Dawn

by Rakesh K Kaul

  The Buddhist priest was ecstatic! He got up again, hands up in the air. ‘Even the Buddha would envy you today for your praiseworthy valour and insight into humanity. The Buddha gave us wisdom but thanks to you, my king, to Kashmir will go the honour of valuing compassion.’ The excited crowd pumped their fists in the air and embraced their friends. They then rushed to tell their family about the new ahimsa digvijaya campaign.

  I looked around me. Yuva stood beside me with Kira perched on his shoulder. So were the Pandavas. He had brought us all here. Where was I?

  Yuva, as always seemed to know what was in my mind. ‘You are in the ancient capital of Kashmir in the fifth century. But hold off on your questions,’ he said half-smiling. ‘Now, where do I begin? Oh yes! Meghavahana is the great-grandson of King Yudhisthira I. He is a follower of Buddha who embraced the Niti way of life. Buddha’s first five disciples were in Deer Park in Benares to whom he gave the first sermon. Meghavahana believes in ahimsa and he is about to leave on his campaign. Let us follow him.’

  A huge army had gathered in the heart of the verdant valley. It was achingly beautiful. The river majestically snaked through the idyllic valley. A few still clouds hovered over, as their reflections in the translucent blue waters mesmerized one and all.

  Meghavahana’s army departed from the kingdom of Kashmir and headed south into the Indian subcontinent. We followed them closely. Astonishingly, as I was to find out, time in the cognition world ran differently. Yuva’s eyes crinkled at the corners when he told us to our surprise that in Brahma Universe, one second was equal to 1,00,000 human years. Over time, the army fought their way through many kingdoms and Meghavahana, through his valour, overpowered them all. He initiated his new subjects into the principle of ahimsa. Finally, the men reached the sea—the tip of India. As his weary army rested in the shade of the palm groves, Meghavahana pondered over his plans of invading Sri Lanka.

  As he was immersed in deep thought, he heard a cry of distress from the outskirts of the forest on the foreshore. ‘Under the very sway of Meghavahana, I am being slain!’

  Upon hearing this, the king, as if stabbed in his heart by a sharp dagger, rushed to the spot with his attendants, who ran after him with his royal umbrella. Meghavahana now stood in front of a building. Yuva explained that it was the temple of Chandika, the fierce goddess who destroys demons. We saw a man flung to the ground and about to be slain by the leader of a group of Bhil aboriginal tribesmen.

  ‘STOP! Stop you, who does not know himself or humanity. Shame on your evil conduct,’ the king shouted.

  The aboriginal leader, realizing that he was in the company of royalty, bowed out of fear. ‘My lord! My infant son is at the point of death, cursed by a disease that a demon has given him. I was told that if I offer another victim in his place, my son would survive,’ he howled. ‘Our entire family’s future depends on my only son growing up. Why would you, my lord, care more about a stranger residing alone in the forest than me on whom my family depends?’

  The king’s face softened. ‘Do not be nervous. I hereby offer my own body as sacrifice to Chandika so that she may slay the demon of disease. Strike me unhesitatingly and let these two people live.’

  The Bhil leader queried wonderingly, ‘Of all people, your body deserves to be safeguarded, my lord. Why do you wish to take the place of this man? You strive to be caring, but does it arise from an error of judgement? The body takes precedence over honour, over reputation, over wealth, over wives and relatives, over the law, over sons, for such is the thirst for life. Therefore, grant this favour to me! Do not extend your mercy to this stranger. Let him die, and this way, my son and your subjects will flourish under your protection.’

  The king’s teeth shone as he spoke, ‘What does someone like you who live in the jungles alongside animals know about righteous conduct? Can someone living in the desert know about the joys of plunging into the Ganges River? I am purchasing with my body, which will inevitably perish, Chandika’s gift of everlasting glory by performing my duty to the very end. You fool! You are seeking to divert me from my duty. Say nothing more. If you cannot strike me, then my own sword is capable of achieving my purpose.’ Saying this, Meghavahana pulled out his sword from his scabbard.

  It was then that I saw Kira streak away to the ocean. The next moment, the king’s hand was held back by a celestial figure that had appeared out of the blue and showered the king with flowers. ‘I am Varuna, the ruler of the Oceans,’ he said majestically. ‘Meghavahana, your father-in-law’s ancestor wrongly carried away my parasol. Deprived of its powers, our people are suffering mishaps at every step. I created this illusion to test your generosity and regain my parasol,’ he said, pointing to the umbrella carried by the attendants.

  The king bowed deeply with his hands folded to Varuna, the God of the Oceans. Offering a hymn along with the parasol, he said, ‘The wishing cow and the righteous tree are not equal since the former yields fruits when requested and the latter does so of its own accord. I aspire to be like the righteous tree that unconditionally offers fruits to those seeking comfort in its shade. Please accept the return of the parasol.’

  Varuna marvelled at the king, ‘It is a wonder that, in the same dynasty, your predecessor, Mihirakula, slaughtered thirty million, and yet, you appear to be doing penance through non-violence. It is like the storm that passes over and yields the glorious rainbow.’

  ‘I, your humble servant, ask for a small favour,’ pleaded the king, feeling encouraged by Varuna’s words. ‘I believe that it was your parasol’s blessing that helped me bring this entire land under my rule. For the conquest of the island of Sri Lanka, could you please suggest us a way to cross the waters?’

  Varuna smiled. ‘Meghavahana, when you desire to cross over, the waters of the ocean will part and I will show you a solid path.’ As the king bowed to express his gratitude, the God of the Oceans vanished with the parasol.

  Next day, accompanied by his delighted and amazed soldiers who had heard this unusual godly tale, the king and his army discovered a path of huge boulders laid on a sandy shoal traversing the ocean.

  ‘Jai Ram Setu, Jai Hanuman,’ they exclaimed, extolling the ancients who had created this pathway.

  On reaching the other shore, they climbed up Mount Rohana and established themselves on the peak of the kingdom. Once the news of the arrival of a foreign army on their land reached the ears of Vibhishna, the ruler of Sri Lanka, he approached Meghavahana accompanied by his nobles. He offered his friendship, knowing fully well how previously Lord Rama had come to the island country and had routed the army of the Sri Lankans, killing the then king, Ravana. And so, Meghavahana and his army were treated hospitably and with all the luxuries that were unique to the island.

  An agreement was reached between the two kings—that the residents of the island, who were previously addressed as rakshasas or man-eaters, would henceforth no longer be called so, and that they would submit to the new teaching of ahimsa. Loud was the applause from both sides! Vibhishna, ecstatic with this new lease of friendship, presented Meghavahana with banners whose crests were decorated with the pictures of the faces of the rakshasas as a token of their obedience. Now, having completed his vow, Meghavahana ordered his army to disband and return home.

  Yuva waved to the group to follow him to the other side of the peak of Mount Rohana. He indicated towards the hollow of the boulder. It was an imprint of a giant footprint. ‘Before the Data Deluge, this footprint held great significance all over the world. The Buddhists called it Sri Pada—the sacred footprint of Buddha—compelling Meghavahana to come all the way here. The Hindus saw it as Shiva’s footprint, while the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians saw it as Adam’s first footprint on earth after being cast out of Paradise. These names are of those people that humans in olden times held as sacred. It is a good place for all of you to meet.’

  We all nodded, amazed by the giant footstep that lay before us.

  ‘It is interesting that the same thing seen by di
fferent groups has vastly different meanings for these ancient people. The world’s objects become a mirror of what the people imagine themselves to be,’ Yuva articulated.

  ‘What?’ I gawked at him. ‘So you mean to say that perhaps each one of the Pandavas would see a different me? That there could be six of me?’

  Yuva tapped my head with his trunk and mused, ‘It’s all in the mind.’

  For a while, I could not think of anything else but this, but then another thought struck me. ‘What happens to Meghavahana on his return?’ I asked, since we had not followed him back.

  ‘He ruled for thirty-four years. And no, nobody transgressed his law. The country became the first land that was totally vegetarian. For 500 years after he died, the banners that he got from Sri Lanka were paraded in the processions of the kings of Kashmir. They were known as the “standards from beyond”,’ Yuva elucidated.

  ‘So, the people really upheld his teaching of ahimsa after all those years?’ Tegh asked.

  ‘Yes, and his greatest impact was on China. Vegetarianism began to take hold there.’

  ‘China? But how?’ Tan asked in disbelief.

  ‘It was led by Buddhist monks. You see, Kashmir sent more monks to China than all the other parts of India put together. A whole variety of vegetables began to get exported there from India, including lotus root from Kashmir. Most importantly, thanks to the monks, it was around this time that ahimsa became part of the Chinese statecraft. That is how the country was changed by reorienting their collective schools of thought. But then Dushita’s agents came to Kashmir, and soon Meghavahana and his beliefs got lost in history until the Data Deluge completely erased him.’

  Kira spoke up, ‘Tell me, children, what do you think was the secret of Meghavahana’s power?’

  It was quite peculiar that a little bird was calling us ‘children’, but then I was still confused about Kira’s identity, especially after witnessing her flying away and the sudden appearance of Varuna.

  Tegh went first, ‘His fearlessness.’

  ‘Has to be the generosity in his heart,’ Yaniv inferred.

  Tan said, ‘A disciple of Buddha’s way.’

  ‘I think it was his willingness to sacrifice himself,’ Hafiz remarked, while still admiring the footprint.

  ‘Tabah, what about you? What do you think?’ Yuva asked.

  ‘His conviction in Chandika.’

  ‘And Dawn? Tell me, my princess, what did you think was the secret of his power?’

  I thought for a second, for it could have been a great many things—the parasol for starters. But could it be that simple? Then it came to me. Yes, these were ancient people who did not have the benefit of advanced science. I said, ‘His wife.’

  ‘What?’ All the boys said in unison.

  ‘It seems it was her who taught the king how to think beyond his horizon. If I’m not mistaken, Yuva, it seems to be that in Kashmir, women had the power to veto decisions made by men. She was more powerful than him because she did not limit her thinking to herself or her kingdom but included everyone in it. Having learnt his lesson, the king showed the tribal leader that he was now able to think beyond his own limited body.’

  Yuva smiled and tapped my head with his trunk. ‘That is Maha thinking. Our father would be very happy. The first Niti tale has ended. It is time to return, children. We will meet again on the next half-moon night.’

  The next minute, I felt a gentle shaking. I was in bed and my mother was ordering me to wake up.

  Sarga 5

  Mother’s Counsel

  War Room, Cave of Trisirsha, Mount Kailash

  The dream was real.

  LeGoog’s insistent chirping woke me up. I focused my sleepy eyes on the reminder alarm: an encrypted hologram call had been set up by Hafiz between me and the Pandavas in fifteen minutes. I felt elated but also a bit anxious; I was about to receive my very first call in life. What was still part of a dream had now become real. My mother, however, was taking it better than me. Since she had a greater understanding of technology and the sciences, she was excited by this call. However, given that I had first met the Pandavas in a dream seemingly went against all that was known to science. Plus, it had been more than a decade since anyone called her too . . . that I knew of.

  ‘Banasura . . .’ I heard myself say.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Oh nothing,’ I said, rubbing my eyes. ‘Just that I was reminded of the story you told me of Dawn and Aniruddha in the Banasura story. She had connected with him first in her dream and then in real life. Here is my life imitating art.’

  Quickly, I ran to the bath to wash my face and brush my hair. The least I could do was look presentable for my new friends. As I got back, Ma told me we would take the call in the room that she had been using to meditate. I saw her ready with breakfast: two steaming mugs of hot coffee and a protein bar made of pea and black bean with chocolate, rolled oats, dates and cocoa powder. Just as I was about to take the first bite, LeGoog started chirping.

  ‘Well, go on!’

  ‘Right . . . Okay, here goes.’ I muttered and accepted the call. The dark screen lit up with the silhouettes of the Pandavas. And soon, I could see them for the first time as their holographic images appeared in front of us. I waved enthusiastically, feeling a little silly, but then, what else is one supposed to do? I took my place. ‘Hi everyone! Isn’t this surreal!’ I laughed.

  The boys looked around the room curiously. It did seem like a strange room set in a technologically advanced pod. It was a circular room that had nothing except an oval black stone with saffron paste marks in the centre. ‘My mother thinks that this room is her space to fight the war within. She believes it is an auspicious place for us to have our first meeting.’

  The boys smiled and waved. They were indistinguishable from their reality, and all were wearing their augmented reality devices with the AI dark glasses. Their wrist controls were glowing. The interaction of the light beams from the hologram laser, which maej had placed on the side last night, created the hologram images of the boys seated on the floor with me.

  ‘I want you all to meet my mother, Vidya,’ I said, pointing to my beaming mother who was waving frantically to the boys.

  ‘Hello!’ she said warmly.

  The boys were overcome with awe at meeting my mother, who besides me, was the only known woman survivor on Earth.

  ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs . . . umm . . . can we call you Vidya? My name is Tegh,’ he said with a slight bow.

  ‘Yes, please! I’m thrilled to meet Dawn’s friends . . . finally.’

  ‘It’s our pleasure that we finally get to meet you and learn from you,’ Hafiz said. ‘We’re calling to nominate Dawn to chair the war council,’ he added. The others nodded.

  ‘Thank you, all. It is a big responsibility. But the call to duty is clear. Our goal is set—to win against the Troika of Arman, Dushita and their lieutenant AIman. These three have established a ruthless tyranny where families have been broken, men have lost their souls and women have perished. They are leading the world towards the destruction of the Universe.’

  ‘For starters, knowing why this war started would be helpful to winning it,’ Tegh remarked.

  Before I could say anything, it was my mother who answered. ‘This is a continuation of the eternal war,’ she said, sitting beside me. ‘Lord Rama fought the First Great War. The first time, it was against man’s ego and his lust for power, which resulted in its annihilation. Then, it was Lord Krishna who fought the Second Great War, which resulted in not only the destruction of the mind’s ego but also the wise. This new war . . . the terrifying truth of the upcoming Third Great War will be against the combined powers of Arman’s mind’s ego and Dushita’s lust for power. Everyone, yes, every single person—both wise and ignorant—will be destroyed. The third war will result in total annihilation. Nobody and nothing will survive Sarvanash, the Great Apocalypse!’

  No one spoke for a long while after what seemed to be a ver
y sobering and scary prediction.

  It was Tan who broke the silence. ‘In each of the first two wars, women were mistreated and humiliated. And even here, now, technology made women inessential as it sought the Circassian fantasy.’

  My mother concurred, ‘It is true.’

  ‘I am not able to understand one thing though,’ he said, ‘Maybe you can shed some light, Vidya, on why Arman did not let women die a natural death. Why did he bring forth the violent genocide that he called the Gynaecide Day? I think there is something deeper at play here. And I also wonder why Kashmir played such a critical role. Why did it all start here?’

  ‘Your last question carries within it the answer,’ Ma said. ‘You see, it is believed that Kashmir was the only land where women had ruled continuously throughout history. It was the last civilization left where life’s supreme truths were transmitted from women to daughter, with men as the recipients. Women were the creators of life. They held the secret of the evolutionary force within humanity, and hence were the initiatory guides to Maha, the ultimate.’

  ‘So, Arman wanted humans to disconnect from Maha?’ Hafiz asked.

  ‘Yes,’ she said simply. ‘If there were no women, then there would be no transmission, no guides left and no attempts to find Maha. And so, this subjugation to Dushita would triumph. This is the deeper but simpler answer as to why no women were allowed to live.’

  Of the things my mother had said, my mind went back to the one thing that had formed a strong impression: Maha.

  ‘It seems that it all starts with Maha,’ I turned to her. ‘Maej, who or what is Maha? Yuva said that he was his father. He was joking, right? It sounds like a thing that one has.’