Published by Jaico Publishing House
A-2 Jash Chambers, 7-A Sir Phirozshah Mehta Road
Fort, Mumbai - 400 001
[email protected]
www.jaicobooks.com
© Shatrujeet Nath
VIKRAMADITYA VEERGATHA: BOOK 2
THE CONSPIRACY AT MERU
ISBN 978-81-8495-887-4
First Jaico Impression: 2016
Fourth Jaico Impression (New Cover): 2021
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
To old friends
Manoj, Viji, Hari, PK, Raja,
Santhosh, Shankar, Suresh & Paul.
May we always stay one step ahead of our sins.
Index of Major Characters
(In alphabetical order)
Humans
The Kingdom of Avanti
Aatreya merchant of Malawa
Amara Simha councilor of Avanti
Angamitra captain of the samsaptakas
Aparupa girl in Udaypuri
Atulyateja garrison commander of Udaypuri
Brichcha father of Shanku
Chirayu lackey to Governor Satyaveda
Dhanavantri councilor of Avanti and royal physician
Ghatakarpara councilor of Avanti; nephew of
Vikramaditya and Vararuchi
Kalidasa councilor of Avanti
Keeri Warden of the Stables
Kshapanaka councilor of Avanti; sister of queen
Vishakha
Kunjala physician at Avanti's palace
Mahendraditya late king of Avanti; father of
Vikramaditya, Vararuchi and Pralupi
Mother Oracle Shanku's grandmother; head of the
Wandering Tribe
Pralupi sister of Vikramaditya; Ghatakarpara's
mother
Satyaveda governor of Malawa province
Shanku councilor of Avanti; granddaughter of the
Mother Oracle
Udayasanga samsaptaka warrior of Avanti
Upashruti mother of Vikramaditya and Pralupi;
second wife of Mahendraditya
Ushantha mother of Vararuchi; first wife of
Mahendraditya
Varahamihira councilor of Avanti
Vararuchi councilor of Avanti; half-brother of
Vikramaditya
Vetala Bhatta chief councilor of Avanti; royal tutor
Vikramaditya king of Avanti
Vishakha wife of Vikramaditya; Kshapanaka's sister
The Kingdom of Magadha
Asmabindu councilor of Magadha
Bhaskara councilor of Magadha
Daipayana general of the Magadhan army
Diganta councilor of Magadha
Kapila second son of late king Siddhasena
Shoorasena king of Magadha; elder son of late king
Siddhasena
Siddhasena late king of Magadha
Uttama councilor of Magadha
The Kingdom of Vatsa
Chandravardhan king of Vatsa; ally of Avanti
Himavardhan brother of Chandravardhan; father of Ghatakarpara
Shashivardhan son of Chandravardhan
Yashobhavi councilor of Vatsa
The Kingdom of Kosala
Bhoomipala king of Kosala; ally of Avanti
Gajaketu travelling musician
Pallavan envoy and councilor of Kosala
The Kingdom of Heheya
Harihara king of Heheya; ally of Avanti
Rukma daughter of Harihara
Sumayanti queen of Heheya
The Kingdom of Matsya
Baanahasta king of Matsya; ally of Avanti
The Anarta Federation
Manidhara chieftain of the Anarta Federation
Yugandhara chief of the Anarta Federation; ally of Avanti
The Republic of Vanga
Sudasan chancellor of the Republic of Vanga
Devas
Agneyi apsara and chief of the fire-wraiths
Brihaspati royal chaplain of the devas
Dasra captain of the Ashvins; twin brother of Nasatya
Gandharvasena a deva
Indra lord of the devas; king of Devaloka
Jayanta son of Indra
Manyu palace keeper of Devaloka
Menaka apsara of Devaloka
Narada envoy of Devaloka and advisor to Indra
Nasatya captain of the Ashvins; twin brother of
Dasra
Shachi wife of Indra; Jayanta's mother
The Ashvins elite cavalry of Devaloka, led by Nasatya
and Dasra
The Maruts the seven sons of Diti
Urvashi apsara of Devaloka and mistress of Indra
Asuras
Amarka asura general; son of Shukracharya
Andhaka the blind rakshasa
Chandasura asura general; son of Shukracharya
Diti sorceress and matriarch of the asuras
Hiranyaksha lord of the asuras; king of Patala
Holika sister-consort of Hiranyaksha; witch queen of Patala
Shukracharya high priest of the asuras
Veeshada the asura who stole the Halahala
Others
Ahi the serpent-dragon
Kubera lord of the yakshas
Shiva the Omniscient One
Tribhanu lord of the kinnaras
Glossary of Indian Terms
(In alphabetical order)
aguru oil of agarwood
agnikantaka a fire catapult or flamethrower
apsara a beautiful, supernatural female being in Hindu mythology
ashoka a rain-forest tree
babul prickly acacia
badi-maa elder mother; a form of address
chaturanga an ancient Indian strategy game; ancestor of chess
chausar an ancient Indian board game; precursor to Ludo
chillum tradition Indian clay pipe
danava a mythical race
Dasa-Mahavidyas Wisdom goddesses; the ten aspects of the Divine Mother Kali
devadaru a species of cedar
ganjika cannabis
garuda a large, mythical, humanoid bird
ghat steps leading down to a body of water such as a holy river
gurudev master or teacher; also a form of address
jamun black plum; Java plum
kalasha a traditional Indian metal pot
kamandalam a traditional Indian water pot
kashayam a brewed Ayurvedic medicine
katari a fist dagger
kimpurusha a legendary tribe in Vedic India
kinnara a legendary tribe in Vedic India
ksheera traditional Indian rice pudding
mahaguru grandmaster or teacher; also a form of address
mahisha buffalo
mandala a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism representing the universe
modaka a sweet dumpling
mriga deer
naga a legendary tribe in Vedic India
narilata a mythical orchid
neem a tree common in India
paduka traditional Indian sandals
parijata coral jasmine
peepal the sacred fig tree
pishacha a mythical flesh-eating demon
pranaam salutation
rajasuya yajna ritual sacrifice performed by ancient Indian kings before being anointed emperor
raj-guru royal tutor; also a form of address
rakshasa a mythical humanoid being
sambrani a balsamic resin used as incense
samrat
emperor or overlord
samsaptaka a tribe of mythical warriors
shrikhand a sweet dish made from yogurt
soma Vedic ritual drink
suvarnaka golden shower tree
tambulam paan; a betel leaf and areca nut preparation
urumi a longsword with a flexible whip-like blade
vaidyanath physician; also an honorific and form of address
vajra / vajrayudha thunderbolt; Indra's weapon of choice
vyala a mythical beast
yaksha a mythical spirit
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Index of Major Characters
Glossary of Indian Terms
Smoke
Messages
Promise
Gift
Sisters
Vyala
Butterflies
Amaravati
Brothers
Kubera
Proposal
Visions
Dvarka
Udayasanga
Fleet
Ahi
Yaksha
Man-Lion
Meadow
Aparupa
Alliances
Truce
Meru
Horseman
Gandharvasena
Smoke
He is staggering through the smoke, hardly able to breathe, barely alive.
The smoke is everywhere. Swathes and swathes of it, pressing in on him, crowding him out. Obscuring the sky above, fuzzing out the ground below. Smarting in his eyes. Catching in his throat. Corroding his nostrils. Looking for ways to snuff him out.
Hot. Pungent. Filled with the smell of burning wood. And the reek of charred flesh.
Something tells him he should never have been here. That he should have made off when he had the chance to. But that doesn’t matter now. He is here, in the smoke. So he pushes on, gagging and choking, blind in the smother of grey-white. Blind, but not deaf.
A woman’s scream, shrill and fraught with fear, rips through the smoke. But it is silenced almost immediately by another sound, softer but more ominous –the ka-chunk of a battle-axe coming in contact with flesh and bone.
The acrid fumes get the better of him and he sinks to his knees, his skin grazing on the flinty gravel underneath. He sways uncertainly for a moment, one part of him wanting to give in to the smoke’s embrace. But there’s another, more defiant part that wants to go on. This is the part that had wanted to know – needed to know – what was happening; that had led him into the fire and smoke and prevented him from fleeing.
Snorting and coughing, he wills himself to crawl forward on all fours.
The screams have been dying down around him slowly. Even the tumult of running feet has receded, though he senses someone issuing commands far away. He presses on, dragging himself over ground that is slick with blood in places. There is an instance where his groping hand grabs something cold and fleshy – a man’s arm, severed from the shoulder down, the blood still glutinous and congealing around the open mangle of tissue and bone. His stomach heaves and pitches, but fighting the nausea back, he pushes on.
He emerges from the smoke onto a broad, muddy pathway. The pathway isn’t entirely free of smoke, but it is a big improvement on the place he has just exited. Rising on wobbly legs, he stands in the middle of the road, bent at the waist, gulping in large mouthfuls of air. Every breath is a struggle, his stomach knotted tight with anxiety. Tears run freely down his cheeks.
Taking slow, shallow breaths, he wipes his watering eyes, rubs the spittle and snot off his mouth and chin, and surveys his surroundings.
The road is deserted, curving away to his left into a wood. To his right, it rises toward an embankment shrouded in shifting wisps of smoke. From beyond the embankment comes a faded murmur of voices.
He pauses, listening. There is a sudden change in the direction of the wind, and he hears more agonized screaming from the direction of the embankment.
Clinging to the shoulder of the pathway, just outside the reach of the pall of smoke, he steals toward the embankment.
Almost at the top, he drops to a crouch, then goes down on his stomach, slithering the rest of the way to peek cautiously over the lip into the crater-like depression beneath.
Through the drifts of smoke, he sees half a dozen buildings in this small, basin-shaped valley. Save for one, all are in flames. Soldiers wielding spears are herding four manacled figures into the one untouched building – a granary. Though he can’t make them out clearly, three of the captives are women, wailing and pleading for mercy. The fourth, a man, appears to have lost the faculty of speech altogether.
Closer to the embankment, a man sits astride a horse, observing the soldiers. The horseman has his back to the embankment, his face concealed from view. But there is something vaguely familiar about his build, the way he sits on his saddle, the slight slouch of his left shoulder…
The soldiers shove their terrified prisoners into the granary, slamming the door shut behind them, locking them in. At a sign from the horseman, one soldier takes a burning torch and sets the granary alight.
Lying atop the embankment, watching the granary catch fire and burn, his throat parched with fear, he no longer needs to know what is happening.
He knows.
He has seen enough. It is time to make an escape before he is detected.
A sudden shout echoes behind him, followed by more shouts and curses, and the pounding of feet on earth.
It is too late. He has already been found. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Too petrified to move, capture and death now inevitable, he stares wild-eyed into the depression as the heavy thud of approaching feet draws near. He stares at the horseman, a phantom of a figure in the softly swirling smoke.
Drawn by the shouts and cries, the horseman is turning his head, glancing over his shoulder, in the direction of the embankment. And again, something about the man – the fall of his jet-black locks, the shape of the uncovered head, the set of the shoulders, casual and self-assured– stirs a memory, remote and elusive, yet tantalizing in its persistence.
He has to know who the rider is.
With a rising chill of anticipation, he waits for the horseman to turn around and face him…
Messages
It had been another long and cheerless day for the ten-odd men employed at Ujjayini’s cremation ground. For five days at a stretch, they had been piling logs, building pyres and laying the dead to rest, before clearing the debris of old pyres to set up fresh ones. It was hard, backbreaking work, and it stirred uncomfortable memories of a time in the not-so-distant past, when the savages from the Marusthali had held sway over Sindhuvarta, and the pyres of Avanti’s dead had burned for months on end. So, at the close of each day, the groundskeepers had borne their fatigued, soot-stained bodies homeward in the hope that that day was the last. That on the next, there would be no more boats ferrying corpses from Ujjayini across the Kshipra.
Yet the dead from the three attacks on their kingdom kept coming, bringing a trail of mourners in tow, many as dead in spirit as the ones they had come to bid farewell to. By the third day, the men had stopped keeping count of the bodies they helped dispose of. They simply went about their task, maintaining stoic expressions in the face of all the misery around them.
The nature of their work being what it was, it was hardly a surprise that the men failed to notice the stocky figure of Shukracharya make a surreptitious appearance at the cremation ground on the fifth evening. The high priest of the asuras arrived a little before sundown, but instead of revealing himself straightaway, he lurked around the brambly woods bordering the ground, watching the weary, dispirited attendants finish up for the day.
It was only after the sun had dipped under the horizon - and the ground was almost empty of mourners - that he stepped into the open, moving tentatively, his keen eye sweeping right and left, ensuring he had the place to himself. Even then, he waite
d until the last three attendants began their trudge back home, before venturing amidst the smouldering pyres, their grey smoke smudging the orange-pink sunset like the manifestation of an ugly curse.
Threading between the pyres, Shukracharya made for his destination – the lone banyan tree that stood in the middle of the cremation ground. It was tall and leafy, but young in years. Its aerial roots were still forming around its trunk, most of them stringy clusters no thicker than a grown man’s wrist, swaying in the light breeze. But the tree had majesty. More than majesty, it had the promise of growing into a fine old specimen – a giant, grandfather of a banyan.
For Shukracharya, though, the tree held a different sort of promise.
There was scarcely a moment during the last four days when the tree wasn’t uppermost in the high priest’s mind. He had been desperate for this trip, but the casualties from the Maruts’ attack had kept him in Ujjayini – his services had been much in demand, summons and pleas to attend to the wounded coming from homes and hospices in every quarter of the city. Eventually, to ease the burden on the Healer, the samrat had had a makeshift hospice erected on the palace grounds, where the maimed could be brought for treatment.
This, however, had proved an even bigger impediment to Shukracharya’s plans, tethering him to the precincts of the palace. But to neglect Ujjayini’s citizenry at this stage would have meant having his motives questioned, an ill-advised move. So the deva had endured the delay, dispensing care, biding his time.
Even when there were no wounded to tend to, he was compelled to stay back in the palace to monitor Queen Vishakha’s progress, which could neatly be summed up in one word – remarkable!
On the second morning following the Maruts’ attack, the queen had demonstrated the ability to recollect more of her childhood in the kingdom of Nishada. By the same evening, she was able to piece together snatches of her more recent past, from the time she had first come to reside in the palace of Ujjayini. The next day, she had improved enough to recognize Kshapanaka and Queen Mother Upashruti as older versions of people she remembered vaguely – though she still couldn’t establish their relationships to one another or to herself. And hours later, she had limped out of her bedchamber for the first time in two years and hobbled along the palace galleries, staring inquisitively into some rooms, pointing with mild excitement at others that she recalled.
The Conspiracy at Meru Page 1