The Epic of Kautilya : Born To Be King

by Deepak Thomas

  ***

  Once Kautilya healed, she and Dhanush began to creep away at night to a meadow near the gurukul to train.

  For the first two hours, Kautilya would teach Dhanush theory. Kautilya had feared he would get bored just like he did in Akrama’s classes, but Dhanush listened with rapt attention. He was a quick learner, especially in matters of statecraft and strategy. She once told him this.

  “That is because you’re a better teacher than Guru Akrama,” Dhanush said. “Maybe you should start a gurukul one day too.”

  “But women cannot start schools,” Kautilya said.

  “In that case just keep being my advisor,” Dhanush said.

  Kautilya promised.

  For his part, Dhanush taught Kautilya all the technical skills of martial arts. He taught exactly what Akrama taught but was more attentive and less critical. Kautilya responded well to her brother’s guidance.

  Soon both of them began improving in the daily classes. She became average in most of the martial arts. She showed drastic improvement in archery. With the exception of Dhanush, she could beat anyone.

  The next time examinations came around both Kautilya and Dhanush were ready. The theory exam was fiercely competitive. Though Kautilya came top Dhanush was a close second, just ahead of Jansa. Kautilya did well in archery and horse riding too. Overall she was deemed average and, for Kautilya, this was a great improvement. Dhanush was overjoyed too. He was the best overall performer by a wide margin.

  The final test was hand-to-hand combat.

  “You will be fighting the same opponents as you did in the first examination,” Akrama said. “I want to see if the losers have come up with any new strategies to win this time and I want to see if the winners are still strong.”

  Half of those assembled groaned while the other half chuckled in anticipation. Kautilya began sweating. She looked at Dhanush who reassured her with a nod.

  The rounds began again. And the results were a repeat of the matches that had happened before. The only change was when Dhanush fought the eldest Lohitha brother. This time his speed and manoeuvres helped him overcome the brawny boy.

  Finally it was Kautilya’s turn. Jansa came up ready to fight. His eyes did not have the cruel hunger Kautilya had seen the last time. He was obviously confident about winning. But this time Kautilya had not come to surrender. She planned to win.

  “Begin,” Akrama said.

  Jansa lunged and Kautilya stepped back. She and Dhanush had been practising how to dodge attacks. Jansa straightened up and grinned. He lunged again. Kautilya dodged again.

  “You have become fast,” Jansa noted.

  Kautilya did not reply. She was concentrating. Dhanush had taught her that a man’s stance betrayed his next move. Jansa put his weight on his left leg and began to attack, so Kautilya moved to her left and dodged again. This time, however, Jansa did not wait. He immediately spun around and grabbed Kautilya by the waist.

  “Got you now,” Jansa said.

  Kautilya wrapped her arm around Jansa’s neck and, as Dhanush had taught her, quickly dipped down onto her knees. Jansa lost balance and fell flat on the ground. Seizing the opportunity Kautilya jumped onto Jansa’s back and wrapped her arms below her opponent’s armpits and around his neck. Jansa began writhing under her but Kautilya maintained her position.

  Kautilya could hear her brothers cheering her on. Suddenly Jansa stopped moving. Then he began to lift himself up. He fell backwards, pummelling Kautilya onto the ground. Her grip loosened and Jansa began to slide his arm free.

  “Don’t let go, Kautilya!” she heard Dhanush scream.

  Kautilya regained her focus and tightened her grip again. She wrapped her legs around Jansa. Jansa was now trapped: since he was on his back he did not have the leverage to lift Kautilya up again. He writhed helplessly.

  Suddenly Jansa rammed his elbow into her ribs. It was followed by a second blow. On the third blow, Kautilya lost her grip and Jansa immediately leapt back to his feet.

  When he turned around, his face was contorted with bloodlust. He dived at Kautilya. She immediately raised her knee. It crashed straight into Jansa’s groin and he fell backwards groaning in agony.

  “Stop,” Akrama yelled. He stormed at Kautilya and lifted her up to her feet with one hand.

  “How dare you attack someone’s manhood? Such obscene conduct from a princess-” he asked.

  “But Jansa elbowed her,” Sameer said.

  “Silence,” Akrama said. “You are disqualified and I am reducing your score.”

  Kautilya bowed her head in mock shame. She looked at Jansa, who was being tended to by his Lohitha brethren. She then turned to Dhanush who winked at her. Kautilya smiled.

  It did not matter what score she got. She had just beaten the Lohitha hero. She had proven what she was capable of and she had achieved her revenge. But she couldn’t stop here. She needed to continue to train. Today she had been lucky; now she had to become skilled.

  CHAPTER 11

  Astras

  It was time for Dhanush’s nightly rendezvous with Kautilya.

  The moon was shining with full force as he walked through the forest paths to the clearing where they practised. The waterfall at the edge of the clearing sparkled.

  Eight years had passed since Dhanush had arrived at the gurukul. It had been eight years away from the luxuries of his royal status. Sometimes he was just as helpless as the animals around him – yet many times just as vicious.

  This was his favourite part of the day. He had discovered the clearing a few weeks after his arrival. Back then, he would use it has his chance to escape from the others.

  He loved his brothers but they drained his energy. Although they had skills, they were helpless without him. But he felt that way about everyone ... except for Kautilya.

  When they were at the palace, Kautilya had been the most helpless of all his siblings. Weakness, timidity and every other quality he despised seemed to be embodied in her. But she was his sister and he had humoured her as was his duty.

  That changed the first time they trained together. At first, Dhanush had thought of it as a quick way to boost his theoretical skills. He had thought Kautilya would just summarise the lectures for him so that he could save time.

  When he had engaged her, however, he discovered a goldmine. He had discovered his intellectual equal. Finally, here was someone to take him to the next level.

  No one worked harder than Dhanush and Kautilya in the gurukul for those eight years. They trained at night, they studied in the day. They analysed and corrected each other’s mistakes. They engaged in debates, pushing each other’s horizons.

  When Dhanush entered the clearing, Kautilya was already there. As usual, she was lost in her own thoughts.

  He remembered how they had been when they arrived at the gurukul. She was skinny and clumsy. Her voice was always quiet and her hands were always shivering. But eight years of dedication had changed her more than any of the others. Her every movement was now graceful like a gazelle’s. Every sentence she spoke was a command and every gesture she made was straight out of a dancer’s manual.

  Dhanush was the most successful of all the pupils. He had aced every examination since the humiliation of the first one. He could occasionally beat one of his brothers in their specialities. However, the one test he had never managed to top was the theory. Kautilya was unbeatable.

  “Kautilya,” he said. She turned to him, her doe-eyes sparkling in the moonlight. The softness of her features made her beautiful.

  “You’re late,” Kautilya said. She wagged her finger at him. “Bad boy.”

  “You’re too early,” Dhanush said.

  “‘When the moon crosses the pole star,’” Kautilya said, looking at the sky. “As far as I can see it crossed it some time ago. Oh, wait, is the moon travelling in the opposite direction today?�
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  Dhanush sighed. “Do you bottle up all your feistiness through the day to unleash it on me?”

  “Not all,” Kautilya said. “Some of it I reserve for my future husband.”

  Dhanush shook his head. “How I pity Jay.” He got some payback when Kautilya blushed.

  “In any case,” Dhanush said, “spare me your venom today because what I have brought will amaze you. I had Hayan peruse Akrama’s secret library on my behalf.”

  Kautilya’s jaw dropped. “You had Hayan steal Guru Akrama’s texts?”

  “Borrow,” Dhanush said, “for academic purposes. I’m sure he won’t mind.” He pulled out the text and opened it wide.

  Kautilya gasped. “Is that...?”

  “Astrashastra?” Dhanush said. “Yes, it is.”

  “Astras are dangerous, Dhanush,” Kautilya said. “You remember how our uncle ended up killing himself and a battalion of our troops when he used one.”

  “Which is why,” Dhanush said, “we will be careful. Every ambitious warrior needs to know how to use them, Kautilya. And we are already adept at archery and mantras.”

  Kautilya kept staring apprehensively at Dhanush. Her timidity always annoyed him. Maybe her doe-eyes gave her the temperament of a doe.

  “Come on, Kautilya,” Dhanush said. “Only you can read the demigod script.”

  “It’s written in demigod script?” Kautilya asked. She immediately ran to the text. Of course, Dhanush had guessed she would help her once she knew that. Anything to do with the demigods fascinated her. Which was why she knew how to read their script and which was why she would be the key to Dhanush’s ultimate plan...

  “Wow,” Kautilya said, “this is really interesting.”

  “Explain,” Dhanush said.

  “Astras are weaponised mantras,” Kautilya began. “You use a mantra to bestow a projectile with special powers. You chant the mantra in your mind, summon the astra out loud and if you have...”

  “Go on,” Dhanush urged.

  “If you have the appropriate god’s patronage,” Kautilya said, “then the projectile will become an astra upon release.”

  What was this new complication? “Patronage?” he asked Kautilya.

  “You need to have the god’s blessing,” Kautilya said. “You know, through rituals or penance.”

  This was an unforeseen obstacle. He didn’t have the time for this.

  “Tell me one of the basic mantras,” Dhanush said.

  Kautilya recited one to him. “It’s called the Jyotikastra. An astra powered by the Sun God. It dispels darkness.”

  Dhanush nocked an arrow in his bow and chanted the mantra in his mind. Then he called out, “Jyotikastra!” He released the arrow and it hit a tree. But it remained a regular arrow.

  Dhanush cursed. He had already conjured up fantasies of destroying legions of armies with astras. The way Chandra could.

  “Should we ask Guru Akrama?” Kautilya asked. “He might teach them to us, you know.”

  Kautilya was so naïve. “He will only teach us what he has decided to teach us,” he said. “And astras are definitely not part of his lesson plan.”

  They could try every astra in the scroll. But there were hundreds of gods and Dhanush had to return the scroll that night. He supposed he would have to do a ritual or two. But the thought of grovelling to the gods was unbearable.

  Kautilya’s face suddenly brightened. She flipped through the leaves. Then she recited a mantra to Dhanush. “Try this. The Agnyastra.”

  Dhanush did not care what it was for. He nocked another arrow, chanted the mantra and...

  “I think it would be better to point it at the pool,” Kautilya said.

  Dhanush shrugged. He aimed it at the pool and said, “Agnyastra.”

  He shot the arrow. The arrow hit the water and exploded in a giant ball of flame. Water sprayed all over them.

  Dhanush could not believe it. “How, Kautilya?”

  Kautilya was elated too. “We were born through a fire ritual, so of course we would have the patronage of the Fire God.”

  Dhanush hugged Kautilya. “You are brilliant, Sister. What would I do without you?”

  She would be one of the greatest in the history of Bharat. He would see to that.

  CHAPTER 12

  Patron Gods

  Over the next several days, Kautilya and Dhanush perfected their use of the astras. They worked out that the projectile could be anything. Soon they could use even pebbles as astras.

  However, they also figured out that each astra had conditions attached to their use. The Fire God’s astras could only be used a certain number of times a day. The number depended on the strength of the astra and the skill of the astra-wielder. When they began they could use the Agnyastra only once a day but over time Dhanush was able to use it five times a day and Kautilya could use it thrice.

  That night Dhanush was tired of using the same old fire astras. He needed a challenge. Would he need to find a new patron god? Maybe he would have to do a penance. Or maybe...

  “Kautilya,” Dhanush asked, “are there any astras which require the War God’s patronage?”

  Kautilya nodded and recited one. “It’s called the Kadgāstra.”

  Dhanush tried it with a pebble. The pebble transformed into a blade as it flew.

  “Wow,” Kautilya said. “How did you get the War God’s patronage?”

  Dhanush smiled. “We both have it, Kautilya. We are of the warrior caste.”

  Kautilya tried the same astra and sure enough it worked.

  “So that’s a new list of astras for us to practise,” Dhanush said. “We are getting so much better at this!”

  “I have a theory,” Kautilya said. “Maybe we have patron gods other than the Fire God.”

  “Why’s that?” Dhanush asked.

  “Like Sameer,” she said, “his speed is superhuman. It’s bound to have something to do with the God of Wind.”

  The theory made sense. Varun could breathe underwater, so his patron was probably the Water God. The Ape God could be the reason for Bali’s strength. But what about Dhanush himself?

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Kautilya said. “I have a theory for you too. Since you’re the one destined to be king, maybe...”

  Could it be the King of Gods himself?

  “The Storm God?” Kautilya said.

  “Give me one of his astras,” Dhanush said. “Let me try.”

  Kautilya hesitated.

  “What’s wrong?” Dhanush asked.

  “His astras,” she said. “They are very dangerous.”

  “Don’t be annoying,” Dhanush said. “Tell me now!”

  Kautilya sighed and recited an astra.

  Dhanush picked up a pebble. He aimed at the pool and chanted, “Vajrastara.” Then he flung the pebble at the water.

  The pebble exploded into a bolt of lightning. It electrified the whole pool and lit up everything. Dhanush could not believe his eyes. It was the most powerful astra yet.

  This was what he was looking for: an astra that could be used to fight whole armies. And to have that power was to become the warrior he had always wanted to be. And once he perfected-

  “What is this?” The voice was unmistakable.

  Dhanush turned around and sure enough, Akrama stood at the entrance to the clearing. His eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets.

  “Astras?” Akrama said. “How dare you?”

  Dhanush looked at Kautilya. He could handle Akrama but she had to play along.

  Akrama walked to Dhanush. “Do you know the danger of the power you try to wield? Warriors have to train for years before they are ready to use them. They have to earn them through penance and ritual.”

  Dhanush hung his head low. Let someone think they have the upper hand and they are usually
easier to placate.

  “Where did you learn this?” Akrama asked. “Did you steal my Astrashastra?”

  Dhanush shook his head. “No, Guruji. Kautilya and I practise here every night. We stumbled upon the use of astras over time.”

  Akrama breathed deeply. “Do you take me for a fool, Dhanush? It is certain you have the Astrashastra. Hand it over.”

  Dhanush opened both his palms. “Look, Guruji. I do not have them. You are mistaken.”

  He looked at Kautilya. Then he beckoned both to follow him.

  The three walked to Akrama’s hut. He took them into the inner rooms, where he unlocked an ornate chest.

  “Where is the Astrashastra?” Akrama asked. “Why is it not here?”

  “There it is,” Dhanush said.

  Hidden beneath a few texts was the Astrashastra. The shock on Akrama’s face was priceless.

  Dhanush had foreseen this. The first night he had taken the text, he’d asked Kautilya to memorise it. It took her almost no time. Every line was seared into her mind. That very night he had Hayan return the text to its rightful place.

  But Akrama was not done. His face darkened further. He turned to Kautilya. “Kautilya, tell me the truth.”

  Kautilya was brilliant but she was too sincere. Could she handle scrutiny?

  Kautilya did not look up.

  “Kautilya,” Akrama asked again, “did Dhanush steal the Astrashastra?”

  Kautilya looked up. “He did not, Guruji. I swear on the gods.”

  Akrama was disappointed. He turned to Dhanush. “Never again under my tutelage do you use astras. If you do I will give you the worst curse imaginable.” He then sent them back to their huts.

  On their way back, Dhanush saw Kautilya’s eyes well up. The whole incident had been too much for the poor girl.

  Dhanush reached out to her. She slapped his hand away.

  “Listen, Kautilya,” Dhanush said, “you did well. Sorry I made you lie.”

  Kautilya stopped. “I did not lie.”

  But she had ... just a few moments before.

  “Hayan stole the texts,” Kautilya said, “not you.”