‘You are wonderfully well informed, my son.’
‘Did you expect less from me, or to be misinformed? I strung the bow Gandiwa and shot it, O, Maharajah. Well, I know that the most important priests of the Brahmin-court have decided at a solemn meeting, to urge you to send the largest number of troops possible to Sumana in the west. Is that what you wish for? If the gods again demand sacrifices for the recovery of the Maharajah, those sacrifices will indicate that Sumana has to be Crown Prince!’ Ashoka hesitated with his next words: ‘After you have agreed to that, my Father, your life will no longer have any value to them. And worse, it will be a hindrance, lest your decision be reversed. Two Princes of our house, who side with Sumana, are army commanders here; three others are in the west. They are keeping their men ready for Sumana. I believe that I have to warn you, in all seriousness, about this development of events. That is the third reason for my visit.’
‘When did that meeting take place, my young Raja?’
‘During Chaitra, on the day of the new moon.’
‘Do you know about this meeting, Khallataka?’
‘People assiduously keep from me all matters that concern the succession, Maharajah. I believe it is time to honestly and straightforwardly appoint the heir to the throne, to put an end to the subversive activities of the Brahmin-court.’
‘And what has my wise Sayana to say about these things. Let us suppose that the information provided by the Viceroy is correct.’
‘My young friend from the forest hermitage gathers his information so keenly that his own views may throw light on the matter.’
‘Well, my son, it will please your three best friends to hear your opinion.’
‘Since you, great Maharajah, and my wise friend Sayana and my highly respected Khallataka, like to hear my assessment, then listen: do not appoint Sumana. He is not capable of ruling a world empire, and the life of the Maharajah would not be safe any longer. Do not appoint me either, for then perhaps, I would lose my Father’s trust in me and that would be for me a loss, greater than anything else. Keep your army in your hands in Pataliputra, if you want the Mauryas to continue their rule. I can use my influence with Vimalamitra, the Takkas, the Kashmiras and other peoples, to lessen the injurious effects of the instigators from the capital of your empire in the west.’
Sayana acknowledged happily: ‘Well, my highly revered Maharajah, I could not have given better advice, unless I had advised that Raja Ashoka be straightway appointed as the heir to the throne. His advice seems wiser to me.’
‘My son, you are a worthy pupil of Kullika and Sayana.’
‘And the true Maurya,’ thought Khallataka.
After Ashoka had left, Sayana asked: ‘What does my highly revered Maharajah think about this son?’
‘He is for me like Surya, at times concealed from being seen by Maruts, but his radiance always triumphs.’
‘The human mind is like the elephant in the jungle, O, Maharajah; nature weaves her vines, her strong unbreakable bonds. Then comes the elephant and they are torn to shreds: the path through the jungle is free. The eternal laws of the Atman cannot be crushed by petty human forces. Your son is the subtle spirit, the sara, the essence of all that stands opposed to the pressures of the priests and the greedy Kshatriyas.’
‘Exactly, my Sayana,’ added Khallataka. ‘Greatness is not solely the domain of great people, but of humanity as a whole: Tat Tvam Asi. The great ones amongst human beings shape the form of all that is at work in everyone, of the lofty ideas flourishing in the whole of humanity, like the blossoming crown atop the areka’3.
Sela had taken care to see that the holy fire in the Shiva-temple was blazing high up into the sky with a startlingly bright glow. There was no doubt that the sacrifice of this day was extremely welcome to the god of life and death.
When Ashoka, seated on the imperial elephant—on the order of the Maharajah—rode into the camp, a heavy gong sounded.
‘Raja Ashoka!’ Sela called out, and like a peal of thunder, the call vibrated through the dwellings of the warriors. All hurried towards the Emperor’s road to see the commander, the Lord of three worlds, maybe, Shiva himself. The rough warriors stretched out their hands towards the young Raja and bowed deeply.
When Ashoka, ever in empathy with the soldiers, once more took command and received heartily cheered victories, both his half-brothers, Sampadi and Savadra—who, like most of the high-born warriors, sided with Sumana—appeared with their entourage. Prince Sampadi, intemperate like his famous brother, rode towards him.
‘Ashoka, I protest, that the section of the army under my command is being led by you!’
‘How happy I am to see you again after such a long absence, my brother Sampadi. Thank you for your most friendly welcome. What brings you here so early?’
‘I do not wish to be superseded in command, not even by the Viceroy of Ujjain!’
‘You forget, honoured Sampadi, that my Father has not yet dismissed me as chief commander of the army, and that you are my subordinate. Who commands the army unit, Sampadi?’
‘One who is appointed by the Maharajah.’
‘That is a shrewd answer! I will correct you: The one who is obeyed! Shall we see who is obeyed, you or I?’
‘No!’
‘Let us then see who is the best warrior, you or me! Which weapon do you prefer, Sampadi, the chakra? Let us then take as target Shakuni, who is hiding behind you.’
For one short moment, Sampadi was beside himself then he turned around. Shakuni rushed forward, fuming, and screamed: ‘I am a Brahmin and I will not let myself be used as a target by a killer of Brahmins, who has already killed three priests.’
A great excitement swept through the gathering. Ashoka raised his hand calmly, and a tense silence followed.
‘And I, the chief commander, will not let myself be accused by a violator of his guru’s bed, by an escaped prisoner who is sentenced by my father for slander of a Maurya Prince and who deserves a death sentence for escaping from the mines. Sela, capture that young man and lead him again to the Maharajah!’
Sampadi flew into a temper: ‘No one from my party will be taken prisoner!’
Because of the great tumult, only Ashoka had heard him. He snapped back: ‘Seal your mouth, or I will have a Maurya Prince, who dares to take a criminal under his protection, imprisoned, too!’
Sampadi thought Ashoka capable of anything and so kept silent.
‘Let us see if our beloved elephants have better memories of us, Sela.’
The Viceroy blew his whistle the way he used to do. What happened next greatly surprised all. Several animals suddenly lifted their trunks and started trumpeting. A few ambled up to their old friend. Ashoka dismounted and walked towards them.
‘Oh, Sampa! Come here. And Kalana, you look so well! Here, eat!’ Together with a sweet, each got a friendly word. One of the animals stayed behind, swung his trunk up and down impatiently, and softly trumpeted now and then. The Raja approached him.
‘Well, Lampa, are you nervous, old gabber?’
‘Lampa’s foot is hurt, high Raja.’
‘Who is taking care of him?’
‘Nobody dares to touch him; he gets wild with rage because of his pain, Sire.’
‘Bring pure water, steamed cotton and balm for the wound.’ First, Lampa got his sweet. Then the Raja made him place his foot on a small stool, examined the wound himself and cleaned it in spite of Lampa’s trumpeting in pain. In complete trust, the elephant kept his foot on the stool. Ashoka then put the balm on the cleansed wound and bandaged it with utmost care.
‘Well, Lampa, now it will heal. Good animal.’ Ashoka caressed his trunk. When he left again, Lampa trudged behind him. A guard wanted to stop him.
‘Let him!’ At the end of the elephant camp, the Raja took leave of him. The animal stood staring after his friend a long time. When the Prince was out of sight it returned, disappointed, to its stable.
The chiefs of the various army sections treated Ashoka
with respect, but for the rest, they were very reserved. He knew what that meant.
‘Sela, I have to speak to you.’
They looked for an isolated place in the jungle.
‘Well, Sela?’
‘Khallataka thinks that if something serious should happen, the army will be happy to be taken over by you, provided you are declared as the Maharajah. I have suggested that on the day that death takes the Maharajah, all that stands against you be sent to Yama4. An army regiment, by nature, obeys its commanders.’
‘Then, surely, imprison those and move them to a secure place under a strong, trustworthy guard. And then all will depend on whether you will get immediate replacements to take command. That is the most important thing, my Sela.’
‘Nobody will accept my orders.’
‘Then we have to take Khallataka into our confidence. He appoints you as Commander-in-Chief. Moreover, I hope to be in Pataliputra soon, and then it will be: Either on the elephant or … in Ganga’s lap.’
‘And what if the Maharajah were to choose Sumana as the Crown Prince?’
‘That will change nothing of our plans.’
‘And the Princes, Sire?’
‘Depart. Or, you move them to the prison-camp as well.’
‘And if I myself may be slain, Sire?’
‘Appoint a few successors of whom only one is allowed to know that he has to succeed my Sela in an emergency. And the army?’
‘Adores Shiva, Sire.’
‘One more order, my Sela. Nothing may go against the orders of the Maharajah. In case my Father chooses Sumana as successor, then you will, together with Satyavat and Nata, take your own measures for the Maharajah’s protection. For woe unto him, whose death may be useful for the sacrificial priests! The Maharajah ought to be the highest and most sacred power in Aryavarta, not the priests.’
They mounted their horses again and rode back to the camp. A moment later a different horseman left. It was Girika who had followed them from a distance and had approached, without being heard, through hidden animal tracks in the thick bushes.
Immediately after the visit to the army camp the Prince rode to Khallataka’s dwelling, where he was received with friendliness and respect.
‘The messages from Ujjain are very favourable to you. Those from Taxila merely confirm your earlier predictions. The Brahmins create an image of Sumana as a capable governor. Everything is proceeding to full satisfaction.’
‘Indeed, they have my brother exactly the way they want him. I know a little about his daily occupations.’
‘The Maharajah knows, too; Aradra and Udra drew the attention of the Maharajah to the favourable turn the life of Prince Sumana had taken. Then the Maharajah explained to the council of ministers how things really are in Taxila. The Prince is a toy in the hands of his council. It is the council of priests that is governing and they perform sacrifices on a large scale; the people are dissatisfied but fear the soldiers. Even with many large army units, it is difficult to maintain peace and quiet in the west … The time is more than ripe, my Raja, to show a certain concession to the priests at the Brahmin-court. If you would do so, then everyone will acknowledge you as the Crown Prince. Let the priests perform an offering, confer on them a generous fee, and friendship will be forged. Your Father, too, does respect them, because he needs them, but ultimately follows his own path.’
‘I am aware of your good intention, my honoured Khallataka. But I have not changed my stand. Never will I curse the Bhils, Rajputans, Kashmiras, Daradas, Takkas and Yavanas and so many others, to win the favour of these vicious priests. Before I become the Maharajah, I will deal with them. They view my faults too big, and I, theirs.’
Khallataka sat, his face bent down. He felt the young Maurya was in his right but could see no possibility of realising his plans. A Maharajah, with only a part of the army, without anointment, without priests, without sacrifices, without the people! Was not this as the holy Ganga without water!
‘You made a dangerous choice, noble Khallataka, when you sided with me,’ the Viceroy went on. ‘Even now you can return to Sumana and his friends. I will not hold that against you: how can one deny his inner convictions! I know my struggle is not against a person as insignificant as Sumana, but against them who see in him their profits and their power. That struggle I wish, and I will fight. To compromise would be a betrayal of my best friends. Chandragupta and Bindusara bowed to their yoke, Sumana will let himself be trampled. I wish the sacrificial priest to bow low before the Maharajah because only he can create and serve the happiness for the whole of Aryavarta. That is essential.’
‘You are right. Count on me, my Raja.’
Ashoka then explained to the minister what he and Sela had discussed, and Khallataka fully concurred. Then the Raja took leave of him and had himself announced to his father.
‘You have used your time well, my son,’ Ashoka looked up at him questioningly. ‘But what if I relieve Sela from the army … and his successors … Or, I destroy his prisoners’ camp … What does my son think to do then?’
‘Trust myself and the army.’
‘Is the army on your side?’
‘When my Father would no longer be Maharajah … yes.’
‘You are playing a dangerous game of dice, my son!’
‘I do not play; I fight for the Mauryas and the peoples of your empire!’
‘You lean heavily upon my favouring you, my son. And then what if I dismiss Khallataka … exile from Pataliputra … Then the army is in my hands alone.’
‘It remains in your hand as long as you wish and as long as you live, my Father.’
‘And what if I then make Sumana the Crown Prince?’
‘Then, the Maharajah might need my protection.’
‘Sure, sure! … Sela, Nata, Satyavat …
‘You are wonderfully informed, my Father.’
‘My son, I need to know the true motives behind your three serious suggestions. The history of Aryavarta knows too many examples of Princes who did not know how to bide their time.’ Bindusara remarked sharply.
‘A great Maharajah like you is entitled to know all my motives. I never concealed them from you, my Father. Tell me if you know another way out!’
‘But a king needs the priests for his people.’
‘As long as they have the interests of the people in mind and not that of their own! …’
‘Perhaps, they think more of our well-being than the Prince is inclined to believe.’
‘They do not think, they act.’
‘For you, they are enemies, who control the people.’
‘There is more opposition to their unnatural coercion than they might be aware of. Life, in the end, asks for its right to be, when, by corrupt belief or false morality, it is more and more restricted. Then the eternal Atman breaks through and mocks the selfish, petty bigotries. The people of Aryavarta lack the awareness of a path, and the vigour of a spirit, strong enough to guide the divine urges of their Atman. I want to give them that path and that strength.’
‘Where to? Where to?’
‘From the Terai swamps of priestly wilfulness to a holy Ganga of pure truthfulness and humanity, that will flow through a happy country.’
‘You sent me Shakuni. I have had him led back immediately to the mines in the Himalaya and he is now heavily guarded.’
‘May Shiva save him for my chakra.’
‘How large is your army in Ujjain, my son?’
‘As large as I choose, my Father. Rajputans, Bhils, Takkas and other tribes would shout with joy if they were allowed into my army. I do not want a powerful army because I do not need one. To rule people is easy, as long as it is done with justice and unshakeable willpower. But a priest does not understand justice and does not believe in the unshakeable willpower of the other.’
‘Your struggle will not be easy!’
4
THE ORDEAL
ome time after his visit to Pataliputra, the pilgrim Sundara appeared at the co
urt of Ashoka. Ashoka wanted Kullika and Vasumitra to be present at the meeting.
Sundara watched them with distrust.
‘This is Vasumitra, my most trusted minister and this is Kullika, my Purohita. I do not have secrets for them, revered Sundara. Their mouths are closed like the lotus of daytime is at night. So hold nothing back and tell us what has brought you to the Viceroy.’
‘I live at the Brahmin-court in Pataliputra, high Raja. Chandaka and his council are greatly concerned about the developments in the west. They think an uprising cannot be averted now that the Maharajah has refused to despatch more troops there. They think only one man can restore peace and quiet and that is you, high Raja. We know the relationship between you and the Brahmin-court is not good. This could be made more desirable if you would but make some overture.’
‘Who sent you here, revered Sundara?’
‘No one, Sire. I am on a pilgrimage.’
‘And the Maharajah?’
‘He hardly knows Sundara, Sire. Chandaka, the leader of the Brahmin-court, knows that you, high Raja, have a great influence over the army in Pataliputra. The worship of Shiva has spread widely and he thinks it is because of you. Moreover, the people in Ujjain appear to be highly pleased with the new Viceroy. So, if you would take on a different attitude towards the Brahmin-court …’
‘And that of the Brahmin-court towards me?’ Could it be Khallataka’s hand behind this meeting?
‘That is correct, honoured Raja, then the affairs in this country could be ruled more easily.’
‘How does Chandaka imagine he can do this, revered Sundara?’
‘If you would enter into certain pacts with the Brahmin-court, O, Raja, then we could suggest to the Maharajah that Prince Sumana be recalled and you made the Viceroy of the entire west.’
‘And what if the Maharajah refuses?’
‘The Brahmin-court would be on your side. The situation is very perilous … Maybe, you can compel the Maharajah …’
‘Oh, so you say, compel the Maharajah, Sundara!’
Ashoka the Great Page 41