Vishwamitra Read online

  For a moment, Satyavati felt she should test his word and ride the unicorn back to Kanyakubja immediately. But then she realized the sincerity of his tone and her anger gradually subsided. However, she still needed to figure out a way to help her parents, for without an heir even the mightiest of kingdoms eventually crumbled.

  Since he was so repentant, she asked for Ruchik’s help to balance Mahodayapur’s loss of one heir with another.

  She said, ‘I believe in your words, and appreciate the efforts you are making to make me feel at home. But our marriage has resulted in a vacuum on the throne of my father’s kingdom. He is past the prime of his life and needs someone to assist him.’

  Ruchik agreed with her and asked what she had in mind. Satyavati replied, ‘I know it would be unfair on my part to ask you to move to the city and live in the palace when you desire to live an ascetic’s life. Therefore, I would like us to relinquish all our rights on our firstborn, and hand him or her over to my parents to be crowned as the next heir so that the royal throne of the Chandravanshis does not stay vacant.’

  Ruchik looked at his wife with renewed respect and softly said, ‘I am honoured to have as my wife a princess so knowledgeable in Dharma that she did not bind me to my words and ask me to move to her home. I am equally impressed by your devotion to your citizens that makes you offer your own child for the welfare of the kingdom! But hear me out, princess, and tell me if you agree with what I say. If our own child became the next ruler of Mahodayapur, wouldn’t it entangle us in the politics of the royal court and the infinite entrapments of the material world?’

  Sulking, Satyavati looked at him and asked, ‘Rishivar, are you taking advantage of my honourable behaviour and refusing to keep your promise?’

  Ruchik smiled, shook his head and suggested an alternative. ‘I have earned enough mystical powers to twist the hands of fate slightly and I think I have a solution to this dilemma. Why don’t I use my powers to bless both you and your mother with sons? That way, the kingdom would get its heir, the royal family would be complete again and both of us could still live our lives in the peace and quiet of the ashram.’

  Satyavati marvelled at this idea and said, ‘Forgive my incredulity but can you actually do that?’

  Ruchik smiled and reminded her of the 999 horses he had obtained from Varun and the unicorn he had created all by himself that still roamed outside the ashram.

  Laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he said, ‘When one inadvertently crushes someone’s cherished dream, it becomes one’s duty to try and replace it with a better dream. Invite your parents to our humble abode next week so that we can discuss this proposal. I shall try to balance out my earlier thoughtlessness by honouring the dream that you and your parents had shared. You will not regret marrying this sage; I hope to make you the happiest woman in this kingdom.’

  Adhyaye 8

  It was the first praher of the day and Ruchik had woken up early as per his routine. He would bathe in the river, perform his ablutions and complete his morning prayers as the sun god’s chariot rose above the horizon.

  All this was according to his usual schedule but later he had a bigger task to accomplish. He had been married to Satyavati for a week now and today was the day her parents would be visiting to check on her welfare.

  As he came back from the river, he took a detour and went deeper into the forest, gathering roots and plucking leaves of at least a dozen herbs that enhanced specific traits in a person. Then he picked berries that enhanced the receptivity of a uterus for the embryo. Returning to the hut, he prepared a dish of barley, rice and pulses, adding the berries to the mixture. He then divided the gruel in two bowls and added a different set of herbs to each, mixing them in along with butter and milk.

  Thereafter, he put one portion in the shade of an ashwattha tree and the other under a giant fig, blessing both by means of magical incantations. Once all this was done, he woke up his new wife so she could get ready to welcome her parents.

  By the second praher they began to hear the distant sounds of an approaching cavalcade. There were the telltale sounds of horses’ hooves, elephants’ trumpeting and the resultant tumult caused amongst the forest animals.

  Within an hour the royal procession had reached their doorsteps. Satyavati had worked hard to line the way to their hut with petals of wild flowers whose heady fragrance lingered in the air. She had made garlands of fresh lotuses to greet her parents with and lemonade to refresh the entire entourage.

  As the king and the queen got out of their chariot, the newlyweds bent down to touch their feet.

  Kadhi raised Ruchik by his arms and said, ‘Thank you, my dear son-in-law, for this pleasant welcome. The cool breeze of your abode suffused with the pleasant aroma of wild flowers fills my heart with a peace I haven’t felt in a long time.’

  Ruchik accepted Kadhi’s gracious words even though he knew the king and the queen were probably used to much grander ceremonies. He thanked his father-in-law and said, ‘Rajan, I am humbled by your kind words and again reminded of the goodness of your heart that remains incorruptible even by the luxuries of royal life.’

  Satyavati beamed with pride and said, ‘That’s my father for you! Welcome to our humble abode, father and mother.’

  She embraced her mother lovingly and together all four of them made their way to the hut. The king’s soldiers and attendants were told to set up camp near the river and the cooks were instructed to prepare a meal worthy of the occasion.

  When the pleasantries were over, Ruchik cleared his throat and addressed the three of them, ‘I did grave injustice to the kingdom of Mahodayapur by taking away their selected regent. Not only that, I have also broken your hearts by bringing your daughter so far away from your eyes and I apologize for all the hurt that my actions have caused you unknowingly.’

  Satyavati’s eyes filled with tears on hearing her husband ask for forgiveness with such a clear heart.

  Kadhi took a moment to digest what he had heard. ‘My dear son-in-law, what you did was written by the hands of destiny. Let us not lament the past and look to the future instead. It fills my heart with pleasure to see my daughter happy in this ashram and I credit both her resilience as well as your gracious behaviour for that. Truly there’s no better happiness than getting the right partner in life!’ he said, looking at his own wife and smiling.

  Queen Ratna came closer to him and held his hand. ‘I agree, my dear king,’ she said.

  ‘The happiness on our daughter’s face is proof enough that our son-in-law is taking good care of her and I thank you, Rishi Ruchik, for the same. Also, we would be honoured if you would not refer to us by our titles and call us father and mother instead.’

  Ruchik, not used to such words of high praise, blushed and said, ‘Please don’t embarrass me. When I took your daughter away, I assumed responsibility for her. She is my better half and it is my duty, nay honour, to look after her happiness. And as proof of my intention, I have decided to utilize whatever powers I have earned through penance to make the gods bless both my wife and the queen mother with sons.’

  Kadhi and Ratna were astonished by this declaration. The king got up in surprise. ‘My dear son, you fill me with wonder! Because of the complications during Satyavati’s birth, the royal vaidyas had declared that Ratna would never be able to conceive again, hence we did not have another child. Is what you say truly possible?’

  Ruchik nodded at both the elders and explained, ‘What science cannot cure, divine intervention can. I have prepared a potion imbued with mystical powers and the essence of food grains, herbs and berries that can provide an environment suitable for the development of a child. Mother and Satyavati need to partake of the potion and I am certain that they will be able to conceive sons who shall bring great pleasure to both our families.’

  Satyavati was not aware that Ruchik had already begun bringing her desire to fruition and rushed to him with tears in her eyes. ‘You are truly the best husband I could have dreamt of! I
expressed my concern to you only a few days ago and you have already worked out the solution for it.’

  Ruchik took her hand in his own and solemnly said, ‘A promise should be fulfilled as early as possible, my dear, so that one’s mind is free of any burden. I do this not just for our happiness but that of the entire kingdom of Mahodayapur.’

  Hearing Ruchik’s words, Kadhi and Ratna beamed with pride. They walked to their daughter and son-in-law and hugged them both. After few moments, Ruchik broke away from the huddle and left, promising to join them after his daily meditation.

  Before departing, he told Satyavati that the gruel he had prepared was meant to be eaten just before sunset and that she should give the pot under the ashwattha tree to her mother while she herself was to consume the one kept under the fig tree. Saying so, he left for the forest, little knowing that fate doesn’t change the plans of just ordinary human beings but also those of rishis of the highest order.

  As evening approached, Satyavati and Ratna grew eager to partake of the magical gruel.

  They went out to the trees and picked up their respective potions. As they waited for the sun to set a thought came to the queen’s mind.

  She mulled over it for a while before finally saying, ‘Daughter, I have a nagging thought in my mind and wish to share it with you. It is human nature to desire the best for one’s own family and it is quite likely that your husband feels the same.’

  Satyavati was confused. ‘What do you wish to imply, mother?’

  The queen clarified, ‘Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt for a second that Ruchik has blessed both the potions with his powers but isn’t it likely he saved the best for his own child? Would it be too presumptuous to imagine that to be possible?’

  Satyavati’s brow furrowed in anxiety and she said, ‘Do you really think so, mother? From whatever time we have spent together, I find it hard to believe he might be capable of such duplicity!’

  Ratna shook her head. ‘I do not intend to blame him for any such conscious intent but wouldn’t it be natural that subconsciously he may have done as I say? After all, the human mind is fickle and difficult to control, even if you are a gifted rishi.’

  Satyavati thought about this and it seemed to make sense to her. ‘You may be right, mother. But what should we do? He wanted us to take the potion at the precise hour of sunset; should we wait for him to come back and confirm the same?’

  The queen pondered a moment. ‘Well, my dear, even if you ask, it is unlikely that he will acknowledge such a situation since he might not be even consciously aware of it. Moreover, his instructions were very clear: we are to consume the gruel at the exact moment the sun goes down.

  ‘Maybe what we should do is exchange our potions in case what we suspect actually happened. If both potions are equally potent, it should make no difference to the original plan, but if they are not . . .’ she paused before continuing, ‘then the future king of Mahodayapur would stand a better chance. After all we need to think of the bigger picture here—that of the future of our kingdom.’

  As Satyavati chewed on this thought, her mother added, ‘For me, both children would be dear, one born from my womb and other from my daughter’s. But as I see it, the king of Mahodayapur will need more blessings than my grandchild who, in all probability, will spend his life in the forest and follow in the footsteps of his father and become an ascetic.’

  The logic seemed to appeal to Satyavati. If worst came to worst, her son would be less talented than her new brother. Would that be such a big issue? After all, her brother would require the special blessings that had eluded their kingdom till now.

  She told her mother, ‘I agree to what you have suggested, mother. Let us exchange our pots and consume the potion at the right moment. I can discuss what we have done with Ruchik when he comes home.’

  Thus decided, the two ladies exchanged their potions and consumed it even as the sun plunged below the horizon.

  Shortly after, the royal entourage prepared to leave at dusk. The king could not stay away from his city for a long time and, after waiting for the sage to return from the forest, Kadhi requested Satyavati to give her husband their regards and invited both of them to visit them as soon as they could. Satyavati was sad to see her parents go but her heart beat with excitement, knowing that she would soon be conceiving a new life within her womb.

  As she waited for Ruchik to come back home, she lay down on her bed and thought about giving birth to a baby boy who would become the spiritual guide of his brother, the new king. It would be the perfect combination and the boys could become best friends if she could raise them together.

  When Ruchik came home, he apologized for missing bidding farewell to the king and queen since he had lost track of time while meditating. He hugged Satyavati and inquired about the potion and she nodded in acknowledgement. In her excitement, though, she neglected to mention the exchange to Ruchik and they lay together as man and wife, allowing for his seed to be firmly planted in her womb by the merit of the potion she had imbibed.

  As she drifted into sleep later that night, Satyavati’s dream had acquired a different character. The Brahmin boy she had imagined earlier, reading scriptures with his father’s concentration and a toothless smile, had been replaced by a boy covered in mud and gore. The book in his hand was replaced with an axe and his face was twisted in a snarl as the rivers of Aryavarta turned red with blood around him.

  Adhyaye 9

  Ten lunar months had passed and there was celebration in Mahodayapur. The citizens who were once worried about the future of their kingdom were dancing around with joy. Both the queen and the princess had been blessed with handsome baby boys radiant as Chandra Dev himself.

  As was the custom, Satyavati had spent the last three months of her pregnancy in her mother’s home while Ruchik had moved to the Himalayas for that duration. He had planned his trip in such a way that he would be back in time for the delivery and had, consequently, just returned to the capital this morning.

  While the babies were being cuddled and blessed by senior members of the royal household, Ruchik sat with the kulguru to prepare the birth charts of the two babies. The new prince had been named Vishwarath, in anticipation of his conquest of the world aboard his chariot, while the Brahmin infant was named Yamdagni, one who burnt with an inner fire of spiritual quest.

  To Ruchik’s surprise, there seemed to be a mismatch in both the birth charts and he could not understand the reason for it. The chart of his new brother-in-law should have been showing the traits that his own son’s chart was showing. When he checked Yamdagni’s chart he found the same anomaly there—it was almost as if the fates of the two boys had been exchanged!

  How was that possible? He had clearly told his wife which potion to take and he was sure she would have followed his directions. Or had she?

  He closed his eyes and sat down to meditate on the cause. The events of that fateful evening flashed in front of his eyes. As he slowly realized what had happened, his eyes shot open in anger.

  What did these infernal women think of themselves! They may be royalty but that did not give them the right to doubt his integrity.

  He threw the birth charts on the floor and stormed towards his wife’s chamber. For the first time in his life Ruchik felt betrayed and he intended to convey his displeasure to his wife in no uncertain terms. As he barged into her chamber, the maids scampered, seeing his temper. Fortunately, none of their relatives were around and he could talk to her without upsetting anyone else.

  Satyavati had been nursing the baby but fear gripped her when she saw Ruchik’s face. In a moment of clairvoyance she understood what he was upset about and silently cursed herself for not discussing it with him earlier.

  Ruchik had every intention of screaming his lungs out but seeing her spent and exhausted in the bed, holding their child in her arms, momentarily curbed his rage. He knew he would not be able to let his anger out at that moment but, in his mind, a resolve started to take shape. />
  He walked slowly to the bed and sat down on one corner. ‘I know what you and your mother did, princess,’ he said in a barely restrained tone, deliberately using the title that she had left behind when she married him.

  ‘How could you doubt my sincerity for even one moment when I was only trying to fulfil your own desire? Your mother thought she could take back the destiny that was stolen from her so she asked you to exchange the gruel without realizing the far-reaching effects your actions would have!’

  Satyavati cowered in fear and the newborn started wailing. Ruchik tried to control his tone and said calmly, ‘For whatever it is worth, let me confess that you and your mother were correct in one respect. I did differentiate between the two potions. But do you know the reason?

  ‘I had enhanced the potion I had prepared for you so as to provide our child the perfect qualities of a Brahmin and enable him to become one of the most accomplished sages of our time while your mother’s potion was spiked with herbs that promote aggression and valour to make him a fit Kshatriya ruler.’

  He paused to take a breath and said, ‘Because of your foolishness, our son shall now have a warrior’s inclination while your brother shall be born with the inclinations of a Brahmin. Unwittingly, you and the queen have ruined whatever chances your kingdom had of getting a good ruler.’

  Satyavati was appalled and fell at her husband’s feet. ‘Ruchik, please do not utter such inauspicious words! We did this in ignorance and I apologize for doubting you! I beg of you, please tell me how I can atone for this act.’

  Seeing the wife he had loved for little less than a year crying and repenting, Ruchik realized how potent the bonds of family could be. He understood why the queen had done what she had and tried to forgive them both in his mind.