“Greetings, brave soldiers!” Rikshavi intervened in a loud, clear voice, “Prince Amogh is a Kosal Dauhitra, the grandson of Kosal. Sravasti is the abode of his dear Grandfather. He holds the throne of Kosal as your trustee… Go to your motherland, brave soldiers! The throne will be handed over to your King!” And after you leave, we, the citizens of Vrij, will welcome our own King, King Vrajesh, to ascend the throne of Vrij!”
The soldiers were amazed. Bharatkhanda had never witnessed such political statesmanship before. “Let’s go my dear soldiers! Our motherland awaits us!” King Mahendra called out. There was a loud applause from the soldiers.
The city of Vaishali bid farewell to their guests from Kosal….
*****
The city of Vaishali was adorned like a bride, as it prepared to welcome its King, Queen and Prince. The red flag of Vrij proudly fluttered over the city gates. Rikshavi and Vikram happily stood at the city gates of Vaishali, as they watched the royal caravan enter. Vajrasen and Samarjit, who were now free from the enemy’s captivity, accompanied them. It was the beginning of the monsoons…. The city had just witnessed the first showers and looked refreshed… The weather had also turned a new leaf to welcome the royal family. Rikshavi went forward with the traditional ‘Aarti’. The royal family was welcomed with red kum kum. Rose water and rose petals were showered on them as they entered the city. Prabhavsen, Baijaamaa and Vrushasen too, happily followed. King Vrajesh could not find words to thank Rikshavi. He simply hugged her with teary eyes, as a proud Bhairavi looked on….
*****
CHAPTER 20
THE AUSPICIOUS CHAKRA
“Don’t we have an earlier auspicious day for the coronation?” King Vrajesh impatiently asked Acharya Devak. The royal astrologer had advised to hold the coronation ceremony on an auspicious day which was more than a month away…. “No, Your Highness!” Acharya Devak sagaciously replied… “Besides, my readings show that a coronation done on this day shall prove to be a turning point in the history of the entire world!”
Vrajesh’s eyes twinkled. He happily agreed and gave instructions to Prabhavsen for the ceremony. “Please inform my dear Rikshavi about this…” he cheerfully said, “she is going to bring the coronation waters…”
Prabhavsen nodded, but was lost in thoughts as he left the King’s chambers….. “I promise you that neither I, nor Amogh will be coronated unless you bring the waters of the Abhishek Pushkarni for our coronation!” The Prime Minister remembered the King’s words. “Had Rikshavi purposely extracted this promise from her father?” he reminisced… “Why?”
******
“This will never happen!” King Vrajesh thundered. “Then I will not bring the coronation waters of the Abhishek Pushkarni for you and Amogh!” Rikshavi calmly replied, holding the bronze plate in her hands. Amogh stood between them, dumbstruck. Tears welled in Rikshavi’s eyes. She had been trying to persuade her father for a long time. She was facing a situation she had always feared… she was torn between the love for her father and her commitment to the vision of Lord Krishna…. “If you do not agree, I will have to order your arrest!” she finally said in a quivering voice.
“How dare you!” King Vrajesh screamed… His eyes had turned red with anger at his daughter’s audacity…. Amogh could not believe his ears… He was not interested in the kingdom in any case; he had already lost his heart and soul to Rikshavi. But this was a precarious situation for him…. Soon, soldiers surrounded Vrajesh and Amogh, followed by Prabhavsen and Vajrasen.
“They shall be placed under house arrest in their chambers…” Rikshavi ordered. The King angrily looked at the Prime Minister and the Army Chief. They lowered their eyes.
“She has conquered the kingdom of Vrij Taat… And now I realize why I was purposely kept out of that campaign….” Amogh calmly addressed his father, “Your ministers now owe their allegiance to her…. We never realized the true reason for the promise that she asked for….”
*****
“Queen Bhairavi has summoned you in King Vrajesh’s chambers” a servant informed Rikshavi. Rikshavi silently nodded and walked towards Vrajesh’s chambers, holding the bronze plate… Vikram followed her.
“I want to know what happened…..” Queen Bhairavi demanded, as soon as Rikshavi entered. Amogh was also present in the chamber along with Vrajesh. He blankly looked around.
“She wants a new governing system in Vrij, because some idiot priest has given her that damn bronze plate. He claims that it contains a message of Lord Krishna!” King Vrajesh blurted.
Queen Bhairavi was astonished. “Lord Krishna!” she exclaimed, “But he left his mortal body more than three hundred years ago!”…. Bhairavi held out her hand to take a look at the plate. Rikshavi willingly gave it to her mother, as she narrated the incidents of Kaawar and her meeting with Acharya Birendra….
At least, her mother did not dismiss her thought as some stupidity.
Bhairavi was bewildered as she saw the lotus carving and read the verses on the bronze plate….
“This is simply the last hymn of the Rigveda!” Bhairavi exclaimed.
“Can you tell me the translation, Maa?” Rikshavi asked. “Oh yes!” the Queen exclaimed and translated the verses….
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…
“This verse simply advises that decisions should be taken through consultations…” Queen Bhairavi thoughtfully said, “This has always been the tradition of the Bharatkhanda, Rikshavi! The King has always taken decisions through consultations with his council of ministers. The rule of dharma has been above the rule of all kings……
“You are interpreting only one side of the bronze plate, Maa…” Rikshavi replied, “What about the other side?” Bhairavi was puzzled as she looked at the other side of the plate, which had a lotus carving.
“What do you think it symbolises, Rikshavi? Bhairavi inquired.
“The lotus has a central bulb with delicate petals neatly arranged around it….” Rikshavi said, “Each petal is distinct, yet each of them is attached to the central bulb… All the petals arrange themselves in a beautiful pattern to form a flower….. Kingdoms have to evolve into such a pattern, Maa…. this is the call of the modern era… and the message of the past era – the message of the great philosopher and visionary, Lord Krishna!”
Bhairavi was stunned. “What do you mean?!” she asked. The kingdom shall be divided into districts…” Rikshavi replied, “Each district shall have a chief…. All the district chiefs shall be under the suzerainty of the King - just as many distinct petals are attached to the central bulb of the lotus! The district chiefs shall be responsible for the governance and administration of their districts and the king shall be responsible for the security of the entire kingdom. The king shall continue to control the army…. All district chiefs shall meet along with the king in the capital at periodic intervals and take collective decisions for the kingdom…”
“Do you mean that kings are not capable of governing kingdoms?” Amogh asked.
“The concept of governance has to evolve with time, Amogh!” Rikshavi exclaimed… “It should be relevant and beneficial to all the people….”
“I do not understand…” Amogh murmured.
“Do you know the significance of the waters of the Abhishek Pushkarni?” Rikshavi asked.
“Yes, of course!” Amogh said, “It contains the waters of all the rivers of the kingdom of Vrij…”
“Did you hear your coronation chants carefully, Amogh?” Rikshavi continued, “They indicated that a king is expecte
d to look after his kingdom just as the rivers of the kingdom nurture it…. Practically, the waters of only the Abhishek Pushkarni are not enough to nourish the entire kingdom. The Abhishek Pushkarni is only symbolic – it represents all the rivers of the kingdom. The rivers have to spread out across the vast expanse of the land to provide water to the people… Similarly, it is not possible for only the king to provide good governance to all the people of the kingdom…. We all know the story of Beedar, who is lying in our prison… he is a victim of this lack of governance – he may have been saved from his plight if he had access to a justice system right in his own district – not in far away Vaishali!”
Amogh was stunned… He had to acknowledge that Rikshavi’s words were indeed true…
Rikshavi turned to the King. “Forgive me Taat… I was compelled to put you under house arrest… But I really hope that you will understand the message of Lord Krishna one day….”
“Get out of your foolish trance, Rikshavi!” the King growled… “Lord Krishna existed more than three hundred years ago…. How is it possible that his message was preserved for so long and it has now reached you after a few centuries?
“If the weapon of Lord Krishna can be preserved for a few centuries, his message can be certainly preserved and passed on!” Vikram intervened.
The King looked at Vikram with wide eyes…. “What do you mean?” he snapped…
“Please come along with me to the Sheshagara” Vikram requested.
Everyone silently moved into the Sheshagara. “Haven’t you staked thousands of lives for that bare peg?” Vikram asked, looking straight into the eyes of the king. The magnificent stand in the Sheshagara with a bare peg caught everyone’s attention. Vikram pulled the stand at the centre of the Sheshagara. “Give me the bronze plate!” he said to Rikshavi. Rikshavi was startled. She quietly gave the plate to him. Vikram silently went towards the stand and smoothly fixed the bronze plate on the bare peg.
The King was shocked….
“That stand once bore the Sudarshan Chakra, the weapon of Lord Krishna!” the King stammered, “The verses written on the stand indicate that it bore a weapon…. How can this bronze plate fit there?!”
“Oh, the verses on the stand!” Vikram sarcastically remarked. He read the Sanskrit verses on the stand and translated them aloud….
Om Sudarshanaya Vidmahe
Mahajwalaya Dhimahi
Tanno Chakra Prachodayat
We will perceive the Sudarshana,
We will meditate upon the enormous flame,
Through which the chakra will enlighten us.
“This verse does not indicate any weapon, Your Highness!” Vikram continued in his sarcastic tone…. “It simply talks about an enormous flame which will enlighten us! Every chakra is not a weapon, O King!”
“I can’t believe this!” the King exclaimed…. Guilt and shame filled his mind as he realized that he had pursued a wrong trail and had staked thousands of lives for it…..
“How do you know all this, Vikram?” Rikshavi asked.
“I know this because this stand and this bronze plate were once the prized possessions of my father!” Vikram said; his voice heavy with emotion.
“But Acharya Birendra told me that Acharya Kanak had given the plate to him…. Rikshavi muttered, “Does that mean that Acharya Kanak was your…?”
“Yes, Acharya Kanak was my father….” Vikram replied with tears in his eyes, “He was one of the current generations of the ‘Pancharishis’ – the five sages who were bestowed with the responsibility of preserving the Lord’s legacy… When my father realized that Vrijian spies might give away his secret, he immediately passed on the bronze plate to Acharya Birendra, who is also one of the current ‘Pancharishis’…. My father had planned to pass on the stand to Acharya Dhaumya, another Panchrishi…. But the Vrijian spies had already laid their hands on it before Acharya Dhaumya could reach him…..”
“Your revered teacher, Acharya Shashwat is also one of the Pancharishis!” Vikram told Bhairavi. Bhairavi was amazed.
“It is incredible how generations of Pancharishis have protected this legacy of the Lord….” Prabhavsen exclaimed. “But why has the secret been revealed now after three hundred years?”
“That is because the true claimant of the legacy was born after three hundred years, Prabhavsenji!” Vikram exclaimed in reply and pointed out to Rikshavi. Everyone, including Rikshavi, was stunned at the revelation…
“The ‘Pancharishis’ had always known that the true claimant of this chakra would be a person with a unique ‘rajayoga’ – a person destined to rule without any position of power!” Vikram continued, “And Acharya Devak, the royal astrologer, is the fifth ‘Pancharishi’, who finally discovered the true claimant of this chakra!”
Rikshavi was astounded. “Had Lord Krishna appointed the ‘Pancharishis’ before he left the world?” she asked.
“No…” Vikram replied… “The clan of the ‘Panchrishis’ was formed by Sahadev, the youngest Pandav, who was an accomplished astrologer…”
“This bronze plate is not a weapon by any means…. Is there no weapon of Lord Krishna that exists today, then?” Prabhavsen wondered… “Where is Sudarshan Chakra, the weapon?”
*****
900 BCE.
Thirty Six years after the great Mahabharata war. Hastinapur, the Kuru capital, now the capital of the Pandavs, ruled by Emperor Yudhistir, the eldest Pandav.
Arjun had brought the ominous news of the death of their dear cousin and friend Vasudev Krishna. The Pandavs were overcome with grief.
“Has he left behind something important for us?” Sahadev asked expectantly. “Yes!” Arjun said as he wiped his tears. He handed over a long metal box to Sahadev. “This is for you…” he said grimly.
Arjun then pulled out another metal box… “This was meant for me…” he whispered to himself.
Sahadev opened his metal box. The box revealed a magnificent stand with a bare peg… He saw a verse inscribed at the base plate…
Om Sudarshanaya Vidmahe
Mahajwalaya Dhimahi
Tanno Chakra Prachodayat
“I will leave behind for you as my legacy, the most powerful chakra in the world!” Arjun remembered the words of Vasudev Krishna as he opened the box with quivering hands….. But all he saw was something wrapped in red silk…. It turned out to be a mere bronze plate…. It had the last hymn of the Rigveda inscribed on one side and a carving of a lotus on the other side.
“This is not the Sudarshan Chakra!” Arjun muttered with disappointment. Sahadev smiled and instantly fixed the bronze plate on the bare peg of the stand…
“But this is the most powerful chakra of the world, brother!” he exclaimed.
*****
“This can’t be true!” the King screamed. “The weapon has to exist somewhere…. I have searched for it all my life!”
“Your search shall end now, Your Highness!” Vikram screamed; as he rapidly threw open all the windows of the Sheshagara…. As sunlight fell on the bronze plate, rays of light started emanating from the edge of the bronze plate. Everyone gazed at the plate with awe. Gradually, the rays started rotating rapidly around the circumference of the circular plate. The rotating rays looked like spikes….. The bronze plate suddenly looked like a rapidly spinning disk…..
King Vrajesh fell on his knees. “This is indeed the Sudarshan Chakra!” he cried.
Others could not believe their eyes…
“Do you know what Lord Vasudev Krishna once said?” Vikram exclaimed, “He said that the entire world is a maaya – an illusion! He was so right…. What you see may not be the truth - it may just be an illusion! Generations of humans have tried to transcend this illusion and find the eternal truth!”
“I don’t understand a word!” Rikshavi stammered in amazement as everyone looked on.
Vikram smiled. “What you saw was an illusion, Rikshavi!” he said. Vikram removed the bronze plate from the stand and held it in front of everyone. “Look!
” he said, “The lotus has been engraved on the protruding middle part of this plate. The lotus engraving is perforated on its outline…. The circular edge of the plate is also perforated!”
Rikshavi noticed tiny holes on the outline of the lotus as well as on the edge of the plate. “The middle part is hollow from inside….” Vikram continued, “Through these holes, you can notice a tiny apparatus fitted inside this hollow…. I don’t know how it works, but it is certainly affected by light…. Once light falls on this apparatus through these holes, it generates a rapid circular motion in the apparatus… The rapid circular motion creates an illusion of rotating rays through the perforations on the edge! It is something like a light mill!”
“Amazing! This is just incredible!” Amogh exclaimed, “Lord Krishna was not just a great thinker, he was a great inventor!”
“Do you know what “Sudarshan” means?” Vikram smilingly continued... “‘Su’ indicates auspicious and ‘darshan’ means ‘vision’.”
“So ‘Sudarshan’ means ‘auspicious vision!” Rikshavi exclaimed, “The auspicious vision indicated by the Lord through the verses...”
“You are right Rikshavi!” Vikram said, “And ‘Chakra’ indicates a cycle… may be, the cycle of time… The circular shape of this plate probably indicates the cycle of time.... And what could be a greater weapon than time? Time continuously destroys and creates! No doubt, the Sudarshan Chakra represents the most powerful weapon on the earth which can change the destiny of this land!”
Rikshavi was amazed…. “Yes Vikram!” she said, “Lord Krishna was trying to indicate the future scheme of things for the Bharatkhanda through the Rigveda code inscribed on this ‘Sudarshan Chakra’. This chakra indeed indicates an auspicious cycle of time for this land!”
*****
CHAPTER 21
THE RULE OF THE GANARAJAS
Seventy Seven chieftains had gathered in the large “Sansthagara” – a courtroom which was specially built for the gatherings of the “Ganasangha”.
The Rigveda Code Page 18