“Samarjit!” Rikshavi called out, “How many horses do we have?” “Not more than fifty, Your Highness!” “And how many mules do we have?” she asked. “Mules!” Samarjit was surprised. He thought that the Princess had lost her head. “Answer me!” Rikshavi shouted. “We used around twenty five mules and ten bullock carts to bring our luggage to Kaawar, Your Highness! Samarjit replied. “Please summon Shanmukhji!” Rikshavi ordered. Shanmukh was ushered in the room. “How many torch holders and torches do we have in this palace Shanmukhji?” She asked. “Around fifty to sixty, Your Highness!” he replied. “Fine, Can you arrange for another twenty to twenty five torch holders and torches?” Rikshavi asked. “My men will arrange for them, Rikshavi!” Daara volunteered. “Fine, please gather the horses, mules, torch holders and torches, Samarjit! I also want ropes” Rikshavi said, as she herself dashed downstairs. Vrajesh and Bhairavi were baffled. They bewilderedly kept looking at each other as they heard Rikshavi giving orders.
*****
Rikshavi was standing in front of Vrijian soldiers. Some of them were collecting torch holders, torches and ropes at a central place. Rikshavi ordered that the torch holders be tied on the backs of the horses and mules. It was quite easy to tie the torch holders on the animals, due to the curvature at the bottom of the wooden blocks. In sometime, around sixty five animals were ready with two lighted torches on each of their backs. The flames in the torches burned brightly in the dark night. Few soldiers were ready to march with the animals while few others were ready to ride along, on their horses. “Take the animals as close to the banks as possible. Keep moving slowly along the banks of the lake with the animals, towards the road to Vaishali. Once you reach the end of the bank, leave the animals there and escape into the village. Do not come back for next five days!” Rikshavi ordered. Samarjit had picked out a few smart soldiers to carry out this plan. They left as per Rikshavi’s instructions, along with the animals.
“What on the earth are you doing Rikshavi?” Vrajesh questioned. “I am trying to buy time Taat!” Rikshavi replied, “When the animals move along the banks of the lake with torches on their backs, the enemy will see a lot of moving lights from the opposite side of the bank. They will conclude that the King is fleeing towards Vaishali with his convoy. Instead of attacking the palace, they will take the opposite circuitous route to intercept the King’s convoy and end up finding only horses and mules!” Vrajesh was astonished at Rikshavi’s wit. “But when they find the animals, they will take the nearest road to attack the palace!” Vrajesh exclaimed. “But they will lose a lot of time in the process, Taat! Rikshavi retorted, “They will reach the palace only by tomorrow night. Their soldiers would be tired and weary by then! And that route to the palace passes through the forest!” Rikshavi’s eyes twinkled as she said this. She looked at Daara. Daara smiled. “We’ll ensure that they will have a happening journey through the forest!” he roared.
Vrajesh was not amused. “No! Your men cannot sacrifice themselves for us, Daara!” he said. “Not a single tribal man will be killed, Your Highness!” Daara replied. He and Rikshavi burst into laughter. Vrajesh looked puzzled. Rikshavi explained the tribal war technique to Vrajesh. “They will camouflage themselves in the trees, Taat, and shoot arrows from there. The enemy will be caught unaware. Before the enemy can retaliate, the tribal men will disappear back in the forest. They will keep repeating such attacks while the enemy is en-route through the forest.” “I bet not even half of their army would reach the palace!” chuckled Daara. “And we will be welcome them at the palace with fireworks!” added Rikshavi.
*****
The Magadhan army was thoroughly exhausted by the time they marched towards the palace the next night. They had already been tricked by Rikshavi to take the opposite route. More than half of them were killed or lie wounded in the forest, as Daara’s men continuously attacked them during their journey. As they neared the palace, a few fire arrows from the palace struck a strange powder which was spread on the ground. Within moments, a huge fire blazed and the Magadhan soldiers hastily retreated. Some were killed and some were badly burnt. “This powder is made of charcoal, wax, and other inflammable forest materials. It can be ignited by an ‘Agnidharana’, a fire arrow which has a tip made up of a small ball of animal dung, wood and lac. We use it to clear trees in order to build our huts in the forest.” Rikshavi remembered Daara’s words as she saw the flames from the terrace of the palace. The powder had worked.
As the fire subsided, the remaining Magadhan soldiers came ahead to attack the palace. They were met with a slew of arrows which were fired by the Vrijian soldiers from the terrace of the palace. Rikshavi knew that the terrace over the short palace building could not be used for a long time and a frontal attack would be imminent. As the Magadhans proceeded, Samarjit attacked them with his soldiers. A furious battle ensued in the night. By dawn, the Magadhan general was killed and a few hundred Magadhan soldiers had surrendered. The Magadhan army was defeated by the Vrijian army, lead by the Princess of Vrij!
*****
CHAPTER 6
THE WISE OLD MAN OF BHOGANAGARA
“Vrij will be ever grateful to Rikshavi” said Prabhavsen, as he heard King Vrajesh narrate the incidents of Kaawar. “She has displayed the qualities of a true Kshatriya” he added, “though she is not even your…” “Mind you words Prabhavsen!” the King interrupted him, “Even walls have ears!” Prabhavsen was startled. “I am sorry Your Highness!” he said, “But we will have to reveal this secret in a couple of years now! “We will see that when the right time comes Prabhav! But I can never forget that I am indebted to that girl! She will always be entitled to the honour which the Princess of this kingdom deserves!” said the King, “But she is a very eccentric girl, Prabhavsen. She makes unusual demands!”. “Now what new demand has she made, Your Highness?” asked Prabhavsen. “She wants to tour the kingdom!” the King replied, “Will you please speak to her Prabhav? If she insists, let her travel to a few select places in the kingdom. Make necessary arrangements” “I will speak to her, Your Highness!” Prabhavsen said.
*****
Prabhavsen visited Rikshavi the next day. “Is there any special reason for taking up this tour, Your Highness?” he asked Rikshavi, with intent to discourage her. “I want to meet the people of this land, Prabhavsenji!” she said, “We are completely disconnected from our people! Do you know what happened in Kaawar?” “Yes Your Highness”, said Prabhavsen, “You excellently handled the situation. Your wit and leadership….” “I am not talking about myself, Prabhavsenji!” Rikshavi interrupted him, “I am talking about Beedar – the man who attempted to assassinate Taat!”
Prabhavsen was intrigued. “I did not understand Your Highness!” he said. “Do you know why he tried to assassinate Taat? It was not only for the gold coins which we found on him. The royal officers at Kaawar had unjustly seized his family land. Poor Beedar was told that the land was being seized as per the King’s orders. He lost his only source of income. His father was working as a gardener in the Kaawar palace. But he used to be perpetually ill. Beedar’s family would go hungry for days and he blamed the King for all his adversities. The Magadhans cunningly used him to plan the assassination. They knew that being the gardener’s son, Beedar would get easy access to the palace. Beedar has now been imprisoned in Vaishali. Beedar’s misfortune could have been avoided if we had a better control over our royal officers or if Beedar had recourse to speedy justice. Our subjects are left to the mercy of our officers, Prabhavsenji!”
Prabhavsen was both astonished and perplexed. He contemplated on whether he should inform the King regarding Rikshavi’s thoughts…. After all, she had no official authority over any royal officers….
Rikshavi could understand Prabhavsen’s hesitation. “Do not worry Prabhavsenji!” she said, “I promise that I will not interfere in the working of the administration, nor will I question any officer. I simply want to go and witness the state of affairs in our kingdom. I am sure I will come back wi
th useful inputs for you!” After a long silence, Prabhavsen said “I am sure your tour would be fruitful, Your Highness! But it is not possible to visit the entire kingdom. I will draw out a list of towns and villages where you can visit. I will make arrangements for your tour accordingly!” “Thank you, Prabhavsenji! Rikshavi said with a broad smile.
*****
Rikshavi toured towns and villages across Vrij. Baijaamaa also accompanied her, so did Samarjit. She visited local temples and gardens. She interacted with people. By now, Samarjit had got used to all this. He had stopped showing any displeasure about the Princess interacting with common people. “At least”, he thought, “the people she is meeting are definitely more civilized than Daara, the tribal!” The people were surprised. In the entire Bharatkhanda, no member of the royal family had ever interacted directly with the people like this. On one hand, people were feeling happy to meet their princess. On the other hand, rumor spread that the Princess was not of the royal blood; she was adopted! “Why would a royal blooded Kshatriya girl talk to common people?” they thought…..
Younger people showed more enthusiasm in speaking to Rikshavi, while older ones looked at her with skepticism. Rikshavi made a lot of friends. She endeared herself to village heads and young men and women of her kingdom. She discussed the state of affairs of their towns and villages with them. But the weirdest meeting was with an old man named Viduraksh in the village of Bhoganagara, on her way back….
“Greetings, Sir!” Rikshavi greeted an old man seated on a bench in a temple courtyard, in the village of Bhoganagara… He used to be seen in the temple courtyard every day. People had told Rikshavi that his name was Viduraksh and he was more than a hundred years old. They had also advised her to stay away from the eccentric old fellow.
“Who are you?” Viduraksh asked as he tried to have a good look at Rikshavi with cringed eyes. He had a hunched back and a wrinkled face. “I am the daughter of King Vrajesh and Queen Bhairavi!” Rikshavi replied. “Who are they?” he asked.… “They are the King and Queen of the kingdom of Vrij!” Rikshavi replied, a little irritated. “Oh! What happened to King Sumantra then? Did King Vrajesh defeat King Sumantra and conquer Vrij?” the old man asked again. Rikshavi was puzzled… She then remembered that King Sumantra was her late grandfather, the father of her Taat, King Vrajesh. “King Vrajesh is the son of King Sumantra, Sir. He succeeded the throne!” she calmly replied the old man.
“Oh really?” the old man exclaimed with surprise, “No one told me!”
As Rikshavi looked more bewildered, the old man burst into a weird laugh. “What difference does it make?” he said derisively…. “Kings come and kings go… kingdoms are conquered, regimes change… life of common people goes on…. These selfish Kshatriyas keep fighting among themselves…. They spend their lives defending their own kingdoms…. They gain… they lose…. We common people do not gain anything… Many times we actually lose in these wars…. More than three hundred years ago, the Pandavs first wagered their kingdom in a game of dice and lost. They then waged the Great War on the Kauravs for their claim on the kingdom…. Where were the common people in this great story? For them, the regime of the Kauravs was as good as that of Pandavs…. The Pandavs wagered their kingdom because of their own foolishness and waged the Great War for their own selfish means…. And the entire Bharatkhanda suffered! An entire generation of soldiers, who were recruited from across kingdoms, died in that Great War! These Kshatriyas are still not satisfied…. They want sovereignty over other kingdoms, but they do not care about the people who stay in their kingdoms…..”
Viduraksh suddenly got up with the support of his stick. Oblivious to Rikshavi’s presence, he started walking out of the temple courtyard, animatedly shouting, “The people of the Bharatkhanda will not suffer now… We will not fight wars…. We will not fight for these selfish Kshatriya kings… We will be the kings of our own destinies!” Rikshavi was bewildered. She kept looking at the direction of Viduraksh, who limped out of the temple courtyard….
Sujalsen, the wise village head of Bhoganagara, entered the temple courtyard as Viduraksh limped out. He had overheard the conversation of Viduraksh and Rikshavi. “Please do not mind his words, Your Highness! He is an eccentric old man, not in control of his mental faculties!” Sujalsen said to Rikshavi. “That is why he had the courage to speak the truth!” Rikshavi remarked.
Sujalsen was startled at the statement made by the Princess. “Tell me Sujalsenji, do the people of the Bharatkhanda have any sense of belonging to their kingdoms? Regimes have kept changing…. These have been regimes of different Kshatriya families…. who have been completely unconnected to the common people. The Kauravs were ruling their kingdom just like other Kshatriya families. The Pandavs also continued to rule the kingdom just like other Kshatriya families. History does not say that the Kauravs were exploitative of their subjects, nor does it say that the Pandavs did anything extraordinary for their subjects. If the regime of Pandavs is no different than the regime of Kauravs, why should the common people suffer in their war?”
Sujalsen was stunned at the profound thought of the Princess, but he maintained a diplomatic silence. “I understand your silence, Sujalsenji. But I know that you agree…” Rikshavi said as she moved out of the temple.
At the end of around eight months, Rikshavi set out for her journey back to Vrij, as per arrangements made by Prabhavsen. At an age of sixteen, she was taking back a lot of new experiences……
*****
CHAPTER 7
THE VISITORS FROM TAKSHASHILA
Amogh and Vikram were wandering in the forest near their camp. Amogh was carrying his bow and arrows. The two young boys were a day’s travel away from their destination, but they had run out of food. Amogh saw a bird sitting on a tree at a distance. “Will you be able to manage to shoot that bird?” Vikram asked. “Sure!” replied Amogh. He quickly picked up his bow, positioned an arrow and pulled the string. But before Amogh could release the arrow, another arrow struck his bow, dropping it to the ground.
“Stop!” a female voice called out. Both the boys looked at the direction of the voice. They saw a beautiful young girl walking towards them with a bow in her hand. She had a quiver of arrows tied to her back. A long bright pink antariya was draped on her slender legs. A kayabandh which was tied up on one side, highlighted her lean waist. A long uttariya covered the bright pink kanchuka which she wore over her bosom. The uttariya was flung across one shoulder and tied on the other side, the knot resting on her shapely hips.
The boys were stunned. They kept staring at the girl, till they were brought to their senses by her voice. “Why do you want to kill that beautiful bird?” she asked, “it is one of the most beautiful birds I have seen. Such delicately hued feathers! One of the rare species I guess….” “The bird was our food!” Amogh curtly answered. “Oh, I am sorry, but…” the girl was a little embarrassed. “It is fine lady! We could not appreciate the beauty of that bird and were about to kill a rare creation of Mother Nature!” Vikram politely replied.
They soon realized that the girl was accompanied by a few soldiers who eventually followed her there. “I am Rikshavi, the daughter of Queen Bhairavi and King Vrajesh” the girl introduced herself, “We have enough food with us. Kindly be our guests!” “Greetings Princess!” Amogh said, “I am the son of Mitrasen, the representative of Vrij in the royal court of Gandhaar, and nephew of Prabhavsen, the Prime Minister of Vrij. This is my friend, Vikram. We have come from Takshashila, the capital city of Gandhaar, and are on our way to my uncle Prabhavsen’s home in Vaishali! A few soldiers are also accompanying us and we have run out of food…”
“Glad to meet you!” said Rikshavi, “We would be happy to have you all with us for meals!” “Thank you, Princess!” Amogh replied.
Rikshavi was standing close to them now….. Amogh noticed her deep brown eyes, her soft face and slender neck. He was smitten… She was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen…. “I am also on my way to
Vaishali” Rikshavi’s sweet voice broke into his thoughts. All of them proceeded for their meals.
As they continued their journey together, Rikshavi came to know that Amogh’s family had migrated to Takshashila from Vaishali when he was two years old. Vikram was around three years older than Amogh. He was orphaned at an early age in Takshashila and was supported by Amogh’s family.
Takshashila, the capital of Gandhaar was a renowned centre of learning, recognized for the excellence of its learned teachers. In spite of the long and arduous journey involved, students from far and wide, including princes, came to Takshashila to seek education. They could choose to learn various subjects and skills, including Sanskrit, Vedas, Philosophy and Archery. Takshashila also had a law school, a medical school and a school of military science. The classes were held at the homes of the respective teachers, who had settled in Takshashila.
Both, Amogh and Vikram had acquired education in Takshashila. “What were your subjects, Amogh?” Rikshavi asked. “I studied Sanskrit, archery and military science, Princess!” he replied. “And what were your subjects Vikram?” Rikshavi asked. Vikram, who was lost in thoughts, was startled. “Well…. I learnt Sanskrit, Philosophy and Military science” he hesitantly replied. “Oh, Philosophy! That’s interesting!” Rikshavi said. “I wish there would be such a learning centre in Vrij too!” continued Rikshavi, “But I was fortunate to at least have my mother as my teacher!” “What have you learnt, Princess?” asked Vikram. “I have learnt archery from her!” replied Rikshavi, “I have also learnt Sanskrit from another teacher. Maa also taught me some other subjects….”
*****
Amogh twisted and turned in his bed, as soft moon rays streamed through his window. He lay restless in the chamber which was arranged for him by his uncle, Prime Minister Prabhavsen, in the premises of the palace itself. He could not forget the face of the beautiful princess… Her doe-eyes haunted him… Her sweet voice rang in his ears…
The Rigveda Code Page 7
