“Relax, brother,” a husky voice said from behind the eldest Lohitha. A lean boy greeted the Raptors and Kautilya. “Hello, everyone”
Kautilya recognised the prince. Though the eldest Lohitha was the heir to the throne, this lean boy was the most renowned of the brothers. Just like Kautilya and her brothers, he too had had a miraculous birth.
His mother was the eldest wife of the Lohitha king. However, since she was barren the king had taken several other wives with whom he had children. The aggrieved mother meditated on the roof of the Lohitha palace in the fierce heat of the sun and prayed for a child for days on end, without stopping to eat or to drink. At the end of three days, when everyone was sure that she would die, a golden horse appeared and left a baby boy at her feet.
That baby was Jansa, the Solar Child. Jansa was to the Lohithas what the Raptors were to the Shvetas.
Akrama arrived. A pall of silence immediately fell on the crowd.
“Welcome, students,” Akrama said, “to the gurukul. This will be your home, your school and your arena for the next eight years. I will be your teacher and master. You shall follow every instruction I give you or you shall be sent back home amidst great dishonour.”
Honour. Kautilya hated that word. All the elders used it as a reason to do the stupidest things.
“There is a strict schedule that everyone will follow,” Akrama said. “Even if you die you will tell the God of Death that you need permission from Guru Akrama and return.”
He looked around for signs of dissent. There were none.
Over the coming days, the children settled into a routine. Early in the morning, they underwent the rigours of yogic exercises and meditation. The meditation was easy for Kautilya, although Sameer would occasionally receive a whack with a coconut twig because he could not sit still for so long.
The exercises, however, were agony for Kautilya. She was not used to moving her body so much and her knees and feet still hurt.
The morning was followed by a breakfast of gruel and beans which the hungry disciples wolfed down. Then came lectures on policy, war, history, language and philosophy. Kautilya and Jansa listened keenly to the Akrama’s lectures. The others mostly dozed.
The lectures were followed by a lunch of lentils and rotis and then by an hour of mandatory reading. One after the other the disciples were handed texts to read out loud.
In the afternoon came classes in the martial arts. Each day of the week was dedicated to one of the martial arts: it began with hand-to-hand combat and wrestling, followed by sword fighting, hunting, horse riding and archery. They were taught swimming on one day and another day was spent making and mending weapons.
Kautilya fared worst in almost all of them. Unlike the boys, she had not been trained in these tasks since birth. Everything was unfamiliar and difficult. Most of the time her attempts to learn were met with laughter from the other disciples and scolding from Akrama.
She felt that she was a major embarrassment to her brothers. In the beginning, they would jump to her rescue when any Lohitha attempted to ridicule her but Akrama quickly put a stop to that. After some time her brothers too began to keep a distance from Kautilya.
Kautilya had never been this lonely in her life. At least at the palace, she had Jay and she could meet her father at any time to talk about her miseries. But at the gurukul, everyone was distant and uncaring. Most nights she would cry herself to sleep.
The thing she looked forward to was horse riding. In the horses’ gentle eyes she found solace and while riding them she felt equal to everyone else.
In this way, the first three months of Kautilya’s training at the gurukul passed.
After the archery lesson on the last day of the third month, Akrama got all the disciples together. “Listen up, boys – and girl,” he said. You have shown progress over the last three months but I want to be able to measure how good you are relative to your peers. Tomorrow and the next day will be examination days.”
The disciples groaned.
“Silence,” Akrama said. “Tomorrow everyone should assemble at the foot of the banyan tree.”
That evening after dinner everyone was frenzied. An examination was a competition and to the warriors of Bharat victory was an intoxicant. It was a perfect opportunity for both families to show the other who was better.
In their hut, Kautilya’s brothers began strategising on how to best perform at the test. Kautilya listened attentively to Dhanush’s ideas but none of them involved her. After some time she dozed off.
CHAPTER 8
The Test
The next morning the atmosphere was electric with nervous energy. The two royal families eyed each other while they waited for the guru.
Soon Akrama arrived with a handful of texts. “The first part of the examination will be a test on all the lectures.”
Everyone groaned.
“I shall ask a question and the one who knows the answer should raise their hand,” Akrama said. “I’ll start with an easy one on statecraft. What is the role of the Priest Council in the administration of the state?”
Jansa coolly raised his hand while the rest of the princes seemed confused.
Kautilya looked around. None of her brothers had raised his hand. She thought she knew the answer but she wasn’t sure.
“Answer, Jansa,” Akrama said.
Jansa began, “The role of the Priest Council is to balance the power of the monarchy and to ensure that the laws given by the gods are correctly interpreted and implemented by the king.”
“The next question is on the law. What are the primary virtues?” Akrama asked.
Again, Jansa’s hand went up and he answered, “Compassion, forbearance, truthfulness, self-control, meditation, serenity and honesty.”
Akrama smiled. “Good job.”
He forgot non-violence and sweetness Kautilya thought to herself. But then again most people forgot that part.
The Lohithas pumped their fists in excitement. They would beat the Shvetas in this.
“Didn’t any of you pay attention during the lectures?” Dhanush asked his brothers in an urgent whisper.
Everyone shook their heads except Kautilya. Dhanush turned to Kautilya. “Kautilya, did you know the answer?”
Kautilya nodded slowly.
“Why didn’t you raise your hand?” Dhanush asked.
“I wasn’t sure,” Kautilya said.
“No one ever is,” Dhanush said. “Raise your hand next time even if you are only partly sure.”
“The next question is a difficult one,” Akrama said. “What is the difference between a siddhi and a mantra?”
Jansa and Kautilya both raised their hands. Akrama was amused to see Kautilya participate.
“Go ahead, girl,” Akrama said.
“They’re both magic,” Kautilya said. “A siddhi is a permanent magical ability, like the demigod’s ability to fly and the asura’s ability to breathe underwater, while a mantra is an incantation that grants its user a temporary power, like the one used by the Asura Prime to attempt raising the Golden City of Sutala to the skies.
“A siddhi can be attained only through penance or inheritance,” Kautilya said. “A mantra can be attained through training as well.”
Akrama and the Lohithas were stunned by Kautilya’s answer.
Akrama nodded. “You are correct, Kautilya. That is the complete answer.”
The Raptors cheered.
“Next question,” Akrama said. “What is the capital of the rakshasas?”
Kautilya excitedly raised her hand.
“Go ahead, Kautilya,” Akrama said.
“It is Trikuta today,” Kautilya said. “But in ancient times their capital was Lanka which is now occupied by the danavas.”
Akrama raised an eyebrow. “At least one of the Shvetas has been paying attention in my lectu
res.”
With this, Akrama moved on to the next question – which was answered only by Kautilya.
As her momentum built she got more confident. However, in many cases, Jansa managed to answer even before Kautilya could raise her hand. This was a test not just of knowledge but also of reflex.
“Final question,” Akrama said.
Kautilya gulped. Jansa and she were tied with the most number of correct answers. This would be the decider.
“What are the duties of a king?” Akrama asked.
Both Kautilya’s and Jansa’s hands shot up.
“Jansa,” Akrama said.
“The foremost duty of a king,” Jansa said, “is to maintain law and order and protect his subjects. And then to create conditions in which they can attain their material and spiritual goals.”
“Perfect,” Akrama said.
Jansa smiled and the Lohithas patted his back. They had taken this round.
Varun put a hand on Kautilya’s shoulder. “It’s all right. You almost had him.”
Kautilya raised her hand.
Akrama scowled. “Jansa has already given the answer, Kautilya.”
“The answer is incomplete,” Kautilya said.
“What?” Akrama asked.
“The answer is incomplete,” Kautilya insisted.
“All right. Go ahead and complete the answer.”
“I believe,” Kautilya said, “that a king has different duties at the different stages in his life. At the first stage, he is a student. His duty then is to respect elders and learn as much as he can. At the next stage, he is a householder. Just like all householders, his duty is to protect and grow his family. Except in a king’s case the household is his entire nation. At the third stage, he is entering the age nearing retirement. At this stage, the king’s duty is to find and mentor an heir who will ensure his policies and visions are continued. Finally, in the last stage, he hands over the crown to the next generation and then spends the rest of his life in meditation and penance. At this stage, his duty is to the service of the gods and nature.”
Kautilya gasped. She was almost out of breath.
Everyone was struck dumb.
“Where did you read that, Kautilya?” Akrama asked.
Kautilya began to sweat. “I combined what you taught about the four stages of life with what you taught about monarchy.”
Akrama burst out laughing. “I did not expect such brilliance from you, little parrot. Truly each Shveta is a marvel. I give extra points for your answer.”
“But you never taught that,” Jansa said.
“To learn is not just to memorise what is taught, Jansa,” Akrama said. “It is to imbibe it, understand it and draw your own conclusions. The aim of the guru and the text is not to think for you, it is to equip you to think for yourself.”
The Raptors cheered and patted Kautilya on the back.
She had finally contributed to her brothers’ success.
Then she met Jansa’s eyes. They were pure venom.
CHAPTER 9
The Bout
The oral examination was followed by tests in the other skills. Sameer came top in sword fighting, Varun won the swimming, Hayan was best at hunting, Dhanush won archery and Jansa was the best in weapons crafting. Jansa and Dhanush alternated between second and third in all the contests they did not win outright. This meant either Jansa or Dhanush was going to have the highest overall score at the end of the tests.
Kautilya fared worst in all the tests. However, this time she did not feel as bad. The Lohithas had stopped teasing her. Instead, they would scowl at her surreptitiously. All except Jansa, who avoided all eye contact. Kautilya wasn’t sure if this was better than the teasing. She had won their respect, had she not?
The last test was a hand-to-hand sparring match. The disciples were assembled in a circle around a sand pit, stripped down to just their undergarments and oiled from head to toe in order to prevent abrasions.
Kautilya observed the field around her. It was clear that either Bali or the elder Lohitha would take this competition. She wondered whether Jansa or Dhanush would take the third spot.
The sparring competition was managed by drawing lots. Each fighter would spar with a randomly chosen opponent. At the end of the round, Akrama would score everyone on technique and ability.
Akrama passed around a coconut shell filled with cowries. Kautilya picked one out. It had the number nine painted on it.
Kautilya’s plan for the sparring session was to take things easy. If she did not offer resistance she would not be hurt.
The sparring sessions began. The ones that were between a Lohitha and a Shveta were really fierce. Nobody was pulling any punches.
Bout number seven involved Dhanush and the eldest Lohitha. It was a toughly contested match with Dhanush countering his opponent’s brute strength with speed and superior technique. He lost the match but the score was good for both the fighters. At number eight were Bali and the youngest Lohitha. There was no contest, with a quick outcome. Kautilya hoped her match would be the same.
“Number nine,” Akrama called out and Kautilya walked into the arena. From the other side, Jansa also came into the circle. Kautilya had expected him to be casual as he walked into the circle but he seemed focused, even murderous.
Kautilya tried smiling to dissipate the tension but the ruthless expression did not leave Jansa’s face.
“Take your positions,” Akrama said. “Begin.”
Before Kautilya could budge Jansa was on her. He delivered a series of quick punches across her face. Then pulling her arms towards him he kneed her in the stomach. Kautilya felt the air leave her body and collapsed.
Jansa proceeded to fling her over his head and onto the hard ground. At first, it was just a numb impact but soon the pain began.
Before Kautilya could make out what was happening Jansa twisted her arm into a lock behind her back. A shock of pain burst into her shoulder.
“I yiel—” Kautilya began to say but before she could complete she felt Jansa’s knee catch her jaw. A tooth flew out of her mouth and her head began to spin. She heard hazy voices in the background but her eyes had blurred with tears and her hearing was fading. A punch connected with her nose, sending searing pain across her face. She fell backwards onto the ground.
I yield, she wanted to say but her mouth was filled with blood. Jansa sat on her chest and began pummelling her with punch after punch. Kautilya began thinking of death.
Suddenly the weight on her chest lessened as she saw Jansa being shoved off.
Dhanush... She recognised her saviour as she passed out.
When she woke up her brothers were around her.
“She’s awake,” Varun announced. In his hand was a bowl of hot ointment. At least that was what Kautilya assumed. Her nose had been blocked with cotton to prevent bleeding.
“This is a good opportunity to show you the basics of healing,” Akrama said. “Gather around, everyone.”
Dhanush was livid. “Are you joking? That idiot nearly killed her. You didn’t stop him or say anything.”
“She did not say that she had yielded,” Akrama said.
“She did not say that she had yielded?” Dhanush was shocked. “Weren’t you supposed to intervene? You were the referee.”
“Life has no referees,” Akrama said. His eyes bulged and his voice rose. “Everyone has to learn to fend for themselves. Now stop complaining and observe the procedure.”
Kautilya watched as her brothers dressed her wounds. Once they were finished Akrama sent them away.
Before Akrama followed them out he turned to her. “Never step into the arena with defeat on your mind.”
Kautilya was shocked. Was it so evident?
“Life is not fair to those who take half measures.” Akrama stepped out.
Kautilya mu
lled over what her teacher had said. And then she closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER 10
Extra Lessons
That week Kautilya was exempt from training to recover from her injuries. She wondered why she had decided to continue at the gurukul. No matter how good she was at theory, she just did not cut it in the practical skills. To survive at the gurukul she had to be a raptor like her brothers but she was a mere parrot, repeating whatever she was taught.
Every few hours, one of her brothers would come and give her gruel and lentils. Despite the pain, she was happy that she was being pampered by her brothers after a long time without it. Plus she got a thicker mattress to lie on. That wasn’t bad. Akrama had also lent her some texts to read. They were mostly scriptures on philosophy but something was better than nothing.
When Dhanush came to deliver the gruel he was fuming. “Jansa was awarded the prize for best performance,” he said. “The Lohithas are gloating as if it was some great victory beating you up like that. If only I had done better in the theory examinations... If I get him in my hands I will tear him apart like whoever it was in the histories, what was his name?”
“Jarasandha,” Kautilya said.
Dhanush paused. “You are good at theory, aren’t you? Can you teach me?”
Kautilya nodded.
“And I can teach you to fight,” Dhanush said.
Kautilya sighed. “I was born a parrot.” She opened the palm of her right hand and observed the lines. “It is not written in my fate to be a warrior.”
Dhanush held his own palm next to Kautilya’s. “Are these the lines that determine our fate?”
Kautilya nodded.
Dhanush pulled out a dagger and cut across his palm and then Kautilya’s. A line of blood ran across all the other lines.
“In that case,” Dhanush said, “we will make our own fate. We will train at night. You teach me theory and I will teach you how to fight.”
Dhanush raised his palm and Kautilya pressed hers to it. He said, “We will do this together, Sister.”
A surge of confidence coursed through Kautilya. She would make her own fate.
The Epic of Kautilya : Born To Be King Page 5