Arjun gave Maya an enquiring look. ‘You said you knew how to get in.’
They had walked all the way from the Gurukul, through the national park, vaulted over the locked gate of the park and then trudged down the narrow road, past the sleeping village, until they had reached the Pandava falls. They were now in front of the grey cliff face where Arjun had stood with his mother and uncle just a week ago, at the very spot where they had entered the valley of the Gandharvas.
‘I do,’ Maya said bravely, sounding more confident than she felt. ‘I know the mantra that will do the trick.’
Agastya looked startled as he heard her words. He immediately shook his head. ‘It won’t work.’
‘It will.’ Deep in her heart, Maya hoped against hope that it would. It was one of the mantras she had come across in her father’s diary. ‘Why are you so sceptical anyway?’ she snapped at Agastya.
Agastya threw up his hands and, ignoring her question, looked accusingly at Arjun. ‘You didn’t tell us this was part of the plan. I thought you had a way to get in. If I had known earlier that you were depending on a novice using the Gandharvalok mantra to get us in, I would have saved us all the trouble. That is, if the mantra she knows really is the one that can open the entrance to the land of the Gandharvas. But knowing the mantra isn’t enough; none of us have been trained to use it. How do you expect it to work?’
‘Well, you can go back,’ Maya said sharply. ‘I didn’t ask any of you to come along.’
‘Okay, okay,’ Arjun interjected. ‘Let’s all keep calm and give it a try, shall we? Maya, why don’t you go ahead?’
Agastya shrugged indifferently.
‘Gandharva krpaya vishto!’ Maya intoned in a low voice.
Even as she spoke the words, the other five felt something in the darkness swirl around them as goose bumps ran up their arms. Something did seem to be happening. But what was it?
Maya finished and looked at the cliff face. Nothing seemed to have changed. Nothing appeared to have happened.
She was disappointed. Had the mantra not worked after all?
Agastya snorted. ‘I’m telling you . . .’ He broke off as Arjun extended his hand towards the rock face, and into the rock.
‘It worked!’ Arjun’s face shone in the light thrown off by the ball of light that Agastya had created.
A sense of elation gripped Maya. This was just further proof that whatever was in her father’s diary was important. Until now, she had not been very confident of her plan to visit the Gandharvas, especially since the Mahamati Council had refused to entertain the possibility of asking them for help. But now, she knew that her instincts had been correct. Surely there was something that the Gandharvas would know.
‘I don’t believe it.’ Agastya’s bewilderment showed on his face. ‘It isn’t possible. You are a novice. You can’t even create a ball of light! How on earth did you . . . ?’ Words failed him and he shook his head again, this time in disbelief.
‘Good work, Maya,’ Arjun beamed at her. He turned to Agastya. ‘Ags, will your lamp follow us through the rock?’
‘No. The Gandharva valley is on another plane. We are stepping through a portal that will take us out of Bhu-lok and into Gandharva-lok .’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Maya said, suddenly. ‘It isn’t night time on the other side of the rock.’
‘How do you know?’ Adira wondered.
‘I am not sure but I . . . I just know.’ Maya was as surprised as the others at her own words. She couldn’t explain it, but she almost felt the warm sunshine of the Gandharva valley on her skin.
‘Arjun gestured to the others. ‘Follow me. Let’s find out.’
Maya watched as Arjun walked through the rock, followed by Adira, Tanveer, and Varun. As Agastya passed her, she saw wonder and confusion in his eyes. She understood his bewilderment. The way the Gurukul functioned was simple. The children who came to study there had some power or the other but not the ability to use these effectively. It was only through careful training at the Gurukul, under the watchful eyes of the Mahamatis , that each student learned their powers, understood their strengths and developed their ability to use their powers to the maximum. This process took years. Even Arjun, she knew, had trained for the last six years with Virendra, even though he had not known at that time what he was being prepared for.
It was natural, therefore, for Agastya to expect that Maya, who had not even been officially accepted into the Gurukul as a novice, should not be able to use the mantras, especially the ones as powerful as this. Her lack of experience and expertise had been clearly demonstrated in her failure to do something as simple as create a ball of light by using mantras to manipulate matter. Opening a portal to another world was on a vastly different scale and a much higher level.
As Agastya disappeared within the rock, Maya followed, not quite relishing the feeling of fluid rock flowing around her body, touching her without quite providing the sensation of touch.
She emerged from the rock into blinding sunshine and a brilliant, azure sky, just as she had predicted when she was on the other side of the portal.
And froze in her tracks.
The four young Kshatriyas stood, weapons in hand, along with Agastya, in defensive postures. Surrounding them on three sides, were Gandharvas, armed to the teeth and brandishing their weapons.
It seemed that the six youngsters were intruding and the Gandharvas weren’t too happy about it.
Chapter Sixty-six
Audience with Visvavasu
The Gandharva Valley
Visvavasu glared at the four boys and two girls who stood before him. His face was grim.
When the Gandharva guards had accosted the group from the Gurukul, Arjun had demanded to see Visvavasu. Whether it was in response to that demand or a matter of protocol, they had been brought into Visvavasu’s presence immediately, after being marched through the valley as prisoners of the guards.
They now stood in the great hall where Arjun had first met the Gandharva king.
‘How dare you!’ Visvavasu thundered. ‘Entry into our world is possible only with our permission.’ He looked at Arjun. ‘When you came here earlier, your uncle had sent word to us that he wished to see us and consult with us. We agreed because Kanak is an old friend. Your father, Rudra, was also a dear friend. But even they would not enter our world without our permission. But what you have done today . . .’ He stopped and fixed the group before him with a steely eye.
‘How did you activate the portal?’ he demanded. ‘Who taught you the mantra? Who, at the Gurukul, is responsible for this intrusion? ‘
‘No one taught us the mantra,’ Arjun sounded defiant. He was rebellious by nature and Visvavasu’s proclamation of rules that were not meant to be broken had stirred his naturally defiant spirit. ‘No one at the Gurukul even knows we are here.’
Visvavasu glared at him. ‘That is not possible. A Gandharva spell protects the portal. No human can break the spell without the mantra. Especially not children. Only one of the Maharishis at the Gurukul would be capable of this.’
‘But I’m telling you the truth,’ Arjun insisted, his voice quiet but firm. ‘We came on our own. And we used the mantra without anyone from the Gurukul teaching it to us. I am the scion of Yayati. I would not lie about this. We come with a purpose that is all our own.’
A thoughtful look crossed the Gandharva king’s face. He surveyed the group, looking carefully at each of the faces before him.
Agastya’s face was white with fear. Varun and Tanveer were visibly nervous, trying to hide their trembling hands behind their backs. Adira fidgeted and Maya’s face betrayed her apprehension — it was she who had brought them here, after all. Only Arjun seemed calm — he had been in the presence of the Gandharvas before and he held Visvavasu’s gaze as it settled on him. The other five seemed overawed to be in the presence of beings they had only heard or read about. Everything they knew about the Gandharvas indicated that the demi-gods, while friendly in general, made terrible enemies
and were ruthless when disturbed. Even the Pandavas had not been spared their wrath on more than one occasion.
‘If I am to believe you,’ Visvavasu said finally, ‘I must know where you obtained the mantra from. It is not something that is freely shared. Only a select few have access to it. Someone must have given it to you. Who was it?’
Arjun was silent. He didn’t want to expose Maya. There was no telling what retribution the Gandharva king would bring upon her for this intrusion.
Visvavasu took his silence to mean a reluctance to tell the truth about who was behind their visit. His face grew dark.
‘I don’t care about your lineage, boy,’ he snarled at Arjun. ‘If you do not reveal who is behind this transgression . . .’
‘It was me,’ an urgent voice spoke up. Maya couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped forward, her face pale, her voice tremulous. ‘Our visit to your valley was planned by me. It was my idea. I was the one who wanted to come here. They only accompanied me out of concern for my safety. If you have to hold someone responsible, it is I.’
Visvavasu was clearly taken aback. His face registered his surprise. Then, he frowned. ‘What trick is this, now? Out with the truth, I have no time for games. You are only testing my patience!’
Maya’s voice shook with emotion and fear as she responded. She had never spoken to a king before, let alone a Gandharva king. ‘My name is Maya. I am the daughter of . . .’ she hesitated for a moment. If her father had truly been a great Maharishi, as everyone had told her, the Gandharva king would have heard of him. But what if he had not?
‘I am the daughter of Maharishi Dhruv,’ Maya completed her introduction.
She saw recognition in Visvavasu’s face and continued hurriedly, trying to get in her explanation before the king could take off again. ‘My father was killed by Shukracharya, a week ago, and I was brought to the Gurukul, after having escaped from Shukra. Before I fled, my father had asked me to take his diary with me. It contained his notes. I learned the mantra to enter your valley from this diary.’
There was silence when she finished. Visvavasu studied her face as he considered her explanation. Varun, Adira, Tanveer and Agastya looked at each other, plainly surprised. They had not known Maya’s background or what had led to her arrival in the Gurukul. All that they, and the other students at the Gurukul, had been told was that Maya was a friend of Arjun’s and she had accompanied him in his flight from Delhi.
‘So,’ Visvavasu said finally, ‘you are the daughter of Dhruv.’
Maya caught the emphasis but didn’t understand what it meant.
‘Let’s say I believe your story,’ Visvavasu continued. ‘There are still unanswered questions. Let’s start with this one. How were you able to recite the mantra correctly and access the entrance to our valley?’
‘I don’t know,’ Maya admitted, truthfully.
‘You do know that it takes a high level of yogic power to open the portal?’ There was curiosity in the Gandharva king’s eyes now.
‘Y-yes,’ Maya stammered. ‘I really don’t know how I did it, but I just had a feeling that I would be able to.’
‘Hmmm.’ Visvavasu pondered her reply. ‘And how were you so confident that you could gain access to our world using a mantra that you have not been trained to use, if I am to believe you?’
‘I-I don’t know,’ Maya’s voice grew stronger as she realized that the king was partially convinced by her explanation. ‘I guess I just thought it was a simple enough mantra. I’ve been pretty good at my lessons so far. Even Mahamati Jignesh has complimented me on my ability to pick up mantras and recite them well.’
Visvavasu’s eyes did not leave Maya’s face. He continued to study her as he spoke. ‘And why did you want to come here? What did you hope to accomplish?’
Maya’s hopes rose. Finally, she was going to get her chance to ask the question she had wanted to get an answer to, ever since she got here.
Chapter Sixty-seven
More on Brahmabhasha
The Gandharva Valley
Visvavasu was incredulous. ‘You want help to read Brahmabhasha ?’
‘Yes,’ Maya affirmed. ‘There are several entries in my father’s diary in an unfamiliar language. The Mahamatis believe it is Brahmabhasha . I thought the Gandharvas would know more about it than us.’
‘Where is this diary?’
Maya reached into the folds of her white robes and pulled out the diary, placing it in Visvavasu’s outstretched hand.
Silence reigned as the Gandharva king flipped through the pages of the notebook.
Finally, he looked up.
‘Come with me.’ Visvavasu gestured to Maya to follow him, then addressed the others. ‘Wait here for us.’
Visvavasu took Maya inside the chamber where he had met with Arjun and his folks a week ago. The Gandharva king took the gilded chair at the head of the long wooden table that occupied the centre of the room and gestured to Maya to sit in the chair to his right.
Maya sat down, wondering what was going to happen next.
For a few moments, the king said nothing, but stared into the distance, collecting his thoughts.
Maya waited. She didn’t know why she had been singled out from the group. It should have been clear to Visvavasu that Arjun was their leader. And he had also been pre-ordained to lead the fight against Shukra, as Yayati’s heir.
‘I wouldn’t have believed it,’ the Gandharva king said at length, ‘if you hadn’t been able to enter our world so easily, and if you had not mentioned Brahmabhasha . And you are the daughter of Dhruv — of a Maharishi — wielding powers that even I cannot understand. When I first heard that they were bringing you to the Gurukul, I was surprised. Sadhs are not permitted access to the Gurukul. And everyone who knew Dhruv knew that you are a sadh, or else you would have been enrolled in a Gurukul many years ago. But if you were able, without training, to recite a mantra as powerful as the one that guards the doors to our world, then I have to admit that we were wrong about you. Yet, how could everyone have made such a grievous error? To overlook a power like yours?’
‘I don’t really have that kind of power,’ Maya said slowly, a little embarrassed. Visvavasu was overestimating her abilities. ‘Truthfully, I have no idea how or why the mantra worked, when I can barely use any but the simplest mantras to achieve anything,’ she said, thinking about the mantra that Agastya had taught her in the forest and her failure to create even a small ball of light. ‘Perhaps it was a fluke,’ she concluded.
Visvavasu shook his head. ‘Nothing in this world happens by chance. There is no such thing as luck. Only karma. You create your luck by your own actions, both in this life and your previous life. But it is not my intention to give you a lecture on karma.’ He looked at her. ‘Have you heard of the prophecy?’
Maya shook her head.
‘So they haven’t told you.’ Visvavasu’s brow furrowed with thought. After a few moments, he continued. ‘Well, I will. When the Saptarishis commanded Shukra to desist from his plan to open up the gates to the netherworlds, 5,000 years ago, they also created a prophecy. At least some people believe it was a prophecy. Others believe it was a set of instructions on how to stop Shukra if he ever disregarded the Saptarishis and made another attempt to unleash the inhabitants of the netherworlds onto Bhu-lok . It was divided into three parts and hidden away in different places. It is believed that one part of the prophecy was kept in Bhu-lok — your world; another part was hidden in Devalok; and the third piece was hidden in Gandharvalok .’
‘Why was it divided into three parts and hidden away?’ Maya wondered.
‘Because the Saptarishis wanted to ensure that Shukra never got his hands on it. They never quite trusted him. They believed he might risk another attempt, especially in Kaliyuga when the Devas and the Saptarishis would not be around to stop him. If Shukra knew what the prophecy contained, then he would ensure that all the assumptions that the prophecy was based on, would never become reality.’
Maya’s
eyes widened. ‘And the prophecy mentions Arjun. Is that why everyone believes that Shukra wants to kill him?’
Visvavasu nodded. ‘The first part of the prophecy was guarded by the Sangha. Somehow — and no one has ever found out how — Shukra got to know what it contained. The prophecy itself doesn’t mention Arjun by name. But it does mention two very specific details that clearly point to Arjun as being the One who will be responsible for defeating Shukra. First, the prophecy says that it is Yayati’s heir who is the One. Second, the details of the birth of Yayati’s heir exactly match the circumstances of Arjun’s birth. It is not difficult to believe that a powerful Rishi like Shukra, too, would have put two and two together and identified Arjun as the One.
He paused, before resuming. ‘But it is not that part of the prophecy that I wanted to tell you about today. It is the part that is hidden in our world — the second part of the prophecy. Fortunately, that has remained concealed and undiscovered by Shukra but I have heard that it contains a few elements that I always believed to be impossible. Quite frankly, I never believed in the prophecy. Until today.’
Maya waited for him to tell her what had made him change his views. She could guess that it was for this purpose that he had brought her into this chamber, though it still didn’t explain why he had singled her out.
‘You see,’ Visvavasu leaned forward and looked her in the eye, ‘the prophecy mentions some of the weapons that will be used against Shukra. And it also talks about an ancient tongue rising again and revealing secrets.’
Maya understood. ‘Brahmabhasha !’
‘Exactly. I always scoffed at the idea of Brahmabhasha returning. With the Devas locked away in their own world it just didn’t seem likely. Yet, here you are today, carrying a notebook which has inscriptions in that ancient tongue.’
‘You mean that the verses that I cannot read in the diary are really in Brahmabhasha ?’
‘Yes. We Gandharvas cannot read the language, but we do recognize the words.’
Maya despaired. ‘If the prophecy says Brahmabhasha will reveal secrets, then there must be some way of deciphering the inscriptions!’
Son of Bhrigu Page 23
