Afterwards Begawan Swandagni takes a piece of young coconut leaf. He ties the leaf to his wife's stomach. "Get rid of all the ties that bind you, Sokawati, so that later you will give birth without the shackles of desire that will be disadvantageous to your child. Hopefully the gods help you break those shackles," said Begawan Swandagni. Then he releases the tie of the coconut leaf from his wife's stomach by cutting it.
"Sokawati, we don't know whether our child will be a girl or a boy. As creatures, we can only guess. Which one do you want, Sokawati?” asks Begawan Swandagni.
"It's up to the gods in power to give me which one. But if I may ask, I want a boy, Begawan," answers Dewi Sokawati without hesitation.
"Isn't a female child also a beautiful gift, why do you want to have a boy, Sokawati?"
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"I don't know whether in the future I will have another child, so while I may wish with more certainty, as I’m allowed in the seven month of pregnancy, I wish to have a male child. Begawan, remember I am a woman and a mother. I want someone to protect me. In my heart, it is a boy who can fulfill my wish.”
Begawan Swandagni picks up two young coconuts from the offerings in front of him. “Sokawati, look at these coconuts. One depicts Batara Kamajaya, a handsome and mighty god. The other one depicts Dewi Ratih, a beautiful and soft-spoken goddess. You cannot force your child to be like which of the two. But, entrust and ask the Lord of the Universe, who knows you will be blessed with a child like Batara Kamajaya," says Begawan Swandagni.
Two emban (female servants) are called closer. They are asked to wrap a cloth around Dewi Sokawati's body. Two other emban are asked to kneel in front of her. After that, Begawan Swandagni closes his eyes and takes a coconut, without knowing whose picture it is on it. Then he drops the coconut. He does the same with other coconut.
When the coconuts fall, Dewi Sokawati is surprised. She feels as if she sees a beautiful rainbow behind the sentong (room) window of the Jatisrana hermitage. The rainbow descends closer, like a giant shawl, in shades of green, blue, yellow and red. As if it has enough space, the rainbow seems to come closer. Dewi Sokawati looks at it closely. Among the beautiful colored shawl she sees two young coconuts. Gradually, the two coconuts seem to form into babies. Dewi Sokawati strokes her stomach. In her heart she says, hopefully her womb will become a baby with a rainbow scarf. When she thinks so, the baby that is formed by the two coconuts disappears and turns into light, one white and the other black, entering the universe of Dewi Sokawati.
Dewi Sokawati does not pay attention when the two emban pick up the coconuts. They carry them in a shawl, treating each of the coconuts like a baby. Later they put the coconuts on the bamboo bed. Begawan Swandagni approaches the bamboo bed. With palpitations he closes his eyes and picks up one of the young coconuts. He laughs happily cradling the young coconut of his choice.
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"Sokawati, our child will be born a boy," he says while showing the picture of Batara Kamajaya printed on the young coconut skin. It turns out that Dewi Sokawati does not welcome him with joy. Her forehead is furrowed, and she frowns.
"Begawan, don't just take one, take both of them," Sokawati pleads.
"Do you want to have a female child? Impossible, Sokawati. It is impossible for me to have to exchange my choice for a young coconut with the picture of Dewi Ratih. This is a prophecy that will predestine your child later,” answers Begawan Swandagni, not understanding what his wife means.
But Dewi Sokawati does not care whether one coconut is a boy like Batara Kamajaya, and the other is a girl like Dewi Ratih. For her, the two coconuts are one. And that one is the child in her womb, whom she believes will be born a boy. She rubs her stomach again. And she feels she must have more faith in her womb than all the man-made ceremonies that are symbolizing her womb with coconuts. Yet why should she question about the coconuts, does she not feel that the two coconuts have turned into two rays of light, white and black, which have become one before entering her universe?
Her thoughts stop when she hears her husband's voice, "Sokawati, watch, this is the baby that will be born from your womb later." And before he can say a word, Begawan Swandagni has dropped the coconut, squeezes it, and asks Dewi Sokawati to take a sip of its water.
"Believe me, Sokawati, the baby in your womb is being bathed in natural water that is not mixed with any impurities so that your child will be born and bathed in pure and spotless purity," says Begawan Swandagni. He looks happy to see Sokawati drinking water from the coconut he offers. He then tells the emban to get rid of the other coconut.
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"Don't Begawan, let me keep the coconut," pleads Dewi Sokawati pitifully.
"Sokawati, what do you mean? Your child will be born a boy like Batara Kamajaya. Why do you still want to have the coconut depicting Dewi Ratih?” prevents Begawan Swandagni.
“I know Begawan, but I want to keep this coconut. Who knows, perhaps someday I will also be blessed with a daughter like Dewi Ratih,” Dewi Sokawati surprises herself by suddenly finding the nerve to say such words, even though in her heart she does not mean it at all. It is completely unimaginable that one day she will want to have a female child. She only feels pity if the other coconut is thrown away. She picks up the coconut, then cradles it, just like Begawan Swandagni who is cradling the coconut he had broken earlier.
This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.
