The Rigveda Code

by Rashmi Chendvankar

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  CHAPTER 18

  THE SHADOWS OF THE GREAT WAR

  “You certainly have something on your mind, Rikshu!” Vikram said, as he directly looked into Rikshavi’s eyes, “Your demand for bringing the coronation waters certainly has some hidden agenda….” Rikshavi looked back at him. “You are my true soul mate, Vikram… you know me well…” she said. Rikshavi had indeed tricked King Vrajesh into giving her a promise…. The kingdom of Vrij was only a means to attain a superior goal – the vision of Lord Vasudev Krishna!

  Rikshavi leaned on Vikram’s shoulder and held his hand. Vikram put an arm around his wife... He knew his wife needed his moral support. “You know, Vikram…” she said in a deep voice after sometime, “Some years back, when I was in this ashram, Acharya Shashwat had enlightened me….. What is right and what is wrong is a very subtle question… he had said….” Rikshavi continued, “The answer can differ as per the situation and context… Each one of us is born with an element of God inside us… It’s called the conscience… we just have to listen to its voice…” Rikshavi turned to Vikram and held his hand. “My conscience is clouded with emotions, Vikram….” she said with teary eyes, “I am not sure whether I am going to do the right thing…” “You are afraid of hurting your near and dear ones…” Vikram said to her. “Yes, Vikram…” Rikshavi replied and buried her head in his broad chest. Vikram gently placed his hand on her head. “When you are faced with such a situation, do what is necessary to be done for the larger good…” Vikram said, “A deed which may hurt a few people but benefit a large number of people cannot be wrong! This is your true dharma, Princess!” Rikshavi raised her head and hugged Vikram tightly. “I will always be there with you….” Vikram said as he put his arms around his wife, “I trust you completely, Rikshavi...” he said, “Destiny itself has reposed its trust in you…. And you will emerge victorious!” Rikshavi’s eyes brimmed with tears… “I can never lose until you are there with me, Vikram!” she said and curled up in her husband’s arms. They gradually fell asleep…

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  “Vikrammmm….” Rikshavi’s shriek startled Vikram in the night. Rikshavi had woken up. She was profusely sweating. Vikram dabbed droplets of sweat from her forehead with his uttariya. “What’s the matter, Rikshavi?” Vikram asked, “It seems you had a bad dream…” “It was a terrible dream, Vikram…” Rikshavi stammered, “Thousands and thousands of corpses lay across a vast landscape… severed limbs were strewn everywhere… the earth was covered with blood… broken chariots were stuck in sludge of flesh and blood… And amidst this gory scene, right in the middle, stood a chariot…. A distraught charioteer sat in that chariot…. I thought it was you, Vikram… I was terrified!”

  Rikshavi hugged her husband tightly. Vikram was stunned. He caressed Rikshavi’s hair. “It was not me, Rikshu…” Vikram said in a quivering voice, “It was HIM!”

  “Who, Vikram?” Rikshavi asked. “HE, one of the greatest philosophers Bharatkhanda has ever seen…. HE, the propagator of dharma… HE, who had to witness the mass destruction of human lives in the great war of Kurukshetra…” Vikram said. Rikshavi looked at Vikram with wide eyes…

  “Is my dream an intuition of another war, Vikram? Rikshavi asked. “No my dear….” Vikram softly said. He brought the bronze plate wrapped in red silk and handed it to Rikshavi. “HE has been reaching out to you in many ways, Rikshavi!” Vikram whispered… Rikshavi unwrapped the red silk and gazed at the verses carved on the bronze plate which Acharya Birendra had given her.

  “HE wants to tell you that the Bharatkhanda cannot afford another Great War, Rikshu!” Vikram said in a profound voice, “The Bharatkhanda witnessed mass deaths due to the Great war…. As all the kingdoms in the Bharatkhanda aligned themselves with either the Kauravs or the Pandavs, the entire Bharatkhanda was pulled into the war. The final victory of Pandavs was laced with poison of deaths of near and dear ones… Queen Paanchaali lost her sons just like Queen Gaandhari…. Thousands of mothers across Bharatkhanda lost their sons…. The war put great strain on the economic resources of the land… The war devastated this land, Rikshu! What you saw, was not just your dream… It was a nightmare that has haunted generations and generations of the Bharatkhanda… HIS vision has to be fulfilled without any major war, Rikshavi!

  Rikshavi was dazed…. She ran her fingers through the carvings on the metal plate. “The words of the Lord….. Lord Vasudev Krishna!” she said to herself in a halting voice…

  “But a battle looks imminent now, Vikram…” Rikshavi said after a long silence, “We need a kingdom to fulfill the Lord’s vision…. And I also have to keep my promise to Vasumna…. We will have to attack Vaishali!”

  “Yes…” said Vikram, “A battle might be imminent. But if the kingdoms in the Bharatkhanda align themselves with either of us, the battle may blow up into another great war… We are now facing the threat of another full-scale war, Rikshu! This land does not need a war… it needs a new system! A system as envisioned by Lord Vasudev Krishna! And you are destiny’s chosen instrument to realize His vision…. Otherwise, why would a three hundred year old metal plate land in your hands?”

  Rikshavi was overwhelmed with Vikram’s words. She looked out of the window with hazy eyes… Mild sunrays streamed in her hut, and the sky was gradually covered in light orange hues… Rikshavi raised the bronze plate against the sunrays and read the verse…. The words on the plate lightly gleamed in the mild morning sunlight…

  CHAPTER 19

  THE SIEGE OF VAISHALI

  “We need to plan our attack on Vaishali carefully…” Amogh said. Vikram and Rikshavi looked at each other. “It’s not going to be easy Amogh…” Vikram said, “General Taarak and Vichitraveer are great army commanders. They have a huge army. It will exceed our army strength even if we count the army of Sravasti. And not to forget, they have access to the deadly artillery of Vaishali!”

  “Then we have only one option!” said Amogh, “We will have to seek the alignment of other kingdoms of the Bharatkhanda!” Rikshavi momentarily shivered at the thought. She remembered her gory nightmare. Rikshavi and Vikram fell silent.

  “Let us speak to Taat and Prabhavsenji...” Amogh continued, “Gandhaar would definitely support us. We already have the support of King Mahendra. We have good relations with the Malla, Videha and Vatsa kingdoms too…” Rikshavi and Vikram looked uneasy as Amogh continued talking about war alliances.

  “What’s the matter?” Amogh inquired as he noticed their uneasiness.

  “I think we can conquer Vaishali without a major war!” Rikshavi said. Amogh looked amused. He looked at Vikram. “Isn’t our dear Rikshavi full of ironies, Vikram?” he mockingly said, “The prophecy of Acharya Devak indicates that she will rule without any position of power…. Now she herself says that she will capture Vaishali without a war…”

  The satire did not go down well with Rikshavi. Amogh sensed that she was upset. He certainly did not want to hurt her. He turned to Vikram…. “By the way, did Rikshavi ever tell you that she will be your wife without ever nagging you?” he asked. Vikram burst out with laughter. “No my friend!” he said, “I am not such a fortunate husband!” Both the friends shook hands and guffawed.

  ‘Now, if we have finished fooling around, can we focus on planning the siege of Vaishali, gentlemen?” Rikshavi asked.

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  Vaishali was teeming with trade in spite of the revised gate-pass system which was imposed by the new joint regime of Magadh and Kosal. Traders were seen scurrying in and out of the city after completing the new formalities. It was a busy day as usual. One of the gatekeepers stopped a village couple at the city gates to make enquiries. The village couple was accompanied by an old man.

  “You have to take gate passes to enter the city… What is the purpose of your visit?” they were asked. “We are here to sell our wares…” the villager said. He pointed towards their bags and luggage. All the bags were thoroughly checked. The soldiers found painted earthenware, exotic
brass utensils, beautifully painted curtains and tapestry. “This looks fine…” the gatekeeper said. “Where will you be staying in Vaishali…. Which inn?” he asked. The couple looked at each other. “We have a relative in Vaishali…. We will be staying in his house” the villager replied. “Who?” the gatekeeper asked.

  “He is my distant brother-in-law…” replied the villager, “His name is Suketu…”

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  The villagers hastily drank water from small earthen cups. They were thirsty and tired. It was indeed a hot day. “Suketuji will come in sometime…” the housekeeper told them and left. Baijaamaa had told the housekeeper to take care of Suketu in her absence. Soon, Suketu entered the house. He had come back from work, for having his lunch. The housekeeper had informed him that some relatives had come over from Kosal. Suketu was rather confused…

  “How are you Suketu?” the villager’s wife asked. Suketu looked at her with wide eyes. “Licchavi!” he shrieked with joy and hugged the lady. The lady too warmly hugged him. “How are you, my friend?” she asked. Suketu was ecstatic…. “I missed you so much Licchavi!” he said. Everyone laughed at his child-like enthusiasm. He still could not pronounce Rikshavi’s name correctly.

  “How are you Vikram? Suketu smilingly asked, “You look rather funny in these village clothes…” Vikram smiled back. “I am fine, dear Suketu…” he said, “And I don’t think I look as funny as your friend, Licchavi!” “I agree!” Suketu said with mock somberness. Both of them chuckled as Rikshavi looked at them angrily. “Who is this handsome old man?” Suketu asked Rikshavi in a hushed voice. “Well… he is my Grandfather!” Rikshavi replied. “You mean King Mahendra?!” Suketu exclaimed with great astonishment. Rikshavi smiled.

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  “So you are his chief attendant?” Vikram asked Suketu as they ate dinner. “Yes…” replied Suketu, “General Taarak has quite a lavish lifestyle…” “That scoundrel doesn’t care that Sravasti has been captured and Indraneel is dead. He may even be planning to recapture Sravasti and coronate himself as the King!” King Mahendra angrily said. “Such are the people whom Indraneel had befriended!” he added. The youngsters felt silent. They could sense the old man’s despair….

  “You need to help us, Suketu…” Rikshavi broke the silence. “Sure! Tell me, Licchavi!” Suketu was more than willing to help his friend. “I need the miniature daggers which Maa had made for me…. I had given them to you and your little friends for practice…” “Fine!” Suketu said without flipping an eyelid. “And get them sharpened!” Rikshavi requested. “Sure, Princess!” Suketu promptly replied.

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  The bells of the palace sounded off the eighth prahara of the day. It was dark outside the palace. General Taarak had already fallen into deep sleep, when a maid entered his chamber to dim the lamps. He was feeling unusually sick after dinner that night. His chief attendant had advised him to take rest.

  The maid slowly dimmed the lamps one by one. She glanced outside the chamber. Guards were half asleep at the door. As she went towards the last lamp, the maid pulled out a sharp object from the folds of her antariya. Within moments, she flung it across the chamber towards General Taarak. The dagger pierced his left chest and he started bleeding profusely. The maid stared hard at General Taarak. There was no sound. “He is too inebriated to react!” she thought, “He will keep bleeding.… Soon, the God of Death will take him away…” The maid quietly came out of the chamber and walked away.

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  “What happened?” Vikram impatiently asked. “I never miss my target!” Rikshavi proudly replied, “Thankfully, he did not make any sound. In case the soldiers would have been alerted, it would have been a difficult situation for me. I had planned that in such a situation, I would claim that I did not know what happened…. I was only dimming the lamps! In any case, I was standing far away from his bed…. And it’s unlikely that an ordinary maid can throw a dagger from such a distance…. They would have suspected it to be an outsider’s job…”

  Vikram heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that the task was not as easy as Rikshavi made it appear. She had taken the biggest risk of her life; but had returned safely. Had Suketu not fed him with the ‘right’ medication, General Taarak’s staged assassination would not have been so easy. Rikshavi smiled as she saw Vikram’s relieved expression. “Go to sleep dear…” she said, “We have a long day tomorrow!”

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  Soon after dawn, the news spread like wild fire in the city of Vaishali. The chief commander of the Kosal army had been assassinated. A morning attendant had discovered that the General had been killed with a dagger. Since a few days, the city had been talking about the growing discord between the Kosal army chief and the Magadh army chief…. The news of the assassination of General Taarak sent the rumour mills spinning. Rikshavi’s team had done their bit to add to the gossip. Rumour was rife that the Magadhans had assassinated General Taarak and they were planning to drive out the Kosal army from Vaishali.

  Prasenjit, the second-in-command of the Kosal army, was in a fix. His commander was dead and the army was in utter disarray after the news. The Kosal soldiers had started gathering outside the royal palace in large numbers. The atmosphere reeked with revolt.

  “A messenger wants to meet you, Sir!” a servant told Prasenjit. “I do not want to meet anyone now!” Prasenjit said with irritation. “He has told me to show you this ring!” the servant said, as he handed over a ring to Prasenjit. The ring was studded with precious gems. Prasenjit instantly recognized the ring. It belonged to the royal family of Kosal.

  “Bring in the messenger immediately!” Prasenjit ordered. “What message have you brought?” Prasenjit impatiently asked. “You are requested to meet someone. Please come along with me…” the messenger replied. Prasenjit followed the messenger to the backside courtyard of the palace. He was astonished to see King Mahendra standing there. “Greetings, Your Highness!” he said.

  King Mahendra simply raised his hand in response. “Drive out the Magadhans from Vaishali!” he ordered. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness!” Prasenjit stammered, “I think it would be appropriate to speak to General Vichitraveer first…. This might be a misunderstanding… And as per the prevalent laws, we cannot fight a battle within the city…”

  “Do as I say!” King Mahendra roared, “After the death of Indraneel, you are duty-bound to carry out my orders! Another batch of the Kosal army is waiting at the gates of Vaishali. They will join you, once you blow the battle conches!”

  “Yes, Your Highness!” Prasenjit replied and hurried out. Citizens frantically ran indoors as they heard battle conches. Kosal soldiers cordoned the city. In no time, the bustling city streets were deserted. Soon, the Kosal army which had already gathered outside the palace, charged at their Magadhan counterparts. The city gates were thrown open. Another batch of Kosal soldiers suddenly entered the fray.

  Kosal soldiers vengefully attacked their “enemy”. The city turned into a battleground. The unprepared Magadhan army, taken by complete surprise, could not withstand the onslaught… They suffered heavy casualties… The Kosal army looked unstoppable! The powerful artillery in Vaishali was rendered useless - The battle was being fought within the confines of the city, where long range weapons were of no use and would rather be counter-productive… None of the armies attempted to access the artillery.

  “In the end, a battle or a war is always won by the infantry…. In an army, there is no weapon more lethal than a motivated soldier…..” Rikshavi remembered Vikram’s words as she watched the battle from a distance…

  Senapati Vichitraveer soon sent a message for truce. By dusk, the remaining Magadhan army rapidly left Vaishali along with their army chief. Vaishali was captured – by the Kosal army!”

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  King Mahendra watched the blue Kosal flag flutter over the city walls of Vaishali. “Isn’t this amusing?” he said to Rikshavi, “Sravasti, the Kosal capital, has been captured by the Vrijian Prince… And today, I, the Ki
ng of Kosal, have captured Vaishali, the capital city of Vrij!”

  Rikshavi smiled and held her Grandfather’s hand. “Its time to keep our promises!” she said. “Yes!” King Mahendra said in a deep voice, “I will hand over Vaishali to King Vrajesh and Prince Amogh!” “And they would hand over Sravasti to you!” Rikshavi replied.

  “Very well then!” King Mahendra cheerfully said, “Let’s go to Sravasti!” “No Grandfather… I will stay back and welcome the King and the Prince of Vrij!” Rikshavi humbly replied.

  King Mahendra placed his hand on Rikshavi’s head. “I take your leave my child! God Bless you!” he said. Rikshavi’s eyes were moist. She hugged her grandfather. “Sravasti remains the abode of your Grandfather, dear! Please keep visiting this old man!” King Mahendra said as he embraced his granddaughter. “Of course!” Rikshavi said with a mischievous smile, “I will terribly miss elephants and kheer!”

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  As King Mahendra came out of the palace with Rikshavi, he was greeted by rejoicing Kosal soldiers. The soldiers were ecstatic with their victory. Drums were sounded to indicate that an announcement was to be made. The soldiers fell silent and eagerly looked towards their King, who stood on an elevated platform.

  “Congratulations, my brave soldiers!” King Mahendra said. Soldiers cheered. “Though we celebrate our victory today, we should not forget that our own motherland, the kingdom of Kosal, is in the hands of Prince Amogh, the Prince of Vrij!” King Mahendra added in a grave voice. There was a sudden silence.