The First Aryan

by Paramu Kurumathur

  ‘Will the king agree to this change?’

  The warrior looked doubtful. ‘Many of us feel that if the king does not accept this, there may be a rebellion with bloody consequences.’

  Atharvan responded to this saying, ‘I agree that the king’s rule is slowly turning out to be a disaster. The parents of one of my fellow students, who stay in a far-off village, told me when they came here that there was not enough grain to feed the village. They were also worried that since the king was weak, bandits from outside the borders would attack them.’

  ‘You seem to be well informed. This is the information we are getting from many of our villages.’

  Suddenly, Atharvan went rigid and nudged Kaśyapa. They both saw the queen looking at them angrily. Vasiṣṭha had warned them not to take sides or speak about the politics of their state in public. But they had got carried away. Kaśyapa was sick with worry. Had the queen overheard what Atharvan was saying? Or was she angry at the warrior?

  It was time for them to move away, do their job and return. They met Vasiṣṭha and conveyed his wife’s message. Vasiṣṭha, in turn, told them that Jaraduṣṭra would be visiting them that afternoon and that Vasiṣṭha would like all his students to be around to receive him and his party. The two students touched their guru’s feet and left, their hearts still beating at the mistake they had made by talking about the situation in the kingdom.

  *

  Jaraduṣṭra and his students came to Vasiṣṭha’s house and were in the main room near the entrance. This room, though large and comfortable for many people, had only two small windows. As a result, it was quite dark inside and even though it was only afternoon, the cloudy weather made it seem like it was evening. Vasiṣṭha warmly greeted Jaraduṣṭra, his chief disciple, Vāyata, and the other students. The other students in attendance washed the visiting guru’s feet. Jaraduṣṭra and his disciples paid their respects to Vasiṣṭha and his students, especially Bhārgava and Atharvan, who were the two most senior of Vasiṣṭha’s students, having stayed with him even after their customary twelve years to pursue studies in advanced subjects. The hosts had lit a small fire at the end of the room for light and warmth. The odour and smoke kept the mosquitoes and other insects away. The visitors were offered fruits and milk.

  Soon after the social niceties, Jaraduṣṭra came straight to the point about why he was visiting Vasiṣṭha. ‘Our kingdom has sunk into an abyss of decadence. There are gambling dens, brothels and public houses operating freely within our kingdom and, indeed, within the walls of our capital city. People have forgotten the values that Aryans were born to uphold. I attribute this decadence to the high position we have accorded to the god Indra, who is a gluttonous drunkard.’

  Vasiṣṭha said, ‘Indra is the god who released the waters after killing the demon Vṛtra. If that had not happened, Sarasvatī and the other great rivers like Sindhu and its tributaries would have remained locked up in ice in the northern mountains. Sarasvatī is the lifeline of our civilization, and it flows because of Indra. Let us not forget that.’

  Here, Vāyata broke in, ‘Rivers, like everything else in nature, follow cycles—cycles set into the great order of the world by Varuṇa. He established the order of the world in such a way that even if Indra had not smashed Vṛtra, the waters would eventually have been released. Similarly, Varuṇa has also set a code of conduct for the Aryans to follow. These standards are being flouted by our people!’

  ‘Varuṇa is like a minister to Indra. He set the order and standards based on instructions from Indra.’

  ‘Some great god-king this Indra is!’ Vāyata laughed. ‘He gets the rules set and then flouts them himself? He kills people with impunity, drinks pots of soma and dallies with whores! What kind of a god is he? Our sacrifices to Indra and the other gods have turned into impious occasions for drinking alcohol and eating meat.’

  Everyone present there could see how agitated Vāyata was, but he continued. ‘Our education system should be overhauled. We should no longer teach about sacrifices—they are obsolete! Surely, it is better to worship the gods by living by their principles. And the esoteric sciences? They are black magic! They should be completely dropped from the curriculum of our gurus!’

  At this, Atharvan spoke up. ‘You are a dogmatist. More of a bigot than your guru! You learnt the esoteric sciences fully, yet you now pretend to renounce them. Have you not been approached by people seeking favours, asking you to perform black magic for them in return for money?’

  ‘You are a liar! How dare you insinuate . . .’

  Vasiṣṭha did not want the situation to get out of hand. He managed to contain Atharvan, but Vāyata said accusingly, ‘And are you not performing esoteric magic for other people? I do not practise the esoteric sciences myself, but I can beat you at them any day.’

  Atharvan spoke, sounding calmer, ‘Are you challenging me?’

  Vasiṣṭha tried to interrupt by turning to Jaraduṣṭra, ‘What do you think should be done?’

  Both Vāyata and Atharvan started speaking, but Jaraduṣṭra didn’t let them. ‘For a start, we want all the brothels, gambling dens and public houses in the capital city to be shut down. We also want all public sacrifices to Indra and other gods to be prohibited.’

  Vasiṣṭha thought for a while. He said, ‘Remember that most of us from the priestly class in the kingdom make a living officiating at the sacrifices. What will we do? It is unfair to take away the livelihood of an entire community. So, we cannot consider your second request. However, I will have your first request considered by the financial advisers to the king and see what the impact of such an act can be on the kingdom’s overall well-being. We have to take the greater good into consideration, not just moral imperatives. However, while I cannot promise you anything, I will consider this.’

  This was all Jaraduṣṭra could get from Vasiṣṭha that day. He may have once been boldly exploitative, but he understood that without getting a go-ahead from Vasiṣṭha, it would be difficult to convince others who had influence. They all knew that the matter had not ended. Jaraduṣṭra would keep stirring the pot of religious dissent till he got his way.

  After Jaraduṣṭra left that afternoon, Vasiṣṭha took his students to the great field of sacrifice, where the annual sacrifice was in progress, so they could observe its proceedings and learn. All twelve of Vasiṣṭha’s students were there. They ranged from small boys who were just starting their education under him to Kaśyapa and Agastya who were in their twelfth year of studentship, and senior students like Bhārgava and Atharvan who had completed their twelve years and were now doing advanced studies.

  It was Kaśyapa who spoke first. ‘Sir, we have all caught wind of the turmoil in our kingdom. We are all worried. Are we in serious trouble? Are not the dissident groups playing a dangerous game? Will Sudās and Jaraduṣṭra establish control over our kingdom?’

  ‘Yes, they are playing a dangerous game. Children, what we must understand is that we cannot judge others by our personal standards. A warrior’s life is nothing if he does not fight. A prince may entertain ideas about acquiring the throne.’

  Atharvan asked, ‘The warrior at the assembly . . . Is what he said true? Does Sudās have a better claim to the throne than King Turvaśa?’

  ‘Technically, it is true. Turvaśa’s grandfather, who was the heir of a cadet branch of the royal family, killed the then reigning king and usurped the throne. That king who was killed was Sudās’s great-grandfather, the son of the great Divodāsa. So, Sudās has a better claim to the throne than Turvaśa. Sudās’s grandfather was also killed by Turvaśa’s grandfather. Sudās’s father, Pijavana, was killed by Turvaśa’s father. These two had tried to assert their claim to the throne but had failed. Now, it is Sudās’s turn. Sudās, however, is much stronger than his father or grandfather. And he has more support.’

  Bhārgava said, ‘But it has been three generations of this king’s line. And most people have accepted this dynasty and fo
rgotten the other. Have they not?’

  ‘No, that is not completely true. As I said, Sudās’s father and grandfather had tried to get the kingdom back. But you boys don’t need to worry about this. Concentrate on your studies. For us, life will go on as usual. If there must be civil war, we will try to stop it. Or else, we must continue to do what we must. I also want you to visit the field of sacrifice and pay your respects to the sacrifice master. Today is the first day of the annual Cows’ Walk sacrifice session.’

  ‘Why do we have the Cows’ Walk sacrifice? What is its importance?’

  ‘The Cows’ Walk is an annual sacrifice. There are many other sacrifices of various durations ranging from a day to a year. Sacrifices are important because we Aryans believe in the absolute power of our sacrifices to ask the gods for whatever we want. Once a sacrifice is done properly, taking care to ensure that even the minutest details have not been overlooked, the gods have no option but to grant us what is asked for. There is also a practical angle to look at. For the priestly class, these sacrifices are the main means of earning a living as all sacrifices, small or large, long or short, require the presence of a certain number of priests.’

  ‘So, if we switch to the system of worship that Jaraduṣṭra is advocating, it would not be good for people like us?’ asked one of the students.

  ‘Yes. Not just the priestly class, many of the other classes will also lose their livelihood. The traders bringing the ingredients and materials for the sacrifices, warriors guarding the fields, the servants helping—all these people stand to lose if we do away with our rituals.’

  Another student asked, ‘Jaraduṣṭra’s main gripe is against Indra. Sir, why then are our main sacrifices directed only towards Indra and not the other gods?’

  ‘Because Indra is considered to be the greatest god,’ the guru explained. ‘He is superior to all. He killed Vṛtra and released the waters of the rivers. This was a turning point in the history of the Aryans. Our civilization is due to the great rivers.’

  One of the students asked, ‘Will Indra be able to maintain his superiority?’

  ‘Well, that is what we are struggling with now. You know, the stars in the sky reflect the dominant relationship of the gods. The star of Indra, Jyeṣṭhā, is just north of the imaginary celestial circle going through the eastern and western directions. Our poetic records tell us that there was a time when Jyeṣṭhā was much further north in the sky and had, over the centuries, moved southward. Over the next century or two they surmise that Jyeṣṭhā will move south of this imaginary line. As long as Jyeṣṭhā remains to the north of this line, Indra will be superior to all. It is said that at the time Indra smashed Vṛtra and released the waters, Jyeṣṭhā was at its northernmost. They have kept a record of this through poems that extolled the virtues of Indra.’

  ‘That is interesting.’

  Vasiṣṭha continued, ‘My teachers told me that before Jyeṣṭhā reached its northernmost point, the waters of our great rivers—Sarasvatī, Sindhu and the others—were all locked up as ice in the mountains to the north. When Jyeṣṭhā reached its northernmost point, the ice started melting and, over the next century, the rivers started flowing in full strength. Indra smashed Vṛtra, the demon, and released the waters from his icy grip!’

  Kaśyapa asked, ‘Does this not mean that when Jyeṣṭhā moves south of the imaginary line, Indra’s power will wane?’

  ‘Well,’ said Vasiṣṭha, ‘they say that everything is cyclic. So, Jyeṣṭhā will move south in a few thousand years and then it will move north again. The superiority of the gods is cyclic too. Now, Indra is superior to all, but there will be a time when other gods will become superior. We know that long ago, before Indra was installed as the king of the gods, Varuṇa was considered the most important. And right now, there is a movement among Jaraduṣṭra and some others of the priestly class to restore Varuṇa to his earlier superiority. After all, the superiority of a god is decided by the power and strength of his followers. Varuṇa’s power will be Jaraduṣṭra’s power. So, when Jyeṣṭhā moves southwards, will it not mean the end of Indra’s superiority and the ascendancy of another god?’

  They walked towards the sacrificial sheds. The sheds had thatched roofs and were open on all sides with bamboo pillars for support. They contained the sacred fires for the sacrifices. There were three sacred fires: one was lit on a round altar, one on a square-shaped one, and the third, smaller one was shaped like a half moon, to the south of the round one.

  There were priests and helpers scurrying around on various errands. Some were carrying vessels and ladles for the ceremonies, some had holy grass and others were making themselves useful otherwise. The air was filled with the strong smell of burning ghee and wood. The cold breeze on that dewy winter evening spread the smoke and smells far and wide. These smells were intermingled with the smell of the river and the stale smell of the city.

  One of the leading priests of the kingdom and his wife acted as the master and mistress of the sacrifice on behalf of the king and the queen. The priest and his wife had started the consecration rituals to ensure they were pure for the sacrifice.

  Bhārgava asked, ‘Sir, what is the theory of performing these sacrifices? Are there any practical reasons for them?’

  Vasiṣṭha told them, ‘The year is the sacrifice, the sacrifice is the Creator. This is the well-known adage. Everything in nature is cyclic. This is part of the order ordained by the great god, Varuṇa. The sun goes around the earth every day from east to west and, while doing so, also moves slowly through the canopy of stars from west to east, completing one cycle around the canopy in a year.’

  ‘A cycle imposed on another cycle!’

  ‘Yes. There are many cycles that work on each other and in tandem. During its movement along the canopy from west to east, the sun also progressively moves from north to south, and again from south to north, spending half the year travelling south and half the year travelling north. We have summers when the sun is at its northernmost and winters when it is at its southernmost.’

  ‘And the other seasons in between?’

  ‘Right. We reckon the starting of the year from when the sun starts moving north from its southernmost position.’

  ‘How do we keep track of the passing of the days of the year?’

  The guru smiled and said, ‘In addition to the task of propitiating the gods for the good of our king and kingdom, the annual sacrifice also serves the practical function of keeping track of the passing of the days of the year. The number of days in the annual sacrifice is the same as the number of days in a year. This has been designed by our forefathers after many generations of observation of the pattern of the years. So, when the sacrifice session is over, so is the year and we are ready to begin a new cycle.’

  Kaśyapa asked, ‘Sir, how do we know when the sun is at its southernmost? We cannot see the stars or even look at the sky during the day.’

  ‘Our forefathers found a simple way to understand this. They know from experience that the sun reaches its southernmost around the time the full moon happens near the Phalguṇī stars. And, we can see this full moon, can’t we? So, the annual sacrifice session, and the year, starts the day after this full moon. Last night, the full moon was near the Phalguṇī stars. That is why we start the year from today.’

  He continued, ‘Listen carefully now. This may be too much information in one lecture, but try to get the gist of it. You have all been trained in doing some of the sacrifices. I will now tell you in brief about the theory of the sacrifices. The annual sacrifice is the main event of the kingdom. It is undertaken for the good of the king and the people of the kingdom. The sacrifice is sponsored by the king from the royal treasury and it helps to ensure that the kingdom gets good rains and remains protected from all sorts of enemies, both Aryan and Dasyu. The Cows’ Walk is spread over a period of one year. It starts on the day after the full moon is nearest to the Phalguṇī stars. The sacrifice is overseen by a sacri
fice master and his wife. Many priests of the kingdom are involved with the conducting of this sacrifice. The session starts after the ritual purification of the sacrifice master and his wife, and some other preliminary rites. Once it begins, three services are held each day. The main offering at each service is the juice extracted from the soma creeper. The creepers are pressed and the juice extracted from them is offered to the fire with the chanting and singing of various hymns to different gods. This is followed by animal sacrifices during some of the services.’

  With his students listening in rapt attention, he explained further. ‘There are many other types of sacrifices: daily domestic sacrifices that are held in every home and daily public sacrifices and others that may go on for three to twelve days or up to a year. The priests of the kingdom make a decent living because of the many sacrifices that happen in the kingdom every day. The dissident priest, Jaraduṣṭra, his main disciple, Vāyata, and their followers oppose this system of sacrifices. They feel that it is too impious and contravenes the ethical and moral laws of Varuṇa. This is why some of Jaraduṣṭra’s more aggressive followers want to stop sacrifices altogether.’

  His students nodded. They had listened to him and, even though they knew the background, things began to get clearer as their guru explained.

  *

  ‘Prince, things have reached a point of no return. Many people have openly declared their favour for you. This means their lives are now in danger from the queen and her adherents. You must act fast,’ the commander of the army, Yadu, told Prince Sudās the next day.

  ‘I agree that things have come to a very crucial state. But I do not want to do anything precipitous. I know that with your support, Commander, I can win any civil war that may ensue. My worry is that even with Dīrghaśravas and many other merchants supporting me, we may not have sufficient funds to carry on with a civil war for long enough,’ said Sudās.