Vishwamitra Read online

  He placed his hand on Satyavati’s sobbing head and asked her to stop. ‘What is done is in the past now. You were magnanimous enough to forgive my selfish act of asking for your hand so I hereby repay your debt by forgiving you for this transgression.’

  Satyavati heaved a sigh of relief and folded her hands wordlessly while Ruchik continued, ‘I cannot change the future of your brother but this child was borne from my own seed; since you seem so appalled at having a Kshatriya son, I shall modify his destiny so that the trait skips one generation. Now, it shall be your grandson who will be born with those propensities that make you cower in fear.’

  While Satyavati absorbed the purport of the words just spoken, Ruchik looked into the eyes of the woman he had loved and had even dared to dream of a long future with. As a result of the incidents that had happened, the resolve taking shape in his mind had further strengthened and he felt even more detached from the world than he had been in the far-off white mountains.

  This one episode had proved sufficient to break his faith in all temporary relationships permanently. His grey eyes filled with a steely resolve that Satyavati had never seen before.

  ‘I have decided to permanently move to the Himalayas,’ he told her.

  He took his eyes away from her face and declared, ‘I shall return to my vows of celibacy and spend my life away from this world of infernal lies and fraternal ties. As the child’s father, I shall keep an eye on him through my mystic powers and ensure that he never falls in life but that will be the extent of my involvement in raising him.

  ‘At the very outset I was against getting married, yet my father asked me to. So I came to your father and asked for your hand, thus starting a chain reaction that has ultimately made me aware of reality once again.’

  Satyavati looked on in mute horror as her entire world seemed to collapse around her. She was frantic and tears fell copiously from her already inflamed eyes. She begged Ruchik to stay and not give in to a rash decision that they might regret later but he was determined.

  With one look at his newborn child, Ruchik turned away and stormed out of the room, never to come back into their lives again.

  Adhyaye 10

  A full moon rose over Kanyakubja, bathing the city in its golden splendour, but its beauty was lost on the grieving king and his family.

  It was the night of Guru Purnima and the entire day the royal family had been busy meeting and honouring the various acharyas and rishis residing in their kingdom. Kushanabh had started the annual tradition of honouring learned men on this day and this was the first time Kadhi and Ratna were participating with their son, daughter and grandson.

  The boys were hardly a few days old but after Ruchik’s showdown, Kadhi wanted them to be blessed by as many sages and magi as he possibly could take them to. Since he was aware of the Brahmin propensity in his own son, he was eager for him to begin military training as soon as he began walking. Finding the right teacher was therefore imperative.

  Yamdagni would also require a spiritual guide and Kadhi wanted both the boys to learn from the same teacher if possible so that they developed a camaraderie and could help each other in the future. Of all the rishis he had met throughout the day, there was only one that seemed to fit the bill.

  The man in consideration sat outside the palace boundaries, sharing the food given as prasadam with stray dogs on the street. He seemed youthful yet wise for his age. A trident lay beside him and he wore rudraksh beads and saffron robes that were a complete contrast to his milky-white skin.

  When Kadhi saw him from a distance, his first thought was that he was disrespecting the sanctified food. He walked up to where the young rishi sat and was about to admonish him when the man looked up. Kadhi was shocked—the man had three eyes!

  He immediately understood that this was no ordinary rishi and fell down at his feet.

  The young sage looked at him with compassion and said in a voice that boomed like thunder, ‘Dear king, don’t be apologetic, for even if the words forming in your mind were rough the intention behind them wasn’t.’

  Kadhi apologized for what he had been about to say.

  The rishi laughed and said, ‘Why should I feel hurt by your unsaid words? You provided food to a hungry sage who just happened to be passing through your kingdom on his journey to the great white mountains. I should be thankful to you for your kindness, for words dissolve in thin air and dissipate but food dissolves in the gastric juices to provide energy.’

  Kadhi realized this man was an accomplished sage and humbly asked him who he was. The young sage revealed his name—Dattatreya.

  The king could not believe his ears. This was the Dattatreya whom legend declared to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself! The author of Tripura Rahasya, a treatise on Advaita Vedanta, and the brother of the moon god to whose lineage the Chandravanshis belonged!

  Though he must have been extremely old, his body radiated the youth and charm of an adolescent boy. He seemed to be a younger, fairer version of Lord Shiva himself with his three eyes, matted hair and a trident lying by his side.

  Kadhi wondered why such a personage was associating with lowly animals and Dattatreya smiled in response to his thoughts.

  ‘I have an affinity for these creatures and they seem to sense it,’ he said. ‘Wherever I go I find myself surrounded by them and I love their company. I have learnt one thing in the world of men: A human being may let you down by his/her actions but a dog will always stay by your side no matter what you do or fail to do. These are the most guileless and loving creatures on this planet and I shared the prasadam with them to give them the benefit of its sanctified nature.’

  Kadhi saw the deep thought behind the Avatar’s actions and decided right then to ask him to become the guru of his princes. In response to his unspoken question, Dattatreya replied, ‘Even though my intention while passing through was to reach the abode of my Lord Shiv Shankar, I sense you have a greater need for my presence here.’

  Satyavati had been riding a little behind on her unicorn and, as she got closer, she was struck by the appearance of the rishi her father was talking to. She dismounted and bowed.

  Kadhi introduced her. ‘My lord, this is my daughter Satyavati whom life has dealt an unfair hand. As you rightly guessed, we require an acharya for her son and mine who can take away the shadows of our past and show them the path to a happy future.’

  The Avatar looked at them both and said, ‘I would like to meet the boys before taking a decision.’

  Kadhi immediately summoned a chariot to take Dattatreya to the palace and personally drove him there. He sent Satyavati to ride ahead of the chariot and inform her mother of their arrival.

  When they reached the steps of the palace, Kadhi reined in the horses and ran to the back of the chariot to help the Avatar descend. Dattatreya, however, jumped out of the chariot by himself and walked inside with the king.

  Queen Ratna was already on the doorstep along with Acharya Dhanu, waiting to greet the Avatar. She held a pooja thali in her hands and was about to apply vermilion on his forehead when she noticed the third eye and let out an involuntary gasp. Dattatreya smiled and in an instant his third eye disappeared. The queen managed to control her reaction and applied tilak above the eye before showering the visitor with marigold petals. The three of them then led the guest into the visitors’ chamber while Satyavati made sure the attendants provided everything required for his comfort.

  After the formalities were over, Kadhi asked Satyavati to bring the boys for Dattatreya’s blessings. As they were brought into the chamber by their respective mothers, the rishi noticed the similarity in their features. Both resembled Kadhi somewhat but Yamdagni had his father’s grey eyes and dusky complexion while Vishwarath seemed fairer and had a shock of curly hair like his father. Dattatreya placed his hands on their heads and silently whispered a blessing.

  After the boys were sent away with the maids he addressed the royal family, ‘Dear king, I see the blessings of Rishi Ruch
ik on your sons. They both have an inner strength that will hold them in good stead in the years to come. After meeting them, I feel as if it is my Karma to guide them in life and I shall be glad to take them under my tutelage.’

  Kadhi heaved a sigh of relief on hearing this.

  The rishi added, ‘However, both of them have their individual personalities and I shall train them accordingly. Your sons possess great potential for spiritual growth so I’ll guide them towards that pursuit.’

  The king felt troubled and folded his hands in supplication. ‘My lord, you are aware of the benediction of Rishi Ruchik, yet I request you to not impart to my son any deep teachings from the scriptures. That education can be shared with Yamdagni who can guide Vishwarath later in life.

  ‘I would request you to train Vishwarath exclusively in the use of astras and shastras and make him adept in the art of war, and teach him about good governance for I do not want to turn him into a dictator with only the knowledge of his power to guide him. My grandson should be trained to become his spiritual guide and mentor later in life.’

  Dattatreya seemed to consider the request. ‘My king, I understand the trepidation in your mind and I agree under the circumstances perhaps it may be best to refrain from sharing the knowledge of our scriptures with the boy. Yamdagni will of course receive the ancient knowledge I possess and can more than make up for Vishwarath’s ignorance in these matters.’

  Satyavati and Ratna could not believe their good fortune! Even after the miscalculation that had led them to commit an error of such proportions, the future seemed to be turning out fine for both the boys. Together the family knelt before the Avatar and bowed low in reverence.

  The rishi blessed them individually. ‘Kadhi, you have been a good king and your reign has been most prosperous for the kingdom of Mahodayapur. You have not transgressed against any of your neighbours and have only annexed a kingdom when a tyrant was brutally subjugating his citizens. Leave your worries behind; the worst phase of your life is over and the future holds only contentment.’

  Kadhi touched the feet of the Avatar who smiled and put his hand on the king’s head. The sage then called the queen forward, and placed his hand on her head as she knelt before him. ‘Queen Ratna, you have been instrumental in keeping Kadhi’s personal as well as professional lives in balance and you are indeed the Lakshmi of this kingdom.

  ‘You have committed an error in judgement because of which you suffer mental anguish now but, rest assured, the results of that act will not jeopardize the future of your children. If anything, it will only draw the inevitable closer and bring great fame to your clan. Do not feel guilty any more and let go of your trauma.’

  Dattatreya’s words calmed the inner storm that had tormented Ratna since the day Ruchik had left her daughter. Even though Satyavati had taken the blame completely on herself, she could never forget that it was her suggestion that had resulted in their separation. The Avatar’s words soothed her mind and gave her the peace she had been missing.

  The rishi then asked Satyavati to step forward. Satyavati felt a lump form in her throat and tears gathered in her eyes.

  The rishi noticed her pain and blessed her, saying, ‘Dear daughter, you have experienced events that can be difficult for the strongest of persons to bear. Destiny has thrown its cards in what may seem an unreasonable manner but believe me when I tell you that the worst is over. Your child is destined to reach the highest spiritual platform while your brother will grow into a brilliant strategist and king who, if sufficiently motivated, could even become a universal monarch.’

  Hearing this, Satyavati completely broke down. The guilt of betraying the husband who had doted on her every wish had been killing her but the blessings of the rishi eased her sorrow and the pain flowed out through her tears.

  Dattatreya smiled and said, ‘I know you worry about the future since the Kshatriya trait predicted by Ruchik will only skip a generation. But rest assured that your grandchild will be no less than an avatar of Shri Hari Vishnu, the Supreme Lord of all living beings. And rejoice in the knowledge that this will have been made possible precisely because of the exchange you and the queen performed.’

  Satyavati was suddenly reminded of the story about Jahnu and Ganga she had heard not so long ago from her father. It seemed to her that, unwittingly, she and her mother had also altered the course of history and may have been instrumental in bringing about the birth of another avatar in this world.

  Kadhi saw the relief on his wife’s and daughter’s faces and breathed a sigh of relief himself. It seemed to him that the desires of a lifetime were coming to fruition today.

  Vishwarath

  Adhyaye 11

  The ashram was situated in the foothills of the great white mountains, the abode of Dattatreya’s spiritual guide and master, on the northernmost borders of Mahodayapur. It was a lush green valley full of apple and cherry trees, surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks that touched the skies.

  As soon as the few villagers residing in the valley had come to know of his presence, they had started flocking for the Avatar’s blessings.

  Dattatreya had patiently spoken to each of them and stressed the need to give him privacy to continue with his meditation. They had willingly agreed and even helped build a hermitage for him to reside and teach in. The guru, however, did not take any full-time students and concentrated his attention on the royal pupils who had joined him when they were five years old; they were almost eighteen now.

  Before moving to the ashram, the boys had been living a life of luxury cocooned in the protection of their kingdom, hence their first journey to the Himalayas, had been an exciting experience. Kadhi had himself come to drop them to the hermitage, beseeching the guru to keep his earlier request in mind. The boys looked more like brothers than uncle and nephew but the differences in their personalities were clearly visible. Vishwarath’s demeanour conveyed his position as the heir to the kingdom while Yamdagni seemed more humble and amiable.

  After the initial excitement of travelling to a new place had faded, both boys had become severely homesick and pleaded with their guru to take them back to the palace. Vishwarath had been thoroughly pampered by the palace staff hence his discomfort had been greater, but the Avatar managed to calm their anxiety by giving them a glimpse of their respective futures. That had been enough to focus their minds and Dattatreya knew he would not face any more trouble in managing them.

  As expected, both of them turned out to be more inclined towards spiritual pursuits rather than military ones and he knew it was the effect of Rishi Ruchik’s benediction. But since he had promised Kadhi, for the past twelve years Dattatreya had been giving the king-in-waiting the best military and governance training, simultaneously moulding Yamdagni into a master of philosophy and metaphysics.

  Because of his rigorous physical and mental conditioning, Vishwarath’s body was chiselled to perfection and his chest was as wide as the barrels of wine that his grandfather loved to indulge in. With limbs as thick as tree trunks, he stood well above even the tallest ashram bull, yet retained a childlike innocence on his face with its high forehead and unruly curls reminiscent of his father.

  Yamdagni on the other hand had become more quiet and introspective and sported a lean and fit body. His long hair was tied in a bun on top of his head and he wore the signs of Shiva on his forehead and arms. His face radiated an inner strength that made him look older than his age and his steel-grey eyes were filled with a cool detachment from the world. The years of training in solitude had only brought them closer to each other and Dattatreya knew they would perfectly complement each other.

  This winter morning had begun with the appearance of a bright and cheery sun that had unexpectedly turned the weather pleasant. When he sensed his disciples approaching his hut, ready for the day’s session, Dattatreya finished his morning meditation and got ready to receive them.

  As they greeted their guru and took their usual places, Dattatreya surprised them by saying, �
�Boys, today is the culmination of twelve years of our hard work. I have imparted to you all the knowledge I had received from my father, Atri, and mother, Anusuya, and I am left with nothing more to teach you.’

  Vishwarath and Yamdagni were surprised at the announcement and looked at each other in bewilderment.

  Dattatreya gave them a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t look worried. I had purposely not informed you of this earlier so as not to distract you from your training. Now that the goals I had set for both of you have been attained to my satisfaction, I can safely declare your education complete.’

  His students still sat dumbfounded, looking at his face blankly. Till this moment they had had no idea that their stay in these idyllic surroundings was coming to an end and that they would be returning to their families soon!

  Dattatreya continued, ‘I am proud of the progress both of you have made in your respective fields and also relieved now that my part in your lives is over and I can proceed towards the next goal of my life. However, I have one last task for you to perform before I give you my blessings and send you back to Kanyakubja.’

  Yamdagni cleared his throat and took permission to speak. When Dattatreya nodded he spoke in his deep baritone, ‘Gurudev, this announcement has caught us unawares and filled our hearts with mixed emotions. We can’t thank you enough for transforming us from spoilt brats into able soldiers of Dharma. It shall be our honour to fulfil whatever task you have in mind for us.’

  Vishwarath nodded in assent.

  ‘Very well then!’ Dattatreya said. ‘Your last task is more of a mental exercise than a physical one. You have to answer a question I ask and you have to think of the solutions separately. Your answers should reflect your understanding of all that I have taught you in all these years and I expect you to give suitable logic to support them. Does that seem fine to you?’