The Rigveda Code

by Rashmi Chendvankar

  Everyone except Acharya Birendra was taken aback by Daara’s words. Rikshavi looked at Acharya Birendra. “He is saying the truth, my dear!” Acharya Birendra affirmed. “Vasumna was extremely agitated when his father was imprisoned….” Daara continued, “He had seen the king’s officers forcefully take away their land. He then saw his father being taken as a prisoner. The entire family survived on the income of his grandfather, who worked as a gardener in the palace at Kaawar. They could hardly make ends meet. After Beedar was imprisoned, Vasumna’s grandfather succumbed to the difficult circumstances and passed away. His mother too gradually fell ill and passed away…. Vasumna faced all these hardships at a very young age…. His only solace was his archery, which he had learnt from me. Beedar was my friend. After the death of his family members, I took Vasumna to my house. He stays with me, but is generally away, practicing archery. Vasumna harbours hatred for the king, just like his father. He believes that the king is unjust and Kaawar requires a just ruler….”

  “But Taat did not order to take away their land….” Rikshavi tearfully defended her father. “It’s a big misunderstanding…” she added. “No my dear… Acharya Birendra calmly told her, “King Vrajesh himself had ordered the land to be seized…. Kaawar is a strategic location on the Magadhan border…. The King wanted to set up a secret military facility here…”

  Rikshavi could not believe her ears. “Surely, he did not mean to forcefully take their land…” she stammered.

  “May be you are right, Rikshavi…. the officers did not do their work well… they used unwarranted force and seized the land without any compensation….” Acharya Birendra consoled Rikshavi.

  “Vasumna is not completely wrong, Rikshavi. If Kaawar had its own ruler, we would not be subjected to such neglect and injustice….” Daara added.

  Rikshavi was dumbstruck. She turned pale and numb. Vikram gestured everyone to disperse. He held Rikshavi by her shoulders and turned to walk towards their home. Vrushasen, Amogh and Baijaamaa silently followed them…

  *****

  CHAPTER 16

  THE WORDS OF THE LORD

  It was dusk. Acharya Birendra entered the temple of Goddess Durga to light lamps. He was in a contemplative mood after the happenings of the day. As he entered, he noticed someone sitting in the garbhagriha of the temple. He went in to have a closer look. It was Princess Rikshavi! She was intently gazing at the idol of Goddess Durga. She did not notice Acharya Birendra.

  “What are you doing here at this hour, my child?” Acharya Birendra softly asked, placing a hand on Rikshavi’s shoulder. Rikshavi was startled. She looked back at Acharya Birendra. Her eyes were moist. “I am searching for answers, Acharya!” she said in a choked voice, “Answers for me, answers for Vasumna, answers for the entire kingdom of Vrij…. I am seeking guidance from the almighty Goddess Durga!”

  “Did you get any answer?” the Acharya smilingly asked. “No Acharya…. I just got this flower…” Rikshavi replied, as she showed him a lotus which had fallen down from the idol of the Goddess.

  Acharya Birendra looked ecstatic. He smilingly looked at the lotus in her hand. He had himself brought that lotus from the Kaawar lake in the morning and had offered it to the Goddess. “Then you have got your answer, my child!” he exclaimed. Rikshavi was puzzled. “Why do you say so Acharya? It’s merely a lotus!” she said. “It’s not merely a lotus my dear…. It is a sign…. It is an answer to my question, which I have been seeking since years…. And this answer will surely lead you to your answers… your destination….. the purpose of your life!” Acharya Birendra said in a choked voice.

  Rikshavi was thoroughly bewildered as she watched Acharya Birendra go to the backside of the garbhagriha, behind the idol of the Goddess. He turned a tiny knob in the backside wall and opened a small aperture. The wall was hollow on the other side. Acharya Birendra pulled out something wrapped in red silk. He carefully turned the knob and closed the cavity. He handed over that object wrapped in red silk to Rikshavi. “This is your answer, my child!” he told her. Rikshavi was intrigued. She unwrapped the red silk and was amazed to see a shiny circular metal plate. It was quite heavy and protruded towards the middle. It was probably made of bronze and had a lotus engraved on it. Rikshavi turned the plate and was amazed to see some verses engraved in Sanskrit on the other side…

  She quizzically looked at Acharya Birendra… “What is this Acharya? Where did you get it from?” she asked. Acharya Birendra sighed. “It’s a long story my child….

  “A few years ago, I got this plate from my friend Acharya Kanak when he was on his death bed. “I don’t know when I will depart from this world, my friend…” he said, “But I want to handover something very precious to a responsible person before I leave this world!” He got up and brought this metal plate to me. “Take care of this treasure...” he said, “it contains the words of the Lord….”

  “But aren’t these verses of the last hymn of the Rigveda?” Rikshavi asked, “Then which ‘Lord’ was Kanak talking about?”

  Acharya Birendra smiled. “So you have not forgotten your Sanskrit lessons, Princess!” he said, “You are right…. These are the verses of the last hymn of the Rigveda… But they have been reproduced on this metal plate as a message… a message of the Lord…”

  “Who…?” Rikshavi impatiently asked. “Lord Vasudev Krishna!” Acharya Birendra replied. Rikshavi was thrilled... “How is that possible?” she asked, “Lord Krishna departed from the world around three hundred years ago…”

  “Well… Acharya Birendra said, “I have no idea how this bronze plate passed to Acharya Kanak after three hundred years…. Legend says that this bronze plate was a message of Lord Krishna, meant for the Pandavs…. Acharya Kanak had preserved this plate and my destiny put me in possession of this treasure….”

  Rikshavi was amazed. She looked back at the shiny bronze plate and ran her fingers through its carvings. “The words of the Lord…” she murmured under her breath….. “But what message do these words imply, Acharya…. And what is the symbolic meaning of this lotus carving?” Rikshavi asked…

  Acharya Birendra serenely smiled. “That is for you to find out Rikshavi…” he said, “Lord Krishna was a great thinker… a great philosopher… his message to Yudhistir will certainly be the essence of his thoughts for an ideal king….” Acharya Birendra placed his hand on Rikshavi’s head as he got up. “An ideal king is a person who constantly thinks about his subjects…. who is moved by the sufferings of his people…. who strives for the welfare of his subjects…. I see these qualities in you, Rikshavi! You are the true owner of this precious bronze plate…. It has waited for three centuries to find you…. May Goddess Durga give you the strength to realize the vision of Lord Krishna….” Before Rikshavi could respond, Acharya Birendra turned and left the place… Rikshavi looked at the idol of Goddess Durga. She seemed to warmly smile at her…. Rikshavi closed her eyes and bowed her head. She came out and sat by the wall of the temple courtyard, holding the bronze plate. She tried to gaze hard and get a glimpse of the lake…. But it was getting dark…. She could only hear the gentle waves of the lake and see fading orange hues across the sky…..

  ******

  “Forgive me, Acharya Kanak! I had to lie to Rikshavi about you…” Acharya Birendra mumbled as he sat in his bed with folded hands, to say his night prayers. He clearly remembered that evening when his friend, Acharya Kanak had called upon him.

  “The legacy of the Lord is in great danger my friend!” Acharya Kanak said in a hushed voice… He removed the bronze plate wrapped in red silk and handed it over to Acharya Birendra. “It has to be preserved until it reaches its true claimant…. Take it away to a far away land….”

  Acharya Birendra had migrated to Kaawar along with the precious bronze plate. A few weeks later, he received news that Acharya Kanak had given up his life through deep yogic meditation…

  *****

  “The words of the Lord!” Vikram exclaimed as he gazed at the bronze plate. “What is
the hidden message in these words? And what does the lotus carving symbolise? What was Lord Krishna trying to convey to King Yudhistir?” Rikshavi impatiently asked. Vikram kept gazing at the bronze plate.

  “Vikram!” Rikshavi’s voice startled Vikram. “Even I do not know, Rikshavi….” he replied in halting words. “Think, Vikram! You are so knowledgeable, you have studied philosophy… I am sure you will be able to tell me!” Rikshavi urged him.

  Vikram smiled and softly placed a palm on Rikshavi’s cheek. “I have the knowledge, my dear…. But you have the quest… a quest which has led you to this precious bronze plate… The same quest will lead you to the true message of these words…. This is a message of a great philosopher and thinker… Only a person with a capability to assimilate his pain, his passion and his empathy can understand it…. You are destined to realise the vision of Lord Krishna, Rikshavi…. Your own heart will tell you the meaning of these words….” Rikshavi looked back at the bronze plate helplessly. The couple kept gazing at it as they again translated the Rigvedic verse in their mind…

  Assemble, speak together, let your minds be

  all of one accord, As ancient Gods unanimously sit

  down to their appointed share...

  The place is common, common the assembly, common the mind,

  so be your thought united.

  A common purpose I lay before you, to worship

  with your offerings…. One and the same be your resolve,

  and be your minds of one accord. United be the thoughts of all,

  that all may happily agree…

  *****

  It was dark….. Suddenly, there was a hint of orange in the sky…. Slowly, hues of orange and gold were splashed across the heavens….. It was dawn… Birds gleefully chirped as they welcomed the new day…. The sun cheerfully spread its warmth over the Kaawar lake… Rikshavi noticed a beautiful lotus bud floating in the lake… It was amidst a cluster of lotuses and leaves, but it instantly attracted Rikshavi’s attention – it had delicate petals with a deep pink tint. The petals were delicately folded inwards… The lotus bud indeed looked like a pink flame floating in water! Suddenly, Rikshavi noticed some movement in the lotus bud…. She stared at it intently… Slowly, the petals started unfolding, one by one… the lotus started blooming… As it bloomed, it started enlarging itself…. Finally, it floated towards Rikshavi… Rikshavi delicately plucked the rather large lotus from the lake and gazed at it…. Its petals were neatly arranged around the central bulb… Each petal was distinct, yet each of them was attached to the central bulb… All the petals had arranged themselves in a beautiful pattern to form a flower….. “What a beautiful creation of God!” Rikshavi wondered……

  Rikshavi suddenly opened her eyes…. She went to the window and peeped out. It was indeed dawn…. “I was dreaming!” she thought to herself… She could distinctly remember the large, lovely lotus she had dreamt of…. She sat down in her usual meditative pose and closed her eyes. She envisioned the lotus again…. Its distinct petals were neatly attached to and arranged around the central bulb…. Rikshavi opened her eyes and smiled at herself….. “Thank you Maa Durga!” she whispered….

  *****

  Dusk was spreading its shadows across the landscape. Birds were returning to their cosy nests after a long day. As Vasumna walked towards the Kaawar lake, he saw an imposing silhouette of a slender woman against the backdrop of the setting sun. “It is her…” he thought, “Heaven knows why she has called me here! I would not have come, but Daara insisted…”

  “Greetings, my lady!” he said. Rikshavi turned back. Her face had an unusual aura of serenity. Vasumna was a little dazed. He felt dumbstruck. “Why are you not attending your archery classes, Vasumna?” Rikshavi asked. “Well…. Ah….” Vasumna fumbled with words…

  “Please start attending your classes, Vasumna! Archery is a skill which should be consistently sharpened. You have to keep learning and keep practicing… This is what my teacher, Acharya Shashwat taught me….” Rikshavi chided him.

  “I will start attending from tomorrow…” Vasumna mumbled and turned to leave.

  “Please wait…” Rikshavi stopped him, “I wanted to tell you one more thing…”

  “What?” Vasumna asked with apparent apprehension. “That I will keep my promise!” Rikshavi said with a magnanimous smile.

  Vasumna was astonished, but Rikshavi had already turned to go before he could respond….

  *****

  CHAPTER 17

  THE SIEGE OF SRAVASTI

  Vikram waved at Amogh as he spotted him standing near the courtyard where Rikshavi was conducting her archery classes as usual. Amogh waved back. “Why don’t you too join Rikshavi in teaching archery?” Vikram asked him as he came in the courtyard. Amogh gave him an angry glance. “I am not here to teach students…” he curtly replied, “I am a prince whose kingdom has been captured and whose parents, the King and the Queen, are missing! We have to capture our kingdom back and find the King and the Queen…. But you two do not seem to be bothered!” Amogh’s caustic remark did not affect Vikram. “So you have finally agreed that we need to do something together!” he said, as he placed a hand on Amogh’s shoulder. “Let’s meet in the evening and discuss this….” he added. “That would be good…” Amogh replied contentedly.

  “By the way, don’t you think Rikshavi is glowing more than usual?” Amogh remarked. “I expected her to be in a sour mood after the recent happenings…. Do we have any news, Vikram?” Amogh teased Vikram as they turned to leave. “Not any that I know of!” Vikram replied, “We’ll have to ask Rikshavi herself!” Both the friends laughed and cheerfully proceeded towards home… Vikram did not notice the subtle melancholy in his friend’s eyes….

  *****

  Amogh apprehensively looked at Vikram as all of them silently ate dinner. Vikram understood. They needed to discuss the next course of action... But it was necessary to break the silence between Rikshavi and Amogh first…. Vikram gestured to Amogh. He had to break the silence himself….

  “I am sorry, Rikshavi…” Amogh finally said, breaking the uneasy silence, “I know that you have saved my life for the sake of Vrij… So we should not waste more time… We need to make plans to re-capture Vrij!” Rikshavi smiled at Amogh. “Let us attack Sravasti first!” she quietly replied, as if she had already thought about this. Amogh quizzically looked at Vikram. “Why do you say so, Rikshu?” Vikram asked. “Right now, Vaishali is a strong bastion...,” Rikshavi said, “Senapati Taarak, the Kosal commander and Senapati Vichitraveer, the Magadhan commander, both are in Vaishali. Sravasti is a relatively weaker target. King Indraneel is not a strong army commander. We can then use Sravasti as a base to attack Vaishali….. Start gathering your forces, Amogh…. We’ll attack Sravasti first!” “I agree!” Vikram said with a broad smile. He was proud of his wife’s intellect. “Fine, then!” Amogh said as he got up with a resolve, “Let’s attack Sravasti… I will also send a message to King Kiraat of Gandhaar. We have been long standing friends… He will surely provide us reinforcements!”

  *****

  It was a sunny day towards the end of summer. “We should attack and capture Sravasti before monsoon sets in” Amogh whispered, as he ate his lunch. They were camping at Sanwar, a village at the border of Vrij and Kosal. “What is the status of your forces?” Vikram asked Amogh as Rikshavi looked on. “Well…” said Amogh, “We have gathered an army of around three thousand soldiers… half of them are from Vrij and the rest are mercenaries… around five hundred of these are cavalry. King Kiraat will also be deploying an army of two thousand soldiers… they are leaving Gandhaar in small batches to avoid suspicion…” “That makes it barely more than five thousand” Vikram said with apprehension…” “I am afraid this may not be enough, Amogh!” he added. Amogh swallowed a morsel of food and drank some water. “I will not be able to gather more men Vikram!” he replied with apparent dejection. “But Sravasti would have at least ten thousand soldiers!” Vikram said. The three comp
leted their meal in silence.

  “Who said that a smaller army cannot defeat a larger one?” Rikshavi finally exclaimed, breaking into the silence. Vikram looked at her. She had a bright twinkle in her deep brown eyes. “I have learnt this from you only, O great teacher of military science!” she mischievously said to Vikram and slightly bowed down before him. “You had told me that even a small army can defeat a larger one with the right strategies…” she added. “Hmmm…” Vikram contemplatively responded. “If one has to defeat a larger army with limited resources, there are two ways that I can think of….” he said, “One, break the morale of the enemy army and two, use an innovative form of attack, which will take them by surprise… one which they are completely unprepared to deal with!”

  Once again, silence fell upon the three. “Let’s visit Sravasti! We will surely find out a way to implement these strategies!” Rikshavi cheerfully said. “Fine. But we will have to disguise ourselves well...” added Amogh. “So what do you fancy my dear?” Vikram asked Rikshavi, “Would you like to be a trader’s wife or a traveler’s wife?” “I think trader would be fine…” Rikshavi said with a wink, “Just think about what we should trade…”

  *****

  “Welcome to Sravasti, gentlemen!” Jarawar respectfully said, as he ushered in two spice traders to his huge godown, which was situated just outside the city gates of Sravasti. The traders were accompanied by a lady, who had covered half of her face in her uttariya. “My wife is a connoisseur of spices… She herself chooses the spices from the stock which is imported from the south of the Vindhya mountains. Sravasti will be privileged to have such rare commodities… Our spices are very expensive. We are hence looking for a good storage space, where we can store them safely and without much spoilage….” one of the traders said with an air of vanity. “Yes of course Sir!” Jarawar said with folded hands, “my godown will provide excellent storage services to you!” “Can we look around?” the other trader asked. “Please follow me Sir!” Jarawar enthusiastically said.