Vishwarath’s heart was racing now; he wanted to see this magical creature that fulfilled the requirements of this ashram and quickened his steps. As he neared the enclosure, the sight of what was inside almost stopped him dead in the tracks.
Inside the fencing, there sat a creature of such magnificent beauty that he could only believe he was dreaming. What amazed him most, however, was the fact that it wasn’t an alien plant or animal from Swarg, but a milk-white cow with magnificent golden horns and large flapping wings!
He looked at the Brahmarishi dumbfounded and then at his son. Both sported identical grins on their faces.
The patriarch explained, ‘My king, this is the boon of Indra—the divine cow Nandini, the daughter of Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow obtained from the Churning of the Cosmic Ocean at the end of the last Manvantar.
‘Nandini, just like her mother, is a wish-fulfilling angel who can provide whatever the ashram requires and has not failed us yet. In return, the entire ashram cares for her like a mother.’
Vishwarath stood rooted to the spot, trying to make sense of what he had just heard. He was stumped by the existence of a wish-fulfilling creature from heaven, residing in his own kingdom without his knowledge!
Surely, the place of such a magnificent creature, and such a useful one at that, was in the royal palace and not this remote ashram where no one had access to her gifts except a few half-naked ascetics. Something had to be done to change this scenario.
Adhyaye 16
Together they bowed to the divine cow who sat comfortably on a bed of flowers and seemed to have a halo around her head. Her pupils were flecked with gold and her big eyes were adorned with thick golden lashes that seemed to watch every movement of the king.
Her large wings were folded but Vishwarath could see that if she opened them, they would easily carry her weight and take her wherever she wanted to go. He wondered how they communicated their needs to her and asked Shaktri.
The young rishi replied, ‘My liege, there is no formal procedure to approach the divine cow; all we do is request her in our minds for whatever is required and it appears before us by her grace. But whatever we ask for must actually be needed and not asked for in greed, only then it shall be provided.’
Vishwarath thought about this and said, ‘I am assuming this holy cow figured out that my men and I were famished so when you requested, food appeared in appropriate quantities for everyone. She also judged the needs of our animals hence the medical attention they are getting. This is nothing short of a miracle! I hope you know the significance of this, Brahmarishi?’
Vasishth was not an ordinary mortal and knew the thoughts that were swirling in Vishwarath’s mind. He recognized the dangerous path the king was about to tread and said firmly, ‘My lord, I know the desire that is germinating in your mind but let me caution you right at the outset: Nandini is not the property of this ashram; she lives here of her own volition. We have no more the right to let her go than one could let go of a person of their own family.’
Shaktri was bewildered by his father’s unexpected words and looked to him for clarification.
The Brahmarishi told him what was going on in Vishwarath’s head. ‘Our king is thinking about the immense use that a magical creature like Nandini could be put to if her ownership were transferred to him. I am simply informing him that this divine cow is not a food-producing machine that we own but a gift from the king of Devas and has a mind of her own.’
Shaktri felt enraged at such a suggestion and said heatedly, ‘O king, Nandini goes where she wants to and stays with us out of her own choice. The mere thought that she could be taken away from the ashram is sacrilegious!’
Vishwarath lost his cool too. ‘Rishi putra!’ he shouted. ‘How dare you talk to your king in this manner? I am respecting the Brahmarishi’s word since he is my elder and more knowledgeable than me but you should not forget yourself when addressing me. As a king it is my duty to think about the welfare of my people and to keep their needs above the needs of a few hundred ascetics who have anyway distanced themselves from the society!’
Shaktri glared at the king and replied in an equally haughty manner, ‘I speak to you in my authority as a man of knowledge to a man of arms. A Brahmin has no obligation towards any Kshatriya unless his actions merit respect and what you are suggesting does not merit any respect from me.’
The king’s eyes bulged in disbelief. Never in his life had anyone dared to talk to him in this manner. He reached for his scimitar then realized all weapons had been left outside the ashram boundary.
Vasishth realized the dangerous turn this situation was taking and intervened, ‘Shaktri, do not forget that a king is the representative of Indra on Earth and therefore also called Narendra. I understand your anger at the king’s suggestion but you must apologize to him this instant for your rudeness.’ And turning to Vishwarath he said, ‘At the same time, I would like to remind the king that the hermits of this ashram are also your responsibility for we too reside in your kingdom.’
Vishwarath ignored the Brahmarishi’s words and concentrated on putting Shaktri back in his place. ‘So you think that I do not deserve any respect for thinking about the welfare of my extended kingdom as opposed to a few lucky citizens living here? You think your need is greater than that of the rest of my subjects? What gives you that right?’
Shaktri knew the king was trying to provoke him so he controlled his tone while replying. ‘Rajan, my objection to you taking Nandini away is not based on any notion of personal greed. Nandini is a gift to my father and etiquette declares that he cannot give her away without consulting Indra.’
He paused and measured his words before continuing. ‘That is the reason according to Dharma but I’ll also share the reason that has personally caused me distress. Nandini is not a mere cow but a sentient being with more knowledge than either you or me and no one but she can decide where she lives. Do not forget, her mother is the matriarch of all bovine species and her calf is the vehicle of Lord Shiv Shankar himself!’
Even though Shaktri had presented a morally correct argument, Vishwarath did not want to listen to it. Now that he had set his mind on obtaining Nandini, nothing else would satisfy him.
He further argued, ‘If a gift is better used by someone other than the one who received it, why should it be necessary to take anyone’s permission? It would be in the interest of the original giver for his present to be utilized well.’
Vishwarath’s mind was calculating the expenditure he would save by using Nandini to take care of his army’s needs. He would be free of the one limitation any army faces in a foreign land, that of sustenance and replenishment, and would not have to worry about the logistics of mounting even the greatest military conquest.
To counter Shaktri’s second point he said, ‘As this creature lives in my kingdom, her free will has no significance against the orders of the king. I hereby declare that this divine cow is royal property and order my soldiers to take her away to Kanyakubja.’
As an afterthought, he added, ‘In return for the loss to the ashram, I shall provide you with a hundred milk-giving cows from my personal stock and a hundred gold coins every month to take care of your requirements.’
Shaktri was stunned into silence by the king’s arrogance but Brahmarishi Vasishth roared like a lion, ‘King Vishwarath, have you turned so blind with desire that you can’t see reason? You wish to offer material riches to ascetics, hoping to bribe them into doing what you want?’
Vishwarath looked at the change in the old man’s features. His face had turned red with anger and his eyes blazed with a fire that he found daunting. However, he could not let these hermits best him in an argument in front of his own men; that would just undermine his own authority.
He whistled to his soldiers to come to him while Vasishth declared, ‘O fool, now that you have dared to do the unthinkable, be prepared to deal with the consequences.’
Saying so, he turned towards the cow and prayed,
‘Mother, as a Brahmin monk, I have vowed not to take up weapons ever in my life, hence I request you to protect yourself as best as you can. Please do what you deem is right for the protection of this ashram as well as yourself!’
Vishwarath’s soldiers were rushing towards the enclosure where the cow now stood in attention. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground where they stood, vaporizing them in an instant. Vishwarath watched in disbelief as six of his ablest soldiers were turned into ash right before his eyes!
Adhyaye 17
As he ordered more men to grab the cow, a blinding flash emanated from the cow’s mouth and nine soldiers dressed in alien armour appeared, stepping in between Nandini and the king’s men.
The divine soldiers stood at least eight feet tall and radiated a distinct glow that identified them as the denizens of Swarg. Their armour had the insignia of Indra on the chest plate—a silver thunderbolt demanding attention on their black outfits.
Each of them carried a shield and spear and wore sturdy helmets that protected their faces, leaving a rectangular slit covered with a visor that they could look through. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the giants blocked the way to Nandini’s enclosure like a solid wall.
At first Vishwarath was stunned and realized he may have actually bitten off more than he could chew. He recognized them as the Soldiers of Swarg, the SOS, a troop of highly advanced commandos that Shakra, the current Indra, used to safeguard his interests on Earth.
But then, he thought, his soldiers had just won three major and two minor wars; if they could not face these adversaries here and now, he might as well give up his plan of becoming the universal monarch!
He ordered his men to surround the enclosure and, as they moved to encircle the fence, eighteen more of the battalion appeared with a flash on the other side of the enclosure, forming an impregnable protective circle around Nandini.
A rumble, like that of the thunder clouds, emanated from her throat as she addressed the king for the first time.
‘O foolish human,’ she said, ‘your arguments are tenuous and their logic flawed. What right does a king have on a hermit’s wealth that is acquired through intense tapas? It is not someone else’s kingdom to conquer and enjoy as the spoils of war. A sage’s wealth cannot be taken away for a king’s avarice and neither can a celestial being be subject to the laws of this land.’
To the stunned soldiers she said mockingly, ‘Try with all your might, little soldiers. I am perfectly capable of defending myself against any use of force.’
It took the men a moment but they gathered their wits and assumed a well-rehearsed attack formation within seconds. They were the best-trained army in the whole of Aryavarta. Vishwarath ordered them to charge at the SOS and attack to destroy the cow that had dared to mock them. At his command, his men advanced towards the towering alien soldiers, their weapons at the ready. No sooner had they reached the protective circle and plunged their swords and spears forward than the aliens’ huge shields locked with each other, forming a metal wall that could not be breached.
Vishwarath’s soldiers tried with all their might but could neither dent a single shield nor break the hold of any of the defenders. Tired, they had just paused to take a breath when a laser beam shot out of each of the shields and turned the soldier standing in front into a heap of ash!
Vishwarath watched in disbelief as more of his most capable men vanished in a puff of smoke right in front of his eyes yet again.
He shouted to his soldiers to get back to safety and ordered the archers to shoot above and below the cover of the SOS shields. His tactic gained them some ground as a few of the celestial soldiers fell to poisoned arrows shot at their ankles but then the shields fired again and found every single archer with precision.
Vishwarath told his remaining archers to hide behind the huts and continue shooting while Vasishth and Shaktri watched in horror as their ashram was destroyed in the process. The huts and stables could be rebuilt but they could not lose Nandini to this arrogant human and any steps she took to safeguard herself were more than welcome.
The archers kept shooting and the SOS retaliated by firing sharp, short arrows from their shields. The sharp missiles were heat sensing and found their hidden targets, slicing clean through bone and sinew alike. Soon, another flash emanated from the enclosure and a new platoon of four-armed SOS appeared in front of the earlier one, forming an outer circle of offence.
A hundred chosen soldiers from Vishwarath’s army then rushed at the aliens with a myriad variety of weapons to avenge the deaths of their comrades. They were countered by the new platoon that wielded tiny bows that shot numerous rounds of flaming ammunition, instantly incinerating whatever they fell on.
It seemed the celestial soldiers did not like to create a mess, preferring to wipe out every trace of their enemy. Soon, in place of Vishwarath’s soldiers stood heaps of ash that were being dissipated by the wind while he stood alone in front of the towering hulks who now pointed their weapons at him.
Brahmarishi Vasishth intervened, addressing Nandini with folded hands, ‘Holy mother, you have proven your might and all the soldiers of this king have already joined their maker. I request you to let him go unscathed as the welfare of an entire kingdom rests on his shoulders; let him go for he himself does not realize what his hubris has led him to do.’
The divine cow gave out a bellow of triumph and the defending soldiers laid their weapons down. They would not leave her side till they had ensured the king’s departure, hence they surrounded Vishwarath and nudged him to start walking towards his unicorn.
Utterly dejected, Vishwarath mounted his only remaining possession and turned its reins around to head towards his capital. The rest of his animals were left behind in the ashram which now seemed to resemble a zoo more than the peaceful sanctuary it had been.
His face was red with anger and his eyes stung with tears he dared not shed to maintain whatever dignity he had left. He took one last look at the ashram and vowed to return to avenge this defeat. The father–son duo would pay for his humiliation.
Adhyaye 18
Vishwarath rode back to his kingdom, devastated with the turn of events.
He had hoped to enter his capital city to the sound of celebration and revelry, riding on the shoulders of his closest generals, but now he entered stealthily in the darkness of night. He was distressed at the loss of men, especially the hundred who had been his personal bodyguards, and knew he would have to answer to their families for the utterly useless waste of their lives.
But he was in no mood for introspection right now. He would let the anger within him simmer and give him the fillip to attain his goal. He headed straight to the palace of his chief queen and asked to be taken care of. After he had been washed and fed by tender hands, he went to the queen’s bedroom to satiate his lust.
As he lay down in his own bed later, he thought of how he could extract revenge from the arrogant rishis. He would have to fight their fire of self-righteousness with a fire of his own, with a force that was capable of withstanding the kind of attack he had witnessed. To do that, he would need access to divine weapons. Only then would it be a fight amongst equals and he would see how Indra’s soldiers fared then. He fell asleep planning his next steps and woke up in the morning with a quiet resolve.
Taking a quick bath, he headed to his sister’s palace to inform her about the events of the previous day since no one except him had lived to tell the tale. He gave her an almost step-by-step description of what had happened at that unlikely battlefield and Satyavati felt miserable about the soldiers who had been reduced to embers.
Vishwarath asked for Yamdagni so that he could consult with him regarding the next course of action. While they waited for him he also called the sons from his three wives to meet him there. The long years of planning and executing his ambitious campaign meant that he had not seen his three children since the time they were born!
They went to the portico to wait for everyone to come a
s Vishwarath was meeting them after a long time and he wanted to spend some quality time with his boys before focusing on the problem at hand.
It was a lively veranda, with a peacock perched majestically at one end and parakeets creating a ruckus on the mango trees around it. The area was shaded from the sun by means of cane drapes and had fragrant creepers along the side walls.
As a child he had loved the view from there for he could see the huge gardens as well as look upon the towering spire of the royal court where his father used to sit. Even now there was a veritable riot of colours in front of his eyes and he could see orange gulmohar, yellow amaltas and purple jacaranda in full bloom.
The boys arrived, accompanied by their mothers, and he hugged each one of them, taking time to ask about their welfare. It gave him great pleasure to see the princes growing up so fast and he made all three sit on his lap as their mothers watched indulgently.
Addressing them he said, ‘Madhu, Deval and Ashtak, you know you are your father’s pride. I am so glad to see you boys after such a long time and I hope you understand the reasons for my absence.’
The boys nodded in unison and the eldest, Deval, said, ‘We know that you have been fighting great wars and defeating our enemies, father. We have heard the bards singing tales of your bravery and our mothers keep telling us to become great kings like you.’
Vishwarath smiled and looked at his sister who stood behind his sons. It was her idea to send the bards with him to the battle and have them compose poems glorifying his exploits. After each victory, the bards would return to the city and spread the tales of their king’s valour amongst the citizens who would flock to hear the latest news from the battlefield. This way, the citizens did not forget their king and his triumphant battles would also dissuade anyone else from planning a coup.
Vishwamitra Page 8