‘And the Mleccha and the Chandala, Vasudeva, who are as much a part of the Atman as you are?’
‘They are impure, Lord, but if they do what is appropriate to their varna, they can, through rebirth after rebirth, enter into one of the higher varnas.’
‘And the Punjab, and people who live outside Aryavarta?’
‘They have no faith in the revealed Vedas, Lord.’
‘Well, Purna …’
‘Lord, the materialists believe that the soul is part of the body, born along with the body and dies when the body dies, without remnant … without after-life. The being, comprised of knowledge, has sprouted out of the elements: earth, water, fire, and air, and will dissolve into them again. There is neither heaven nor release, nor soul in another world. Sacrifices to the forefathers and the gods are nothing but a source of munificence for the priests who misuse the Vedas, which are put together by the Brahmins for their profit. No, Lord, the useful and the pleasant are the main aims of man, that which make their life bearable. What India lacks is knowledge and insight to understand what all that surrounds it truly is.’
Sivadatta: ‘In the park of Pasenadi’s palace. The First Act.’
Pasenadi is seen sitting in deep meditation. Padmavathi brings one precious offering after another. She complains that she cannot do without Vjadi. She offers her own life to the king of the Nagas yet no sign emerges. Then Vjadi appears, as beautiful as Ushas, the blushing dawn, lissome as Gauri, Shiva’s wife, blossoming as the newly flowering Ashoka tree. Padmavathi hides her own pain and puts heart into Vjadi for life. The girl’s laughter is sympathetic, full and gay, so much so that Kama, the god of love, shoots one of his arrows at her. Prince Vadha, who was playing the flute, approaches her, obviously enchanted.
‘Play, Prince Vadha, play.’
And with his music Vjadi brings to life the dances of the celestial gods so enchantingly that the gods themselves come down to see her dance.
Then, Padmavathi prays to Varuna, pleading for Vjadi’s life, for it is the dance itself, inspiring and energising, that is Vajdi’s great offering. But Varuna remains deaf to her pleas for the gods themselves have determined her fate. Two Apsaras come down from Indra’s heavenly abode, moved by Vajdi’s fate and decide to stay on earth to help Vjadi.
Still watching the dance, Ashoka turned to the Buddhist scholar, Mati.
‘Are not Purna’s teachings also the basis of Buddhism, honoured Mati?’
‘No, Lord. Then every expression of joy at the cost of another, every profit from another’s loss, would be excused. Every lofty endeavour to reach God would be useless; all offering to our ancestors, to our fellow creatures, would be valueless. And the Buddha preached compassion towards every living and feeling being,’ opined Mati.
The second Act of the nataka began.
Sivadatta: ‘In Pasenadi’s palace. The Second Act.’
Pasenadi is seated on the throne with Padmavathi beside him while the ministers have taken their places around them. Vadha praises Vjadi and seeks her hand in marriage. But the king does not consent nor daring to disclose the reason for his refusal. Vadha threatens to kill himself. In moving and beautiful slokas, Vadha explains that he cannot live without Vjadi. Padmavathi understands his pain and then discloses the reason to him: Vjadi is soon to be sacrificed to the King of the Nagas.
Vadha weeps. He looks for Vjadi and proclaims to her his love and Vjadi accepts him in love. Vadha then urges her to flee with him, disclosing that they have to sacrifice her to the King of the Nagas. They depart secretly, accompanied by the two apsaras from Indra’s heaven.
‘Purna’s teachings of the materialists’ philosophy could bring about pleasure to Aryavarta but not real happiness. There is no dearth of pleasure here. What does Salya think? What do the Saankhya canons say?’
‘Lord, the Saankhya accepts neither the Vedas as revelations of the gods, nor the doctrine of oneness of Vedanta’s Atman, nor the sole existence of matter by the materialists. Animal sacrifices are impure, other kinds of offerings do not prevent rebirth: that would make it easier for the rich to be liberated than for the poor. The Saankhya does not admit of this inequality and injustice. The soul has to be recognised as being different from bodily life, then it will not return. Souls originate at the time of creation in unison with Nature. The gross body springs forth anew with every birth. Once the soul with its knowledge has seen through Nature, then the link is broken. The body dies and so does the linga sharira, the primordial body, which is the cause of reincarnation. No Brahmin, no gods, and no revelation of the Vedas: they obstruct the liberating awareness, Lord. Human wisdom and knowledge is what the citizens of India lack, both Aryan and Chandala.’
‘You regard deliverance by means of wealth as unjust and unfair, honoured Salya. But is not deliverance only for the people gifted with wisdom and knowledge, equally unfair and unreasonable? Does a man have wealth only through his own self? No, he inherits wealth or he acquires it! Does man have wisdom only through his own self? No, he is gifted it at his birth or he acquires it.’
Sivadhatta: ‘In the jungle of Jambudvipa. The Third Act.’
Vadha and Vjadi trek through the woods. Vjadi is exhausted but Vadha plays his flute and the melody infuses her with new strength; she begins to dance … The nymphs join her in this offering to the gods. They lead her to the hermitage of Samathu near the sacred Ganga. Samathu is deep in meditation. Reverently, silently, they wait for a long time until he awakens. Samathu is moved by their pious attitude and asks who they are. After listening to Vadha, narrating Vjadi’s story, Samathu however, tells them that their plight is hopeless. When Vjadi turns twelve years of age, the nagas in the jungle will hunt her down and take her back to their king. The nymphs cry, upset; they want to protect Vjadi. Samathu explains to them that what the gods have willed cannot be retracted. Vadha begs Samathu for help. Samathu then meditates. Coming out of his meditation he suggests that the cosmic dance of Shiva that holds together Creation can help her. First they must sacrifice a black he-goat. So the animal is brought. The priest will extinguish the life of the animal …
Ashoka, however, does not want any animal sacrifices and forbids the offering; he does not want any more animals killed today.
Vjadi is inconsolable; she sinks to the ground. The judgement has been passed. She will have to go down into the kingdom of the Nagas which lies in the dark depths of the lotus pond deep under Taxila where the snakes reign. But Samathu thinks that Shiva will come to her succour even without sacrificing an animal. He orders them to gather flowers instead, and then teaches them to dance the tandava nritya, the dance of Shiva.
‘And you, Bhava?’
‘Lord, let each avert his senses from the outside world and turn his mind inwards. Let him learn how to meditate and acquire the secret power to free his soul from its earthly ties because that is the purpose of all yoga practice. The awareness of people lacks depth; hence their souls have not been released.’
Ashoka listened no longer.
‘And you, Mati?’
‘Lord, Buddha too yearned for liberation; Nirvana is the paramount goal. To that liberation one must journey along a long path, an eightfold one. Buddha took birth more than a thousand times before he became enlightened. Will our road be shorter? Enlightenment does not come without awareness, nor awareness without meditation. But even before one begins meditation, one must develop the right attitude to life. He who will be blessed with the joy that sprouts from the right endeavour acquires inner peace—the feeling of bliss—that leads to deeper insight and knowledge.
And how does man come to the right attitude in thoughts, words, and deeds, that makes meditation beneficial and fruitful, Lord? Primarily the Tathagata, the enlightened Buddha, appeals for change of the inner, a total change of view and attitude from the collective thinking, feeling, and desiring: the true faith. Like the sky that glows first red before dawn, so must—to everything that the disciple of Buddha wants to achieve—come first the right attitude.
That is the first glimmering of light, the first step, which converts the pupil into an upasaka, a devotee, without him becoming a disciple yet; that is the sacred ground on which the building rises. The further steps on the path may be even journeyed in coming lives. Through the right attitude and trust he has prepared himself for the path that leads towards Nirvana. It is the true test of endurance, the gateway that leads towards the path of awakening. Those who wish to proceed further can take this path. Only then will sila, the right way-of-life, follow.
And of what does the right way-of-life consist, Sire, of which each person may partake, upasaka and disciple, Brahmin and Chandala, man and woman alike? In the five precepts:
Compassion: Expressed by not harming any living being and which should come from within; compassion as much for the animal kingdom as for one’s fellow-men;
Not taking what is not given freely: thus not yearning for another man’s belongings;
Chastity: Eschewing adultery and indecency for the upasaka, complete celibacy for the disciple; and purity of the body, words and thought;
Truth: He who is not pure in intention in his pursuit of truth, cannot be—according to the Enlightened One—an upasaka or disciple of the path: truth, and loving kindness, which is one with truth; and,
To abstain from inebriating liquor: For the reason that it disturbs the one-pointedness of the mind.
Outward appearances had no value for the Tathagata, the Enlightened One. What is of value for him is: pursuit of moral perfection, a loving heart, which triumphs over all animosity and hatred; that leads one onto the right path.
And why must the seeker choose this sincere way of life, Lord? Not only because it is required for his own progress towards enlightenment but also because it serves the happiness of the entire world and all its creatures. That is why the Buddha preached at marketplaces and in the parks, where each one was gladly received, the king, the Brahmin and the Chandala, and he preached not in the language of the erudite priests but in the language of the people, and for all the people. This attitude to life is lacking in the people of Aryavarta, Lord.’
Ashoka had listened with growing interest. He could hardly keep his attention on the next act of the play, which soon followed.
Sivadhatta: ‘Pasenadi’s palace. The Fourth Act.’
Sadness has enveloped the palace. Vjadi has disappeared with Vadha. The nagas in the jungle will seek her out. The king is desperate. The queen is beside herself with grief. Pasenadi consults a sage. He says that they must go to Taxila, to the new-moon festival, and perform a sacrifice to Shiva. Shiva is the god of death, but also of life. There the first minister must negotiate with the Naga-Raja. Then appear five beautiful girls from Kosala; they dance like Apsaras, and in their dance offer themselves as sacrifices to the king of the Nagas, so that Vjadi may stay alive and Pasenadi’s lineage may not die. New hope springs in Pasenadi’s court. Pasenadi and Padmavathi thank them and prepare to leave with them for Taxila.
‘Well, Vasudeva? You are the greatest scholar in Taxila.’
‘Buddhism may not be right for India, Sire. Self-interest, one’s own welfare, one’s own salvation is always held up as the highest principle. Could one ask of your people to give up that self-interest? Who could impel them?’
‘Those who are not touched by spiritual selfishness, who are not allowed to study what you call the sacred Vedas! From the thinkers the ideas, from the downtrodden the power will sprout for this inconceivable work.’
‘Buddhism will pine away, just as the beauty of a glorious flower does in the darkness of the endless jungle. Beauty that reaches no human eye. And truth! Just like the fragile petals of a flower which scatter in the thorny bushes, so will Buddha’s thoughts spread through the envious sects where they will be torn apart, desecrated. He who wants the truth will seek the truth, but will find many truths. The only truth is the revealed truth of the Vedas, and they are as fixed and unchangeable as the heavenly dome over Jambudvipa.’
‘The Tathagata only acknowledges as truth that which ripens in sensible awareness resting on the solid rock of knowledge and thus growing along with knowledge,’ suggested Mati.
‘Buddhism causes fissures. The Vedas unite Aryavarta. That faith in the unifying nature of the Vedas is what Aryavarta is lacking.’
Sivadhatta: ‘The lotus pond in Taxila. Fifth Act:’
Vadha and Vjadi approach. They appear as pilgrims, tired after having traversed the long way from the holy Ganga. The Prince seeks out the King of the Nagas. A messenger emerges out of the water near the cave and asks what it is the Prince wishes. Vadha says that he wishes to speak to the King of the Nagas, to ask him to give Vjadi to him. The messenger then takes Vadha along with him through the subterranean passage in the lotus pond to the kingdom of the Nagas. On the surface an anxiously waiting Vjadi, expresses in her sinuous dance her sorrow and desperation. It is only her love that gives her the strength to perform this offering to the gods. Then Pasenadi’s court arrives, grieving. Vjadi hides herself and overhears the sobbing lamentations of the Raja and Rani. She, too, weeps. The veena is muffled, the drums muted, the dance tremulous. Pasenadi and Padmavathi pray to Shiva but there is no sign yet. The five girls from Kosala are ready to be offered to the Naga King. Still no sign comes. Meanwhile, on Vjadi’s behalf, Pasenadi’s minister tries to intercede with the Naga King. The two apsaras, who accompanied the royal children, in a moving dance plead for Shiva’s intercession to save Vjadi. Their eyes are centred on Ashoka but the Mauryan does not want to be taken for Shiva and remains silent. Suddenly Pasenadi’s minister, together with Vadha, is back from his tryst with the Naga king … Vjadi’s life will be spared only if Shiva gives a sign that he agrees. At this announcement, Pasenadi, Padmavathi, the minister and the nymphs now dance even more intensely before Shiva-Ashoka. No sign appears.
Vadha then takes up his flute and begins to play with all his heart, expressing his deep longing and love for the unhappy Princess. Vjadi appears and dances; she performs the tandava nritya, the Dance of Shiva that holds together creation taught to her by the Sage Samathu. The veena weeps and the sarangi sings in heavenly sounds its urgent pleading while the drums softly provide the rhythms to this cosmic dance. Vjadi’s performance turns into a heavenly exaltation. She entrances all while she keeps her eyes directed on Shiva-Ashoka. Pasenadi, Padmavathi, the girls from Ayodhya, the nymphs, the minister—all stretch out their hands to him whom they behold as Shiva.
The music becomes even more alluring, the dance more profound. All eyes turn to the young Maurya. Still no sign. Then it seems as if all power drains from them. The veena and the sarangi are still heard but this time more muted. The slender girl approaches the pond, which waters are dark and smooth. Only the tragic sacrifice to the Naga King remains. Once more Vadha begins to play and Vjadhi continues to dance the tandava. Anxiously everyone looks on; many weep. Suddenly, the frightful head of the Naga King rises out of the pond, calling out: ‘Vjadi, Vjadi!’ She turns to the terrible monster and dances with slow steps to the bank. She crosses the bank … but does not sink! It is the sign of Shiva! She appears to float over the waves! Her anklets, softly tinkling with her graceful movements, touch the water lightly. Like an ethereal creature she floats, dancing forth to Shiva. Joy breaks out, the veena is triumphant, the flutes sing, the conches blare, the gong bangs. And all sink kneeling before Shiva who, moved by Vjadi’s profound dance, has freed her of the curse. The illusion is perfect. Many onlookers sink down in awe and bow their heads to the ground.
Pasenadi:
‘Who will not honour the one who saved Vjadi,
It is he, who quenches the thirst of our lands with rains,
Through storms gives us health and strength,
Restores honesty and truth,
Heals animosity, drives away revolt,
Unites the people
In friendship and joy;
May fortune and prosperity thus increase!
Shiva, moved by Vjadi’s dance, saved her with
a miracle,
Of an untimely death by sacrifice.’
The king and queen express their gratitude to Shiva. But Vjadi approaches him, in who all see Shiva. Her lovely, frail figure bends in childlike innocence over to him, her hands reach out, her fingers and arms stretch in one harmonious movement, towards him, her saviour. All eyes are upon the girl, encouraging and friendly.
She is warned not to come near Ashoka, but Vjadi feels she has found love again after a long time of rejection. She longed to be fondled … and she moves on. They want to stop her but the few who attempt to do so do not dare to touch her. Suddenly, Revata’s voice is heard: ‘Leper!’
All those who have come close to Vjadi now hurriedly retreat. The girl, happily laughing, moves towards the army commander who has saved her from death … so she feels, caught up in her play. Revata warns Sagka. A chakra whizzes. Vjadi falls down, dead.
There is a horrified silence. With glazed eyes and vacant looks people watch. Two doctors come forward on Ashoka’s orders. Then, a deadly silence.
‘Leprosy, Sire!’
‘Bring Vadha and Sivadhatta here!’
‘Vadha too is a leper, Sire.’
‘Who brought you here, Vadha?’
‘Two men brought us with them from the leper camp, O, Prince.’
‘Who?’
‘I do not know, Lord.’
‘Why?’
‘Vjadi was promised a big reward if she touched or even kissed Prince Ashoka and Prince Kala.’
‘How did they join your troupe, Sivadhatta?’
‘A strange priest offered me three measures of gold if I would let them act in my troupe. Vjadi was a gifted dancer, they told me.’
‘Did you know they were lepers?’
‘No, Sire.’
‘Tomorrow you will take the camp master prisoner, Sagka.’
Ashoka the Great Page 21