AJAYA I -- Roll of the Dice

by Unknown

  His friend smiled enigmatically. "It does not matter. Ask your mother. Or if you meet Indra, ask him. You are the last Indra's son, Arjuna. Be proud of it. The present Indra might be an incompetent man, but the blood of illustrious ancestors flows in your veins."

  "But that means we do not have any right to the crown of Hastinapura. It means Suyodhana should inherit the kingdom. We are mere bastards and he the firstborn of the incumbent King. More than that, my uncle Dhritarashtra is the elder son and rightful heir, and my father Pandu... he had no claim to the throne. What is the point, Krishna? Why are you making me do all this?" Arjuna looked at his friend in confusion.

  "Arjuna my dear friend... do not worry over such minor matters. Your brother Yudhishtra is the only person who can save our country from adharma. Duryodhana becoming King will spell disaster for this holy land. Just look at whom he befriends - Karna the Suta, Aswathama the fallen Brahmin, Kripa the mad man, Carvaka the atheist, and the list goes on. Imagine him ruling. Imagine what would happen to the system our ancestors built with so much thought. What would happen to our social order? His being the firstborn of the King is a mere technicality. Do not bother about such things. When the time comes, we will see. Now, do your duty as a Kshatriya. Your focus should only be to destroy Khandiva. From its ashes, a new city will rise and from that city, India will be ruled."

  Krishna saw doubt in the eyes of the young warrior. "Arjuna, one day I will explain all these things to you. Let the time come and I will clear all your doubts. I will teach you what your karma and dharma are. For now, let us focus on the task ahead. You Pandavas need your own kingdom to take on the might of Duryodhana. Do you wish to keep your wives in a hut forever? Do the Princesses not deserve better? For the sake of your mother and your brothers, fight!"

  Krishna's words struck a chord within Arjuna. His mother and brothers deserved better. Draupadi, the Princess he had won with his skill, and Subhadra, whom he loved more than his own life, deserved better. Krishna was showing him the path of progress and civilization. A forest was nothing but some trees and shrubs. It housed birds and beasts. It was home to a few uncivilized tribes. It was his duty to show them the light. Krishna was right. The forest needed to be gutted. In its place, a city would come up. Where hills stood, towers of progress would rise. The tall trees should give way to shops. Where tigers roamed, chariots would speed, and where mountain streams flowed, sewers would run.

  Arjuna looked at the vast expanse of green hills to the East. The river Yamuna snaked her way through the forest, playing hide-and-seek among the woods, her dark waters contrasting with the lush greenery on either bank. A flock of birds swooped though the sky and vanished into the canopy of trees with poignant cries. The air was rich with the aroma of flowers, and butterflies of many colours fluttered around him. There was a promise of rain in the air. Somewhere in the womb of the jungle, a peacock cried in anticipation of love. A moist breeze rustled the leaves and tugged at Arjuna's clothes, caressing his handsome face, and then leaving with a sigh. It started drizzling and a rainbow arched over the green forest. The croaking of frogs kept time to the symphony of crickets as the rain fell gently on the earth. The great warrior went soft at the knees. His strong hands holding his bow trembled. "Krishna..." he pleaded.

  But Krishna's face remained impassive. When the sky had dried its tears, the man who believed he was God, steadied the warrior's hands and commanded in a calm voice, "Fire!"

  A flame-tipped arrow arched over the treetops and plunged into the heart of the forest. The warriors with Arjuna began decimating the forest with enthusiasm. Soon the hungry God of Fire began devouring the forest with gusto. The army encircled the forest and stood in strategic positions to prevent the escape of any human or beast attempting to flee the flames. When the first deer darted out of the jungle in panic, Krishna cried to Arjuna, "There!" The warrior shot an arrow through its heart. It fell, quivering for a few minutes and then dying without a sound, its glassy gaze fixed on Arjuna. The Pandava read accusation in those gentle eyes and a strange fear gripped him.

  "You are doing your duty, Arjuna. You have freed the poor animal from the infinite cycle of suffering through numerous births and deaths. I have given it moksha. Do not hesitate... there... see those birds... shoot!" Krishna cried, and the warrior obeyed.

  The creatures of the forest began fleeing the raging fire in panic. Arjuna and his warriors cut them down mercilessly. If they missed anything, the Lord pointed it out and the men obeyed. "Not a single living thing should escape. Show no mercy. We will build a great city here and a proper cleansing is required before we begin something new. Shoot down everything moving, flying or crawling." Krishna encouraged the men with his words.

  Soon the ground was littered with the corpses of animals, birds, and reptiles. Sensing danger, some ran back into the fire, expecting more mercy from the flames than from Man. The fire welcomed them, granting them moksha from this worthless life. The air was heavy with the stench of burning bodies.

  Inside the forest, there were over 2000 Nagas in the rebel camp. They were mostly old men, women, and children, as Takshaka had taken most of his warriors to Dandakaranya in the South. The rebel army was penetrating the South and Takshaka had thought it prudent to meet the leaders of the southern Nagas to prepare them for the impending revolution. He had not expected an attack on Khandiva and had left security in the hands of young Aswasena.

  When the first arrow landed on his thatched roof with a hiss, Mayasura the architect was sitting in the small veranda of his hut, enjoying the beautiful sight of the rainbow. He looked up in surprise as scores of flame-tipped arrows hissed over his head. A few of the other men came out of their huts and stood looking at the skies in surprise and shock. Before they could react, their huts began going up in flames. The panicked screams of women and children rose in a macabre chorus.

  "What are you gaping at, you fools? Get the women and children out!" Vasuki shouted over the din.

  Mayasura ran towards the old man. A few of the younger Nagas had gathered around the erstwhile leader and the old man was directing them in the rescue operations. As Mayasura reached him, he saw an angry Aswasena arguing with the old man, who yelled, "This is no time for disagreement. Maybe you are right and the fire was started by the Prince of Hastinapura. We can discuss that once we have saved ourselves. Get all the able bodied men to put down the fire and rescue the weak."

  "You old fool! There is no point in fighting the fire. See how we are being showered with flame-tipped arrows. We have to take them head on. If we do not save our horses and arms, there will be hell to pay when the Great Leader returns," Aswasena shouted back as another hut crumbled beside him.

  The tall trees around them had caught fire and the heat was becoming unbearable. Mayasura's first instinct was to run but Vasuki's calm courage held him back. The screams of women and children dying in the flames were unbearable.

  As the inferno raged all around, Aswasena and Vasuki glared at each other. "You go and fight your fool's war, son. My first duty is to save my people, rather than a few horses and swords," Vasuki spat on the ground and turned away.

  Aswasena shrugged. "Rot in hell," the young man, yelled as he ran towards the stables. The horses were whining in fear as the fire raced towards them. Most of the young men abandoned Vasuki and followed Aswasena. Mayasura watched in horror as hundreds of men entered the burning stables.

  "What are you gaping at? Go and save your mothers and sisters," Vasuki barked at the young architect.

  Mayasura ran towards the huts. A few men followed him. The blast of heat was intense. The fire had swallowed many of the huts near the edge of the clearing. The smell of burning flesh was overwhelming. Mayasura saw a group of women and children huddled in the south corner of a clearing but wildfire was steadily engulfing them. He ran towards the jungle, trying to circumvent the fire. If he could reach the central ring of huts before the flames did, he might be able to save those people. As he ran towards the forest, the Naga cava
lry galloped past. His eyes briefly met those of Aswasena, and the Naga captain looked at him in utter contempt as they rushed past. As far as Aswasena was concerned, men like Mayasura were cowards who hid behind their books, despising action. He did not have time to waste on such effeminate bastards. He wanted a chance to take revenge on Arjuna and earn the respect of his Great Leader.

  Mayasura watched them vanish behind the burning trees and thick columns of smoke. They were rushing to take on Arjuna's mighty army head on. The ear-splitting sound of a huge tree crashing jolted him from his stupor and he jumped back. The men with him watched the disappearing column of Aswasena's cavalry. Mayasura shouted to them to follow him. They ran diagonally to the group of women and children, curving away from the raging fire. Fingers of flames came perilously close, trying to grab them. Mayasura thought his eyeballs would burn in their sockets from the blazing heat. As the flames danced in the changing breeze and smoke curled towards heaven, he could see the frightened faces of the children, crying in fear. Mayasura leapt across the flames and ran towards the huts standing between the group and the advancing inferno. The men followed. Some of them emerged on the other side, choking and coughing smoke, beating the flames from their clothes. They were shocked to find Mayasura torching the huts. A few screamed that he was mad. Unmindful of their protests, Mayasura kept throwing flaming faggots onto the thatched roofs of the remaining huts. A few understood what the architect was trying to do. He was creating a firebreak by burning down the huts in the path of the advancing fire. They hurried to help him and a gap quickly appeared in the path of the licking flames. The women and children were safe for now. Though the fire raged all around, Mayasura had managed to create an island of safety.

  Vasuki walked towards them, leaping over the slowly dying fire with an ease that belied his age. He sought out Mayasura and hugged him. A ragged cheer rose from the crowd of survivors. The soft spoken and unassuming architect had saved their lives.

  However, Vasuki raised his staff and shouted for silence. Then they heard it. They could feel the earth rumbling beneath their feet. They were children of the forest and knew what the sound meant. A despairing wail rose from the group of women and the children clung to their mothers in fright.

  "Move to either side of me... NOW!" Vasuki shouted at the top of his lungs. The crowd parted in two.

  Mayasura, who had lived in the outskirts of southern cities most of his life, did not understand what the sounds heralded and wondered why the forest dwellers were panicking when he had saved them from the fire. He soon understood. The charred trees began trembling. Mayasura could feel the earth shaking more and more vigorously. Suddenly, a herd of elephants broke from the jungle and stampeded towards the group of humans. In the distance, flames were rushing for them. They waited anxiously as the herd trumpeted past; smashing everything in its way, overturning the half-burnt trees and following the path Aswasena's cavalry had taken. Bison, rhinoceros, gaur, and other beasts of the jungle, followed the elephants. Occasionally, tigers and lions raced by, creating panic. Exotic birds screeched high in the sky. The sight of the stampeding animals froze the humans with fear.

  When the last of the beasts had passed, Vasuki cried aloud, "Follow them now. They know the path to get out of the forest fire."

  Without waiting for further instructions, the Nagas joined the fleeing beasts. They thought they were escaping the cruel fire, but at the other end, the greatest warrior in the world and his divine friend waited for them. They had a city to build and the forest had to be cleared. The fire advanced rapidly, trying to grab the fleeing humans and animals. As the stampede neared the edge of the forest, arrows fell on them thick and fast, creating further panic and pandemonium. Elephants, bison and rhinoceros began running amok, some turning back towards the advancing flames and colliding violently with the oncoming stampede. Some managed to pass through the thick column of animals fleeing in the opposite direction and reach the Nagas running behind. Women and children scattered in fear. Many were trampled under the feet of the frightened elephants. When the beasts encountered the advancing fire, they once again turned and ran back through the crowd of Nagas, leaving another trail of death. A few of the huge beasts attacked Arjuna's men, causing many deaths in their ranks, but the soldiers soon cut them down with swords, spears and poison arrows.

  "There! There!" Krishna kept pointing and Arjuna shot his victims down with unfailing accuracy.

  When the surviving Nagas managed to reach the edge of the forest, the innumerable corpses of animals and humans littering the ground shocked them. As they fled over the dead and dying, a few slipping and falling in the mess of blood and flesh, Mayasura realised the brave Aswasena and his band of soldiers were no longer alive. He did not know how many had died in his own group. Death danced around them. Many of the Nagas stood frozen in fear, not knowing what to do until death caught up with them. Mayasura was sure his own death was imminent. He saw Vasuki trying to control the people's panic. The sight of him standing with unflinching courage amidst the fearsome bloodbath was awe-inspiring.

  "Mayasura... save the Deva King..." Vasuki shouted at him.

  Mayasura looked to where Vasuki pointed and saw an enraged elephant charging at Indra. The old Deva King stood staring at certain death. Mayasura ran towards him, trying not to think about the arrows flying perilously close. The elephant had knocked down Indra with its trunk and raised a foot to crush the old man's head. Without thinking, Mayasura dived, grabbed Indra, and rolled to his left. The elephant's heavy foot descended with juddering force. Another two inches and the old King would have been pulp. The elephant lumbered away while Mayasura helped the trembling Indra stand up. His heart leapt with joy when he saw Vasuki's curt nod of appreciation. He had never suspected he possessed so much courage. For a moment, he forgot where he was and felt proud of himself.

  Indra's grip tightened painfully on Mayasura's wrist and shook him out of his self-congratulatory reflections. He saw the resigned look on the old man's face and turned to see what had created so much fear. What he saw chilled his blood. All his courage oozed away. The elephant was returning for its kill, rushing toward them at great speed. The young Asura and the fallen Deva King, stood immobile, hands clasped, fascinated by the sight of approaching death. They could faintly hear Vasuki screaming at them to move out of the elephant's path, but their limbs refused to move. They could see the elephant's eyes as the huge shaking form approached them in a cloud of dust. They closed their eyes when the elephant was barely six feet away. Its trunk almost scraped Mayasura's waist before collapsing with an earth-shaking thud. When the dust settled and their heartbeats returned to normal, they saw an arrow had pierced almost three feet into the brain of the beast. The elephant quivered for a few seconds and died.

  Mayasura looked back to trace the flight path of the arrow and saw Arjuna standing tall, aiming at his throat. Petrified, he pulled his wrist from Indra's grip and ran. The arrow hummed past his right ear. On an impulse, he turned and ran towards Arjuna, both hands raised high above his head in the universal gesture of surrender. "Swami... Swami..." he cried, trying to be heard above the din.

  Krishna saw him and pointed him out to the great Warrior to pick him off. Arjuna aimed his arrow at Mayasura but something in the young man's eyes made him hesitate. Mayasura stumbled and fell as he neared Arjuna, but got up and ran on. He fell at Arjuna's feet, pleading for the life of his people. "Swami... Swami... have mercy on us," he begged. "We shall be your slaves for life. There are only small children and helpless women here. All the warriors are dead. Please forgive us for what we have done..." He was sobbing hysterically.

  Arjuna looked at his Lord for advice. "Hmmm... maybe they can be of some use," Krishna said. "Ask him what he can do."

  Mayasura's sobbing suddenly stopped. He was an architect, a sculptor, an engineer, and now he was a slave. He felt reticent to declare his talent before these great men, but stood up slowly. He needed some wet sand to say it with his fingers. Mere words woul
d not suffice. He found what he was looking for and began moulding it with his fingers. It did not matter that the blood of his people and many mute beasts had wet the sand. He was indifferent to the dead bodies around him. He did not hear the sound of humans and beasts dying. He did not think about his almost certain death a few minutes before. He had become one with his creation. He went into a trance as his fingers caressed and slapped the red mud. From it, a city began rising like magic.

  Arjuna watched fascinated. He ordered his soldiers to stop the massacre. They too, crowded around to watch the Asura building his city of sand. Half the Nagas had perished in the carnage and the forest of Khandiva was history. A few animals managed to scurry away as the men stood watching a dream unfolding. The surviving women and children joined the crowd around Mayasura. The young architect was unaware of his surroundings, nor did not know his skill had saved the lives of his people yet again. From his fingers a model city rose. He built palaces and fashioned ornate temple pagodas that reached towards the skies. They watched him create city streets, fountains, walkways, gardens, market places, and beautiful lakes.

  When he finished, Arjuna forgot himself and hugged the Untouchable. "Can you build this in stone for us?" the great warrior asked the little man.

  Mayasura fell to the ground, kissing Arjuna's feet in gratitude. A cheer rose from the crowd. Mayasura had been granted his dream.