Aru Shah and the End of Time

by Roshani Chokshi

  Chakora (CHUH-kor-uh) A mythical bird that is said to live off moonbeams. Imagine a really pretty chicken that shuns corn kernels in favor of moondust, which, to be honest, sounds way yummier anyway.

  Chitrigupta (CHIT-rih-GOOP-tuh) The god tasked with keeping records of each human’s life. He’s known for being very meticulous and is often credited with being the first person to start using letters. Before Chitrigupta arrived in the Underworld, the Dharma Raja (the god of the dead) kept getting overwhelmed with the number of people in his kingdom. Sometimes he’d get so confused, he’d send a good guy to hell and a bad dude to heaven. Whoops. That must’ve been awkward to explain. I wonder if they got freebies in the next life: So sorry about that mix-up! Here! Enjoy a lifelong ten percent discount at any Pizza Hut of your choice.

  Danda (DAHN-duh) A giant punishing rod that is often considered the symbol of the Dharma Raja, the god of the dead.

  Devas (DEH-vahz) The Sanskrit term for the race of gods.

  Dharma (DAR-mah) Oof. This one is a doozy. The simplest way to explain dharma is that it means duty. (Sorry, I keep imagining the dog, Do, interjecting here with a barking laugh and shouting, Doo-tee, doo-tee!) But it’s not duty as in this is your job, but as in this is the cosmically right way to live.

  Dharma Raja (DAR-mah RAH-jah) The Lord of Death and Justice, and the father of the oldest Pandava brother, Yudhistira. His mount is a water buffalo.

  Diya (DEE-yuh) An oil lamp used in parts of South Asia, usually made of brass and placed in temples. Clay diyas are colorfully painted and used during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights.

  Gandhari (GUN-dar-ree) The powerful queen of Hastinapura. When she married the sightless king, Dhritrashtra, she chose to wear a blindfold in order to share his blindness. Only once did she let her blindfold drop: to see Duryodhana, her eldest son (and an enemy of the Pandava brothers). Had he been naked at the time, her gaze would’ve made him invincible. But the dude was modest and left his underwear on, thereby remaining vulnerable. (Sounds a bit like the story of Achilles, doesn’t it?)

  Ganesh (guh-NESH) The elephant-headed god worshipped as the remover of obstacles and the god of luck and new beginnings. His vahana (divine vehicle) is a mouse. There are lots of explanations given for why Ganesh has the head of an elephant. The story my grandmother told me is that his mother, Parvati, made him out of clay while her husband, Shiva (Lord of Destruction), was away. As Parvati is getting their home ready for Shiva’s return, she tells Ganesh not to let anyone through the door. (Guests can be a nuisance.) So Ganesh, being a good kid, says “Okay!” When Shiva strides up to the door, shouting, “Honeyyyy, I’m hooooome!” Ganesh and Shiva look at each other, frown, and at the same time say, “And just who do you think you are?” Keep in mind, this is the first time father and son are meeting. Angry that he’s not being let into his own house, Shiva lops off Ganesh’s head. Which I can only imagine was supremely awkward for the family. To avoid a big fight with Parvati, Shiva goes out and grabs an elephant’s head, sticks it on his son’s body, and bam, now it’s fine.

  Gunghroo (GOON-groo) Anklets made of small bells strung together, worn by Indian dancers.

  Halahala (HAL-lah-HAL-lah) When the gods and the demons churned the Ocean of Milk to get the nectar of immortality, lots of other stuff came out of the ocean. Some things were really good! Like the seven-headed horse that Indra claimed as his vahana. One of the not so great things was halahala, the most vicious poison in the world. Shiva saved the lives of the gods and demons by drinking the poison when it spewed out of the ocean, which is why his throat is blue and why one of his names is Nilakantha, meaning the one with the blue throat.

  Hanuman (HUH-noo-mahn) One of the main figures in the Indian epic the Ramayana, who was known for his devotion to the god-king Rama and Rama’s wife, Sita. Hanuman is the son of Vayu, the god of the wind, and Anjana, an apsara. He had lots of mischievous exploits as a kid, including mistaking the sun for a mango and trying to eat it. There are still temples and shrines dedicated to Hanuman, and he’s often worshipped by wrestlers because of his incredible strength. He’s the half brother of Bhima, the second-oldest Pandava brother.

  Indra (IN-druh) The king of heaven, and the god of thunder and lightning. He is the father of Arjuna, the third-oldest Pandava brother. His main weapon is Vajra, a lightning bolt. He has two vahanas: Airavata, the white elephant who spins clouds, and Uchchaihshravas, the seven-headed white horse. I’ve got a pretty good guess what his favorite color is….

  Jaani (JAH-nee) A term of endearment that means life or sweetheart.

  Karma (KAR-mah) A philosophy that your actions affect what happens to you next. Imagine there’s one last piece of chocolate cake at a bakery. You’ve just bought it for your mom, but some dude steals it while you’re putting your change into your pocket. As he runs out the door cackling “Mwahaha, the chocolate is mine,” he slips on a banana peel and the cake box soars out of his hand. It lands, unharmed, on the floor by your feet. You would shake your head, say, “That’s karma!” and take the cake. For a musical rendition of karma, listen to Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around…Comes Around.”

  Kurekshetra (KOO-rook-SHET-rah) Kurekshetra is now known as a city in the state of Haryana, India. In the Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata, Kurekshetra is a region where the Mahabharata War was fought. It gets its name from King Kuru, the ancestor of both the Pandavas and their mortal enemies/cousins, the Kauravas.

  Lakshmi (LUCK-shmee) The Hindu goddess of wealth and good fortune, and the consort (wife) of Vishnu, one of the three major Hindu deities. Her vahanas are an owl and an elephant, and she’s often depicted in art as seated in an open lotus blossom.

  Mahabharata (MAH-hah-BAR-ah-tah) One of two Sanskrit epic poems of ancient India (the other being the Ramayana). It is an important source of information about the development of Hinduism between 400 BCE and 200 CE and tells the story of the struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

  Mahabharata War The war fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas over the throne of Hastinapura. Lots of ancient kingdoms were torn apart as they picked which side to support.

  Makara (MA-kar-ah) A mythical creature that’s usually depicted as half crocodile and half fish. Makara statues are often seen at temple entrances, because makaras are the guardians of thresholds. Ganga, the river goddess, uses a makara as her vahana.

  Mayasura (MAI-ah-SOO-rah) The demon king and architect who built the Pandavas’ Palace of Illusions.

  Mehndi (MEN-dee) A form of temporary body art made from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant. The designs are intricate and usually worn on the hands and feet during special occasions like Hindu weddings and festivals. It has a distinct smell when it dries, like licorice and chocolate. (I love the smell!)

  Naga (nagini, pl.) (NAG-uh, NAH-gee-nee) A group of serpentine beings who are magical, and, depending on the region in India, considered divine. Among the most famous nagini is Vasuki, one of the king serpents who was used as a rope when the gods and asuras churned the Ocean of Milk to get the elixir of life. Another is Uloopi, a naga princess who fell in love with Arjuna, married him, and used a magical gem to save his life.

  Pandava brothers (Arjuna, Yudhistira, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva) (PAN-dah-vah, ar-JOO-nah, yoo-diss-TEE-ruh, BEE-muh, nuh-KOO-luh, saw-hah-DAY-vuh) Demigod warrior princes, and the heroes of the epic Mahabharata poem. Arjuna, Yudhistira, and Bhima were born to Queen Kunti, the first wife of King Pandu. Nakula and Sahadeva were born to Queen Madri, the second wife of King Pandu.

  Pranama (PRAH-nuh-mah) A bow to touch the feet of a respected person, e.g., a teacher, grandparent, or other elder. It makes family reunions particularly treacherous, because your back ends up hurting from having to bend down so often.

  Raksha (RUCK-shaw) Rakshas (sometimes called rakshasas) are mythological beings, like demigods, who are sometimes good and sometimes bad. They are powerful sorcerers, and can change shape to take on any form.

  Ram
a (RAH-mah) The hero of the epic poem the Ramayana. He was the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu.

  Ramayana (RAH-mah-YAWN-uh) One of two great Sanskrit epic poems (the other being the Mahabharata), it describes how the god-king Rama, aided by his brother and the monkey-faced demigod Hanuman, rescue Rama’s wife, Sita, from the ten-headed demon king, Ravana.

  Ritus (RIH-tooz) Seasons. There are typically six seasons in the Indian calendar: Spring (Vasanta), Summer (Grishma), Monsoon (Varsha), Autumn (Sharada), Pre-winter (Hemanta), and Winter (Shishira).

  Salwar kameez (SAL-vahr kah-MEEZ) A traditional Indian outfit, basically translating to pants and shirt. (A little disappointing, I know.) A salwar kameez can be fancy or basic, depending on the occasion. Usually, the fancier the garment, the itchier it is to wear.

  Samsara (SAHM-sahr-uh) The cycle of death and rebirth.

  Sanskrit (SAHN-skrit) An ancient language of India. Many Hindu scriptures and epic poems are written in Sanskrit.

  Sari (SAH-ree) A garment worn by women in South Asia that is created by a length of silk intricately draped and tied around the body. Attempting to put one on unassisted usually results in tears. And they are very difficult to dance in.

  Shakhuni (SHAW-koo-nee) One of the antagonists of the Mahabharata. Shakhuni was the king of Subala, and the brother of the blind queen, Gandhari. He is best known for orchestrating the infamous game of dice between the Pandavas and the Kauravas that led to the Pandavas’ twelve-year exile and, ultimately, the epic war.

  Sherwani (share-VAH-nee) A knee-length coat worn by men in South Asia.

  Shiva (SHEE-vuh) One of the three main gods in the Hindu pantheon, often associated with destruction. He is also known as the Lord of Cosmic Dance. His consort is Parvati.

  Soma (SO-muh) The drink of the gods.

  Uchchaihshravas (OOCH-chai-SHRAH-vahs) A seven-headed flying horse created during the churning of the milk ocean, the king of horses, a vahana of Indra. Forget dragons, I want one of these.

  Urvashi (OOR-vah-shee) A famous apsara, considered the most beautiful of all the apsaras. Her name literally means she who can control the hearts of others. Girl also had a temper. In the Mahabharata, when Arjuna was chilling in heaven with his dad, Indra, Urvashi made it known that she thought he was pretty cute. But Arjuna wasn’t having it. Instead, he respectfully called her Mother, because Urvashi had once been the wife of King Pururavas, an ancestor of the Pandavas. Scorned, Urvashi cursed him to lose his manhood for a year. (Rude!) In that year, Arjuna posed as a eunuch, took the name Brihannala, and taught song and dance to the princess of the kingdom of Virata.

  Valmiki (VAHL-mee-kee) The sage revered as the writer of the Ramayana. He earned the name Valmiki (“born of an anthill”) after performing severe religious penances for several years. During that time, large anthills formed near him. Not sure why. Building a nest around a human dude does not seem like a sound housing decision. Maybe they thought he was a boulder. Must’ve been quite a shock when Valmiki finally opened his eyes and stood up. (“Boulder, how could you? Betrayal!”)

  Vayu (VAH-yoo) The god of the wind and the father of Bhima, the second-oldest Pandava brother. Vayu is also the father of Hanuman, the monkey-faced demigod. His mount is a gazelle.

  If you made it to the end of this glossary, you deserve a high five. Sadly, I’m a little wary of those. (As Mini would say, “Germs! PLAGUE!”) How about an elbow-bump instead? Ready? Three…two…one…

  Coming in April 2019

  ARU SHAH AND

  THE SONG OF DEATH

  ROSHANI CHOKSHI is the author of the instant New York Times best-selling novel The Star-Touched Queen and its companion, A Crown of Wishes. She studied fairy tales in college, and she has a pet luck dragon that looks suspiciously like a Great Pyrenees dog. Aru Shah and the End of Time, her middle grade debut, was inspired by the stories her grandmother told her, as well as Roshani’s all-consuming love for Sailor Moon. She lives in Georgia and says “y’all,” but she doesn’t really have a Southern accent, alas. For more information, visit her website, www.roshanichokshi.com, or follow her on Twitter @Roshani_Chokshi.

  RICK RIORDAN, dubbed “storyteller of the gods” by Publishers Weekly, is the author of five New York Times #1 best-selling series, including Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which brings Greek mythology to life for contemporary readers. Millions of fans across the globe have enjoyed his fast-paced and funny quest adventures. The goal of Rick Riordan Presents is to publish highly entertaining books by authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to allow them to tell their own stories inspired by the mythology, folklore, and culture of their heritage. Rick’s Twitter handle is @camphalfblood.