Just then a light footfall alerted him of someone's presence in the chamber. He looked up and saw her standing at the door. It was Valli. Indra could not believe his eyes as he saw her walk towards him, her eyes drinking in his naked beauty. He sat up in bed, eager to be taken into her embrace. She opened her arms as she neared him and he noticed the serpent tattoo on the inside of her wrist.
'That's strange,' he thought to himself. Every detail of her beautiful, bronzed body was imprinted in his mind, yet he could not recall that particular mark on her. She took him in her arms in a gentle embrace and placed her lips softly against his.
Indra parted his lips as she eased her tongue between them. He felt no desire, only a strange sense of calm as his eyelids began to grow heavy and he sank down onto the bed with her on top of him. For the first time in days, Indra, king of the Devas, drifted off into a deep sleep.
***
Brihaspati was troubled by what had happened at the temple. What he had sensed on his arrival in the city was but a fraction of the true power that was Raksha. They had awakened an ancient force, a power beyond anything he could fathom. He had felt it under his feet at the temple, deep within the bowels of the earth, like a giant serpent raising its head. He could not shake off the feeling that there would be some sort of retribution. He hoped Indra and the others still had the presence of mind to see it coming.
Just then, a man interrupted his thoughts with the message that Ugra had something very important to discuss with him. The messenger escorted him through the dark, deserted streets of the city to a majestic building.
Inside the great hall, Brihaspati saw many men furiously inscribing on tablets of wet clay. After they were done, the slaves took the tablets to a giant kiln to be fired. Ugra was in frantic discussion with a few of the scribes. He looked up as Brihaspati entered. He seemed greatly troubled and was terse in his greeting.
'Salutations, wise one. Welcome to our library. I apologise for calling you here at this late hour, but this is the only place in the city where you can still get reliable information. All major events in our history since the founding of this city have been recorded here.'
Brihaspati saw the rows and rows of shelves lined with clay tablets. These were an ancient people with a long history. 'We still sing songs to maintain our records and yet we call them savages,' he thought to himself. In his view Indra had committed a great blunder in dismissing the Harappans as a greedy and ignorant lot. There was so much to be learned from these people and their mysterious ways.
Ugra led him into an antechamber where they could have some privacy. Once he had ensured they were alone, he came straight to the point.
'You'll are no longer safe here, you must leave Harappa at once.'
Brihaspati was sceptical: why was the man ready to help them after all the atrocities they had committed against his people?
'We have slain your men, raped your women and yet you try to protect us. Why, Ugra?'
'What you have done is no more than what the Harappans have done to any of the people they defeated. They took this land from somebody and now somebody will take it from them. That's the way it has been and always will be. There is a saying amongst my tribe: men will come and go but the land will always endure.'
His voice choked as it caught in his throat.
'But now that land is dying, my lord. The seven great rivers that gave life to it now run dry. The great plains of the Terai, where my people once roamed, now resembles an endless desert.'
Ugra was overcome by emotion and took a moment to compose himself before he continued.
'You scoff at the love Harappa has for gold, but it is that gold that keeps the city alive. There are no more farms here to produce grain; it is bought at extravagant prices from the merchants of Tyre and Sidon. To the outside world the Harappans lead grand, hedonistic lives, but the sands of time are running out for this great city.'
'You are not from Harappa?' Brihaspati asked.
Ugra gave him a look like he had been insulted.
'I am Gond. My forefathers were the first to set foot on this land when the one we call the Supreme Being led us out of the Dandaka forest. He taught us how to farm the land and grow our own food. Our people ruled over these lands all the way to the eastern sea. Then one day the rainclouds disappeared and the rivers went dry. Drought and famine hit the land. The Gonds ceased to exist as a people and roamed the parched lands like packs of wild beast. Some of us were hunted and killed. The rest were captured and condemned to a life of servitude. Today the spirit of my people only lives on in the hearts and souls of a few survivors who are scattered across these lands.'
Ugra led Brihaspati up a flight of stairs to the roof of the building. He looked out towards the east, onto the brown, stark landscape.
'It was foretold by my people that a great king would come from the west to free the waters and the clouds. He would bring in the thunder and the rain and the land would live once more.'
He turned to Brihaspati, gripped his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes.
'I believe your king Indra is the one from the prophecy. So it is in my interest as well as yours that I tell you this. Today your king tangled with a power that is far beyond anything your people can imagine. Raksha is one of the great spirits of the Dandaka forest. Her kind has ruled that ancient forest from a time way before the arrival of the first man on this earth. Your king is in grave danger here. I implore you, we must bring him back to his senses and leave Harappa at once.'
Brihaspati looked for any signs of insanity in the man's eyes, but he found only a deadly earnestness there. He scanned the man's aura for any trace of lies or deceit; he did not wish to be led on some wild goose chase by a stranger who he had more than enough reason to distrust.
'Where is this land where the clouds and waters are trapped? How will you find it?'
Ugra parted the rawhide strips of his short leather skirt. Tattooed on the inside of his right thigh was a strange design. As Brihaspati examined it closely, he realised that it was a detailed map that was cleverly disguised as an abstract symbol. It depicted a high mountain range, rivers and other geographic landmarks with amazing detail.
'Every Gond of the royal bloodline had to bear this mark when he became a man. It is my father who tattooed this map on my thigh, just as his father had done for him. This mission is as much a part of my destiny as it is Indra's.'
Brihaspati's doubts were far from dispelled. He still wondered how Ugra's tribe had such intricate knowledge of the mountains when they were clearly people of the forests and plains. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a messenger with news that the Ashvanis had requested Brihaspati's presence. The two of them decided to continue their conversation later.
***
To the south of the city of Harappa, under the shadow of the Vindhya Mountains, stretched a great forest. Its northern boundary was marked by the mighty river Narmada and to the south it stretched all the way up to the ocean. In a huge clearing in the middle of this forest, surrounded on all sides by impenetrable vegetation, stood the dry, shrivelled stump of what had once been a giant tree.
Now the stump started to grow, branching out and pushing its way up towards the forest canopy. Dark green leaves began to appear on its branches as they spread out across the clearing. Soon a magnificent tree stood in place of the stump. Its massive white trunk and branches shone like ivory.
A group of women emerged from the surrounding forest and stood around the tree, gaping at it in awe. Their dark naked bodies were marked with red clay. They were fully armed and their faces were flushed with excitement. Their leader, a woman with grey matted hair and the body of a warrior, raised her spear high in the air and spoke. Her voice was loud and clear and rang through the dense forest.
'The great Mother has returned. Now the songs of the Vahini will once again resound through the Dandaka.'
***
Ugra and Brihaspati stood in a makeshift hospital where the Ashvanis and Dha
navantri were treating the wounded. They stood around the body of one of the men who had been assigned to guard Indra's palace. The corpse had turned a dark blue. Their faces wore a puzzled expression, something Brihaspati was not used to seeing.
'We cannot understand this. He shows all the signs of a victim of snakebite, but we cannot find the mark of any fangs on his body. Also the venom is a strange cocktail of both plant and animal toxins, far deadlier than that of any serpent we know.'
Ugra looked worried. He asked if any of the other guards on duty were around. One of them, a Harappan, stepped forward. Ugra asked him if any stranger had entered the palace. The man told him that a beautiful young woman had entered the palace late in the night. She looked like she belonged to one of the tribes from the southern forest. She had informed him that she was a gift for the Deva king. The soldier, used to the arrival of such gifts, had not thought anything of it and let her in. Ugra's eyes widened in fear and anxiety; he ran for the palace, asking the others to follow. He hoped he was not too late.
As they entered Indra's chamber, they saw the king lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. When he saw them, he began to scream in fear and begged them not to harm him. Brihaspati was shocked. He had been in many tough situations with Indra--fear was not an emotion he had ever seen in the Deva king. He immediately sent everyone away, keeping only Ugra and the Ashvanis with him. He and the Gond held Indra down and allowed the twins to examine him thoroughly.
When the twins had finished, one of them removed a flask from his robe and poured its contents gently down Indra's throat. The other turned to Brihaspati and Ugra.
'The strength of his prana has helped his body fight off the effects of the poison, but it continues to ravage his mind. We have given him an opiate; it will help him sleep. In the meantime, we must find a way to remove the toxin from his mind. There is no telling what it could do to him'
Brihaspati had no idea what to do. The Ashvanis were the best healers he knew; if they could not come up with a solution, he did not know anybody who could. He turned to Ugra. The warrior was staring at the sleeping Indra with an expression of terror on his face.
'You know something. Tell us Ugra, what caused this?'
Ugra snapped out of his trance and turned to Brihaspati. The dark warrior had not seemed so dejected even after his defeat.
'It is over, don't you see? He has been touched by a Vishkanya. There is nothing more you can do for him except pray that his passage into the other world is easy.'
Brihaspati grabbed his shoulder and shook Ugra.
'What are you talking about? What on earth is a Vishkanya?'
Ugra took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down before he spoke.
'The Vishkanya belong to an ancient order of serpent worshippers that once roamed the Dandaka forest. Rich and powerful tribal chiefs used them as assassins in the old days. The most beautiful girls from all the forest tribes were picked to join the order. It is said that these girls were brought up on a diet of plant toxins and snake venom from a very tender age. It made even their mere touch lethal to other beings. To my knowledge, no one has ever survived an encounter with a Vishkanya. What I cannot understand is the appearance of a Vishkanya here. The order was disbanded a long time ago during the time of my great-grandfather by the Tribal Council of the Dandaka forest. No one has ever seen or heard of them ever since.'
Ugra lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper.
'This is Raksha's revenge. We must leave this city and make for the mountains in the north. She has no power there; perhaps, away from her malevolent influence, you king will be able to fight off the poison.'
Indra stirred in his sleep and began to call out to his friends to save him from the serpent. Brihaspati looked at his king helplessly and agreed to Ugra's suggestion.
***
The next day Indra's army marched out of the city. Among the crowd that had gathered to watch the procession leave was Anga. She had her face covered and was dressed like a slave. At the head of the army, Aryaman wore Indra's armour and rode in his chariot with Soma. He wore the Yavana helmet with a visor that covered his face; he easily passed off as the king even to the discerning eye. Somewhere in the middle of the column, in a covered wagon, gravely ill and heavily sedated, rode the king of the Devas.
The deception did not escape Anga. She looked at the covered wagon and allowed herself a smile. The barbarian's nightmares had been brought to her attention. At first she was dismayed that he had survived the lethal embrace of the Vishkanya, but now she knew that Raksha did not want to give this man a quick death. She wanted to make him suffer.
She watched Ugra as he said his last goodbyes to the people of his adopted city. The only man she had ever loved was riding off with the men who had raped and violated her. She admired his unshakeable faith in the old prophecy, however misguided it seemed to her. How could a barbarian like Indra save this land when he could not save himself?
Ugra led the army east across the Sindhu that had now been reduced to a few stagnant pools in the dry riverbed. As they made their way up north and began their ascent into the mountains, Brihaspati looked down at the vast plains of the Terai. All the way across the horizon the land of the seven rivers now resembled a dry, arid desert.
Agni, Vayu, Varuna and Soma were subdued during the journey, and this began to have its effect on the other men. In spite of their best efforts, Brihaspati and the Ashvanis had not been entirely successful in hiding the king's illness. Rumours were beginning to fly thick and fast about Indra's health and the circumstances that had led to his plight.
Most of the men viewed Ugra with suspicion: they were sure he was leading them into a trap. They wouldn't let him share their food or campfire during the cold nights. The Gond warrior, to his credit, did not let their behaviour get to him. He kept to himself and went about his business in a quiet, efficient manner. The more time Brihaspati spent with him, the more he liked Ugra.
The expedition made their way through inhospitable but breathtakingly beautiful terrain. Days went by and at long last they stood amongst the Trikuta Mountains and looked down into paradise. Spread out below them was a valley of stunning beauty. It impressed even the Devas who had grown up in the scenic plateau of Gandhar. The floor of the valley was filled with meadows of wild flowers that created a splash of colours, interspersed with fresh water lakes fed from the constant snowmelt by numerous streams. This was the valley of Kash. That evening they made camp on the shores of one of the great lakes at the foot of the valley.
The next morning Indra emerged from his tent at sunrise, took a dip in the tranquil waters of the lake and calmly asked one of his squires to fetch him breakfast. Brihaspati and the Ashvanis were amazed at his recovery; there was no trace of the madness left in his eyes. He greeted them and asked them to join him for breakfast.
Brihaspati told Indra what had transpired since his near fatal encounter with the Vishkanya. Indra listened quietly as the priest narrated the prophecy of Ugra's tribe and the circumstances that had led them to this beautiful valley. Indra voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the menace in his tone.
'If that is our destiny, then let us prepare to embrace it. However, I do not share your trust of the dark one. Tell him to lead us to the place where the waters and clouds are trapped and then stay out of our way. If I get even the slightest hint of treachery, I will tear his body to pieces and feed them to his pagan god.'
He then called to Soma and asked him to mix up some of his brew. Brihaspati smiled. He was glad to see that Indra had fully recovered. He took the king's leave and rushed off to find Ugra.
The priest found the Gond warrior on the shore of the lake, sitting cross-legged, hands joined in prayer. In front of him, fashioned out of the wet mud, was an idol that looked suspiciously like a human phallus to Brihaspati. As an Aditya priest who worshipped the elements in their purest form, the idea of worshipping the male organ repulsed him. He waited for Ugra to finish before he allowed his curiosity to g
et the better of him.
'Why do you worship your god in so base a form?'
Ugra turned to him with a quizzical look on his face; he did not understand why the form of his deity was repulsive to his friend.
'The Supreme One led us out of the forest where we barely carved out an existence into the great plains of the Terai. He gave us seeds for crops and taught us how to farm the land. Our tribe grew and prospered. We worship him in this form to always remember him as the giver of life.'
The gods that Brihaspati was accustomed to were angry beings that had to be appeased with sacrifices so they wouldn't unleash their fury on his people. He had never heard of a god that took the hand of his people, taught them how to live and led them to prosperity. This god did not seem to want anything in return for his service. He instilled unwavering faith in his devotees even when they were going through their worst times. As he looked at Ugra's little mud idol, his path ahead became very clear to him. Before he discovered the answers to all the questions that ran through his head, he must first discover himself.
That evening Brihaspati informed Indra and his commanders that he would not be accompanying them any further on this journey. There were furious protests from Aryaman and some of the other Adityas at this announcement. Indra looked into the eyes of the Aditya priest and saw something there that took him back to his childhood. It was the same look Mitra had whenever he was about to set off on one of his mysterious trips. Brihaspati, like Mitra, had become a seeker of the Light.
Ugra had mixed feelings when he heard of Brihaspati's decision. The priest was his only friend in this expedition. He would miss him, yet he knew that each of them had to follow the path Fate had ordained for them. The dark warrior looked up into the night sky. Around them the peaks of the mighty Himalayas gleamed in the moonlight. This was the domain of the Parama Purusha, or Supreme One. Brihaspati, like many great men from around the world, had fallen under His spell. Now, no worldly duties or attachments would hold him back.
Rajiv Menon -- ThunderGod Page 31