Vrij, situated on the northern banks of Ganga had emerged as the most powerful and prosperous kingdom of the Bharatkhanda, after the gradual decline of the Pandav lineage.
The knowledge of potent weapons of mass destruction was lost after the great Mahabharat war, until Vrij emerged as a new power centre. Vrij had become powerful due to its advanced inventions in artillery – the branch of an army which specialized in long – range weapons…… weapons which could destroy large sections of the enemy.
Vaishali was the capital city of Vrij. It was ruled by King Vrajesh, who was married to the beautiful Kosal princess, Bhairavi. The royal couple had a daughter – Princess Rikshavi.
Queen Bhairavi watched her daughter lovingly, as she kept following her through the garden. “Hey stop now you two!” Baijaamaa called out. Old Baijaamaa was the childhood governess of Queen Bhairavi and had come all the way with her from her father’s kingdom of Kosal. Looking at the mother – daughter duo, Baijaamaa fondly remembered the childhood of Bhairavi, when she too, was a happy little princess – the princess of Kosal….
“Look Baijaamaa! This girl is running all over the place! Rikshavi! Come here immediately!” Rikshavi giggled as she heard her mother scolding her; and scampered back to her, holding up her bright pink silk skirt. “Maa! Isn’t this garden beautiful and huge… even more than the gardens of the palace…” The Pushpa Vatika in the capital city of Vaishali was one of the most expansive and beautiful gardens in the entire Bharatkhanda. It had meticulously manicured lawns and a variety of flowers and plants, arranged in different patterns. Even the gaps between two stone slabs on the stone pathways were neatly lined with tiny colourful flowers….The garden appeared like a collage of colours – a testimony to the vivacious atmosphere of the city of Vaishali. Rikshavi would see the Pushpa Vatika from the windows of the palace everyday – and had coaxed her mother to bring her here.
Queen Bhairavi hurriedly picked up her daughter and turned to Baijaamaa. “Let’s go Baijaamaa… It’s time that the gates of the garden are opened for the citizens – we need to go back to the palace”. “Wait…” cried Rikshavi… “I want to see that pond before we go!” Rikshavi got down and pointed towards a huge man-made water tank, right in middle of the garden. It was a square shaped tank dug inside the earth. There were neatly arranged stone steps around it, going down towards the waters. It appeared like the upper part of a funnel, except that it was square in shape, instead of being round. “That’s not a pond Rikshavi! It’s a ‘Kund’ – a man made water tank!” said Baijaamaa, “It’s called the “Abhishek Pushkarni”.
Six year old Rikshavi frowned at the difficult word and struggled to pronounce it…. “A-bhi-shek – Push-kar-ni… What does that mean Baijaamaa?” “It means a water tank meant for ‘Abhishek’”, Baijaamaa smilingly replied. And what does “Abhi-shek” mean? Rikshavi asked again.
Baijaamaa knew that a slew of questions would be fired at her now. She tried to explain as simply as possible. “Ummm…. ‘Abhishek’ is a ritual of pouring water over the head of the person who is crowned as the king or the prince of the kingdom… the waters of this tank are considered sacred – waters of all the sacred rivers of our kingdom are mixed here – waters of the Gandak, Ghagra, Baghmati, Kosi, Mahananda and the Ganga have been mixed in this tank. Your father, King Vrajesh, was also anointed with these waters on his coronation - first as the Prince and then as the King!” “Oh…”, said Rikshavi thoughtfully…, “does that mean that I too will be bathed with these waters one day?” “No my dear”, Baijaamaa sighed… “You are a princess, not a prince… Had your elder brother been alive, he….” “Baijaamaa!!” Queen Bhairavi hastily interrupted Baijaamaa, “Aren’t we getting late?”
The Queen hurriedly picked up Rikshavi and gave a sharp glance to Baijaamaa. Baijaamaa realized that she was about to say something which she should have avoided mentioning… she bit her tongue and hurried behind the Queen… “I am turning into an absent-minded old hag!” she thought to herself.
As the royal entourage exited the central garden, citizens of Vaishali lined the street outside to show respect. A trader from a neighboring village, who had come to visit the famous garden, asked his friend: “Whose entourage is this?” “It’s the Queen and the Princess. They would be there in the chariot riding right in the middle” the friend pointed out. “It’s unfortunate that such a prosperous and powerful kingdom does not have an heir”, the trader said. “Yes my dear. In Vaishali, we keep hearing every other day that other kingdoms are conspiring to conquer the heirless Vrij. But everyone knows – even all of them together are no match to our strong army, our powerful King and our legendary commander, Vajrasen. They dare not cast an evil eye upon Vrij”, the friend proudly replied. “But what would happen after King Vrajesh?” asked the trader. There was no answer to the trader’s question, just an audible sigh…
*****
The small royal entourage entered the palace compound. The royal palace in Vaishali was unmatched in grandeur in the entire Bharatkhanda. It had a round shaped, high double walled fencing with watch towers at every eight feet. The palace was a three storied structure with huge balconies and intricately carved windows, spread over a vast expanse of land. It housed the chambers of the royal family and also had separate chambers for the prime minister and the commander-in-chief of the army. There were chambers for other important office bearers, servants and staff. It also had two huge courtrooms and many meeting rooms, along with recreational spaces, complete with chessboards and dice-boards. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings and paintings. The palace was surrounded by beautiful gardens, fountains and artificial pools, filled with pink and white lotuses.
The moment they entered the palace, Rikshavi again started scurrying around. “What are you upto now, Rikshavi? Let’s go up to my chambers…” said Queen Bhairavi, trying to stop her daughter. “Maa, I am looking for Taat… Taat!!!....”
Rikshavi was looking for her father, King Vrajesh, whom she fondly called “Taat”. Queen Bhairavi panicked. “Rikshavi might barge in one of his meetings and irritate the King”, she thought. Sure enough, Rikshavi entered one of the chambers where King Vrajesh was playing ‘Chaturanga’ (an old form of chess) with his prime minister, Prabhavsen. The guards outside the chamber were baffled as they saw the little princess run inside. This particular chamber of the palace, named ‘Sheshagara’, had restricted access. Only the King, Prime Minister Prabhavsen and Vajrasen, the Commander – in – Chief of the Army were allowed to enter it. Royal palaces generally housed such chambers to store the royal treasure. The Sheshagara, however, was peculiarly quite empty, except for a strange object that stood in one of its corners.
King Vrajesh was shocked to see Rikshavi. Soon, his shock turned to anger. “Who allowed her in?” he screamed at the guards. Oblivious, Rikshavi wandered around the chamber. She was particularly intrigued by an object which stood in one corner of the chamber, in a large gold plated casing. It looked like a stand on which something was supposed to be mounted. But that “something” was missing. Though the magnificent stand was studded with precious stones, the peg at the top of the stand was bare. Rikshavi glanced at the base of the stand. She was amused to see a Sanskrit inscription on the base plate:
Om Sudarshanaya Vidmahe
Mahajwalaya Dhimahi
Tanno Chakra Prachodayat
Rikshavi was too young to read and understand the inscription. “What does this mean?” she wondered. In the meanwhile, the King was losing his patience. “Move out!” he screamed at her. Rikshavi remained unfazed. She moved towards the King and curiously looked at the chessboard. “Taat… what are you playing?” she innocently asked. The King did not answer. Prabhavsen intervened…. “It’s a game called ‘Chaturanga’, my dear”. “Oh! Will you teach me this game?” Rikshavi asked. The Prime Minister hesitantly looked at the King.
“Baijaamaa, please take the princess with you!” The King angrily called out to Baijaamaa. Baijaamaa hurriedly tried to pick up Rikshavi, but she ran
and hid behind Prabhavsen. “Fine… Don’t teach me the game… Can I sit on your lap and watch the game Taat?” Rikshavi meekly asked. The King simply looked at Baijamaa and gestured to take the princess away. The Queen, who was watching from the door, finally entered and picked up Rikshavi. “That game is not good Rikshu…. All moves are driven by ambitions…. just like politics…. We don’t want to learn it or watch it!” she said, trying to console the teary eyed Rikshavi. The Queen sharply turned and dashed out of the chamber with Rikshavi.
The King helplessly looked at the direction where she went. Her words had stopped stinging him now, but they always gave him a feeling of helplessness. He remembered her swayamvara at the royal palace of Kosal fourteen years ago, when she had garlanded him and chosen to be his wife, even though he was merely a prince and was not yet declared a successor to the throne of Vrij. A ‘Swayamvara’ was a traditional ceremony conducted by a royal family to allow its princess to select her groom. Kings and princes were traditionally invited to such ceremonies to prove their worth. The princess had the right to choose her husband from amongst the royal invitees…
Bhairavi had snubbed the other kings and crowned princes of Bharatkhanda, who had come to attend the ceremony and woo her. What had impressed her was Vrajesh’s polite demeanor, devoid of any pretence and vanity…. Apart from being a loving wife, she was an educated, intelligent and self-important woman. Vrajesh had always been awed by her and loved her dearly. The couple was in a happy space until one day, when Bhairavi overheard a conversation between Vrajesh and his father…..
It was a time when Vrajesh had been recently crowned as the King of Vrij. His father, King Sumantra, was playing chess with him in one of the palace chambers. As their conversation proceeded, King Sumantra hailed Vrajesh as the most promising ruler of the Bharatkhanda, and mentioned that his marriage to the princess of Kosal was a strategic political alliance and a perfect move. It had secured permanent peace for the western boundary of Vrij. Bhairavi overheard the conversation. It was enough to hurt her. She had always believed that the handsome Vrajesh was the only suitor in her swayamvara, who was devoid of any political ambition. Her brother, Prince Indraneel had wanted her to marry Makardhwaj, the crowned prince of Magadh. The idea was obviously to forge an alliance. But Bhairavi had surprised everyone by marrying Vrajesh…..
Queen Bhairavi turned exceedingly quiet and introvert after that incident. The death of their first son, Prince Pranav, further created a wedge between them. The little boy died due to a strange illness at a tender age of two. The loss of her son deepened Bhairavi’s reclusiveness. The Queen’s only source of happiness now was their second child, Rikshavi. She spent most of her time with her.
As for the King, though his ambitious expeditions kept him busy, the reclusiveness of his beloved wife pained him. He too was deeply heartbroken by the death of their baby boy and the heir to his kingdom. But he could not find any solace in his wife. She still remained a dutiful wife, but her indifference was evident in her everyday behavior. The king of the most powerful kingdom of Bharatkhanda was helpless before his wife. He could not bring the once spirited Bhairavi back…….
“Your knight has been killed Your Highness. You had placed it directly in line of attack of the queen….” The words of Prabhavsen jolted back the King to the present time. “We’ll continue the game tomorrow Prabhav… I am a little tired” he said.
A messenger arrived at the door. “An old sage named Acharya Dhaumya seeks your audience, Your Highness! He says, he has been summoned by you…” the messenger called out from outside the door, careful not to take a step inside. Acharya Dhaumya was renowned in the entire Bharatkhanda as a brilliant historian and philosopher. He resided in ‘Takshashila’, the famous learning centre in the kingdom of Gandhaar. Students from far and wide came to learn from him. The epithet ‘Acharya’ was used in the land of Bharatkhanda only for accomplished teachers and knowledgeable persons.
“Acharya Dhaumya… finally!” the King exclaimed, “Kindly escort him in Prabhav! He has come a long way from Takshashila on our request…” Prabhavsen was astonished. “Should I bring him here, in Sheshagara, Your Highness?” he tried to confirm. “Yes!” the King emphatically replied. Prabhavsen left the chamber in amazement. “Acharya Dhaumya must be an extremely important man, if he is being called for a meeting in the Sheshagara…” he thought, “What is the meeting for?”
*****
Back in her chambers, Bhairavi sobbed silently, still bitter with her own words which she had hurled at her husband. Rikshavi was playing around. Baijaamaa asked a maid servant to take Rikshavi out for some time. “You cannot keep doing this to yourself and your husband, Bhairavi!” Baijaamaa scolded the Queen. After the death of the king’s parents, old Baijaamaa was the only person in the palace who had the authority to scold the Queen. “How long are you going to nurse your grudge, Queen?” she asked. The teary eyed Queen turned to Baijaama - “Why are the royal women of Bharatkhanda like pawns on the chessboard Baijaamaa?” she asked, “Why are our marriages decided as per the existing political equations? Why can’t we marry like normal women do? Why is our status as good as the political status of our fathers or husbands?”
Baijaamaa sighed. “This is the fate of all royal women, O Queen! You cannot be an exception. You cannot expect to lead a life of a normal woman. And do you know what the life of a normal woman is? She too may suffer, albeit in other ways. Don’t you know the sacrifices royal women have made in the past? More than three hundred years ago, the princess of Paanchaal had to marry five Pandav brothers due to what you call ‘political equations’. She suffered the adversities of exile and the Great War with them!” Bhairavi was intrigued. “I always thought that Paanchaali married the five Pandav brothers to obey what her mother-in-law had accidently ordered!” she exclaimed.
Baijaamaa smiled. “Yes….” she said, “That is how history has been told for ages. But do you think that the fiery and strong willed princess would agree to wed five men just to obey some random accidental command of her mother-in-law? Wouldn’t she protest?”. “Then why didn’t she protest? Why did she agree to marry five men?” asked the astonished Bhairavi. In reply, Baijaamaa narrated the story of the fateful Paanchali…
Arjun, one of the five Pandav brothers, had won the hand of Paanchaali in her swayamvara. He was an excellent archer – the greatest in the world - who could successfully fulfill the difficult condition of her ‘swayamvara’ – piercing the eye of a fish hanging from the roof, by looking at its reflection in a huge water bowl placed below. Paanchali had garlanded Arjun as her husband, but eventually married all five brothers. History says that when the five brothers called out to their mother, Kunti, to show her Arjun’s extraordinary conquest, she unknowingly told them to share whatever Arjun had conquered. And that is how Paanchali became the wife of all the five Pandav brothers! But will a self-important and assertive princess like Paanchali marry five men just to obey such an inadvertent command of her mother-in-law? No! There had to be some better, stronger reason. Paanchali knew that if she married all five of them, she would be instrumental in keeping the brothers united, which was important for them to succeed politically. Only a woman of her intelligence and stature could pull such a feat. On the contrary, if the Pandav brothers married separate women, differences were bound to crop up, as all the brothers were equally talented and their wives would compete. Also, her marriage only to Arjun, her successful suitor, might have created jealousy among the other brothers - Paanchali’s ravishing beauty was a legend!
Anger, arrogance, ambition, envy and lust had always been attributes of Kshatriya men since ages! The Pandav brothers might not have been an exception. Perhaps, someone explained Paanchaali about this situation and persuaded her to marry all the brothers. Perhaps it was her dear friend, Vasudev Krishna who convinced her. Or perhaps, her mother-in-law, Kunti persuaded her…. Paanchaali recognized her strategic importance as the common wife of the Pandavs. She married all of them and set up equal tim
e-periods for cohabiting with each of her husbands… Later, the Pandavs individually married other women also, but Paanchali remained their Chief Queen. By being the Chief Queen of all the five brothers, she forged an invincible bond between them! History has been written and told by men…. They will never mention that the five most powerful men of Bharatkhanda needed a woman to bind them.
Bhairavi was stunned at the narration of Baijaamaa. “Royal women are the strength of the royal clans of the Kshatriyas, Bhairavi! They have an important role to play in history.” Baijaamaa said, “Your role as a Queen is far more significant than your tender emotions!”
Bhairavi looked at wise old Baijaamaa with admiration. Oblivious to Bhairavi’s admiration, Baijaamaa continued, “Listen Bhairavi. Make amends with your husband. You are fortunate that he is deeply in love with you and has not married another woman yet!”
*****
“We are blessed to have your presence in Vaishali, Acharya!” Vrajesh said to Acharya Dhaumya with all the humility which he could show. The King bent forward and touched the feet of the Acharya. Prabhavsen followed. Acharya Dhaumya broke into a knowing grin. He was a man above worldly desires, who could easily recognize the desires that inspired such reverence from worldly men. “May God bless you!” he said. The king ushered the Acharya towards his lavish seat, complete with silk and cushions. The Acharya smiled and sat cross legged on the floor. The King reluctantly joined him. The Prime Minister himself brought in a plate of fruits and a glass of water for the Acharya. But the Acharya declined the food with a wave of his hand.
“What for have you summoned me, O King?” the Acharya asked with a gentle smile. The King hesitated. “Who am I to summon you, Acharya? I only requested a meeting with you” he politely said, “I would have happily visited you in Takshashila…. But I wanted to show you something, which was not possible if I visited you...” The Acharya slightly arched his brows. “What do you want to show me?” he asked. The King quietly pointed to the strange stand which stood in one corner of the chamber, in a large gold plated casing. The Acharya got up and went towards the stand. He too was intrigued by the bare peg and the inscription on the base plate…
The Rigveda Code Page 2
