by Amish
‘Kali did tell me about this. But how do the Vayuputras engineer a man’s throat turning blue at a time of their choosing?’
‘I have heard that they administer some medicine to the candidate as he enters adolescence. The effect of this medicine remains dormant in his throat for years till it manifests itself on his drinking the Somras at a specific age. I believe the Somras reacts with the traces of the medicine already present in the man’s throat to make his neck appear blue. All of these activities have to be done at specific time periods in the man’s life if this is to happen the way it has been conceptualised. For example, if a man drinks the Somras more than fifteen years after adolescence, his throat will not turn blue even if he had taken the Vayuputra medicine as a child.’
Shiva’s eyes opened wide. ‘This is seriously complicated!’
‘It’s a means by which the system could be controlled. As you can imagine, it is only the Vayuputras who could control the process such that a man’s throat would turn blue at the appointed hour. People’s blind faith in the legend would ensure that they would follow the Neelkanth and Evil would be taken out of the equation. I must mention that for some time now we had begun to believe that the Somras was turning evil. But we do not control the institution of the Neelkanth. The Vayuputras do. And they believed that the Somras was still Good. Therefore, they refused to release their Neelkanth nominee. Even though we were convinced that it was time for the Neelkanth to appear, it did not happen.’
‘Did you present your case to the Vayuputras?’
‘We did. But they did not agree. The only alternative available to us was to try and find a solution by the Vishnu method, of creating another Good. That is what we were deeply engaged with when an event occurred that stunned everyone, including the Vayuputras.’
Shiva pointed at himself. ‘I suddenly emerged out of nowhere.’
‘Yes. Nobody really understood what had happened. We knew you were not a Vayuputra-authorised candidate. Many Vayuputras in fact believed that you were a fraud who would be exposed soon enough. Some even wanted you assassinated in the interests of the institution of the Neelkanth. But the leader of the Vayuputras, the Mithra, prevailed upon them and decreed that you be allowed to live out your karma.’
‘Why would the Mithra do that?’
‘I don’t know. That is a mystery. There was a lot of debate amongst us as well. Some of us believed that your emergence proved us right and we should use you to take the Somras out of the equation. There were others who thought that you were an unknown entity who could use the Neelkanth legend to create chaos; therefore we should have nothing to do with you. But there were also those amongst us who believed it is not our job to determine the fate of Evil. That is the sole preserve of the Neelkanth. Still others debated against us that you were after all, with due apologies, a mere barbarian, and chances were you’d arrive at an incorrect conclusion as to what constituted Evil. But the view that finally prevailed was that if the Parmatma has chosen to make you the Neelkanth, he will also lead you to the right answer. And we should, with all humility, accept that.’
‘And I arrived at the Somras.’
‘Doesn’t it make the decision obvious then? You were not marked for this task. Yet somehow, you were given the Vayuputra medicine at the right age. Furthermore, you also arrived in Meluha at the appropriate time and were administered the Somras that made your throat turn blue. You were not trained for the role of a Neelkanth. Nobody gave you the answer to the key question. We consciously refused to say anything that would create a bias in your mind. We were very careful in our communications with you regarding your task. And yet, you arrived at the right answer. Isn’t this ample proof that you have been chosen by the Parmatma, and that you are, truly, the Mahadev? Doesn’t it make my decision easy then; that in following you, we are following the Parmatma Himself?’
Shiva leaned back on his chair, rubbing his forehead. His brow felt uncomfortable.
On returning from their short tour of Ujjain, Brahaspati, Ganesh and Kartik joined Sati, Nandi and Parshuram at the guesthouse.
‘How is the city, Brahaspatiji?’ asked Sati.
‘Beautiful and well-organised.’ answered Brahaspati. ‘This city is a better rendition of Lord Ram’s principles than even Meluha and Panchavati.’
Sati turned to Ganesh and Kartik. ‘My sons, did you like the city?’
Ganesh’s tactical mind reflected in his opinion. ‘Though Ujjain is nice, what fascinated me were the elephant stables. We watched the mahouts tend to these beasts of war, each one of the five thousand of them equivalent to a thousand foot soldiers. I dare say our strength has increased manifold, given that the Vasudevs follow the Neelkanth. With these elephants on our side, we are not as precariously placed as we were earlier.’
‘Precariously placed?’ asked Parshuram. ‘Lord Ganesh, forgive me for disagreeing with you. But how can you say that? We have the Neelkanth with us. That means a vast majority of Indians will be with us. I would say that the odds overwhelmingly favour us.’
‘Parshuram, I have always admired your bravery and your utter devotion to the Neelkanth. But hope alone does not win battles. Only an honest evaluation of one’s weaknesses, followed by their mitigation, can win the day.’
‘What weaknesses can we have? We are led by the Neelkanth. The people will follow him.’
‘The people will follow the Neelkanth, but their kings won’t. And remember, the people do not control the army, kings do. Emperor Daksha is already against us. So is Emperor Dilipa. Together they have the technological wizardry of Meluha and the sheer numbers of Swadweep. That makes a very strong army.’
‘But dada,’ argued Kartik, ‘even the most capable army is of little use if it is led by incapable leaders. Do you see any good generals on their side? I see none.’
Ganesh shook his head and looked at Brahaspati and Nandi before turning back to Kartik. ‘They have the best. They have Lord Parvateshwar.’
Sati burst in angrily. ‘Ganesh, I have warned you to desist from insulting Pitratulya.’
‘I know he is like a father to you, maa,’ said Ganesh politely. ‘But the truth is Lord Parvateshwar will fight for Meluha.’
‘No, he will not. Your father trusts him completely. How can you believe he will escape and join those who tried to kill the Neelkanth?’
‘Maa, Parvateshwarji has too much honour to escape. He will leave openly, once he has revealed his intentions to baba. And trust me, baba will let him go. He will not even try to stop him. For they are both honourable men who’d rather bring harm upon themselves than forsake their honour.’
‘Indeed, he’s an honourable man, Ganesh. Will that sense of duty not bind him to the path of the Neelkanth?’
‘No. Parvateshwarji is with baba because he is inspired by him, not because he is honour-bound to follow him. He is supremely committed to one value alone, as in fact all Meluhans are: the protection of Meluha. You can ask any of the Meluhans here.’
Nandi’s eyes flashed with anger as the normally affable man stared at Shiva’s son, his eyes unblinking. ‘Lord Ganesh, I have already made my choice. I live for the Neelkanth. And I will die for the Neelkanth. If that means I have to oppose my country, so be it. I will face my karma for having betrayed my country. But I will not have you questioning my loyalty again.’
Ganesh immediately reached out to Nandi. ‘I was not questioning your loyalty, brave Nandi. I was wondering how you think General Parvateshwar will react.’
‘I don’t know what the General thinks. I only know what I think,’ Nandi bristled.
‘Well, I know how Parvateshwar thinks,’ said Brahaspati. ‘I realise this will hurt you Sati, but Ganesh is right. Parvateshwar will not abandon Meluha. In fact, he will battle those who seek to hurt Meluha. And if Shiva, as I hope, decides that the Somras is Evil, then Meluha will be our primary enemy. The battle lines are drawn, my child.’
Wordlessly, Sati looked out of the window at the Vishnu temple and sighed.
Shiva rubbed his throbbing brow as he pondered over the mysteries of his childhood.
Gopal bent forward. ‘What is it, great Neelkanth?’
‘It is not the hand of fate, Panditji,’ said Shiva. ‘Neither is it the grand plan of the Parmatma that I emerged as the Neelkanth. I suspect it was my uncle’s doing. Though how he did all this is a mystery to me.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I remember being administered some medicine in my childhood by my uncle. I used to suffer severe burning between my brows from when I was very young. My uncle’s medicine helped me calm the burning sensation. The throbbing persists to this day but it is not as bad as it used to be. I still recall his words as he readied the medicine: “We will always remain faithful to your command, Lord Rudra, this is the blood oath of a Vayuputra”. Then he’d pricked his index finger and let the blood drop into the potion. It was this mix that he gave to me, and bade me rub it into the back of my throat.’
Gopal’s eyes had been pinned on Shiva, fascinated. He briefly looked at the Vasudev pandit from the Ayodhya temple, who was sitting in the first row.
The Ayodhya Vasudev spoke up. ‘Great Neelkanth, what was the name of your uncle?’
‘Manobhu,’ said Shiva.
The stunned Ayodhya Vasudev turned to Gopal. ‘In the great name of Lord Ram!’
‘What is it?’ asked a surprised Shiva.
‘Lord Manobhu was your uncle?’ asked Gopal.
‘Lord Manobhu?’
‘He was a Vayuputra Lord, one of the Amartya Shpand, a member of the council of six wise men and women who rule the Vayuputras under the leadership of the Mithra.’
‘He was a Vayuputra Lord?!!’
‘Yes, he was. Many years ago, when we were still trying to convince the Vayuputras about the Somras having turned evil, he was the only one amongst the Amartya Shpand who had agreed with us. Unfortunately, he got no support from the others in the council. The Mithra had also overruled Lord Manobhu.’
‘What happened thereafter?’
‘I remember that conversation as if it happened yesterday,’ said Gopal. ‘Lord Manobhu and I had spoken for hours about the Somras. It was obvious that we would not be able to convince the council. He had promised that he would ensure a Neelkanth arose. When I asked him how he would do it, he had said that Lord Rudra would help him. He made me promise that when the Neelkanth did rise, the Vasudevs and I would support him wholeheartedly. I had assured him that this was our duty in any case.’
‘And then what happened?’
‘Lord Manobhu disappeared. Nobody knew what happened to him. Some believed that he had gone back to his homeland of Tibet since he had been isolated in the Vayuputra council. Some thought he had been killed. I tended to believe the latter for only death could have stopped a man like him from fulfilling his promise. But he did not fail. He created you. Where is he now? How did he contrive to get you invited to Meluha and receive the Somras?’
‘He didn’t. He died many years ago, at a peace conference, in a cowardly ambush mounted on him by the Pakratis, our local enemies in Tibet.’
‘Then how were you invited into Meluha within that specific period? As I’ve told you, your throat could turn blue only if you drank the Somras within fifteen years of entering adolescence.’
‘I don’t know,’ answered Shiva. ‘Nandi just happened to come to Mansarovar at that time, asking for immigrants.’
Gopal looked up at the central pillar of the temple, towards the idols of Lord Ram and Lady Sita. ‘It is obvious then. It was the will of the Almighty that events unfolded the way they did.’
Shiva looked at Gopal, his eyes revealing his scepticism that his life was somehow all part of a divine plan.
Gopal tactfully changed the topic. ‘My friend, you said that your brow has throbbed from a very young age. Did it happen after a specific incident? Did your uncle give you something which started the burning sensation?’
Shiva frowned. ‘No, I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. I think from when I was born. Whenever I’d get upset, my brow would start throbbing.’
‘Would this happen when your heart rate went up dramatically?’
Shiva thought about it for a second. ‘Yes. Whenever I am angry or upset, my heart does beat dramatically. Or when I think of Sati, but that is a happy heartbeat.’
Gopal smiled. ‘Which means your third eye has been active from the time of your birth, and that is very rare. It convinces me that you are the one chosen by the Parmatma.’
‘Third eye?’
‘It is the region between one’s brows. It is believed that there are seven chakras or vortices within the human body which allow the reception and transmission of energy. The sixth chakra is called the ajna chakra, the vortex of the third eye. These chakras are activated by yogis after years of practice. Of course, they can also be activated by medicines. The Vayuputras use medicines to activate the third eye of those amongst their young who are potential candidates. But in all my one hundred and forty years, I have yet to hear of a child born with his third eye active.’
‘So what is so special about that? It just causes me trouble. It burns dreadfully.’
Gopal smiled. ‘That is just a small side-effect. I believe that your active third eye could be one of the reasons why your uncle thought you may have been the chosen one. For it set your body up to easily accept the Vayuputra medicine.’
‘How so?’
‘The Parihan system of medicine believes that the pineal gland, which exists deep within our brain, is the third eye. It is a peculiar gland. The cortical brain is divided into two equal hemispheres within which most components exist in pairs. The singular pineal gland, however, is present between the two hemispheres. It is a little like an eye and is impacted by light; darkness activates it and light inhibits it. A hyperactive pineal gland is regenerative. This is probably what made your body such that the Somras did not only lengthen your life but also repaired your injuries. Furthermore, the pineal gland is not covered by the blood barrier system.’
‘Blood barrier system?’
‘Yes. One’s blood flows freely throughout the body. But there is a barrier when it approaches the brain. Perhaps this is so as to prevent germs and infections from affecting the brain, the seat of one’s soul. However, the pineal gland, despite being lodged between the two hemispheres, is not covered by the blood barrier system. It is obvious why your third eye throbs when you are upset; this is the result of blood gushing through your hyperactive pineal gland.’
Shiva nodded slowly. ‘Does this happen to others?’
‘Yes, it does. But only amongst those who practice decades of yoga to train their third eye. Or it is active amongst those who are given medicines to stimulate it. What is unnatural about your case is that you were born with an active third eye. This is unheard of.’
Shiva shifted uneasily in his chair. ‘So a congenital event just set me up for this role? My uncle could have got it all wrong. I could still be an erroneous choice and maybe I will not achieve the purpose set out for me.’
‘But I am sure your uncle did not give you the medicine merely because of your active third eye. He would have judged your character and found you worthy. He must have trained you for this.’
‘I was trained by him, no doubt. He taught me ethics, warfare, psychology, arts. But he did not say anything to me about my purported task.’
‘You must concede he did an excellent job, though. For you have done well as the Neelkanth.’
‘Just luck,’ said Shiva wryly.
‘Great Neelkanth, a non-believer will credit luck for one’s achievements. But a believer in the Parmatma, like me, will know that the Neelkanth has achieved all that he has because the Parmatma willed it. And that means that the Neelkanth will complete his journey and eventually succeed in taking Evil out of the equation.’
Shiva smiled. ‘Sometimes, faith can lean towards over-simplicity.’
Gopal smiled in return. ‘Maybe simplic
ity is what this world needs right now.’
Shiva laughed softly and looked at the audience of Vasudev pandits, listening to the two of them with rapt attention. ‘Well, many of my doubts have been cleared. The Somras is the greatest Good and will therefore, one day, certainly emerge as the greatest Evil. But how do we know that the moment has arrived? How can we be sure?’
One of the Vasudev pandits answered. ‘We can never be completely sure, great Neelkanth. But if you allow me to express an opinion, we have had a Good which has had a glorious journey for thousands of years and humanity has grown tremendously with its munificence. However, we also know that it is close to becoming Evil now. It is possible that the Somras is taken out of the equation a trifle early, and the world will lose out on a few hundred years of additional good that it could do. But that pales in comparison to the enormous contribution it has already made for thousands of years. On the other hand, there is the risk that the Somras is getting closer to Evil and is likely to lead to chaos and destruction. It is already causing it in substantial measure; I’m not merely referring to the plague of Branga or the deformities of the Nagas. It is believed that the Somras is also responsible for the drastic fall in the birth rate of the Meluhans.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes,’ answered Gopal. ‘Perhaps in refusing to embrace death, they pay the price of not seeing their own genes propagate.’
Shiva acknowledged that he’d understood with a gentle nod. The massive images of Lord Ram and Lady Sita that formed the carved central pillar seemed to smile at him. Accepting their blessings, his eyes were drawn farther, towards a grand painting depicting Lord Ram at the feet of Lord Rudra in the backdrop of holy Rameshwaram. Shiva smiled at the giant circle of life. He joined his hands together in a respectful Namaste, closed his eyes and prayed. Jai Maa Sita. Jai Shri Ram.
Shiva was resolute as he opened his eyes and beheld Gopal. ‘I have made my decision. We will strive to avoid war and needless bloodshed. But should our efforts prove futile, we shall fight to the last man. We will end the reign of the Somras.’