it collapsed on the ground.
Samjhu whipped the dead animal and said, “If you had to die, why didn’t you wait till you reached home ?” There were several tins of oil and bags of salt loaded on the cart. Samjhu couldn’t leave them unguarded. So he decided to spend the night on the cart. When he woke up in the morning, he found his money gone along with many tins of oil. He beat his head with sorrow and wept. He cursed the ox for his loss.
Several months passed, but Samjhu didn’t give Algu the price of the ox. According to Samjhu, Algu had cheated him. He had given him a sick ox. So he wouldn’t pay any price for the ox. Algu went to the panchayat to decide the matter.
The panchayat sat down. Ramdhan Misra asked Algu to nominate his own head panch. But Algu said very politely, “Let Samjhu select the head panch.” Samjhu purposely proposed the name of Jumman Sheikh. On hearing this, Algu’s heart began to beat very fast. He feared that Jumman might take his revenge on him.
But as soon as Jumman was appointed Sarpanch, he felt a sense of responsibility. He thought that he was sitting on the throne of dharma. His words would be considered as the words of God. So he decided that he would not stray even an inch from the truth.
The panches questioned both the factions. After a long discussion, Jumman announced the decision. He said that Samjhu Sahu would have to pay the full payment for the ox because the ox was in good health when he had bought it.
“The ox died because it was made to work very hard and it was not fed and looked after properly,” said Jumman. Algu shouted with joy, “God bless the sarpanch.” Everyone praised the decision. “God lives in the heart of a panch.”
Then Jumman came to Algu and embraced him saying, “My brother ! Ever since you . decided the case against me, I have been your deadly enemy. But today I learnt that a panch is neither anybody’s friend nor anybody’s foe. He can see only justice. Today I am convinced that God speaks through a panch’s lips.” And all the misunderstandings were washed away in their tears.
