Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki

by T. D. Ramakrishnan

  It was a huge room. The Padmasambhava mandala was painted upon the western wall. She was glad that she had learnt the basics of tantric practice from Nissanka Vajran, who belonged to the dynasty of Vajrabodhi, while she had been in Jayavarman’s court. She felt that it might help in exerting her influence on Mahinda. But she wondered whether Mahinda was even interested in tantric rituals. As far as she had heard, Mahinda wasn’t into anything religious. But the Padmasambhava mandala indicated a possibility. She looked at him in surprise. He was wearing a white silk cloth around his waist and a length of silk around his shoulders. There were none of the trappings of royal attire. Though his youthful, mischievous glances had disappeared, he looked more handsome than ever. He did not bear the shadow of his age as Mahendravarman had. He was neither dark-complexioned like the Cholas, nor did he have Cham’s slanting eyes. Fair, handsome, not very tall or overweight, he had an innocent smile playing upon his lips. Looking at him, she could not believe that the stories about his cruelties were true.

  It was a beautiful room, with a green carpet spread over white marble. There were soft seats covered with leopard skin, an ornate rosewood cot, a silken mattress, and a huge wardrobe, also in rosewood, close to the cot. There were smaller rooms attached to the main room for bathing and changing. It had all the luxuries you could imagine. Two lamps with seven wicks shone their light upon a large mirror from the corners, creating an illusion of daylight. By this time her clothes and jewels had arrived. There were fragrant flowers and fruits and various beverages arranged on silver trays. The mattress was decorated with flowers as well. When the fragrance of camphor filled the room, it truly resembled paradise.

  Mahinda pulled the wonderstruck Devanayaki towards him.

  ‘Does the queen of Kanthalur like my city of dreams and my palace?’

  ‘I haven’t seen the whole city, but I really like the palace. I only regret the fact that I couldn’t come here earlier.’

  ‘I had invited you many times.’

  ‘Why didn’t you defeat Mahendravarman and bring me to Lanka? I used to dream about it when I lived with the aging king. I knew that jewel box, inscribed with the secret pathways of Anuradhapura and the Chinese word “huanying”, was an invitation for me.’

  ‘I wrote in Chinese so that the old man wouldn’t understand. But it was an invitation you did not accept.’

  ‘In Kanthalur, you remain faithful to the man you marry until he is defeated. Then you accept the victor. Why didn’t you carry out your threat of humbling Kanthalur?’

  ‘I had begun preparations for war. But Rajaraja’s unexpected attack spoiled it all. I was extremely upset when the queen of Kanthalur became Chola Madevi. I entered into a war with Rajaraja Chola to get you. But, faced with his strength and intelligence, I failed. I attacked Kodiakkarai only because I knew that you were there. It saddened me that you had to become wife to both father and son. Tell me, why have you come looking for me, a king who has lost his country?’

  ‘I did not come of my own volition. Cham Prasidh lured me into a trap when I was a guest in Jayavarman’s palace. I have been his slave for the past year. He is a sadist who enjoys torturing me, mentally and physically. He is preparing an elaborate trap for both of us by offering me to you. Please don’t ask me how Chola Madevi sank to such depths.’

  She didn’t say anything more. She put her jewels and clothes in the wardrobe. There was a sandalwood box covered in yellow silk, which was a special gift for Mahinda. Carved in the Angkor style, the sandalwood box held ten small, exquisite ivory Buddhas. Devanayaki removed the tenth Buddha by twisting it towards the left and respectfully offered the box to Mahinda.

  ‘This is a humble gift from me.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Nine Buddha statues. Open it.’

  He opened the box. Devanayaki took a statuette out and explained.

  ‘These are not mere Buddhas. They are Ratna Buddhas. Each Buddha is a jewel box. Look. If you turn the head towards the right, it opens. There are precious stones inside.’

  Devanayaki took the gems out and gave them to Mahinda. He looked on with pleasure. ‘Each Buddha contains a different kind of precious stone. This one is filled with rubies, the next with emeralds, then topaz. Each Buddha contains nine stones. What else can the mistress of a jewel merchant gift you? The Vajrayana of Kambuja says that if these Ratna Buddhas are kept in the bedroom, your life will be filled with pleasure.’

  ‘We believe that Buddha statues shouldn’t be kept in the bedroom.’

  ‘That is according to Theravada Buddhism. According to Vajrayana, the bedroom is not an unclean place.’ She smiled mischievously at Mahinda.

  ‘Though I’ve installed the Padmasambhava mandala, I haven’t formally accepted Vajrayana. The main reason is that I haven’t found a suitable guru.’

  ‘So you only need a good teacher?’

  ‘Are you joking? You were a staunch devotee of Lord Padmanabha.’

  ‘I was. I danced to Andal’s Thiruppavai as an offering to the Lord. But in Kambuja, I accepted Padmasambhava instead of Padmanabha. There isn’t a lot of difference between them. For Padmanabha, the greatest pleasure is that of the soul. But Padmasambhava makes you realize that the body and the soul are one, and that the pleasure of the body is that of the mind too. He had experienced it through his rituals with Mandarava. Anyway, your queen shouldn’t belong to a different religious sect.’

  ‘Devanayaki, I am not intelligent enough to understand most of what you are telling me. But I am no longer the ruler of Lanka. I’m just an unfortunate man who, after having lost his kingdom, crown and throne, makes a living out of gambling.’

  ‘If you want to, you can win back everything that you have lost.’

  Mahinda did not reply. He sat in silence, gazing into nothingness. His face reflected his angst about his stillborn plan. He might have been able to command the loyalty of the Kanthalur army if he had succeeded in keeping Devanayaki by his side. Devanayaki moved closer to him and kissed his right hand.

  ‘You are getting back everything that you had considered lost.’

  ‘If you remain with me always…’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Not just you, but the army of Kanthalur too should be with me.’

  ‘Don’t doubt it. Everyone is fed up with the Chola rule. The military chief will stand by you if I command him. Anyway, the people of Kanthalur prefer the fair Sinhalese to the dark-skinned Cholas.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Who would dislike a handsome man like you?’

  They only woke up when the cool breeze wafting from Sinha Saila roused them. He looked at Devanayaki, who was lying silently after she had woken up. He tried cracking a joke to make her laugh.

  ‘Why do you look as if you have just delivered a baby?’

  ‘It is as if a sea has flowed into me … I am brimming over.’

  ‘What do we call a child born of a lion and a tigress?’

  ‘Siduva!’

  They couldn’t contain their laughter, and continued laughing and joking for a while. When Mahinda left just before day break for his daily exercise, she took the tenth Buddha in her hands and turned its head towards the right. There was a small bottle inside. She took it out, her face as bright as the sun with the thought of revenge. The bottle contained the poison of a king cobra. A drop was enough to kill a lion. But if she was careless, she would have to sacrifice her own life too. Comforting herself with the thought that this was the way out when all else failed, she closed the bottle and put the statue back in the box. Then, she stood gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She had never known that she could act so well. She had surprised herself with her expressions and her words. When had she ever used expressions like ‘a sea has flowed into me’? Anyway, the lion had fallen for it. He was passionate. She decided to try and get him to allow her maids upstairs. She thought, ‘If everything goes as planned, he might even entrust me with the keys to the city of dreams.’ Her only fear was whether a Siduva wou
ld be born by then.

  When she emerged after her bath in the lotus pond atop Sinha Saila, a thousand eyes were gazing at her. They murmured that Mahinda’s new woman was not bad looking. Some of them consoled themselves with the thought that Mahinda would tire of her within a few days after which they could claim her. When she returned to the room after praying at the temple, Mahinda was waiting for her.

  ‘It seems that you have finished your prayers. Now accept this gift.’

  ‘A gift?’

  ‘Yes. You gave me a gift last night. Now close your eyes and accept mine.’

  She happily closed her eyes and stretched out her hands. He gave her a gold tray. It was heavy. Thinking that it might be an expensive gift, she held it tight.

  ‘Open your eyes. You will jump for joy.’

  By then, her hands were wet. Smiling, she slowly opened her eyes and was shocked. The tray fell from her hands. Cham’s head, blood still flowing from it, fell at her feet.

  ‘Aren’t you happy? This is in return for pleasuring me last night. His body has been left on the death rock for vultures to eat. You can go and see it if you wish.’

  Devanayaki fainted onto Mahinda’s shoulder.

  20

  Several hours passed before Devanayaki regained consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she was lying with her head in Mahinda’s lap. The maids were fanning her. Pungent oil was smeared on her forehead. For a while, she couldn’t tell where she was or whose lap she was in. It took a few moments for realization to dawn. Seeing that she had woken up, the maids left the room. She looked at Mahinda with fear.

  ‘You had a bad scare. Don’t worry, the royal physician says that there is nothing to worry about. The maids are here to help you.’

  Mahinda planted a kiss on her right hand. She sat up in bed. After she drank the grape juice and kantha the maid offered her in a crystal glass, she recovered completely. Her face lit up with a smile.

  ‘I didn’t expect the woman who advised me in matters of war to faint at the sight of blood.’

  ‘It was not because I saw blood, but because it was Cham’s blood. He was my man until yesterday, so I got flustered. I didn’t imagine that you would take such a step trusting my words alone.’

  ‘Are you upset?’

  ‘I am not a fool to cry over Cham. From last night, he was nobody to me. But I was hurt when I realized that King Mahinda, whom I love, has such a cruel side to his nature.’

  ‘Devanayaki, you have to understand that it is necessary to be cruel to the enemy. The enemy should not be treated as human. Do not show him the consideration that you would a fellow human being. Don’t wait for an auspicious moment to kill someone who deserves to die. That is the tradition of the Sinhalese kings. You will understand all this when you live with me for a while. Come, get dressed. The guests of the city of dreams are waiting for me.’

  She washed her face thoroughly and applied rose water to take away the pungent odour of the medicinal oils. The maids helped her to wear the sampot that Jayavarman had gifted her. She tied her hair in a half-moon and decorated it with jasmine and frangipani, then sprayed rose water and sandal paste on her face and breasts. Glancing at the mirror several times for reassurance, she stepped out of the room. Though her head did not sport an apsara crown, she looked like a divine nymph. When Devanayaki entered the main hall with Mahinda, the drums rolled. The people shouted, ‘Long live Devanayaki, the queen of the city of dreams!’ She sat next to Mahinda on the royal seat. He smiled with pride and began to speak.

  ‘Dear guests! Welcome to the city of dreams. Today is a day of happiness for us. Devanayaki, the former queen of Kanthalur and the Madevi of the Cholas, is henceforth the queen of the city of dreams. I am breaking with tradition in Devanayaki’s case. None of the women who have come here have slept with me for more than one night. That fortune belongs to Devanayaki alone. She will be mine forever. It is the fruition of a dream that has lasted for years, from the time I was a student in Kanthalur. That is why I decided to make her the queen of this city. She will join you in all the celebrations. She will be responsible for all the activities in this city.’

  Mahinda looked around for approval. Anula and Sena looked at each other with displeasure writ large upon their faces. Many of the guests sported contemptuous smiles. Someone asked, ‘Why would anyone buy a tired horse?’ The reply was, ‘If it is free, who will not accept it?’

  Devanayaki pretended not to hear the insulting comments. She had developed a thick enough skin to remain unperturbed in the face of humiliation. Mahinda continued.

  ‘Dear guests, the bell that signals the beginning of the games will be rung soon. Apart from chess and gambling, Go has been arranged for the Chinese. You can bet on birds and animals too. The best wine, women and food will brighten the celebrations. As usual, all games will come to an end when the sun sets. You can give a tenth of what you gain here to the city of dreams.’

  The bell rang. Everyone moved towards the gaming centres. Mahinda escorted Devanayaki everywhere and explained the rules of gambling. She enjoyed the silence that surrounded the chess table and the noisy sounds of the cockfight. The taste of fried venison and kantha filled her with pleasure. Beauties from various countries eyed her with envy. In the afternoon, when she was accompanying Mahinda for a nap, Devanayaki voiced her anxiety.

  ‘Most legends tell us of kings who lost their kingdoms while gambling. Do you think that you can win your kingdom back through it?’

  ‘No. Lanka can only be won back through a war. This gambling centre is only a façade.’

  ‘How far have the military arrangements proceeded?’

  ‘I have brought together my fragmented army. Seven yojanas to the west of Sinha Saila, there is a camp that gives rigorous training to soldiers. A navy with more than a hundred ships has been readied in Gotavaya harbour in the south. The north coast is being watched by our warships masquerading as trade ships. Everything is progressing systematically. Efforts are on to forge alliances and to gather as many weapons as possible.’

  ‘I am assured of the support of the rebels of Kanthalur. I can also arrange for weapons from there. But I will have to travel for that, or I must join the band of Sinhalese spies.’

  ‘That is insane. I can’t be separated from you.’

  He looked askance at Devanayaki. She smiled provocatively. He understood what it meant. But he had to leave to resolve some problems that had arisen at the gambling tables.

  The games ended when the sun set. The city of dreams received more than ten thousand gold coins as profit that night. Mahinda felt happy that the day of Devanayaki’s arrival had brought such rich gains. He gifted Devanayaki a thousand gold coins. When she asked, ‘Why should I accept money stained with sin?’ Mahinda replied, ‘These are the wages for the sin you committed yesterday. Accept it with joy.’ Both of them laughed.

  Soon, the lamps were lit. Bathed in the glow, the city of dreams resembled paradise. Music, dance and celebrations filled the palace. Beauties floated around like angels. Among them were young children who were barely eight or ten years old. Nobody spared an opportunity to hug or kiss one another. Some retreated into the corners with their partners. There were no skirmishes because everyone had chosen their partners earlier. As Devanayaki sauntered along with Mahinda, a woman from Kedar asked her, ‘How did you get the beauty of a nymph with such a voluptuous body?’

  ‘There is only one way. Your parents have to be like this.’

  She laughed and ran away.

  When they reached the main hall, people demanded that Devanayaki should dance and sing. She refused, saying that she didn’t know songs suitable for such occasions. Yielding to Mahinda’s insistence though, she sang ‘Margazhi’. But once she started singing, she forgot her surroundings and started to dance. The city of dreams stood wonderstruck. The audience applauded. Ignoring the calls for more, she went back to Mahinda.

  ‘I have heard you sing. But I never knew you danced so well.’

  ‘Th
is is the first time I’ve sung “Margazhi” after giving up Padmanabha for Padmasambhava. I was afraid of missing a step. But because it was before the man I adore, it was all right. It has been proven that there is no great difference between Padmanabha and Padmasambhava.’

  As Mahinda lovingly pulled her towards him, she could see a man greedily kissing an eight-year-old girl. He held her mouth close even as she struggled to escape. Devanayaki remembered Kuveni. ‘Why are small children being tortured?’ she asked Mahinda. He replied that it was usual here. Her eyes filled with tears.

  They returned to the palace soon after. Without waiting for any rituals, Mahinda burst upon her like a storm. After some initial hesitation, she expertly made her next move.

  ‘Your Highness, new weapons are needed to win wars. As the enemy stands helpless before such weapons, other segments of the army can exploit the opportunity and advance. The Chinese have such weapons with them. They have started selling them at high prices. Do you have any Chinese merchants among your guests?’

  Mahinda listened attentively to her advice. He felt bad because he hadn’t thought of it before. There were many Chinese weapons traders among the guests.

  ‘Shailendran from Kedar is their agent. We will speak to them.’