Mandodari

by Manini J Anandani

  ‘Is it true? Winning this contest does not guarantee a wedding and the winner will merely be considered eligible. Isn’t that against the rules of a swayamwar?’ Vibhishana asked again.

  The minister added, ‘My lords, my king has a condition in this contest. Whoever wins the contest first will be considered most eligible. However, his daughter will have a final decision to choose her husband. Hence . . .’

  ‘That means she can reject the first winner and so on until she wishes to!’ said Nanashri.

  ‘No, my lord, my king believes that the contest is not so easy. He invites the most valorous kings and princes for the competition, but he is certain that there will only be a couple of victorious participants among the suitors,’ said the minister.

  ‘What is the contest?’ asked Dashaanan.

  ‘In order to win princess Sita’s hand in marriage, the contestant must overcome the task of stringing a bow,’ said the minister; there were titters in the court.

  Nanashri lifted his palm indicating silence. ‘String a bow! Is that what this competition is all about?’ he asked, amused.

  The minister from Mithila answered, ‘It is not an ordinary bow, my lord! It was gifted to Raja Janaka by the great warrior sage Parasurama. It was perfectly crafted by none other than the celestial architect and craftsman, Vishwakarma. And my lord, the bow belongs to none other than the supreme lord, Mahadeva Shiva!’

  Dashaanan was stunned to hear about Shiva’s bow. His eyes narrowed in a semi-conscious state as if he was imagining the bow in front of him. The other gentry in the court, who were critical of the contest, lowered their voices.

  I knew that the swayamwar fascinated my husband very much. I asked him once again, ‘My lord, what are you thinking about? You aren’t participating, are you?’ But he ignored my question.

  The minister further added, ‘My king believes that only a true Shiva bhakta can lift this great bow and string its enormous ends. Hence, instead of a mere announcement and propaganda, he sent me to personally invite the great Lankesh who is not only Shiva’s parambhakt but also a conqueror of the three worlds. Disciple of Shiva, defeater of Indra, Lankapati Ravana!’

  Dashaanan was impressed by the grandeur of the words used for him. I knew there was no way I could stop him now.

  ‘Who are the other suitors invited by your king?’ asked Vibhishana.

  ‘Nearby as well as faraway, all the greatest kings and princes from various Brahmin, deva, rakshasa and Kshatriya clans have been invited.’

  ‘Well, tell your king that I have accepted his invitation! And that I will be arriving on the last day of the swayamwar. Also, I will send a representative to express my gratitude towards him,’ announced Dashaanan.

  I couldn’t wait to state my disapproval. I found a private moment with him to talk, ‘My lord, Mithila is not even an equal to consider alliance, then what reason would you have this time to marry another woman?

  ‘Haven’t you heard, Mandodari? They have a bow that belongs to Mahadeva!’

  ‘No, it is not about the bow! You possess so many weapons yourself and it is certainly not the bow that lures you to the swayamwar. You want another woman, don’t you?’

  ‘All I am concerned about is Shiva’s bow. I have to bring it to Lanka. If any king can possess that celestial bow of Shiva, then it has to be me! Vibhishana, I want you to represent Lanka at the swayamwar before I arrive there. Take our guards along with you and ensure that the celestial bow they talk about is indeed worth winning.’

  ‘But bhrata Dashaanan, why do you want to attend it on the last day? What if someone wins the contest already?’ asked Vibhishana.

  ‘If the bow they talk about is indeed that grand, then I am sure it will not be easy to win that contest. And also, I want to see who all are contesting as suitors. It is not appropriate for an emperor like me to line up in a petty contest. However, I am sure I will bring that bow with me. Mahadeva will never let me fail at this,’ said Dashaanan arrogantly.

  Vibhishana lowered his face against Dashaanan’s egoistic claims, ‘Very well then, my lord. I shall leave for the swayamwar accordingly with your favours and will ensure that all the arrangements are satisfactory.’

  None of the wives took Dashaanan’s decision well. Dhanyamalini rushed to his chambers to express her disapproval but Dashaanan didn’t heed any of her arguments. Nayanadini was distressed too. My dasis overheard palace gossip that she was so offended by Dashaanan’s decision that she threw at him whatever object she could get hold of in her room. I wondered why Nayanadini was so offended by the news. Dashaanan had other wives she knew, but she may have expected to be the last one. She took pleasure in being the newest; the king’s last wife who contented him the most and after her, he needed no more. But sadly, Dashaanan wasn’t a man whose desires could ever be fulfilled.

  He met me the night before he left. ‘Are you still angry with me, Mandodari? I wanted to talk to you before leaving.’

  ‘I used to be . . . I don’t get angry any more,’ I replied.

  ‘You understand why I am doing this, don’t you?’

  ‘I don’t think I do, my lord . . . but let us leave it there. Lanka is prosperous, we have children and our family is progressing. This time we don’t need any allies, and if we do, then certainly not Mithila. You have two other wives, and a variety of woman in the antapura to satisfy your desires. And you still want to marry another woman? I fail to understand you, Lankeshwar.’

  ‘Do you really think I want to marry that woman? I just want to win the contest for that bow, which belongs to my Shiva.’

  ‘And after you win the contest, the prize is that woman Sita . . . the bow is not the prize, my lord!’

  ‘I haven’t thought about that yet!’

  ‘So what have you decided, Lankeshwar? You will win that contest and king Janaka will let you walk out of his kingdom without marrying his daughter? I know you, my lord, you wouldn’t mind getting her along with you.’

  ‘I don’t understand; you envy a woman that I have never seen!’

  ‘So you think I envy her! I don’t envy any woman any more, my lord. I have never objected to your visits to the antapura. I don’t care that you have illegitimate children with other women. All I care about is our family, our position and your reputation.’

  ‘I am leaving tomorrow, Mandodari. I shall be back in two or three days. If you care about me and my aspirations, then wish me luck. I will bring Mahadeva’s bow with me,’ said Dashaanan and walked out.

  Palace women and dasis discussed the outcome of the swayamwar. When Dashaanan left, they were prepared to receive the king’s latest wife into the queen’s palace. For me, somehow, it made no difference. I just wished that Dashaanan would come back soon without any accusations or allegations against him.

  Dashaanan and Vibhishana returned after three days. Except Nayanadini and I, all the women from the palace went to receive them. I waited in my chambers to receive the news. Wondering if he actually married once more, I kept pacing my chambers but heard nothing. After sometime, my dasi reported back to me and she finally said what I was waiting to hear.

  ‘There was no woman on that vimana. Only Lankeshwar, a few ministers and guards stepped out. Also, Lankeshwar headed straight to his palace. He was not looking pleased.’ she said.

  What must have happened? It certainly meant Dashaanan didn’t win the contest. I asked my dasi if she saw a bow or anything else that was treated with extra care, but she had seen nothing. I wanted to rush to Dashaanan and ask him everything, but I knew it would enrage him. Instead, I summoned Vibhishana to ask him the details.

  Vibhishana narrated the events of the swayamwar to Dhanyamalini, Mata Kaikesi and me. He explained the luxurious arrangements for accommodation made by king Janaka. He mentioned that it did not please king Janaka that Lankapati Ravana had decided to attend the swayamwar only on the last day. The others present found Lankeshwar very arrogant and neglectful. Although they didn’t get to see Sita, everyone had a high opi
nion of her beauty and virtue. The bow that belonged to Shiva was the most valued possession of her father.

  ‘It came as a surprise that Sita was an adopted daughter. King Janaka avoided the subject throughout the swayamwar but when matters started getting out of control, someone from the crowd brought it up,’ said Vibhishana.

  ‘So she is an adopted child? Who are her real parents then?’ I asked.

  ‘No one knows. The locals say the king found Sita while performing a yagna. The Videha region once went through a severe drought for three consecutive years but the day Janaka found Sita, it rained like the gods were pleased.’

  ‘Tell us what happened when Lankesh arrived there. Did he participate in that contest?’ asked Dhanyamalini. And Vibhishana narrated further.

  ‘Yes, he participated. By the time Lankesh arrived at the swayamwar, close to a hundred suitors had already tried stringing the bow. Shiva’s bow was more magnificent than what we had imagined. One by one the suitors lined up to win the princess, however, no one succeeded. They could not even lift the bow, leave alone stringing it. Some participants accused Janaka of deceit, whereas some others took it as an offence. When Lankesh stepped into that courtyard, needless to say, he needed no introduction. He walked towards the chariot where the bow was placed, mocking the other suitors for their failure. He went for the weapon at once and held it firmly with his right hand; he took a deep breath and closed his eyes in devotion. I admired his potency; he lifted the bow above his shoulder. Everyone present watched without blinking their eyes—some feared his might and some applauded. But shortly, after Lankesh couldn’t control the bow any more and dropped it back to its place.’

  We took time to respond, ‘So, Lankesh didn’t try it the second time?’ I asked.

  ‘He tried, but failed. Just like the other participants, he couldn’t move it,’ said Vibhishana.

  ‘But he did lift it! No one before him did that,’ said Dhanyamalini.

  ‘The terms of the contest were very clear; the bow had to be strung, not just lifted. Hence, Lankesh failed at the task. His failure raised mockery and laughter amongst the spectators. The previous participants momentarily forgot their own failure and joined in mocking him. Lankesh got infuriated by this public humiliation. Without saying a word, he folded his hands in devotion to the bow and decided to walk out of the venue,’ said Vibhishana.

  We were all speechless, unsure if we should breathe a sigh of relief or feel sorry for Dashaanan.

  ‘How is he taking it now? I mean whatever happened at the swayamwar, did he say anything about it?’ I asked.

  ‘No, bhabhi, he didn’t say a word to anyone. He was so enraged that I didn’t want to infuriate him further by talking about it.’

  I knew what Vibhishana feared. He could have easily been the scapegoat for Dashaanan’s anger. ‘Hmm . . . You are right. Let us make Lankesh forget about what happened. We don’t want him to get mad at Janaka or the others and seek any sort of revenge.’

  ‘But tell me one thing: did any one actually win that contest?’ asked Dhanyamalini.

  ‘Yes, after we walked out and started on our journey back, we heard from the natives that a Kshatriya prince from Ayodhya successfully tied strings on both ends of that bow. However, later we heard that he even broke it while performing the task,’ said Vibhishana.

  I decided to talk to Dashaanan about what had happened at Mithila. It was important to know how he felt about it, whether or not he was still smarting from the insult. He was in his room, looking out of the window when I entered.

  ‘Where were you yesterday, Mandodari? Why didn’t you come to see me?’

  ‘I thought you needed sometime for yourself. I am sorry about what happened . . . I heard about it from bhrata Vibhishana.’

  ‘You didn’t want me to go . . . ’

  ‘Yes, my lord, but I didn’t wish for you to lose at that contest. I was concerned about the marriage, not the contest!’

  ‘And I went there for the contest, for the bow. I failed, Mandodari. I was nothing but a pompous man that day. I was about to seize his weapon but I didn’t even pay respects to Mahadeva. There was a brief moment before I held that bow in my hand, I closed my eyes to visualize my lord, but he did not look pleased. He wasn’t pleased at my impudence. I still went ahead and lifted it, but it pulled me back.’

  ‘Forget about it, my lord, don’t think about it any more now.’

  ‘I cannot forget the mockery and laughter that followed.’

  ‘It was not meant to belong to you . . . ’

  ‘My devotion towards my lord didn’t change. Do you think it was my arrogance that failed me? How have I changed, Mandodari?’

  I realized that more than the humiliation or the failure, Dashaanan struggled to understand the person he had become. ‘Arrogance is now one of your characteristics, Lankeshwar, and it makes you who you are.’

  FOURTEEN

  Lanka’s stability and sovereignty started causing disputes with its enemies. Not only were there enemies outside the kingdom but also inside its boundaries. Dashaanan’s ministers were concerned about Dushtabuddhi’s behaviour. Dushtabuddhi was one person in the family whose relationship didn’t prosper with anyone. Dashaanan disliked him from the beginning and due to Dushtabuddhi’s actions over the years, he hated him even more now. All these years his antics were ignored; however, now he took advantage of our feigned ignorance even more. He remained absent from his court appearances, cheated on sister Meenakshi most of the time, seized a lot of wealth from our assets, forged credentials to acquire land in his favour, and recently we heard he was scheming against Dashaanan once again.

  At court, Dashaanan’s ministers discussed Dushtabuddhi’s non-compliance. ‘My lord, how far can we consider him family and remain silent about his actions?’ complained one of his ministers.

  ‘I am not silent. It’s high time now. If you can prove his crime, then action will be taken against him,’ said Dashaanan.

  ‘My lord, Dushtabuddhi has influenced a huge group of soldiers from our army. He is conducting secret meetings with his clan and these soldiers to gain victory over you. In the name of mutiny, he wants to use them against you. My sources have confirmed another meeting tomorrow.’

  Dashaanan punched the armrest hard; he was furious. ‘I tried my best to tame him. A fox would have been tamed by now, but this man! I ignored his actions due to Meenakshi. But not any more . . .’

  ‘My lord, may I suggest talking to sister Meenakshi before taking any step?’ I interrupted.

  ‘You have been trying to speak to her for years now, Mandodari. But did she ever tell you anything about him accurately. Let’s face it, Meenakshi is too foolish to understand his intentions. She is a mere pawn! That man has used her to reach me . . . he always has!’ yelled Dashaanan.

  ‘Lankesh, pardon me, but I suggest we first verify if he really has been planning all this. We have a spy who can do the job,’ suggested Vibhishana.

  ‘You think we have the time to do that, Vibhishana? For fourteen years this man has been a traitor to our kingdom and you want to spy on him now! You may not have the nerve to confront him but I do!’ said Dashaanan and silenced Vibhishana for his suggestion.

  ‘I think Lankesh is right. We have ignored his actions for years and it can rebound on us now. The Kalkeyas have fed their serpent prince to poison our foundation. It’s unbelievable that our soldiers have joined him. I suggest we catch them red-handed tomorrow at their meeting!’ said Nanashri, who had aged but was still gallant.

  ‘I agree with you, Nanashri. Send our commanders tomorrow and ask them to detain every single member of that meeting. Also, send Meghanath along with them. He shall observe and report to me,’ commanded Dashaanan and looked at me for acknowledgement.

  The next day as commanded, our soldiers discreetly surrounded the area where the meeting was supposed to take place. Meghanath accompanied them. They saw that our own soldiers were being instructed by the chief of the Kalkeya clan. No sooner had the me
eting started than our commanders broke in and rounded up everyone present. Dushtabuddhi panicked as he had never expected to get caught. Meghanath and a few commanders were sent back to report to Dashaanan. They seized several documents, such as chalked maps, to show us how Dushtabuddhi had been planning an attack on Dashaanan. Dashaanan got furious and took a chariot straight to the location, along with more soldiers.

  It was past sunset. I was at the palace lounge when an urgent word was sent by Dashaanan to assemble at court. It sounded like an emergency. Knowing that he was furious when he had left with his soldiers, I was already worried about the consequences. The guards were lined outside the court; their numbers far exceeding the usual count. With an indication of some tragic mishap, I went inside and heard a woman howling. My heart started pounding as I took further steps. I saw a corpse lying on the ground in the middle of the court. Those present had surrounded the body and sister Meenakshi was the one crying. The way she was slapping her chest in grief, it took me no time to understand that it was her husband’s corpse.

  Dashaanan looked remorseful. Next to him stood young Sambukumara, Dushtabuddhi and Meenakshi’s son, with teary eyes. Mata Kaikesi and the other women of the family rushed inside.

  ‘Putri Meenakshi . . . Dushtabuddhi . . . can anyone tell me how this happened?’ asked Mata Kaikesi who wasn’t aware of the accusation or action against Dushtabuddhi.

  Meenakshi screamed, ‘Why don’t you ask your son? He is the one who killed my husband!’ She pointed at Dashaanan.

  ‘What! Lower your voice, Meenakshi! You can’t point fingers at your brother like that. Can anyone tell me what happened?’ Mata Kaikesi shouted.

  ‘You should ask this murderer!’ said Meenakshi.

  ‘Enough, Meenakshi! I didn’t intend to kill him, and you should know that well, because if I had to, I would have finished him off much sooner without waiting for fourteen years,’ said Dashaanan.

  ‘Yes, of course . . . why not . . . because you can’t see me happy. Or I should say that you can’t see any of your brothers or sisters happy.’