A Mauryan Adventure

by Subhadra Sen Gupta

  ‘You could ask Prince Kunala to summon him.’

  ‘The prince has already left for the border with most of the army. And the problem is that he left Mahadeva in charge here.’

  Then Kamalika spoke, ‘I could invite him.’ They all stared at her in surprise. ‘Commander Mahadeva often comes to listen to me. I can hold a concert and he will not refuse my invitation.’ She gave a dazzling smile, ‘All my patrons know that at my concerts my guests do not come armed. I am a devotee of Lord Buddha and I do not sing if there are swords and daggers in my music room.’

  Kartik gave her a disbelieving look, ‘You are sure he’ll come?’

  Kamalika’s smile was cool and confident, ‘No one refuses Kamalika!’

  8

  Singing for the King

  Madhura stared at Kamalika with dazzling, admiring eyes. She had seen many beautiful women in the palace at Pataliputra but none of them looked as amazing as Kamalika. Standing there wearing her finest clothes and jewellery, she was like a goddess who had come down to earth. Madhura was also trying to match the woman standing before her with the Kamalika who was stirring a cabbage dish over the fire that morning.

  Kamalika wore an antariya in deep maroon, with gold motifs embroidered all over it. She had pleated it in front and tied a mekhala belt to hold the pleats in place. Only this belt was not made of cloth, but chains of gold with tiny bells attached to them that tinkled as she walked. Her uttariya was made of a gossamer cloth of gold and it flowed across her shoulders like the wings of a butterfly. Her red blouse was sleeveless revealing her slim arms that were loaded with bangles. A maid even tied armlets shaped like a snake on her upper arms. Rings gleamed on her fingers, huge earrings of gold set with rubies dangled to her shoulders, and she wore three necklaces.

  Madhura and the maid had painted her toes and fingertips a delicate pink with lac, and she chewed a pan to redden her lips. The maid used sandalwood paste to draw an intricate pattern on her forehead, and finally Kamalika tied on these heavy anklets around her feet that jangled as she walked.

  ‘You dance too?’ Madhura asked.

  She shook her head, making her earrings sway. ‘I wear them so everyone can hear me coming . . .’ she said laughing.

  Soon the musicians arrived: the man who played the drums, another carrying a bundle of flutes, and the veena player with his big, stringed instrument with two round ends. The concert room had been dusted and the floor covered with thick rugs on which bolsters had been placed. There were flowers everywhere and incense perfumed the air. The musicians settled around the big cushion on which Kamalika would sit, and began to tune their instruments with a lot of drumming, tapping and notes blown on the flute.

  Kamalika would only appear after all the guests had arrived, of course. In the beginning the plan was to only invite the army commander Mahadeva, but then she said that she never sang for one person and people knew that her music room was always filled with her patrons. If Mahadeva found himself alone, he could become suspicious and so other noblemen had also been invited.

  Maids stood at the door with flowers as the first palanquin swayed in through the gate, and then some men arrived on chariots. As the men entered, they were handed jasmine garlands and sprayed with perfume by the maids. Some men wore the garland around their necks and the others wrapped them around their wrists. Madhura noticed that none of the men carried swords, spears or daggers. Soon there was a huddle of palanquin bearers and chariot drivers waiting outside the mansion.

  The room, lighted by tall oil lamps, now had a dozen men who were served wine in metal glasses, and there was an air of excited expectation, much talk and loud laughter. Then the sweet fragrance of perfume wafted through the room as Kamalika entered, her anklets jangling and a small smile on her face. She paused dramatically at the door and bowed in welcome. Then she sat down with a veena across her lap and ran her fingers through the strings, filling the air with its droning. Now she began to sing. Her voice was soft and melodious, and the songs soon had the audience swaying in delight.

  Madhura was standing at the door. Peering past a curtain, she stared at the men, wondering which one was Mahadeva. She had heard from the maids at the door that he had come. Then she saw Tilaka and Kartik enter the music room from a side door and sit down quietly at the back where the light of the tall lamps did not reach and left the room in shadows. She noticed that Kartik had tied a small turban to hide his bandage.

  As Kamalika ended her first song, the room echoed to loud praise and some of the men came up and presented her with small bags of coins. She bowed and smiled. Then as she began her next song, Madhura saw Kartik and Tilaka get up and go to a broad-shouldered man sitting on the side. He had a moustache curving across his cheeks, sharp moving eyes and thin lips. Tilaka bent down and said something to him. Madhura heard the words, ‘Prince Kunala . . . urgent . . . summons . . .’

  Mahadeva looked up, nodded, got up and came out of the room followed by Tilaka and Kartik. They led him to another room down the corridor, as Kamalika continued to sing. None of the men in the music room had given Mahadeva a second glance as he left. He entered the room and stopped in surprise as he saw soldiers with open swords waiting for him inside. Alarmed, he turned to run away and found that Tilaka and Kartik were blocking his way.

  ‘What is the meaning of this?’ Mahadeva shouted. ‘Do you know who I am? I’m Mahadeva, Prince Kunala’s army commander.’ Then as the soldiers tied his hands behind his back with ropes he yelled, ‘You will regret this!’

  Tilaka showed him a rolled piece of cloth, ‘Orders signed by the prince for your arrest, sir.’ As the soldiers led him away, Madhura heaved a sigh of relief. It had gone very smoothly and no one had been hurt.

  In the music room, Kamalika continued to sing, thus enchanting her audience, and no one could hear the commotion outside. The men were busy drinking and praising her and no one realized that a traitor had been caught. Kartik now stood at the door and when Kamalika glanced at him, he nodded and then vanished inside. She turned back to her audience and said with a gracious bow, ‘And now, my new song. I have composed it in praise of our great king Ashoka.’

  It was late at night. Kamalika, Madhura and her mother sat waiting for Kartik to return. Kamalika had taken off all her fancy clothes and jewellery and looked like an ordinary woman again and not a goddess. She had sung late into the night, and looked tired and kept yawning.

  ‘I wish Kartik hadn’t gone with Tilaka,’ she said.

  ‘You think he would miss the final act of the drama?’ Ganga laughed. ‘Not my reckless son!’

  Madhura lay down with her head on her mother’s lap, ‘I thought there would be a sword fight, at least a fight with daggers, but Mahadeva did not fight at all!’

  ‘Thank god!’ Kamalika sighed. ‘I was worried Kartik would get hurt again. I was singing but kept trying to hear what was happening outside. Then he came and nodded, and I was so relieved!’

  ‘Bhai has got into fights before, hunh?’

  ‘Oh yes!’ She raised her head, ‘Someone’s coming!’

  They had all heard the sound of a horse and run to the door. In the driveway Kartik was getting off a chariot, looking very tired. He gave a grin and said, ‘The traitor has been caught! Hey Kamal, what have you cooked for dinner?’

  Kamalika laughed.

  The following days Tilaka brought them all the news. Ranaka the spy had given the right information; Mahadeva was in the pay of the Shaka king. The plan was that Mahadeva would kill the king at the vihara as he could easily walk into the king’s room without being searched by the guards. At the same time his men would kill the princes Mahendra and Kunala. With the kingdom in a crisis, the Shakas would attack and Mahadeva would go over to the enemy with his men. He had been promised a lot of money and the post of governor for his betrayal.

  Two months ago, when Mahadeva was given the job of bringing the gold from Pataliputra to Ujjaini, he had stolen the bags of coins and this money was to be used to bribe the
soldiers guarding the frontier, so that they would let the Shaka army come through without a fight.

  ‘Now Prince Kunala is guarding the borders and the Shaka king is staying quietly in his palace, acting as if he had no plans to invade us. He does not have the courage to face the Mauryan army. The only way the Shakas could have succeeded was by using a traitor and trying to assassinate our king. Cowards!’

  ‘What will happen to Mahadeva?’ Madhura asked.

  ‘He will lose his head.’

  ‘So now we can go back to Pataliputra?’ Kartik asked.

  ‘Not yet,’ Tilaka smiled. ‘I have come with invitations for Kartik, Ganga, Kamalika and Madhura to attend a special ceremony at Vidishagiri.’

  ‘From whom?’

  ‘His Majesty King Ashoka Vardhan!’

  A few weeks later Madhura, Kartik, Ganga and Kamalika stood watching King Ashoka at the inauguration of the new stupa at Vidishagiri. Madhura had seen him in the palace where he wore silks and jewels, but today he was in the plain saffron robes of a monk—though unlike the monks he had not shaved his head and his long hair was knotted at the back of his neck.

  Ashoka’s queens, Mahadevi, Asandhimitra, Padmavati and Karuvaki, stood around him. Behind them stood his sons, Mahendra, Kunala, Tivara and Jalauka, and his two daughters, Sanghamitra and Charumati. Among them only Mahendra wore the robes of a monk.

  The royal family was surrounded by a sea of saffron-clad monks. Some of them sat before the stupa chanting prayers, other rang bells and gongs, and some were laying flowers at the altar on which the relic box was placed. The stupa was decorated with strings of flags in bright colours and there were flower garlands everywhere. Then King Ashoka took the relic box and walked to the edge of the stupa. He placed it in a chamber inside the stupa and the chamber was then sealed off with bricks. The long hours of the ceremony were finally over.

  Then to their surprise they saw the king walk towards them. Madhura, watching him, thought how impressive he looked even in the robes of a monk. He was of medium height and had dark skin; the high cheek-boned face had large, intelligent eyes and firm, sculpted lips. His broad shoulders were those of a warrior, and Madhura had heard that no one could defeat him in a sword fight. As he walked towards them with long confident strides, Madhura thought admiringly that he had all the calm majesty of a great king.

  Tilaka bowed and introduced all of them. ‘I thank you from my heart,’ Ashoka said with a surprisingly sweet and kind smile. ‘You saved my son and also the kingdom from a great crisis. I have no words for your bravery.’

  Their hearts singing with happiness, they all bowed, their hands folded in namaskar. Then a steward came up with a tray and Ashoka put gold chains around their necks. As Madhura bent to touch his feet, she felt Ashoka’s fingers gently stroke her head in blessing.

  ‘Madhura, isn’t it?’

  ‘Oh!’ she looked up in surprise, ‘how do you know my name, sire?’

  Ashoka laughed, ‘Because Sanghamitra talks about you all the time. I heard of the little trip to the market . . .’

  ‘Oh no!’ Madhura looked shocked. ‘She told you?’

  ‘Yes, and you must promise never to do such a thing again.’

  ‘Never, ever again, Your Majesty!’

  As Ashoka walked away she saw Sanghamitra in the distance waving at her, and waved back. It looked like Madhura was going back to her old job to be the princess’ companion again.

  Next morning Kamalika, Kartik, Madhura and their mother stood by the bullock cart taking them home. They were part of the huge caravan of bullock carts, horses, elephants, palanquins and chariots taking the royal family back to Pataliputra. Kamalika was going in the opposite direction to Ujjaini.

  As Kamalika bent to touch Ganga’s feet, Ganga said, ‘Come to Pataliputra, Kamal. Our home is your home, my dear.’

  Kamalika gave a startled smile, ‘Oh really? Now that you have invited me, maybe I will. I hear Pataliputra does not have many good singers . . .’

  Kartik grinned, ‘When the noblemen of the city hear you, they will shower you with gold.’

  ‘Then I’ll be there soon.’

  Kamal hugged Madhura, ‘So Madhu, do you still want to be a soldier?’

  Madhura shrugged, ‘Maybe not. I don’t think I like the idea of fighting any more. For now being a companion to a princess is fine by me.’

  As the row of bullock carts began their long journey eastward, Madhura sat dreaming of home.

  The Story of Ashoka

  King Ashoka ruled over the Mauryan Empire over two thousand years ago in the third century BCE. His grandfather Chandragupta had founded the dynasty in 324 BCE and Ashoka would rule for thirty-eight years from 270 to 232 BCE.

  The Mauryan kingdom is the first Indian kingdom that can be called an empire because it was so big, and also it was run very efficiently. This administrative system was created by Chandragupta’s adviser, Chanakya. The empire stretched from Bengal in the east to Gujarat in the west; Kabul and Kashmir in the north to Karnataka in the south. It is said that it was Ashoka who founded the city of Srinagar that is the capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. He ruled from the city of Pataliputra (modern Patna, Bihar) and at that time it was one of the greatest cities in the world.

  Ashoka was a great warrior when he was young and enjoyed conquering other kingdoms. Then there was the war with Kalinga, where thousands died, and it led to an amazing change in him. He realized that everyone suffered during a war and even though he had won, he vowed never to fight another war again. No victorious king in the history of the world has done this.

  Ashoka chose peace and non-violence and began following the teachings of Gautama Buddha. He now worked for the welfare of his people. He built roads, free hospitals, planted trees and even had a minister for the welfare of women. He became a father to his subjects. He also carved his thoughts on rocks and stone pillars but for many centuries this script could not be read. Then in the nineteenth century an Englishman named James Prinsep cracked the code and suddenly we could hear the voice of Ashoka again.

  This story about Madhura is an imaginary one, and the enemy kingdom of the Shakas is also something that I have created. We know of no such kingdom existing during the reign of Ashoka, and anyway only the most foolhardy king would challenge the great Mauryan Empire. Ashoka had vowed not to attack, but he did not disband his army and would have defended his empire with fierce power; he was a warrior who had never been defeated in battle.

  The members of the royal family are all real. Sanghamitra married a prince from a kingdom in the Nepal region called Agnibrahma and had a son named Sumana. Mahendra travelled to Lanka carrying the preaching of the Buddha and the sapling of the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya. Sanghamitra also went to Lanka to teach the women of the Lanka royal family. Ashoka was succeeded by his grandson Dasaratha. Gradually the dynasty became weak and the last Mauryan king was Brihadratha, who was assassinated by his own commander-in-chief in 187 BCE.

  Ashoka’s words on peace and non-violence inspired Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru during our freedom struggle. After India became independent, we chose many Ashokan symbols for the new republic. The Ashoka chakra was placed in the middle of our tricolour flag. The three roaring lions are the logo of the Government of India and come from a carving that once sat on top of an Ashokan pillar in Sarnath. Finally, the cities of Ujjaini and Vidisha still exist in Madhya Pradesh. The stupa that Madhura visited on Vidishagiri Hill is the world famous stupa at Sanchi. It is the oldest stupa in the world. We are all familiar with the beautiful gateways that stand around the stupa, but these were built later by another dynasty, the Sungas.

  Ashoka is considered one of the greatest kings of the world because he said that war and violence are against humanity and spoke of kindness, generosity and justice for the people.

  You can discover more about the life of Ashoka in my book Ashoka: Great and Compassionate King (Puffin). If you have any questions about Ashoka, or want to tell me what you thought of thi
s book, do email me at: subhadrasg@gmail.com. I promise to reply.

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