The Sage's Secret

by Abhinav Menon

  Bhairava considered this.

  The man in the red hood continued, partly talking to himself, ‘But one thing’s for certain: Krishna knew that our knowing a part of his plans won’t cause a jot of damage to his entire scheme.’

  ELEVEN

  Rain was pelting down hard on the hut. But its occupants were well-protected from the elements outside. The trees gleamed liquid silver with every lightning flash. Small rivulets of rainwater made their way through the wet sands to unknown destinations.

  ‘Yes, Sage Dweepa, Dwarka will cease to exist. After my death, Dwarka will start crumbling, ultimately submerging under the sea,’ the dark-complexioned god was saying.

  Dweepa was too shocked to speak. He gulped and stared at his lord, waiting for him to go on.

  Krishna spoke. ‘You will see it with your own eyes. You will live to see it.’

  Sage Dweepa pleaded, ‘My lord, I do not want to live through a time when your creation is destroyed. I do not want to see it, my lord. I do not!’ With moist eyes, Dweepa joined his palms and begged Krishna, who leaned forward and took the sage’s hands in his.

  ‘It is essential that you see the fate of Dwarka. It’s crucial as you will need to tell me about it in the Kali yuga. There’s a lesson to be learnt from it …’

  Dweepa nodded hesitantly. Krishna withdrew his hands and rested them on his thighs. The sage readied himself to write again.

  Krishna took a deep breath, looked at Dweepa and spoke. ‘You should be alive, and that is of the essence, Sage Dweepa. You will be my only ally when I appear in my Kalki avatar. You will be the one to guide me to my destiny. If anything happens to you, then the Kalki avatar will never manifest.’ Krishna paused.

  ‘After I die, go into hiding. Change your identity, hide in plain sight. Or hide in secret. It’s up to you. But be warned, you will be in mortal danger if anyone finds the link between you and Kalki.’

  Dweepa nodded at this too.

  ‘You will be powerful enough to drive away any threats to your life. But if you find yourself facing death, call out to me for help. I will protect you, Sage Dweepa.’

  The sage smiled and said with gratitude in his voice, ‘Thank you, my lord.’

  Krishna waved away his thanks. ‘It’s the least I can do.’

  The present-day Sage Dweepa stopped reading, and placed the palm leaves in his lap. He looked outside the window and saw that the sun was setting. It was time for his evening puja. He bundled the leaves together and put them back inside the secret wall closet.

  The puja room in his new abode was similar to the one in his home in Dwarka. There were a few minor differences, but he had ensured that it remained the same, especially the place where the idol of Lord Krishna and the painting of his guru were enshrined. The hidden closet was the first thing that he had made after he’d moved into this house. The notes of his ancestor were the most valuable thing here. He bowed to the idol and the painting, and stepped out of his hut to collect flowers for his evening prayers.

  It was an exceptionally pleasant evening. The breeze came in from the beach near his house, which was surrounded by dense foliage. It was a secluded area, so he didn’t get any visitors. That is why Dweepa had been surprised to run into the man in black robes after breakfast. He had been even more shocked when the man had turned out to be a sorcerer who wanted to kill him! The man had surely given it his best, but had eventually failed.

  Dweepa set these thoughts aside and calmed himself. After completing his evening prayers, he sat outside his hut under a tree. He was recollecting what he had read in his ancestor’s notes today. The original Sage Dweepa was instructed by his lord to remain hidden. And Dweepa had done his best to ensure the same. Even his other ancestors had done the same. Being safe was of the essence to him, and more so for Kalki. Dweepa’s thoughts went back to the incident of the morning.

  Kalanayaka!

  That was what the sorcerer had called himself, Dweepa recalled. But no matter how much he thought, Dweepa couldn’t find the answer to how Kalanayaka knew that he was the sage and where he would be.

  Dweepa had come to Tamil Nadu because Krishna had advised his ancestor to do so. He had followed the instructions to a T. The sage walked to the only mirror hanging in his hut and looked at himself. He studied the raw wounds on his face and chest, then slowly, his eyes landed on the locket that swayed from his neck.

  Kalanayaka did stumble upon me by chance, but he knew my identity by looking at the conch-shell locket!

  Dweepa recalled that Kalanayaka’s eyes had shown a tinge of surprise and satisfaction; just like a lion’s eyes when it corners its prey unexpectedly and knows that the prey is helpless. Even so, Kalanayaka had been startled when his attacks were defended.

  But what worried Dweepa the most was the man’s disappearance.

  Where did he vanish? Did he teleport?

  The last question made Dweepa shudder. He knew there were some people who were learned in the art of teleportation, but as far as he was aware, they were all allies of Krishna …

  ‘And if Kalanayaka knows teleportation,’ Dweepa inhaled slowly, ‘then he isn’t any ordinary sorcerer!’

  TWELVE

  Kalanayaka had regained consciousness. He was looking around, trying to figure out where he was. All he saw were walls of black stone.

  A room made of stone?

  The sorcerer recalled his last memories: Dweepa rendered helpless because of the sand; then a whooshing sound; strong arms grabbing him from behind; and finally, darkness.

  It all happened so quickly! But how did I get here?

  He realized he had been teleported by someone from the forest.

  Teleported!

  Kalanayaka swallowed hard. For a minute he couldn’t breathe. This was too much to take in. He had read about the art of teleportation—a skill that was extremely difficult to master. Only a few knew how to do it. So he had a vague suspicion about who might have teleported him, based on what his guruji had told him years ago. But Kalanayaka wanted to confirm this guess, for he really couldn’t believe that he had witnessed this. He closed his eyes in thought.

  Kalanayaka realized he was still lying on the floor, flat on his stomach. From his position, he lifted his head and looked around the room once more. It was illuminated, faintly, by a light source above him. He rolled on to his back and looked up. In the ceiling was a one-foot-wide hole covered with steel bars, allowing sunlight to trickle into the room. The sorcerer got up and surveyed the bare room, which had nothing except the black stone walls and the shaft in the ceiling. He observed that one side of the stone cellar led to a two-foot-wide, eight-foot-long passage. He saw light emanating from the other end, and realized that it opened into what seemed to be another room. He tried peering down the corridor, but what lay at the end of it was beyond his line of vision. So he carefully crossed the passageway and stepped into the other room.

  Inside the second room, he turned right to locate the source of the faint yellow light. The sight he was greeted with was something he would never forget, for no other scene had ever instilled so much fear as well as excitement in him at the same time.

  Yellow lanterns hung from the wall on the right, producing the dull glow. And even in the muted light, Kalanayaka had no trouble recognizing what was in front of him, or rather who was in front of him. Against the wall were silhouettes of a group of ten to fifteen men, dressed in long cloaks with hoods over their heads. They were standing erect, their hands behind their backs. Kalanayaka couldn’t see their faces, but he felt all their eyes on him. And the most peculiar thing about their appearance was that a pair of horns protruded from each hood. The scene was chilling.

  Had it not been for his guru, Kalanayaka wouldn’t have had any clue about the identity of these people. Perhaps he would have passed out in alarm! Instead he found his heart brimming with nothing short of bliss. He felt lucky to be standing before them. For these were some of the most widely feared men in the world of sorcery. Legends said that
they were in league with the demons themselves. They were so dangerous that no one dared cross them. And if anyone tried, it was that person’s last act of bravery.

  Indeed, standing before Kalanayaka were the supreme masters of sorcery—the legendary Kalabakshakas! The Devourers of Time!

  The word stirred up the memory of the first time Kalanayaka had heard about them.

  At the age of twenty-four, the young sorcerer was halfway through his training. One day, while taking a break, he asked, ‘Guruji, who is the most powerful sorcerer in the world?’

  ‘The Kalabakshakas, of course. The Devourers of Time,’ Ajith’s guru declared with a broad smile on his face. ‘They are the answer to your question. They are not one but many … And they are dangerous and shrewd.’

  Ajith nodded slowly. ‘They must be really powerful to be feared so much. They must be invincible, right?’

  The teacher shook his head and answered instantly, ‘They are indeed feared. But they aren’t completely invincible. There is only one person who’s stronger than the Kalabakshakas. He can single-handedly take them all on.’

  Ajith’s guru thought for a moment and appeared a bit sheepish for he had spoken hastily in his excitement. He composed himself and added, ‘Actually … there is indeed one person who can be called the most powerful sorcerer in the whole world. And not many know of his existence. His name is seldom taken for the power and fear he exudes. He is the leader of the Kalabakshakas—Kalarakshasa! The Demon of Time.

  ‘The Kalabakshakas always dress in long black cloaks, with hoods covering their heads,’ the teacher explained. ‘They wear a crown from which two bull horns protrude. Each Kalabakshaka also owns a staff. On the tip of the staff is a small skull with miniature bull horns on it.’

  Ajith hungered to know more about these formidable sorcerers. ‘What about Kalarakshasa?’

  The guru sighed. ‘Well … Not many people get to see Kalarakshasa. He grants audience only to the Kalabakshakas. Rarely does he appear before any stranger.’

  ‘Where do these Kalabakshakas live? Where are they to be found?’

  His teacher smiled. ‘Nobody knows, except for a select few. Only a Kalabakshaka can take you to where they live. But it is rumoured that they live in a stone house, or rather a stone palace.’

  ‘Guruji, how is it that you know so much about the Kalabakshakas?’

  The guru smiled and looked at his shishya. ‘I’m glad you asked, Ajith. I know all this because I work for them. I recruit the best sorcerers for their cause. And you, my student, are learning sorcery to aid the Kalabakshakas in successfully achieving their mission of summoning the demons to freely roam the earth again!’

  Ajith’s eyes widened; the air seemed to have gone out of him.

  ‘You know what the mission is, right?’ The master looked anxiously at Ajith.

  ‘The mission is to set the demons loose … by taking advantage of the Kalki avatar’s weakness—of not being all-knowing as his Krishna avatar was—and, of course, eliminate Kalki,’ the student recited.

  His teacher exhaled in relief and smiled broadly. ‘You are absolutely right, my boy! It is essential that the soldier know the reason for fighting the battle. It motivates him, inspires him.’

  After pondering for a couple of moments, Ajith asked, ‘Guruji, what is the significance of the word kala? I mean, all these names have “kala” in them … Kalarakshasa, Kalabakshaka … Why so?’

  ‘A good question, son. The word “kala” means “time”. And why the emphasis on time? Because time defines us or, should I say, will define us. The objective of the Kalabakshakas is to vanquish the Kalki avatar. And when they do, they will usher in a new age, devouring the current one. Hence, they are the Devourers of Time. Kalarakshasa is the Demon of Time. A name he chose for himself …’

  From that day, Ajith had never looked back. He’d travelled far along the path of sorcery and been christened Kalanayaka. And today, the path had brought him right to the stone palace of the Kalabakshakas!

  Kalanayaka took a step forward and walked to the group standing in front of him. Suddenly, a voice boomed from behind him, ‘Kalanayaka!’

  It wasn’t a cry. It wasn’t a warning. It was an announcement. The name seemed to explode around him. Kalanayaka turned to see who had called out to him, but saw no one.

  ‘Kalanayaka, welcome to the palace of the Kalabakshakas!’ the voice boomed again. Kalanayaka now noted that it came from above. He darted a look towards the ceiling.

  A few feet above the stone wall in front of him was a balcony, and standing at its edge was a man wearing red silk robes with the customary hood over his head. Unlike the Kalabakshakas, he didn’t have any bull horns on his hood. Even though he was at a great height, Kalanayaka could make out his large frame based on his broad shoulders.

  The eyes of the hooded man were fixed on Kalanayaka, as though scrutinizing him. From the balcony, he could see the entire hall sprawled in front of him. Finally, he slowly shifted his gaze to the group of Kalabakshakas. ‘I hereby declare Kalanayaka a Kalabakshaka.’

  Kalanayaka was stunned. Me, a Kalabakshaka? One of the most powerful sorcerers in the world …!

  Slowly, he realized the meaning of the words, and his joy knew no bounds. His heart was racing with excitement and his hands trembled. A tingle ran down his back, and his body was covered in goosebumps.

  The hooded figure’s eyes moved from the Kalabakshakas to Kalanayaka, and then back to the group again. ‘Take care of Kalanayaka, and show him to his place. He is one of you now.’

  The figure in the red silk robes regarded Kalanayaka one final time and then walked away from the edge of the balcony, disappearing from view. Kalanayaka turned to the Kalabakshakas and watched them bow to the man retreating from the platform. Then they all turned to face him. One of them stepped forward and, gesturing him to enter the passage behind them, led the way.

  Kalanayaka couldn’t believe what had just happened! His feet were walking a slow shuffle, his heart was yet to calm down. But determined to show composure and not betray his ecstasy to his fellow Kalabakshakas, he took slow, conscious breaths.

  He followed the silent Kalabakshaka to an airy room bathed in sunlight. It was furnished with beds, all of them empty at the moment. The room had many large windows. At the foot of every bed, Kalanayaka saw a large cane, on top of which was a skull with two bull horns. The staff of the Kalabakshakas! So this is where the sorcerers rested! Beside each bed was a small table with drawers to store the men’s private possessions.

  The hooded figure showed Kalanayaka to the bed at the end of the room. But there was no staff waiting for him. In a moment of panic, Kalanayaka suddenly realized that he had completely forgotten about his own staff! He’d had it while fighting Dweepa … but where was it now? Had he dropped it in the chaos when he was transported to the stone palace? His head was full of questions.

  The hooded Kalabakshaka interrupted his thoughts, startling him. ‘You will be given your staff soon. Do not worry. You will receive it directly from our leader’s hands.’

  Kalanayaka felt relief wash over him. He nodded gratefully.

  The Kalabakshaka bowed slightly and left to rejoin the others. As he walked back, Kalanayaka called out, ‘Excuse me?’

  The Kalabakshaka stopped and turned slowly, coldly. ‘Yes?’

  Kalanayaka took a step forward after a nervous gulp. ‘Who was the man on top of the platform? The one in the red—’

  The Kalabakshaka replied instantly, a strain of pride in his voice, ‘Why, he is the man who is going to give you your staff. Our leader—Kalarakshasa!’

  THIRTEEN

  Anirudh found himself inside the hut again, standing with his back to the corner. The lightning flashes gave an eerie look to the trees in the torrential rain, but his eyes were fixed on the two people deep in conversation.

  ‘Before I forget, here’s something for you …’ Krishna spoke, bringing something out of the leather pouch hanging from his waistband.

>   It was a necklace.

  The Dark-skinned One handed it to Dweepa, who accepted the gift by joining both his palms. The sage looked at the unusual necklace. It had thick black thread from which hung a strange locket—the spiralling bottom-half of a conch shell. Dweepa looked at his lord questioningly.

  Krishna’s lips wore a smile as usual. And before the sage could ask anything, Krishna answered, ‘The top-half is with me …’

  Dweepa nodded.

  ‘Always keep this locket with you. Never lose it … I will recognize you in my Kalki avatar by this locket. It will be proof of your identity. So you will need to pass this down to your descendants.’

  Dweepa bowed, accepting the instruction and writing it down. Once he’d finished, Krishna added, ‘I have told you to remain in hiding, as you’ll remember. But to guide me, you will have to come to me.’

  ‘Yes, my lord.’ Dweepa listened to the god, his stone pencil taking down every word.

  ‘This means there will come a time when you will have to come out of hiding. For your safety and Kalki’s, I will keep our meeting place far from the place of my birth.’ Krishna was quiet for a minute, then he added, ‘Twenty years from the day I am born, we shall meet.’

  Drawing a sharp breath, Dweepa wrote this down as well.

  His lord continued. ‘Twenty years after Kalki takes birth, head to the territory of Tamilakam, the homeland of the Tamil people, towards the south. When the time comes, I will signal you regarding the meeting. You must then leave your hiding place and meet me where I tell you to.’

  ‘Of course, my lord!’ Dweepa agreed.

  The scene shifted. Anirudh tossed and turned in bed, his mind bursting with images …

  Everything went dark.

  Anirudh peered into the shadows around him. Slowly, a bright light, in the shape of a door, appeared ahead of him. As he walked towards it, he could hear the calming sound of waves approaching and retreating.