The Rigveda Code

by Rashmi Chendvankar

  The King was left alone in the chamber with the Queen. He moved close to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It is wonderful to see you smile, Bhairavi… Alas, we do not see this sunshine often in Vrij! I guess it is meant for the blessed land of Kosal! We will leave for Kosal after a week…” the King said. Bhairavi smiled again. “You seem to be very happy!” the King remarked. Though Bhairavi had mellowed down after the good advice of Baijaamaa, she was still aloof at heart from Vrajesh. But she tried her best to remain cordial. She flashed another smile at her husband.

  “I am really happy, Your Highness. It’s been long since I have seen my parents. There are so many arrangements to make…. I need to meet Baijaamaa immediately… And yes – I also need to personally oversee Your Highness’ travel arrangements…. Can I take your leave, Your Highness?” Bhairavi cleverly excused herself from her husband’s grip. The King sighed and looked towards his wife, as she slowly walked out of the chamber. “She is still as graceful as she was, when she came to Vrij as a newlywed bride!” he thought to himself.

  *****

  “You will have to delay you expedition plans Commander!” Vrajesh said. “I agree, Your Highness! I cannot leave Vaishali when you are away in Sravasti!” Vajrasen reverently replied. It was indeed a welcome relief for his battle-torn army. “May the Almighty give him some prudence!” Vajrasen prayed under his breath as he saw the King move out of the chamber.

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  CHAPTER 3

  THE KINGDOM OF KOSAL

  Sravasti, the capital city of Kosal was no less than Vaishali in its splendor. As the caravan of the royal family of Vrij approached the gates of the city; Rikshavi, just awake from a nap, rubbed her eyes and gazed out at the beautifully carved high gate walls. A blue silk flag with the inscription of a shivlinga stood on the central wall. “That would be their royal flag!” thought Rikshavi, “But why is a shivlinga inscribed on the flag?” she wondered…

  As they entered, they saw three beautifully adorned elephants waiting for them, along with the royal entourage of Kosal. The trunks of the elephants were adorned with thin golden plates which had intricate carvings. There were golden canopies on the backs of all the elephants, which also had intricate carvings. The canopies had silk cushions to provide a comfortable seating.

  In one of the canopies, sat a handsome man with silver hair and a heavy moustache that curled on his cheeks. He wore a beautiful red pagdi on his head, which was studded with emeralds and diamonds. Rikshavi was amazed at the sight. She was especially amused at the cosy canopies atop all the elephants. “That is an Ambari”, her mother told her. “Look, your grandfather is coming towards us!” she pointed out to the handsome old man who had now got down from his elephant and was walking towards them. “Oh, so that is King Mahendra, the king of Kosal!” thought Rikshavi.

  King Mahendra had himself come to welcome his dear daughter and son-in-law. This was a unique gesture, not in line with the general protocol. “Welcome King Vrajesh!” he said. “Greetings Your Highness!” said King Vrajesh. He bowed before his father in law and touched his feet. Bhairavi followed. King Mahendra had tears in his eyes. He blessed the couple and hugged his daughter.

  “How are you, princess?” he asked her. Bhairavi tearily smiled at him. Her father still called her ‘princess’, even after eighteen years of her marriage. He was indeed a doting father. King Mahendra also greeted Baijaamaa, the trusted governess of his daughter. “How are you Baijaamaa?” he asked. In the meanwhile, Rikshavi scrambled between her parents and eagerly touched the feet of King Mahendra. “Oh! Who is this beautiful young lady?” he exclaimed and pulled Rikshavi’s cheeks. “Father, she is…..” Before Bhairavi could complete her words, King Mahendra laughed aloud. “I know Bhairavi! Isn’t this Rikshavi? What a beautiful young lady she has become! Sorry Bhairavi, I think I will now have to start calling Rikshavi my princess!” Rikshavi blushed and everyone laughed. She happily walked towards one of the elephants holding her grandfather’s hand and rode with him in the ambari. Her grandfather’s affection had warmed her heart. The rest of the royal family was also seated on the adorned elephants. The convoy proceeded to the magnificent royal palace of Kosal. Queen Chandrika, the queen of Kosal, was awaiting them at the palace with the traditional aarti. The royal family of Vrij was welcomed with red kum kum and rose petals. Fragrant rose water was sprinkled over them. Rikshavi was thoroughly enjoying the grand welcome. They were also greeted by Prince Indraneel, Bhairavi’s brother. The royal convoy was taken to their guest chambers.

  The Shashthi Poorthi, the completion of the sixtieth year of King Mahendra was celebrated with great pomp in the city of Sravasti. There were elaborate rituals; and various offerings were made to Gods for the long life of the King. Rikshavi was by her grandfather’s side all the time, basking in his affectionate attention. Her mother, Queen Bhairavi, also indulged in the pampering of her father’s house. After all, she and her husband were the guests of honour in the ceremony. The rituals and celebrations went on for seven days. The royal family of Vrij decided to stay for a few more days after that, before they left for Vrij.

  *****

  “Good move Bhairavi!” King Vrajesh exclaimed. “You are learning the game!” Vrajesh was playing chess with Bhairavi one leisurely afternoon in Sravasti. “You can be an excellent political advisor!” he added with a sly smile. Bhairavi remembered the bitter remarks she had made about the game and understood the sarcasm. “I am sorry for my remarks made earlier, Your Highness!” she said. “No dear… I am not referring to your remarks about this game… It appears that you have been lately advising your father…. and the advice was surely not about how to maintain good health in old age!” Bhairavi suddenly looked alarmed. She remembered her conversation with her father, when he had visited her a day before. “How do you know, Your Highness?” she asked. “Well, it seems that we happen to overhear each other’s critical conversations!” he said. The sarcasm was not lost on Bhairavi, but she ignored it. She had much graver concerns at the moment. “In fact, I wanted to take your advice on this, Your Highness!” she said. “Really?” Vrajesh caustically asked. “Enough of your sarcasm Vrajesh! I am extremely concerned about my father. And I want to talk to you about it!” Bhairavi exclaimed.

  King Vrajesh had tears in his eyes… Bhairavi had not addressed him by his name since years…. Perhaps her predicament made her seek a friend in him. Bhairavi did not realise that she had dropped her well guarded formality. She appeared to be disturbed. “Calm down Bhairavi” Vrajesh tenderly placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t trust Indraneel, Vrajesh...” she said. “I am worried for father”. “But I do not think that it is appropriate for you to intervene in the political matters of Kosal. We should leave it to the discretion of King Mahendra… If he wants to coronate Indraneel as the King, let him do it. He has become old and rightfully wants to lead a retired life!” Vrajesh tried to objectively reason with Bhairavi. But Bhairavi persisted …. “I am not sure how Indraneel will treat father, once he is coronated. He may start insulting him or may completely alienate him in his own kingdom. Do you remember your coronation, Vrajesh? You remained a humble son even after that. You revered your father and continued to take his good advice. He died a contented death.” Vrajesh sighed at the mention of his father… “Yes, but he unknowingly left behind a discontented daughter-in-law. I am suffering till date due to his words”

  Bhairavi sharply looked back at Vrajesh after hearing this. His eyes had brimmed with tears, but his face was red with resentment. Bhairavi had never seen Vrajesh like this before.

  “Vrajesh does not require the alliance of any kingdom, O Queen!” he thundered…. “My father wanted a peaceful kingdom. But he thought he could have peace through alliances and negotiations. I always had a different point of view. My kingdom would have peace, but that would be because other kingdoms would fear my might. They would not dare to dream of challenging me. And I have achieved this today! We have the most powerful military in the entire Bharatkh
anda, owing to our innovations in artillery. The knowledge of powerful weapons was lost after the Great War of Kurukshetra. But I will bring that knowledge back! One day, I will acquire the knowledge of the most powerful weapon on the earth! Vrij is poised to become the most powerful kingdom on this earth, Bhairavi! Kosal may well be happy to be allied with Vrij today!”

  Bhairavi was dumbstruck at her husband’s stance. She kept gazing at him. Vrajesh softly placed his hands on her arms and looked into her eyes. “I had fallen in love with you, Bhairavi. I had no interest in any alliance. I was awed by your beauty, grace and intelligence. I had fallen in love with a lovely princess who could wound a man with a weapon or simply with a sharp glance… You were the woman of my dreams… How could you ever believe that your husband would be a weak seeker of political alliances? I was not even a crowned prince then… In fact, because of this, I feared that your father would not approve of your choice when you garlanded me… In that moment when you garlanded me, I had made up my mind to abduct you, had your father disapproved…. That glorious moment had given me the strength to fight the entire world for you… But you have failed my love, Bhairavi… You easily believed that I had married you for a mere alliance with Kosal…”

  Bhairavi was moved to tears. She knew he was telling her the truth. She had seen it in his eyes. She could not fathom why destiny had not given them this moment earlier…. She could not understand why this moment had waited for so long to reveal itself… But she could clearly see the truth now in his teary eyes...… like a clear sky after heavy rains! She moved her gaze away. She couldn’t look into Vrajesh’s eyes anymore… She simply rested her head on his chest and held him tightly, as tears trickled down her cheeks…. She did not want to part with him ever now…..

  *****

  “I have not played enough with Rikshavi yet… I could not spend time with Bhairavi too – I was busy with all the rituals and celebrations….. I would really love to have them here for a few more days….” King Mahendra was requesting Vrajesh to wait for some more time. The royal family of Vrij had visited his chamber to take leave. “I need to go back to Vrij, Your Highness. But Queen Bhairavi and Princess Rikshavi can stay back for some more time.” Vrajesh replied. He looked at Bhairavi over his shoulder and winked. She smiled. “Thank you son!” King Mahendra said. He was elated…..

  Vrajesh left for Vrij the next day. He left behind more than half of his soldiers and his trusted general, Samarjit, with his Queen and Princess. Samarjit was a capable warrior and second – in – command to Vajrasen, the commander of the Vrij army. “Take care and come back soon” he said to Bhairavi as he bid goodbye. Bhairavi smiled. “You take care too, Your Highness!” she replied, rather playfully. The formal address did not bother Vrajesh this time. He knew his wife was simply teasing him. He wanted to reply, but he was with his entourage. He smiled and left. Bhairavi kept waving till she lost sight of the entourage…..

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  CHAPTER 4

  THE GREAT GURU OF ARCHERY

  Rikshavi was enjoying her stay at Kosal. She was being pampered by her grandparents. But after King Vrajesh left, Samarjit kept an active watch on her. Samarjit was actually instructed to guard Queen Bhairavi. Bhairavi, in turn, kept sending him on Rikshavi’s trail. Rikshavi was not very happy about being followed everywhere. But she had little choice. How could a lively girl like her remain quiet? Samarjit soon became a target of her inquisitiveness. She kept pestering him with different questions.

  “Why don’t we have elephants in Vaishali, Samarjitji?” she once asked, when they were wandering in one of the palace gardens. “They are slow animals, Your Highness. We prefer horses who are swift.” he replied. “But can’t we use the huge strength of elephants? Like charging at the enemy and breaking into their frontal attack? I have heard that elephants are very intelligent animals and can be trained well!”

  Samarjit did not reply. He was trying to be cordial, but he actually thought that such questions from a little girl were unwarranted. “Why don’t you go and play with your doll, Your Highness? You will get tired soon by walking so much!” Samarjit tried to persuade Rikshavi to move indoors. “But I do not have a doll, Samarjitji!” Rikshavi replied. “Oh, let us ask you grandfather to give you one”, said Samarjit. “Oh no! I am going to tell him to send some elephants to Vrij instead!” Rikshavi chuckled.

  To Samarjit’s relief, he saw King Mahendra walking towards them along with Bhairavi. “So you are here my princess! I have been looking for you in the palace!” King Mahendra exclaimed. Rikshavi ran towards him and gave him a short hug. “Grandpa! Will you send some elephants to Vrij? We don’t seem to have them there!” she said. King Mahendra bowed a little low and said “Your wish is my command, my little princess!” Bhairavi smiled and happily watched them fondly talk to each other. “Rikshavi, you have been missing your archery practice all these days, young lady!” she said. “Yes Maa. I have got my bow and arrows with me. I have also got my dagger and spear. But where should I practice?” Rikshavi mockingly frowned at her mother.

  Samarjit was astonished with this conversation. To him, a princess learning archery was unheard of. King Mahendra lovingly held Rikshavi’s hand. “Come dear”, he said, “I’ll take you to the place where your mother practiced when she was in Kosal!” This was another surprise for Samarjit. “So Queen Bhairavi too has learnt archery!” he thought to himself. Soon, they were in a huge courtyard near the garden. An attendant was sent to fetch Rikshavi’s weapons which were kept with Baijaamaa. Rikshavi hit the bull’s eye with arrows and then with other weapons. King Mahendra was mighty pleased. “You have made me proud Rikshavi!” he said, “just like your mother made me proud with her archery skills!” “What should I reward you with, princess?” he asked. “May be another elephant!” Rikshavi giggled… “No dear, we are going to have a treat of kheer today!” King Mahendra exclaimed.

  Bhairavi knowingly smiled at her father. She knew that kheer was his favorite delicacy. Everyone proceeded towards the palace, with an amazed Samarjit in toe. Queen Chandrika happily arranged for kheer at lunch. “It would be so difficult for you to eat kheer, grandpa!” Rikshavi said, gazing at her grandfather’s face. “No dear… Why do you say so?” said King Mahendra, confused. “Won’t all the lentils and dry fruits get stuck in your moustache? Rikshavi innocently asked. “She has a point, Your Highness!” teased Queen Chandrika. Everybody had a hearty laugh….

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  “Where are we going Maa?” Rikshavi asked as she followed her mother through a winding path in a forest. Samarjit, as usual, followed them with a few soldiers. He was gradually getting used to the unusual ways of the Queen and the princess. The Queen kept walking without a reply, as if in a trance. They reached a place where Rikshavi saw mud houses, neatly arranged in a circle. It looked like a small colony amidst the forest. “That’s an Ashram”, her mother told her. Rikshavi followed her mother to one of the huts. They saw an old man with white hair which was neatly tied in a bun on the top of his head. He had a flowing white beard. He sat on a straw mat spread on bare ground, with eyes closed, as if in deep meditation. Rikshavi felt that the place was unusually quiet, though people seemed to be carrying on their daily chores as usual. They quietly sat in the hut, on a straw mattress.

  After a silent wait, the old man opened his eyes. Bhairavi got up and touched his feet. “Greetings Acharya!” she said. Rikshavi followed. “May God bless you children” the old man said. “This is my daughter, Rikshavi, Acharya! Rikshavi, this is Acharya Shashwat, my teacher”, said Bhairavi. Rikshavi looked at the serene old man with wide eyes. He smiled at her. His smile appeared to Rikshavi like tender morning sunlight. “I have been teaching archery to Rikshavi, Acharya. But I am not really a teacher. She would be blessed if she could obtain your guidance for a few days, till we are in Sravasti”, Bhairavi continued. “It would be my pleasure, Bhairavi”, said the old teacher, “I am sure she would be a dedicated student like you. Let us meet tomorrow at the third prahara!” The mother
and daughter reverentially touched the Acharya’s feet and left.

  Acharya Shashwat sat down on his straw mattress. A strange contentment had lit up his face. “She has come, O Lord!” he muttered with folded hands…. “I am fortunate to get this opportunity…. Give me the strength to fulfill my duties! Let your knowledge flow to her through me!”

  *****

  “You have done well by taking Rikshavi to Acharya Shashwat!” King Mahendra said to his daughter, “My kingdom is blessed to have him as our royal archery teacher. “Yes, father!” Bhairavi replied, “He is one of the most revered gurus of archery in the entire Bharatkhanda… His talent not only surpasses geographical boundaries but also transcends the boundaries of time… He is said to be the equal of Acharya Drona, the teacher of the great archer Arjun…”

  King Mahendra smiled… “I would rather say that he is greater than Acharya Drona, my dear…” he commented, “He has no strain of vanity….”

  *****

  “She is a gifted archer Bhairavi!” Acharya Shashwat said to Bhairavi, as Rikshavi continued her practice. The Acharya saw that Rikshavi could intuitively hit the bull’s eye at varying distances and heights. “Yes Acharya, I know….” Bhairavi said. “She does not follow any technique, yet hits the bull’s eye. Her body intuitively positions itself towards the target. But I am not really convinced…. Will her intuition keep guiding her? What is your advice Acharya?” Bhairavi asked.