Published by Jaico Publishing House
A-2 Jash Chambers, 7-A Sir Phirozshah Mehta Road
Fort, Mumbai - 400 001
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© Shatrujeet Nath
VIKRAMADITYA VEERGATHA: BOOK 3
THE VENGEANCE OF INDRA
ISBN 978-93-86867-57-5
First Jaico Impression: 2018
Third Jaico Impression (New Cover): 2021
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
To
Vijayam mami, Chitra mami and Raghu mama.
Without you, Kochi, 1988, would never have happened,
and life wouldn’t have taken such an interesting turn.
Index of Major Characters
(In alphabetical order)
Humans
The Kingdom Of Avanti
Aatreya merchant of Malawa
Ajanya commander of the Imperial Army
Amara Simha councilor of Avanti
Angamitra captain of the samsaptakas
Aparupa daughter of Aatreya
Atulyateja garrison commander of Udaypuri
Brichcha father of Shanku
Chirayu lackey to Governor Satyaveda
Dattaka commander of the Sristhali command centre
Dhanavantri councilor of Avanti and royal physician
Dveeja Aparupa’s companion
Ghatakarpara councilor of Avanti; nephew of Vikramaditya and Vararuchi
Greeshma bandit; escapee from the Dandaka Forest
Kedara captain of the Imperial Army
Kalidasa ex-councilor of Avanti
Kshapanaka councilor of Avanti; sister of Queen Vishakha
Kubja labourer at Aatreya’s shop
Kunjala physician at Avanti’s palace
Mahendraditya late king of Avanti; father of Vikramaditya, Vararuchi and Pralupi
Mithyamayi Vismaya’s niece; maid to Pralupi
Mother Oracle Shanku’s grandmother; head of the Wandering Tribe
Pralupi sister of Vikramaditya; Ghatakarpara’s mother
Pulyama captain of the Imperial Army
Satyaveda governor of Malawa province
Shanku councilor of Avanti; granddaughter of the Mother Oracle
Sharamana garrison commander of Musili
Subha Second Captain in the garrison of Udaypuri
Suhasa commander of the Imperial Army
Udayasanga samsaptaka warrior
Upashruti mother of Vikramaditya and Pralupi; second wife of Mahendraditya
Ushantha mother of Vararuchi; first wife of Mahendraditya
Varahamihira councilor of Avanti
Vararuchi councilor of Avanti; half-brother of Vikramaditya
Vetala Bhatta chief councilor of Avanti; royal tutor
Vikramaditya king of Avanti
Vishakha wife of Vikramaditya; Kshapanaka’s sister
Vismaya chief of the Palace Guards
The Kingdom of Magadha
Asmabindu councilor of Magadha
Daipayana general of the Magadhan army
Kapila second son of late king Siddhasena
Shoorasena king of Magadha; elder son of late king Siddhasena
Siddhasena late king of Magadha
The Kingdom of Vatsa
Chandravardhan king of Vatsa; ally of Avanti
Himavardhan brother of Chandravardhan; father of Ghatakarpara
Piyusha Shashivardhan’s bodyguard
Shashivardhan son of Chandravardhan of Vatsa
Yashobhavi councilor of Vatsa
The Kingdom of Kosala
Adheepa general of Kosala’s army
Bhoomipala king of Kosala; ally of Avanti
Gajaketu travelling musician
Kadru courtier of Kosala
Kirtana courtier of Kosala
Pallavan envoy and councilor of Kosala
The Kingdom of Heheya
Harihara king of Heheya; ally of Avanti
Rukma daughter of Harihara of Heheya
Sumayanti queen of Heheya
The Kingdom of Matsya
Adri garrison commander of Kasavati
Baanahasta king of Matsya; ally of Avanti
The Anarta Federation
Yugandhara chief of the Anarta Federation; ally of Avanti
Manidhara chieftain of the Anarta Federation
The Republic of Vanga
Bhadraka Vanga chieftain
Sudasan chancellor of the Republic of Vanga
The Hunas
droiba Huna shaman
Ga’ur Thra’akha Kalidasa’s Huna name
Khash’i Dur chief of the Hunas
Zho E’ramilate Huna chief; Kalidasa’s father
The Kingdoms of Odra and Kalinga
Abhirami queen of Odra; sister of Veerayanka
Veerayanka king of Kalinga; brother of Abhirami
Devas
Agneyi apsara and chief of the fire-wraiths
Brihaspati royal chaplain of the devas
Dasra captain of the Ashvins; twin brother of Nasatya
Gandharvasena a deva
Indra lord of the devas; king of Devaloka
Jayanta son of Indra
Manyu palace keeper of Devaloka
Matali a deva
Menaka apsara of Devaloka
Narada envoy of Devaloka and advisor to Indra
Nasatya captain of the Ashvins; twin brother of Dasra
Shachi wife of Indra; Jayanta’s mother
The Ashvins elite cavalry of Devaloka, led by Nasatya and Dasra
The Maruts the seven sons of Diti
Urvashi apsara of Devaloka and mistress of Indra
Asuras
Amarka asura general; son of Shukracharya
Andhaka the blind rakshasa
Chandasura asura general; son of Shukracharya
Diti sorceress and matriarch of the asuras
Hiranyaksha lord of the asuras; king of Patala
Holika sister-consort of Hiranyaksha and witch queen of Patala
Shukracharya high priest of the asuras
Veeshada the thief of the Halahala
Others
Ahi the serpent-dragon
Betaal the Ghoulmaster; lord of the Borderworld
Kubera lord of the yakshas
Shalivahana lord of the danavas
Shiva the Omniscient One
Takshaka lord of the nagas
Tribhanu lord of the kinnaras
Glossary of Indian Terms
(In alphabetical order)
akashganga the Milky Way
amlika tamarind tree
angavastram a stole or light shawl to cover the torso
apsara a beautiful, supernatural female being in Hinduism
badi-maa elder mother; a form of address
barasingha swamp deer
chakram a throwing weapon, circular in shape
danava a mythical race in Hinduism
danda a walking stick
devadaru a species of cedar
dhoti traditional men’s garment
ghat steps leading down to a body of water like a holy river
gurudev master or teacher; also a form of address
jal-yantra an Indian percussion instrument
kashayam a brewed Ayurvedic medicine
katari a fist dagger
ketaki fragrant screw pine
kimshuka flame of the forest
kinnara a legendary tribe in Vedic India
mahaguru grandmaster or teacher; also a form of address
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mandala a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism representing the universe
naga a legendary tribe in Vedic India
parijata coral jasmine
pishacha a mythical flesh-eating demon in Hinduism
pranaam salutation
rajasuya yajna ritual sacrifice performed by ancient Indian kings before being anointed emperor
raj-guru royal tutor; also a form of address
rakshasa a mythical humanoid being in Hinduism
roti Indian bread
rudra veena an Indian string instrument
salmali red silk-cotton tree
samrat emperor or overlord
samsaptaka a tribe of mythical warriors
soma Vedic ritual drink
suryayantra a heliograph
tamalpatra Indian bay leaf quail
teetar mark
tilaka worn on the forehead by Hindus
urumi a longsword with a flexible whip-like blade
vaidya / vaidyanath physician; also an honorific and form of address
vamsi a bamboo flute
yaksha a mythical spirit in Hinduism
Author's Note
When I began writing the tale of Vikramaditya in 2013, I had estimated that the story would spread over three volumes, which is why the series was titled and marketed as The Vikramaditya Trilogy. But by the time I was through with The Conspiracy at Meru, my publisher and I were left in no doubt that the series would end up spanning four books. The story had grown in its telling, and several vital and interesting sub-plots had emerged that needed space of their own to breathe and blossom.
Naturally, the series couldn’t be called a trilogy any longer. I was dead against terming it a ‘quartet’, so after scratching our heads a bit, we agreed on Vikramaditya Veergatha — veergatha meaning a song of valour or an epic poem.
I bring this up because there is a degree of confusion among readers, some of who assume this is the last book in a trilogy. No, it isn’t. This book is Volume Three in a four-book series and will be followed by The Wrath of the Hellfires, the final Vikramaditya book.
As always, there are so many people to thank for having supported me in the creation of this series. I shall reserve the roll of honour for the last book, but there are a few names that deserve special mention here. Blogger and reviewer Debdatta Sahay, for all her support and faith. My friends Ravi Balakrishnan and Varsha Naik, for reading the manuscript and sharing their thoughts and suggestions. My wife and editor Pragya Madan, for putting up with all the typos and tantrums. Lastly, the superb team at Jaico headed by Akash Shah, Sandhya Iyer, Sonal Surana and Vijay Thakur, for giving this series wings.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Index of Major Characters
Glossary of Indian Terms
Author’s Note
1. Rescue
2. Ghatakarpara
3. Ransom
4. Ga’ur Thra’akha
5. Lost
6. Frontier
7. Search
8. Revelation
9. Gandharvasena
10. Promise
11. Vararuchi
12. Droiba
13. Bangle
14. Arrest
15. Yah’bre
16. Greeshma
17. Rebellion
18. Escape
19. Departure
Rescue
There was nothing to see in the inky-black sky, from where a cold, numbing drizzle had been coming down right after sunset. Still, Vikramaditya crinkled his eyes against the needle-pricks of rain and studied the great blot of darkness overhead. Somewhere above the stacks of rainclouds was the new moon, he knew, ready to inch into the sky like a shy bride.
A new moon that would usher a calamitous end to everything, should they fail in their mission tonight.
Fate had granted them this one chance to rescue Betaal and save Borderworld. This, scarily, was also their last hope of holding out against the savages from the Marusthali. Failure tonight would render everything that Avanti and its allies had strived for meaningless. The hard, stubborn years of resistance; the countless bitter battles fought to reclaim land from the invaders, inch by bloody inch; the martyrdom of so many of Sindhuvarta’s bravest warriors — all of it would amount to nothing.
Dropping his head, Vikramaditya turned to his left where Kalidasa’s form was barely visible in the dark, lying flat on his stomach. Everything hinged on their beating the new moon — and beating the large Huna force massed between them and the banyan tree growing at the centre of Ujjayini’s cremation ground, where Betaal was being held captive.
Everything depended on Kalidasa being able to get past the heavily guarded cordon around the droiba, the Huna shaman, and slaying him first.
“It will be done, brother,” murmured Kalidasa, as if reading Vikramaditya’s mind. “You focus on getting the ghoul out of there”
“Ghoulmaster,” Vikramaditya corrected, his gaze returning to the dozen-odd fires scattered across the cremation ground. The light was sufficient to make out clumps of Huna warriors standing guard and the shapes of the horsehide tents pitched all around the ground.
The barbarians’ bid to capture the cremation ground nearly a month ago had made little strategic sense to the defenders of Avanti. Since then, the Hunas had dug in and fortified their position there — sometimes at the cost of yielding critical ground to Avanti’s troops elsewhere — and had proved impossible to dislodge. What merit the Hunas saw in holding the cremation ground was lost on Vikramaditya and his council.
Two nights ago, they had finally learned the answer. When it was almost too late.
“Ghoulmaster! What kind of Ghoulmaster lets himself be trapped by a shaman?” Kalidasa snorted in irritation. “Then, although he knows you are his only hope, he waits until everything is nearly lost before he starts seeking your help. How is he the protector of Borderworld? Don’t they have anyone better for the job?”
Vikramaditya shifted and flexed his arm to maintain circulation. Under him, the grass was damp and uncomfortable. He feared an arm or a leg might go to sleep just when it was time to launch the attack.
“To be fair to him, Betaal had been trying to reach out to me for nearly a week.”
“Umm.”
Vikramaditya could tell that his friend was still most unimpressed with Betaal. But in truth, the Ghoulmaster had been striving to get through to Vikramaditya every day of the past week. Or every night, to be precise.
The first two nights that Betaal had approached him in his sleep, Vikramaditya had barely registered the occurrence, putting it down to just another dream. It was only after Betaal’s third appearance in a row that its significance had dawned on him.
“It is the thing with its hair made of fire, raj-guru,” he had told Acharya Vetala Bhatta on waking up. “The same thing that brought me back to the palace.”
“You mean...” The Acharya had looked at Vikramaditya sharply, “...when you were a little boy? The time you had brain fever...?” Seeing the young king nod, the raj-guru scratched his nose in surprise. “The Ghoulmaster. After so many years. If he is so persistent, he must want to tell you something, Vikrama.”
That night, as the Acharya had kept watch, Vikramaditya had slept, and allowed Betaal to come to him again. And Betaal’s account of all that had transpired — and all that would happen if he were not rescued before the night of the new moon — had left the king and his chief councilor shaken. The council was hastily convened, but with only one intervening night to the new moon, there was hardly time for deliberation. Decisions were taken, a course of action plotted, and as an outcome, Vikramaditya and Kalidasa lay on the sodden earth, staring at the Huna fortifications.
“This droiba... did the Ghoulmaster describe him?” Kalidasa’s gaze flitted between the burning fires.
“He wears a headdress made of vultures’ feathers,” Vikramaditya said, trying hard to recall the details of Betaal’s conversation.
“Many of these savages do that,” Kalidasa grunted. “Anything else?”
“Yes. His face is painted blue. Blue streaks, I think.”
“Blue streaks?”
Vikramaditya nodded and Kalidasa expelled his breath in exasperation. “How can I possibly find a face painted blue in such darkness?” A moment’s pause, then, “Why couldn’t the Ghoulmaster have been more specific about the shaman’s whereabouts?”
Betaal had actually been generous with information, even if dread had made him a little incoherent. “The Huna shaman will sacrifice me two nights from now to take Borderworld,” he had blurted out in fear and relief the moment he had Vikramaditya’s attention. It had taken quite a few probing questions for the king to piece together the problem they were up against.
The droiba was cunning, for he had managed to trick Betaal into leaving Borderworld and coming to the banyan tree in the cremation ground. He was obviously powerful too, for not only had he taken Betaal prisoner, he intended offering the Ghoulmaster as a sacrifice, something that Betaal appeared powerless to prevent. Once the relevant Huna gods had been appeased, the shaman would assume control of Borderworld.
“Why does he want Borderworld?” Vikramaditya had asked Betaal.
“So that the Hunas can vanquish the kingdoms of Sindhuvarta,” came the chilling reply. As Betaal revealed the Hunas’ diabolical scheme, Vikramaditya had felt his skin crawl even in his sleep.
Borderworld, everyone knows, separates the world of the living from the world of the dead; a bridge, a space of transition. All dying things first pass into Borderworld, where they are tended to by the ghouls under the Ghoulmaster, who dispose of whatever is physical before sending the spirits on their way.
“When the dying come to Borderworld, they aren’t alive, but they aren’t dead either,” Betaal had explained. “They are undead. It is my ghouls who destroy the flesh, so that these undead can cross into the world of the dead. But what if the undead aren’t destroyed in the flesh, but are preserved and revived with the aid of sorcery? What if such undead are sent into battle against the armies of Sindhuvarta? Imagine, king of Avanti. By mastering Borderworld, the Huna shaman gets access to an endless supply of the undead, who can be used in war against you. Imagine losing troops in battle today and having them return tomorrow as the undead, fighting on the side of the Hunas. What chance do you and your allies have of winning such a war, good king?”
The Vengeance of Indra Page 1
