Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki

by T. D. Ramakrishnan

  ‘I am scared, elder sister. I have never thought about a man besides Lord Padmanabha.’

  ‘Don’t worry. Until the king married me, I too had only thought about the deity in Thiruvanchikulam. It was as a gift for my singing and dancing in the temple precincts that I got the king for my husband. But I was not fortunate enough to give him a son. You have got the king for your husband as a result of singing devotional songs in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. What can be more fortunate than the deity appearing in the guise of the king? You have been blessed by Lord Padmanabha. Come, let’s go upstairs. The third chamber on the second floor is the most important bedroom in this palace. The king hasn’t come here for a long time. It’s as if he had tired of these things. But today, something seems to have changed. Perhaps he’ll decide to start using the room here again instead of staying back in his own palace. It all depends on your abilities and your luck. Your clothes and ornaments are in your room. The maids will help you.’

  The queen did not enter Devanayaki’s bedchamber. No other queen had the right to enter this room now. There were four or five young maids to help her dress. Laughing and narrating stories about the lionhearted ruler, they removed Devanayaki’s robes and made her wear the light yellow fabric worn by the queens when they bathed. Then they massaged her luxuriant hair and body using oil brewed with medicinal herbs from Agasthyakoodam. Paying no heed to their chatter, she hummed a song from Nachiyar Thirumozhi. She was preparing in case he asked her to sing. Though the maids did not understand the words, they understood the fever that gripped Devanayaki when she hummed ‘for you my breasts rise’. They burst into laughter. But instead of feeling shy, Devanayaki sang, ‘Last night, Lord Padmanabha told me that it was time for my nipples to darken.’ They were startled. This was a queen unlike any they had seen before.

  4

  By the time she had finished bathing in the lotus pond, smearing her body with vaka flowers and turmeric, had draped a length of green silk from China around her waist and a similar one across her breasts, and adorned her hair with fragrant jasmine and frangipani, it was noon. Her fear evaporated as she stood, decked in emeralds and pearls, gazing at her reflection. A belt studded with the famed nine precious gems was around her waist, a diamond ring sparkled on her nose, elegant anklets adorned her feet and beautiful bangles jangled around her wrists. She felt that there might be some truth in what Madhavi said: that she had descended from the celestial beauties. Accompanied by her maids, she prayed at the temples of Lakshmi and Durga before partaking of the meal served to her. She then rested for a while, before Parvathy and the other queens arrived to escort her to the royal bedchamber.

  Not completely satisfied with the way the maids had dressed her, the queens made minor adjustments to her hair and garments. They tightened the silk around her breasts while asking, ‘Are your breasts throbbing as you dream about the royal highness?’

  ‘Oh no! She didn’t tie it tightly enough, and I don’t know about the king’s preferences.’

  ‘There is nothing to know. Your ignorance is your greatest strength. Just obey him. Try to please him. Give back more than you receive. The Royal Highness will teach you everything you need to know.’

  But Devanayaki’s heart raced as she climbed the steps to the royal bedchamber. The queens did not accompany her. She prayed for Lord Padmanabha’s guidance to behave with propriety towards her royal husband. As she silently entered the veranda that led to the chamber, she heard his deep voice, ‘Come inside.’ She pushed open the door and entered. He was lying in bed. He was still wearing his crown and royal garments. He didn’t look as old as he was purported to be. Extremely handsome, he seemed to be enveloped by a divine aura. Though he gestured to her to sit by his side, she remained standing as though she hadn’t noticed. In reality, she was looking at him to her heart’s content.

  ‘I’ve heard that you perform only in front of Lord Padmanabha.’

  ‘I hope you are not offended, but that is true.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He is the only man I’ve liked.’

  ‘Like Andal?’

  ‘Andal’s devotion was confined to prayer. I prefer political science and economics.’

  ‘So have you come to help me in matters of the state?’

  ‘Until I entered the royal court, that was my only intention. I had looked upon you only as a king. But the moment you commanded me to your bedchamber, you became my Lord Padmanabha.’

  ‘So now you can sing and dance for me?’

  ‘If you so command.’

  ‘Well, I command. A song first.’

  She sang ‘Margazhi Thingal’ mellifluously. As he got up in appreciation, she touched his feet in reverence. When he pulled her up and seated her on the bed, she blushed. He said, ‘You sang beautifully,’ and kissed her on either cheek, as if giving her a gift for her singing. The first gift she would receive from him. She felt a pleasurable chill creeping up from her feet. It was the first time she was experiencing a man’s heat and kisses, that too from the ruler of the realm. Her eyes shone like stars with pride and happiness. She returned his gifts with twice the passion. Though Mahendravarman’s royal garments and crown were impediments, she knew that he liked her.

  ‘Will I incur your displeasure if I say something, Your Highness?’

  ‘No, tell me.’

  ‘Don’t your royal garments and the crown belong to the court? Why should you wear them here?’

  ‘Clothes are unnecessary for the bedchamber. Do you feel these clothes are barriers?’

  ‘No. I just wanted to see you properly. Not the king, but Lord Padmanabha who was attracted to me and invited me here.’

  He agreed. He got up to remove his robes. She took off all her ornaments except the aimbadathali and her pearl waist-chain. The silk cloth around her breasts had loosened. She didn’t bother with it. Divested of his royal garments, the king looked much younger. He was balding, but physically fit. His complexion was dusky. His chest sported a few marks of war and was adorned by a tiger-claw pendant. ‘A very tall man with well-proportioned limbs. Will I reach up to his shoulders? He is not as I feared he would be. He seems to be very decent in his approach towards me. He doesn’t display the hurry he seemed to be in at the royal court. He is behaving in a very calm manner. Not even looking at my body.’ As she stood hesitating, wondering whether to go to him or wait for him to approach, her gaze fell on a table laden with fruits and drinks. There were berries, fruit juice, tender coconut water, grapes and bananas. As she stood confused about what to offer him, he said,

  ‘Those who have studied political science should not hesitate…’

  ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know your preferences.’

  ‘From now onwards, your tastes are mine too.’

  ‘I like to drink kantha, eat bananas and the venison of doe.’

  ‘Why only doe?’

  ‘I am a woman after all, Your Highness.’

  ‘You are mischievous, aren’t you? And what are your other preferences?’

  ‘Among gods Krishna, among devotees Andal, in songs the Thiruppavai, in jewellery anklets, in dance Apsarayattam, in clothes the breast-cloth, in ornaments the aimbadathali, among months Margazhi, among kings Mahendravarman, and among lovers En Peruman.’

  ‘Who is En Peruman?’

  ‘That is how Andal addresses Lord Krishna. From today, My Royal Highness, you are my En Peruman.’

  ‘Now don’t you want to know my preferences? Some of them are your own.’

  ‘I am indeed lucky.’

  ‘I too like kantha, the juice of berries and venison, but I am not particular about having doe.’

  ‘Oh, that was a joke.’

  ‘Lord Padmanabha among gods, among devotees the Azhwars, in jewellery anklets, in dance Dasiattam, headgear in attire, among weapons the sword, and to ride horses.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Among women my lovers, among lovers my wives – among wives Devanayaki.’

  As the king tried to gath
er her in his arms, she deftly slipped away. She decided not to make it too easy for him. She asked, ‘Can I pour you some kantha?’

  ‘Not today. This is a special occasion. There is a drink from Simhapura – it’s amruth.’

  He took a bottle from the cupboard and poured it into two silver glasses. She sipped hesitantly. It was sour.

  ‘Is this what amruth tastes like?’

  ‘This is like our kantha, but far superior and a hundred times more expensive. It should be sipped slowly. But if you can’t, then drink it in one gulp. Don’t let the sour taste put you off. The intoxication comes very slowly and lasts the whole day, but does not cause any problems. And if you eat something sweet, the intoxication doubles.’

  As Periya Koyikkan had often given her kantha to help her relax after strenuous practice sessions, she gulped down the drink without much difficulty.

  Mahendravarman leaned back in his royal chair, glass in hand. She looked at him as if to ask what she should do next.

  ‘Since the song is over, you may now dance. This attire is sufficient, and we will make do without musical instruments. Just imagine that you are in the presence of Lord Padmanabha.’

  It was a royal command. Immediately, she closed her eyes, bowed to mother earth and began to dance. The king sipped the amruth. She danced to the fourth and fifth stanzas of Nachiyar Thirumozhi as she had practised earlier. As she danced oblivious to her surroundings, he gazed at her. The intoxication of dance and liquor spread slowly. By the time she had finished dancing to ‘Vaaranamaiyiram’, she fell upon his chest. Exhausted from the dance, she unthinkingly gulped down more amruth. After long kisses and tight embraces, they finally reached the royal bed. Whispering, ‘Let me see you properly,’ he freed her from her cumbersome garments. As she was intoxicated, she felt no embarrassment. Offering the beauty of her naked body to him, Devanayaki lay on the bed. Mahendravarman stood mesmerized, looking at her Grecian perfection. He knew that if he touched her, the vision would be spoilt. Finally, unable to control himself any longer, he crushed her in his embrace. He murmured ‘En Paapa,’ she whispered ‘En Peruman,’ and tears fell upon his chest. From that moment, Mahendravarman started calling her ‘Paapa’ and she addressed him as ‘En Peruman’.

  Everything happened so quickly that one couldn’t say whether Devanayaki had permitted him to enter the sanctum sanctorum to worship or he had pushed open the door. As twilight approached, Devanayaki lay on Mahendravarman’s chest, fatigued from her first intercourse. When she woke up, the first thing she noticed was a couple of grey hairs on his chest and the grey in his moustache. ‘Oh! The poor man is growing old. Maybe I am mistaken. I didn’t think he was fatigued when he was ploughing the field or sowing the seeds.’ As the thought struck her, she laughed out loud. Luckily, it didn’t wake him up. He was in a deep sleep. ‘I failed only in one thing,’ she thought. Though she had determined to think only of Lord Padmanabha, her decision evaporated before Mahendravarman’s endearments, and when she reached the zenith of pleasure, only Mahendravarman remained in her mind. After all, he was her Lord Padmanabha now. It was twilight, but she didn’t know if it would be proper to wake him up. But if people didn’t see the king, who had gone for his siesta, they would start wondering. Should she inform them that he was still sleeping? But she was caught in his long arms. Suddenly, she became aware of her nudity, and for the first time she felt shy. As she tried to move his hand to get up, he awoke, just as she had feared.

  ‘Paapa, are you in a hurry to leave?’

  ‘It’s twilight. What will the queens think?’

  ‘They won’t worry. They know that if I like you, we will be going downstairs only for dinner.’

  Though she felt happy, she did not show it. She tied up her hair and leaned on his chest. As he remained silent, she asked him with a lowered gaze, ‘Did you like me?’

  ‘Why do you doubt that? Amruth needs to be sipped only once to gauge its quality. Now I am truly intoxicated.’

  ‘So am I.’

  He took off his ruby signet ring and put it on her finger. Her eyes filled with joy.

  ‘En Peruman, I am indeed fortunate.’

  On the eighth day of meeting her, Mahendravarman made Devanayaki his eighth wife with all royal ceremonies. It was the biggest celebration in the history of Kanthalur. The Chera emperor, Bhaskara Ravi Varman, arrived to preside over the ceremonies. Ships sporting flags of far-flung countries dropped anchor at the harbour. Many warriors who had learnt martial arts from the kalaris here returned to witness the ceremony, the most prominent among them being Mahinda, the Sinhala king, and Jayavarman, the ruler of Kambuja. They were Periya Koyikkan’s disciples and it was a special occasion for them as the bride was their guru’s daughter. All of them knew Devanayaki. Mahinda, the ruler of Sinhala, had wanted to marry her. They came bearing precious gifts. Even Mahendravarman could not tell whether Jayavarman’s gift of the apsara crown or Mahinda’s gift, a gold chain studded with the nine precious gems, was more valuable. But Devanayaki liked the grey Arab steed gifted by Iqbal Muhammad, an Arab trader, best.

  The whole city celebrated the wedding for seven days. The guests were led to the palace on decorated elephants and horses, to the accompaniment of music. The streets were filled with flags and other decorations. There were special guest-houses built for the guests, and three kitchens catered to their needs. Liquor flowed freely. The warriors displayed their skills. There were special prayers at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple on all seven days. Boat races, exhibition sword fights and Vedic recitals – the celebrations were varied. The royal guests as well as the commoners agreed that it was the greatest celebration Kanthalur had ever witnessed.

  Along with the wedding ceremonies, special prayers were conducted to please the gods so that the royal couple would be blessed with a son. As they were immersed in the rituals, neither Mahendravarman nor Devanayaki could see or participate in the celebrations. They were surrounded by smoke from the holy fires and the chanting of the Vedas. It lasted until the seventh day when, in the southern chamber, a chain was put around Devanayaki’s waist before the idol of the goddess. Then she was led to the royal bedchamber. She was made to stand naked and, with the highly guarded tantric rituals of the yoni puja, Queen Parvathy presented her with a talisman to ensure pregnancy.

  It was then that Devanayaki noticed the chain that all the queens of Kanthalur wore around their waists. It was an oval-shaped gold leaf, held tight with two gold clasps around the hips, just below the pearl waist-chain – and it covered her genitalia completely. It had the insignia of a deer, which was the emblem of the Kanthalur king. The inside was covered with velvet. Every action except sex could be carried out without hindrance. It had a lock near the navel which the wearer could never open. The keyhole could be found only on close scrutiny, and the key was with the king. She found it a bit difficult to walk while wearing it.

  The queen comforted her, saying that she would get used to it.

  Devanayaki asked, ‘Why doesn’t he trust us?’

  ‘It is not because he doesn’t trust us. It is more like the great wall around a fort – for protection. He does not want any intruder to force himself upon his queens.’

  ‘What should I do next?’

  ‘Sit with him when he eats, and serve him with your own hands. Haven’t you heard that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? After that, both of you should pray before Emperor Vikramaditya Varaguna’s portrait. Pray for a son as strong and handsome as him. The best moment for intercourse has been calculated. The king will lead you to the bedchamber when it is time.’

  When they were alone, Devanayaki asked the king to remove the chastity belt. He refused, saying that there would be enough time to do it later. ‘We have important matters to talk about now,’ he said.

  She feared that she had angered him. But he told her that she should help him in matters of the state.

  She asked him, ‘Is it because a woman is expected to be as wise as a minister when sh
e gives advice, as loving as a mother in her affection, and as sensual as a whore in bed?’

  Mahendravarman replied that he did not believe the old adage applied to a queen. He added that, for him, a wife’s love was not the same as maternal affection. He said, ‘Some Sanskrit scholar who had no knowledge about these matters must have written it. The greatest virtue a queen needs is to be loyal to the king.’

  ‘Is that why you have tied a chastity belt around my waist?’

  ‘That is a ritual, centuries old. It is to ensure that nobody enters your body or mind using powers of persuasion, threat or force. And according to political treatises, the queen is among those people a king should fear.’

  ‘Don’t trust Chanakya’s words blindly. You should interpret them in context. Science is supposed to free one from fear, not inculcate fear. Pardon me if I’m wrong.’

  Mahendravarman looked at her in surprise.

  ‘You are clever. I’m lucky to have a wife who can help me in matters of administration. But this is not the time to talk about such things. The auspicious hour is at hand.’

  By the time Mahendravarman got the key to the chastity belt, she had taken off her garments. He held her close and ran the small gold key from the back of her neck down the length of her spine. She felt ticklish. But the key unerringly reached the right spot and the lock fell open. He entered her at the appointed hour.

  Giving more than she received, and engaging in matters of politics, Devanayaki quickly become the king’s most beloved queen. When the royal court assembled on the fourteenth day after the wedding celebrations, she accompanied the king. A seat was arranged for her next to the throne.

  In the royal assembly, the king often paid heed to Devanayaki’s opinion. Naturally, a large number people did not like this. They worried that the king was being henpecked. But overcoming all their misgivings, Devanayaki became the king’s principal advisor within six months of their marriage.