Bodhidharma- The Warrior of Peace

As I will write i will post, the story of a prince of Kanchi, who became Bodhidharma, the man who built Shaolin Temple and introduced Kung Fu and Dhyan meditation known as Zen Buddhism to the world, known by various names Da Mo, Daruma...he simply was born as Dharma, the third in line of succession to the throne of Kanchi, the most loved of Simhavarman's son's and thinking that he will be made the king, the elder brothers launched a conspiracy against him, which lead him to seek solace in buddhism and on the orders of prajnatara traveled to China as a warrior of peace to help Ba Tuo, but himself became a great monk.

WARRIOR OF PEACE

1.
Lankan king Kasyapa, thorn in the flesh of Simhavarman the great Pallava Emperor was finally removed, the siege that prince Moggallana had laid at Sigiriya, the citadel of Simha Giri, was successful, King Kasyapa of Lanka had been defeated, he was poisoned by his own family, so that the cause of enmity between Pallavars and them could be eliminated, and Moggallana can be appeased. Family installed the king to negotiate a settlement with prince Moggallana. However Moggallana had not spent years in exile planning a counter attack to let the family install another king, he took the war to its logical conclusion.

Emperor Simhavarman of Pallavar dynasty had declared war on Datusena because, Datusena had irked Simhavarman by giving himself the Title of Parvata Raja 'the mountain King' a title used by Simhavarman, and then Datusena had the temerity of making The ports of Lankan Islands absolutely duty free, which had started to take toll on Kanchi's exchequer. Datusena was brother in law of Simhavarman by marital alliance between the two families; however the actions of Datusena were causing tremendous heartburn in Kanchi.

Simhavarman had sent his general Migara to eliminate Datusena. General Migara was Simhavarman's nephew and married to sister of Datusena, but Migara had recently embraced Christianity, which had been extremely hard for Simhavarman to tolerate, as he was a pure Brahmin king, though he was tolerant to Buddhism and Jainism due to his personal interests, Christianity was a religion he was dead against.

Simhavarman had sent a very small army with Migara so that he would be eliminated by Datusena, and Migara's elimination will give him a greater reason to invade the island with a larger army and make Lanka a Pallava dominion like the rest of Southeast Asia which was already under the imperial authority of Kanchi.

Migara was intelligent enough to understand what Simhavarman had in his mind; he knew if he attacked Datusena, he would be annihilated. Simhavarman wanted him dead, as he had never forgiven him for embracing Christianity.

As a general Migara was engaged in continuous battles with Chalukya’s and when there was peace on this front his unit were battling invaders in the Pallava kingdoms across the ocean. General Migara had realized that the massive imperial dominions of Pallavas cannot be controlled by Brahmin kings by employing only Kshtriya forces. As a Brahmin General, his wars in remote corners of Pallava dominions caused dwindling forces after constant battles and food problems as vegetarian rations usually ran out, forcing them to resort to eating fish and other meats.

General Migara had come in contact with Christianity on the southernmost extent of Pallava Kingdom where Christian missionaries were landing from far away lands and doing a tremendous work in upliftment of the masses, most of whom were neglected castes and creed and were bustling with new found confidence that Christianity had offered to them. General Migara was deeply impressed by the values and principles of equality and freedom. As a true army general his interest in Christianity was a military one. In Christianity he observed a religion which was on rise, and a religion that could become a great nation builder.

General Migara had restrained himself in battles because of lack of forces, being Christian meant caste system wouldn’t come in between of raising forces. General Migara didn’t make bones about the fact that he foresaw Christian nations to become mighty militarily. However this very fear of Christianity becoming a great nation builder was unpalatable to Simhavarman, and to Simhavarman prized converts of Christianity like Migara couldn’t be allowed to go unpunished, so as he ordered Migara and his unit to Lanka, Migara knew that he was heading into a battle which would lead him into his grave.

Migara could not have disputed Simhavarman in Kanchi, because if he had the Simhavarman would have found another method to have him eliminated. So Migara and his small unit arrived in Lanka. Migara had carefully thought of a plan during his journey, a plan that would enable him to escape the fury of Simhavarman, and keep him alive.

Soon after landing on Lanka’s shores, Migara made a pact with Kasyapa, aspirant to the throne of Datusena. Kasyapa had no true stake on the throne, as he wasn't Datusena's son by a royal queen. Kasyapa was the eldest son of Datusena by his favored courtesan and Prince Moggallana was the rightful heir son of the queen mother.

The pact of co-operation between Kasyapa and Migara was simple; Migara would assist Kasyapa in ascending to the throne after the killing of Datusena, Datusena’s death will allow Migara to fulfill Simhavarman’s order and then he will stay back in Lanka anonymously.

Maga Brahmana' or Magian Priest of Persian origin, a Christian who had come to the Royal Palace of Lanka was a close advisor of Datusena, supported Migara and Kasyapa so that he could further Christianity in Lanka, unaware of treachery by his closest advisor Datusena found himself cornered by deceit and was captured.

Killing Datusena was important to Migara after Datusena’s army was annihilated, Kasyapa was very obliging, and Kasyapa had his father plastered to a wall alive. Prince Moggallana had to flee from the battle ground and began his long and tedious journey towards India, incognito. Carrying with him the tale of deceit played by Migara and the fact General Migara faked his death and stayed by Kasyapa’s side to guide him in his battles with Pallava forces if and when it were necessary.

Simhavarman was angry when the real reports of Migara’s conduct reached him; Kasyapa had become his target along with Migara now. However Kasyapa was not an easy target, because he had retreated in the interior of the island, requiring a larger force and logistics to remove him.

Kasyapa was in constant fear of an attack by the mighty forces of Simhavarman and chose not to live in the capital city of Anuradhapur; he built his fortress on the mountain of Sigiriya. terming it as a citadel in the sky, with elaborate defense mechanisms, well defended spiral staircase, deep moats dug out around the mountain inhabited by wild crocodiles, Kasyapa felt safe in his citadel and immersed himself in pleasures by obtaining three hundred wives and a large number of courtesans were at his disposal at all times. This was a secure fort, a pleasure fort and Kasyapa had named this citadel as Simha Giri.

There was unusual intrigue at the palace of Kanchi, where representatives of prince Moggallana were hankering for assistance against Migara and Kasyapa from a long time. Prince Moggallana had rebuilt his army of supporters, but when the time came to send a Pallava contingent along with his army to Lanka, there was a delay. Prince Skandavarman eldest son of the king played the same trick his father had played a few years back by sending Migara. Skandavarman declared that his youngest brother who was on tour of Pallava dominions will break journey at the Lanka Island and he along with his loyal combatants assisted by a batch of mercenaries would help prince Moggallana in his venture to defeat Kasyapa.

Skandavarman had garnered the support of his brother Nandivarman and the important think tank of Kanchi's court. It was agreed that Dharmavarman was the greatest warrior in Pallava dominions of the time, however since his departure, there were doubts being raised upon him, principal rumor floating was that Dharmavarman is becoming weak, due to the influence of Buddhism on him.

It was being said that might warrior Dharmavarman has started believing in Ahimsa, this order of king will test Dharmavarman and his resolve, and if indeed he had weakened. Adherence to Kings Command will make him overcome the unnecessary influence of Buddhism, because of which he had spared the life of a commander-in-chief of a Javadweep kingdom who had attempted a coup against his king.

Unconfirmed reports were doing rounds that Dharmavarman was on verge of accepting Buddhism; however the truth was that most of these rumors were floated by Skandavarman himself. Like Simhavarman had banished Migara to face death, Skandavarman wanted Dharmavarman to also get into a war without requisite number of soldiers and logistics, and either be killed or be branded a loser or a coward for rest of his life.

Simhavarman had no choice but to give in to the pressure of his son and the court and accept the proposal of deputing Dharmavarman, and sent the necessary order to Dharmavarman who was a guest at King’s court in east Javadweep. The order was simple, Dharmavarman before returning back home must reach Lanka with his combatants and mercenaries traveling with him on his ship, to land there meet Moggallana’s army and do whatever possible to assist Moggallana ascend to Lanka's throne.

Skandavarman was pleased, his objective was met. Skandavarman had learnt much to his annoyance, that it is Dharmavarman who has thwarted his attempts to find a man, who had within his powers to re-construct weapons that will make Skandavarman the mightiest kings of all times. Skandavarman was a weaker person compared to Dharmavarman; neither was he a champion warrior like his younger brother. However he was not short of guile and in scheming.

Skandavarman was very upset with the decline of Vedic values around the world of his time and he greatly disliked the modern tolerance where new prophets were gaining popularity propagating new religions. Skandavarman was not impressed with the decline of Gupta Empire in the north. Buddhadev Gupta had just died. Buddhadev was succeeded by Tathagat Gupta who ascended to the throne of what was left of Gupta Empire, which not long ago was run over by the Huns.

Skandavarman was irritated with Hindu kings accepting Buddhism overnight and decline traditional values that whole of northern India was divided into weaker and smaller kingdoms made it a target for foreign forces which could usher newer religions in India. Skandavarman wanted to counter this…at all costs.

Dharmavarman had received the message in King Bodhirajaya Sri Kaundya’s court in Javadweep and accepted the responsibility handed over to him. Dharmavarman set immediately for the shore of Lanka, where it was arranged for him to meet up with Moggallana’s troops. After a brief halt at naccapuram, Dharmavarman reached Mahapattanam as per schedule and immersed himself to carry out the task given to him by his father, and also plan the tasks which would have in any case drawn him to Lanka before he had reached Kanchi.

Dharmavarman not only was a great warrior, but he also was a great thinker, after his huge ship, a floating city in sea dropped anchor off the coast of Lanka. First thing Dharmavarman did was to make a visit to Simha Giri, to study the citadel in the sky at Sigiriya and planned a foolproof method of defeating Kasyapa.

Unknown to Moggallana the main reason of Dharmavarman to attack Simha Giri was not entirely to support Moggallana, Dharmavarman was deeply interested in the lion statue at the foothill of Simha giri, Dharmavarman had been planning to take away the Lion statue guarding the entry of the staircase at Simha Giri, this lion statue was of the vintage of Emperor Ashoka and was carried here from India by his son Mahinda.

This statue was not very dissimilar to the four back to back lion statues that Ashoka had built, and it had the Ashoka chakra, the wheel of Dharma at the base, and more importantly it had an important inscription engraved upon it. This inscription was of paramount interest to Dharmavarman, so the decision of Skandavarman to send him to Lanka was a really fortunate one, as it was going to serve a primary objective of his life, an objective of whose fulfillment, Dharmavarman had been on a constant tour of the Pallava dominions.

Dharmavarman sent just a single unit of forty men with Moggallana on the front line and they directed Moggallana’s army to lay a siege around the fortress. Rest of Dharmavarman's combatants and fifty mercenaries gave logistic support, in tandem with three full units of Moggallana’s army so that siege is not disrupted by any ground force arriving to help Kasyapa.

The plan succeeded. The safe heaven of Kasyapa turned into his death trap. Though the citadel in the sky was safe, as no one could reach it, it also meant no food and water could reach the citadel too, as days passed Kasyapa was resigned to defeat. With Moggallana and decimation looming large, it was decided in the court of Simha Giri that Moggallana has laid siege to avenge the killing of his father by Kasyapa, so to be able to garner some leverage with Moggallana, the family decided to kill Kasyapa.

General Migara’s sister who was deeply trusted by Kasyapa, poisoned Kasyapa and announcing his death the family installed another prince as a King to negotiate peace with Moggallana, however Moggallana stormed the citadel and decimated the Kasyapa family and Migara.

Glory of Simha Giri was over, the pleasure palace was turned into a slaughter house, Moggallana insured no claimant to his kingship remained, and when he was satisfied that the job is really over, he raised his flag on the citadel, along with the Pallava flag emblazoned with a dancing bull.

Moggallana had made a pact with Dharmavarman, that he would return the citadel to Buddhist monks who had a minor monastery on it before Kasyapa took the place over, and as per his agreement, Moggallana handed over the citadel to Buddhist monks and he began his journey towards Anuradhapur, a city which would be the Lanka capital again, after a gap of seven long years.

With siege sure to be successful, and victory was in sight, Dharmavarman left Simha Giri after his consultations with Moggallana and his accent, although he left his men with orders to carry the lion statue with them in as much secrecy as they could. Dharmavarman had a reason to leave, while major monks were going to start taking the charge of citadel of Simha Giri to convert it back into a monastery, Dharmavarman was on his mission to recover secrets books of Emperor Ashoka, possibly written by his secret society of nine great scientists, which had in them enough knowledge to transform from a mere king to become the master of the universe.

Dharmavarman had chosen Mahapattanam as his landing port with great care despite it being a little far away from Simha Giri. Closer to the port was a temple complex, on the mountain of Thamm Vihara, there was a huge sculptured Shiva Lingam to which Dharmavarman was offering fresh milk and honey while the priest chanted the holy verses.

Dharmavarman then paid his obeisance in the temple of Vishnu adjacent to the Shiva devalaya. Then he walked across to the Buddhist temple located right in front. As Dharmavarman looked towards the sea, his magnificent traveling city was anchored with blue waves lashing it, the sails shimmering in the golden hue of the rising sun, and Dharmavarman instead of admiring it, was missing a heart beat, his loved one was already in the precincts of the Buddhist shrine.

The combatants who were by now used to their greatly loved Brahmin princes visits to Buddhist shrines over the last three years, waited outside, as they soaked in the natural beauty and landscape of the Lanka Island from a vantage point atop the Thamm Vihara hill, no other place they had visited was so beautiful, no land so green, no waters so blue. One of the reasons for the glory of the land in eyes of combatants was that it looked much like their own land back home, the country people, language, and food; everything was same, except just one difference. In Lanka, Buddhist shrines co-existed side by side of Hindu shrines.

Avanti the princess of Javadweep, and the loved one of Dharmavarman, was in the secret chambers of the Buddhist shrines while the priest and monks attended to great Indian prince who was observing a service to the deity of the shrine lord Buddha. Avanti and two combatants had sneaked into the basement. Avanti who herself was a Buddhist was familiar with the type of structure the monks were used to building and she quickly found her way to a sacred chamber.

The light in the secret chamber of antiquity was from a single oil lamp and the rich dark red colors of silk adorning the walls of the room made it appear like a mystical place. The sandalwood perfume was mixed in the air they were breathing and Avanti looked about for a little time and then she located it.

Towards the left of the deity there was a shelf lined with books draped in colorful sacred cloth. As Avanti gazed at the numerous manuscripts lined in front of her, anxious combatant next to her asked.
‘It’s your call now, which of these we have to carry? Only you are familiar with Buddhist scriptures’.
Avanti nods back as she leaves through the manuscripts one by one, looking perplexed, sounds of footsteps emanate from the corridor outside the chamber. The combatant who was guarding the door peeps outside and finds a monk walking towards the room he turns to Avanti and whispers.
‘A monk is coming, take what you want we have no longer than a few seconds.’

Avanti takes just a moment to decide, instantly, she grabs all the books and puts them in a silk sack that she is carrying a combatant takes the load from her while the combatants are ready to strike at the monk as he is about to enter and Avanti orders her men with very stern eyes.
‘No violence in the shrine, stay put’
Avanti hides behind the door along with the combatants.

A monk enters the chamber of antiquity, he is muttering mantras and mentally praying to the deity before his eyes, he picks and burns a few more sandalwood incense sticks and as he bends down with his head facing the ground praying to his lord, Avanti gives the signal for the combatants to follow her, and they exit the chamber of antiquity, they tip toe their way out of the dimly lit corridor with all manuscripts in their possession.

A combatant asks Avanti ‘How can you identify which of these books were brought to this Island by Ashoka’s son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitra?’
Avanti brushes the query aside answering ‘I didn’t have the time to identify, so I took them all, we’ll do the identifications at a later stage.’

In the chamber of antiquity the monk having completed his prayer rises up and walks towards the shelf to place the incense sticks in a holder next to it and he gazes at the empty shelf, he is deeply shocked and rubs his eyes in disbelief, then he stays mortified for good few seconds when realization is complete, the truth sinks in him that holy manuscripts are missing, the monk let’s out a shriek and runs outside.

Outside the shrine, the combatant’s line up in a convoy as Dharmavarman comes out again. Now the sun has risen up higher in the sky and Dharmavarman himself appears like a man with a halo as the rays of suns reflecting his golden headgear make him appear more kingly than before. His large ship is gently swaying in the sea and the tents erected on the shore with blue cloth were making the shore appear like a golden plate studded with blue sapphires.

As the convoy of Dharmavarman starts to leaves the shrine, Dharmavarman observes that there is undue activity in the shrine complex and more than normal monks arrive lined up down the shrine on the path from where Dharmavarman is descending.

The monks were observing everyone, they could see that Dharmavarman and his combatants had nothing on them except swords and shield and as Dharmavarman reaches the spot where his horses are waiting he mounts them and rides off, the head priest looking very glum orders the area of the shrine to be sealed.

Dharmavarman’s convoy arrives back at the golden shore of the secluded Mahapattanam port where they have been camping, as Dharmavarman dismounts and walks towards his tent a group of soldiers rush to him and give him the news that Moggallana’s victory has been sealed and Simha Giri has been handed over to Buddhists.

A smile of satisfaction appears on the face of Dharmavarman, he turns towards the ship crew who are in attendance a little away from him ‘prepare the ship, we will sail back home tomorrow’ Dharmavarman tells them. There is a huge cheer amongst the crew and the soldiers, generally everyone seems to be overjoyed, and why not, because they would return back to their mother and motherland after three long, and eventful years.

Dharmavarman had accomplished much that he had set out for, the preceding three years saw him completing a long journey to the Pallava colonies and though officially he had made an unscheduled stop at the Lanka island, to give logistical and armed support to Moggallana in his invasion of simha giri, very few of his trusted lieutenants knew what he had arrived here for.

The inscription below the dharma chakra on the lion statue of Simha Giri was in a code that no one else must decipher otherwise events could be ruinous for the planet earth. Though a few in his rank and file would know they carry the lion statue back home with them, except Mahaveer Ratnam and his trusted lieutenant Chellam no one knew about the secret task of capturing ancient manuscripts from a Buddhist shrine, was also accomplished.

Dharmavarman has been a man on mission, he has completed a voyage in the entire south east Asia, in the dominions of Pallavas and friendly rulers, where Buddhism was flourishing, his object was to recover the works of the secret society of nine great men of Ashoka, who were great scientists and had compiled some of the greatest works and through his research Dharmavarman had realized that the secret to the location of all the works lay in deciphering the code in dharma chakras and the monuments they were built next to.

Recently Skandavarman had a hint of what Dharmavarman was roaming the Pallava dominions for and Dharmavarman didn’t ever want Skandavarman to know because he feared that in hands of his eldest brother Skandavarman, the scientific work of Ashoka would be used for events that would be catastrophic; the very purpose of Ashoka hiding these works would be defeated. Ashoka did not deem it fit for humans to possess things that would destroy, what humans can never manufacture… our planet earth.


His combatants, well versed in the offensive martial arts of Kallari payth were invincible warriors, returned from the battlefield, there was no causality among them, and each of them had returned back richer with Moggallana having generously given them wealth for a job well done.

There were plenty of gifts for others too. However there was no sign of the Lion statue being brought by them, and neither Avanti was anywhere in sight. The sun had started to set in the horizon; there was a cheerful buzz amongst the soldiers and crew.

The ship was being laden with provisions, resources and wealth acquired from the island. Small boats were ferrying goods to the ship from the shore by cheerful men. Ship was getting ready to sail, with sunrise the next day. Lot of merriment was being indulged both on the shore and the ship and sounds of dancing and music were making the shore appear to be a venue of celebration.

Dharmavarman had retreated to his tent, from where he could look at his magnificent ship, the smooth sway of the ship made her appear to be happy as well, perhaps due to the fact that after well over last three years of constant sailing she would be homebound.

2.

Mahaveer Ratnam a close friend and chief commander of the units of combatants that had returned back victorious from Simha Giri was involved in private conference with Dharmavarman. He was deeply concerned as he spoke to Dharmavarman.

‘Moggallana has restored Simha Giri to Buddhists; it wouldn’t be long before they realize that lion Statue with dharma chakra is missing. They will most definitely suspect us, and your nature of help would be termed selfish in history.’
Dharmavarman doesn’t dissent with Mahaveer, he ponders a while and then he keeps his right hand on the shoulder in a very friendly manner and says in a definitive tone.
‘There wouldn’t be history, if I don’t do this.’

Mahaveer Ratnam’s face becomes grave and he looks at Dharmavarman who adds his order to the statement he had just made.
‘We will leave early tomorrow, before anyone becomes suspicious of us.’
‘Wouldn’t we be looked at with contempt by the monks, when they find out the truth?’ Mahaveer Ratnam looks unconvinced still and poses his query.
Dharmavarman tells him with the spirit of a man possessed.
‘You know Mahaveer, to have the scientific works of Emperor Ashoka is my goal in life, and I can risk anything for it. My success will determine not only the course of Pallava history; my success will insure that destructive knowledge is never remains on earth again and finish what Ashoka left unfinished.’

Mahaveer Ratnam is skeptical and cannot remain mute, he objects.
‘Why didn’t Emperor Ashoka himself insure that this knowledge remains out of comprehensions of future generations?’

The reply from Dharmavarman was quick…

‘He did…Emperor Ashoka insured that this knowledge remains a secret and the books are never found again, unless humanity has to assist the god’s themselves with it” Dharmavarman replied with conviction.

‘Then how do your terrible brother Skandavarman and you know about it, my prince?’ Mahaveer queries in anxiousness.

Dharmavarman looks towards the heavens and says ‘Emperor Ashoka had not catered for one thing Mahaveer…he had not even visualized that one of his scientist could be re-born, with his past work clearly preserved in his mind, and enough knowledge of the rest of his eight brother’s work’

Mahaveer Ratnam looks at Dharmavarman scratching his head with expressions of amazement on his face, there is noise of people arriving near the tent, a soldier intimates loudly from just outside the tent.
‘My dear Prince, a group of soldiers is arriving towards us from north’
Dharmavarman queries in louder voice, to assess the strength of approaching soldiers.
‘What is their number?’
‘About twenty’
Dharmavarman starts to walk out of the tent saying in a relaxed tone
‘That means they must be special messengers, allow them to come near.’

As they come out, a cloud of dust can be seen ahead, and soon Mahaveer Ratnam recognizes the riders from the color of their red uniform, and blue saddles.
‘Personal guards of Moggallana’ he informs. The riders come and halt next to Dharmavarman who recognizes the rider who comes and bows in front of him.
‘Senanayak, what brings you here, has some ally of Kasyapa has attacked you from the rear?’ Dharmavarman queries lightheartedly.

‘There is greater trouble brewing for Moggallana, the Buddhist monks are protesting the pilfering of the sacred relic of Emperor Ashoka, The lion statue with Ashoka’s dharma chakra, which was installed by Kasyapa at the foot of his citadel’s staircase at the fortress of Simha Giri, we expect this trouble to create huge problems for Moggallana’ Senanayak glumly tells Dharmavarman. Dharmavarman looks at Mahaveer Ratnam and his eyes move towards a couple of Buddhist monks alighting from horses at the rear of Senanayak’s group.

‘I wonder if finding a Dharma Chakra was part of the agreed help that we could provide to Moggallana. I am sailing back home by sunrise tomorrow, I definitely cannot stay back any longer, now that Moggallana has won’ Dharmavarman authoritatively tells Senanayak.

A young Buddhist monk comes forward and very respectfully says ‘we have reasons to believe that your combatants have taken the relic with them’.
Dharmavarman looks a bit upset and then appears furious; he looks towards Mahaveer Ratnam and orders.
‘Is this the truth, I order you to give back any such relic that might be in the possession of you or the other combatants that were with you Mahaveer Ratnam’.
Mahaveer Ratnam pauses and looks at Dharmavarman with a little surprise and then answers ‘we have committed no such deed, we are Brahmins my prince and have no need for Buddhist relics’
Dharmavarman looks at Senanayak, who appears unconvinced with the answer of Mahaveer Ratnam, Dharmavarman realizes this and tells him ‘Senanayak, I authorize you to search each corner of the ship, all the tents erected on the shore and recover whatever is sacred to all of you.’

Senanayak looks a little flustered and queries ‘how can I search your ship my prince, that is not within my mandate, I am authorized to just bring this incident to your notice’.
Dharmavarman thinks for a while and then he calmly says ‘fine Senanayak, you fulfill your mandate.’
Even as Senanayak is grappling as to what he should do, Dharmavarman looks at Mahaveer Ratnam and orders him ‘you ask a few soldiers to take these monks and show them each and everything in our possession, I want them to leave satisfied, either having recovered what they need, or either becoming sure that my men are not thief’s.’

Mahaveer looks at Dharmavarman, he is unsure, but Dharmavarman is looking towards him having read out his command, seeing that Dharmavarman isn’t going to add anything further, exasperated Mahaveer Ratnam is left without a choice and he gestures the monks to follow him, the monks are also hesitant, but seeing Dharmavarman towering over them all, and Senanayak silent the reluctant monks follow Mahaveer Ratnam, as the monks leave Senanayak breaks the silence and tells Dharmavarman ‘you are worthy Pallava prince Dharmavarman, with right sense of justice, I will pray you become the king’.

Dharmavarman smiles at Senanayak and turns and retreats, and he goes this time to the largest of the tents which has the Pallava flag black and white, emblazoned with Rishibha the insignia of Pallava forces in the center and a crest of lion, the emblem of Pallava dynasty on the top right of the flag, fluttering in the strong wind.

Dharmavarman enters his tent, A young woman, the one that had stolen the manuscripts from the shrine, ‘Avanti’ is waiting for him, she extremely pretty, possessing a figure that is in the league of beautiful apsara’s who are supposed to reside in heaven, Avanti is unlike the plain covered thief that we saw her as, now she is adorned with precious jewels, looking every bit like a princess that she actually is, Dharmavarman is delighted to see her, and he rushes to her, and hugs her and she mutters next to his ears ‘mission accomplished’

Dharmavarman looks satisfied, there is noise outside, sounds of girls giggling close to the tent makes Dharmavarman break the hug and a woman’s voice seeks entry, Dharmavarman gives his assent to her, to come in, a posse of pretty girls enter the tent and lay down food and fruits on the table of the prince, while a few other’s lay down wine and glasses next to the table, the woman now bows to Dharmavarman and asks him ‘would you like to have a dance performance for entertainment?’
Dharmavarman looks angrily at the woman.
‘Vasundhara, I never require entertainment by women, you can leave now’.
Vasundhara hides her disappointment well, and casts a piercing eye at Avanti and walks out.
‘She likes you, and she doesn’t make an effort to hide the fact she doesn’t like me’ Avanti tells Dharmavarman.
‘My mother has kept her in my service so that she looks after me well, but she overdoes it, doesn’t she’ Avanti smiles at this remark of Dharmavarman as she picks up fresh fruit to eat.

Mahaveer Ratnam is walking back from the shore towards the tent of Dharmavarman the guards standing at the tent inform by screaming aloud to Dharmavarman ‘Mahaveer Ratnam coming towards the tent’
‘let him enter’ Dharmavarman orders, Soon the curtain of the tent entrance is slit by Mahaveer Ratnam who enters the tent and sees Avanti and bows to her with respect and looks at Dharmavarman and asks him with expressions of anger and astonishment put together
‘What kind of orders do you give us Dharma?’
Mahaveer Ratnam looks furious
‘What would have happened if Senanayak’s monks had recovered the Lion statue?’
Avanti laughs and Mahaveer is baffled.
‘he gave the order because the relic is not here any longer, it is in my possession, Dharmavarman doesn’t wish it to be traveling on this ship’ Avanti intimates Mahaveer Ratnam with a chuckle, and Mahaveer breathes a sigh of relief then he looks at Dharmavarman and asks him ‘couldn’t you tell me my prince, I have passed time with the monks in great anxiety’.
Dharmavarman smiles and says ‘I couldn’t inform you about this in front of Senanayak, could I?’
Ratnam ponders as Dharmavarman is right, and realizes he has been worried for nothing. ‘Fine, I will make the monks and Senanayak’s men dine and see them off. With these words Mahaveer exits the tent.

Avanti and Dharmavarman sit down close to each other, and Dharmavarman looks very relaxed he looks at the charming smiling face of Avanti and says ‘Thanks a lot Avanti, I would have never known which manuscript to take from the Lankan Buddhist shrine, what did you find?’
Avanti explains the incident at the shrine in detail and intimates ‘I never had the chance to check out, so I took all what was there’.
Dharmavarman becomes pensive, he appears to be deep in thought, something bothers him, and Avanti starts to feel guilty and asks him softly ‘have I committed a folly? I pray I have not put you in trouble?’
Dharmavarman tries to comfort Avanti by saying ‘what has happened, has happened, if you could have taken just the one that we want, perhaps it could have taken a while for Buddhist monks to realize that a manuscript is missing, but by now there will be such a commotion in the shrine that I am sure the news of missing manuscripts will reach Kanchi before I do, and this news will be of some interest to my brother Skandavarman, who will try to connect the missing lion statute and the manuscripts to me’.
Avanti is a bit surprised and queries ‘why should it be of interest to him? You have clearly told me that Skandavarman is against Buddhism, so much so, that you expect a lot of dissent from him, towards our marriage’
‘Indeed, he will be dead against a match between us, and he will make no bones about it, that is the reason Avanti I am asking you to sail separately, I want to protect you from his eyes till I can convince my parents, and I want to protect all that we have collected, from the eagle eyes of Skandavarman, whose interest in Emperor Ashoka’s relics has made many of his men wander to various corners of India.’

Avanti becomes silent, but something is bothering her too, as she realizes that somewhere she has unnerved Dharmavarman with the news that she had to carry all the manuscripts from the chamber of antiquity.
‘I really do not understand one thing, why are you in competition with your brother in chase of these relics, especially I cannot fathom the reason for Skandavarman’s interest when you say he is a staunch Hindu, then why are his men searching whole of India for things that took you to entire Pallava dominions across the seven seas?’ Avanti poses her question to Dharmavarman.
Dharmavarman takes a long breath in, he goes and pours wine into his glass and tells Avanti ‘Skandavarman wants power, and I don’t want the power that he seeks to be with him, Skandavarman is barbaric sometimes. He isn’t tolerant towards Christians too; he was very influential in sending Migara here in Lanka with a small army so that he is killed’
Avanti looks on as Dharmavarman continues telling her.
‘Skandavarman does not subscribe to any faith that is started by an individual, he believes that word dharma means duty and not as religion as people have started to misinterpret it, he believes that true religion is to live carrying out duties as prescribed by Vedas, however I feel that he interprets according to what suits him and he has a blind eye towards the goodness of other faiths, Skandavarman has never accepted the fact that Pallavar dynasty has kin who have converted to Buddhism, just to be able to rule over new lands, just to avoid caste system which is so supreme in our land.’
Avanti is listening avidly as Dharmavarman gives her his point of view of his elder sibling.
‘Skandavarman forgets that the caste system that he so much subscribes in, makes him ineligible to rule as a king, because he is a Brahmin and ideally it should be the Kshtriya’s who should be ruling’.
Avanti nods and says
‘I can understand your assessment and agree with you, Skandavarman is a staunch Hindu Brahmin, what I am failing to understand is when you do not aspire to the throne of Kanchi, when you don’t wish to overstep your brother for kingship, why are you involved in a power struggle with him?’
Dharmavarman goes silent and then he explains to Avanti ‘it is not the power that you are thinking of… power is not the seat of Kanchi. ‘Power’ here is the power of god…the power to destruct as no other person has ever known, except Emperor Ashoka.’ Dharmavarman once again sits next to Avanti and tells her ‘Emperor Ashoka’s scientists had developed a weapon, which in a flash of a moment could consume total armies of invaders.’
Avanti gazes at Dharmavarman with astonishment, Dharmavarman adds.
‘Avanti, the effect of this weapon was catastrophic, hundred and thousands would die instantly, their skins would melt and peel of the bones. Animals just crumpled and died. The earth shook for a long time and the grounds upon which the army stood, was rendered poisonous.’
Avanti is staring at Dharmavarman with total disbelief seeing this he tells of Ashoka’s war with Kalinga.
‘Avanti, When Ashoka went to war with Kalinga, Ashoka has miscalculated the bravery of the Kalinga warriors, Kalinga’s soldiers, farmers, peasants, common men and women all waged do or die war against Chandashok (Devil) as they called Ashoka, soon Ashoka was facing a losing battle against Kalinga…his army was in retreat and Emperor Ashoka could not visualize a defeat, he wanted to live in history as the greatest warrior ever, and he asked his commander-in- chief to launch this mighty weapon on Kalinga, as a test case on battlefield, his scientists, his generals and all advisors were cautious, they advised Ashoka not to be impetuous, they reminded when the scientists were testing the weapon in a laboratory, Ashoka’s father a young boy then, went too close to the table of experiment, and he was singed, there were many red pock marks that appeared on his face, and he was called Bindusara (dotted face) after that, however Ashoka wanted the Kalinga army Annihilated…and he ordered the use of the weapon if Kalinga forces keep advancing the next day.’
Avanti hears Dharmavarman, captivated.
‘The worst fears of Ashoka’s advisors came true the very next day, mighty Kalinga warriors started eating into the flanks of Ashoka’s army and then in a furious rage Ashoka ordered to unleash the mighty Weapon… then Ashoka, saw what devastation he caused, it was not simply a weapon Avanti, to King Ashoka it appeared as if he had unleashed a plague on the brave Kalinga warriors to save his army from certain defeat, a plague that not only decimated the Kalinga warriors but consumed a large part of forward lines of Ashoka’s army too’

Dharmavarman becomes silent as Avanti tries to comprehend the visuals of what Dharmavarman had been explaining to her, and she asks him ‘Skandavarman has found this weapon?’
Dharmavarman nods ‘Skandavarman intends to find it, whatever I am doing, leads to the secrets of building this weapon and much more…this has been my mission, to find these books before Skandavarman latches on to them and starts destroying this earth in his religious fanaticism’

‘What makes him fanatic?’ Avanti is perplexed.
‘Skandavarman wants rule of Vedic law back, he is unable to tolerate the winds of change that are sweeping our country and neighboring lands like, the land of horses, the Arav Sthan, somewhere in Yemen, makes Skandavarman very unhappy with the depiction of our goddess in the temples there. Skandavarman gets disturbed by the news that Sanghey Ashweta Shiva Lingam at Makkeshwar garbha grah (inner temple sanctum) has been chipped in three places during a local war. Faith in our three goddesses are shaking, Christianity is rooting.’

As Avanti gazes at his face full of attention Dharmavarman continues ‘Developments closer home are also making Skandavarman paranoid, he is scared that Vikramaditya had in his possession the works of Ashoka’s metallurgists that has enabled him to build a unique iron pillar at guru gram in north of Bharata. Now with Gupta Empire in shambles, secret agents of Skandavarman are looking throughout in the extent of original empire for the source of knowledge that helped construct the Iron pillar at Guru Gram.’ After saying this Dharmavarman becomes disturbed.

Dharmavarman informs his fears to Avanti ‘Avanti, I know it for a fact, that if Skandavarman gets the power of Ashoka, he wouldn’t be repentant about using it, I believe Emperor Ashoka was a true human, he knew he had crossed the boundary between the humans and gods, and didn’t want this power to remain on this earth again, but unfortunately it has and now the mantle of peace and security of our world lies in my hands.’

Avanti is shell shocked and asks Dharmavarman, ‘I have been helping you out of love, but I want to know out of curiosity, how do you know all this’?

Dharmavarman takes a deep breath and says ‘there is a great young rising mathematician in our country, his name is Aryabhatta, what people do not know is that he is the re-incarnation of a close advisor and a scientist of Emperor Ashoka, I have heard him re-count these tales many times since he was ten year old’

Avanti looks as if a thunderbolt has hit her; she says reeling ‘re-incarnation… Emperor Ashoka’s scientist, with all his secrets is alive today?’
‘He is, and on the run, from Tathagat Gupta and Skandavarman.’

Dharmavarman looks into the eyes of Avanti and says with love, ‘Avanti, I am trusting you with all my secrets, and with all that I have collected in my voyage so far, it is all in your custody now, I really don’t understand why, but ever since I saw you in Javadweep, I knew I can trust you with my life’
‘Dharmavarman you think you ‘can’ trust your life with me, but I know that I have entrusted my life already to you Dharmavarman.’
Dharmavarman looks at her with immense love as Avanti adds ‘I am thankful to you for having accepted me after our commander-in-chief killed my father and installed himself as the king on the east Javadweep. You avenged my family and dethroned Paramvamsa, even though he had proclaimed a Hindu kingdom in lieu of our Buddhist Kingdom, I never had believed that a Brahmin prince would support us like this…you not only won the hearts of my family, but my heart too Dharma” Avanti re-fills a glass of wine for Dharmavarman.

As Avanti looks in his intense eyes Dharmavarman retreats a couple of steps and sits on the edge of his bed accepting the refilled up glass and says with reluctance in his voice ‘Though you have accepted me, and I have accepted you, I would like my family to accept you, though we do support Buddhism, when it comes to marriage, I know Skandavarman will be hard to convince.’
Avanti looks at Dharmavarman and asks him ‘what if they do not permit you to take me as your wife?’
Dharmavarman looks at Avanti and honestly states ‘but I already have taken you as my wife in my heart, only ceremony needs to be solemnized and blessings have to be taken, when I reach Kanchi, I will create appropriate conditions for our wedding and it will also give me time to find suitable places for my treasures to be kept out of the scrutiny of anyone else in this world.’
Avanti smiles and adds ‘Just like Ashoka himself wanted these treasures to stay out of scrutiny of the world?’ Avanti chuckles ‘Ashoka did not know there will be a prince called Dharmavarman, who will get to what Ashoka wanted to remain hidden’
Dharmavarman smiles and says ‘Avanti, it would be good if that is me who would get to it, the onus will be on me to keep our earth safe from weapons that can destroy things faster than even god can create. I have come across this by god’s will, and I think god has asked me to shoulder a great responsibility and I will not shirk it.’

Avanti has a question that is bothering her and she puts it to Dharmavarman ‘when you are away, how can you protect Aryabhatta, why doesn’t a mighty prince of Pallava dynasty unable to get to him?’

‘Skandavarman would have never known, however Tantrik Raghunandan, who resides mostly at Tamsek island just ahead of Swarnadweep and adjoining nagadweep, was to perform a service for me, he mistook Skandavarman for me in the dark of the night, and talked everything about Aryabhatta, since that day, Aryabhatta has not been to his house in Ashmaka or back to where he grew up in Kusumpura, my colleague Anbusivan Pundit is caring for him.’

‘Even if I fail, Pundit Anbusivan believes that Aryabhatta holds the key to retrieve the cache of knowledge which is hidden somewhere on our planet, however Skandavarman also believes the same, and honestly caught between us Aryabhatta himself holds the key to my success and survival of our planet.’

3.

It was a meager dwelling, built of a mixture of mud and thatched materials, with an orchard surrounding it, at the edge of the house a rivulet flows, three person were sitting under a huge tree, they were Pundit Anbusivan a young man Aryabhatta and his father. Aryabhatta was not more than twenty, extremely well built, handsome young man with piercing eyes full of intensity, and his father was a bearded man with long hair tied in a knot, and they looked comfortable chatting with each other.

Aryabhatta was talking, “when the sun sets, hundreds of thousands suns appear in the night sky, we call them stars. If you seek out in all directions, all you will find are suns, and more suns.” Pundit Anbusivan nods and says “absolutely, this is what we believe in” Aryabhatta smiles and he adds “everything that is visible to us, and the things that are invisible to us are ultimately made up of very small particles, which can be measured and predicted, there is a pattern to everything, and everything is mathematic”.

Father of Aryabhatta says “what I don’t understand is that my son says that most power is packed in the smallest particles, now, just think of it, I find it silly really” “nothing this boy says is silly, however what I am really interested is the work by Greek scientists on gravity which came in possession of the Maurya’s through their association with Seleucus Nectar, and were worked upon the scientists of Bindusara and Emperor Ashoka” Pundit Anbusivan asks Aryabhatta.

Aryabhatta looks concerned and says ‘Punditji, I have traveled from Kusumpura to escape Buddhadev and Tathagat Gupta’s pursuing me for the same answers, and when I reached Ashmaka, Skandavarman besieged me, now that I am near Brahmagiri to complete the mathematic works that would be useful to humans in ages to come, you are here asking me the same questions I wish to avoid, I really cannot confide much to others than Dharmavarman.’

Anbusivan is a bit rattled, he immediately asks Aryabhatta ‘you will once again write a book that Emperor Ashoka never wanted to be found in human hands again?’
Aryabhatta shakes his head in negative and says ‘you jump to conclusions very quickly Punditji, there would be some theories and equations which I will not put in my work, but my book will have some clues for bright minds to take a lead from.’
‘Dharmavarman doesn’t want your works published Aryabhatta’ Pundit Anbusivan almost commands Aryabhatta.
Aryabhatta smiles and then says ‘his fears are valid Punditji, but my fears are also valid too, in course of development humanity can choose the wrong method of furthering it’s powers, which can by itself cause a great strain on earth and damage our planet, that’s what Dharmavarman seeks to stop…to see that no harm comes to our planet…we have a common goal, therefore I have to publish my work.’
‘You have evaded my first question Aryabhatta; I want to learn about anti-gravity work during the Mauryan reign.’
‘my memory is getting weaker by the day Punditji, all I can remember well is what I had done myself, anti-gravity work was happening, but by others’ Aryabhatta once again evades a thorough reply.
‘What was the need to develop science in knowledge of anti gravity in those days Aryabhatta?’ Anbusivan relentless in his curiosity queries Aryabhatta again.
‘This is one question; that all future generations will pose about their ancient forefathers… I have memories of eight hundred years back in time, I can understand the thinking which has changed from that time to now, the generation today, almost all people consider themselves more developed and superior, as compared to the generations earlier…while the fact is that the current generation is regressing, this will continue to happen. As we become more modern, we need to create better tools, build stronger structures, and as we are in Kal Yuga now the age of machines, we will see new machines, ushering new and modern development…yet I fear, it will be by causing damage to the earth, cannot you see it Punditji, Emperor Ashoka was far, far ahead of what you can imagine in these times…but still whatever technology that we had developed under Mauryan kings, the truth is, that it was still vastly inferior to the technology available in the times when Mahabharata took place’

‘I am a simple Brahmin, what you all converse is beyond my comprehension, I will go and arrange some food for Pundit Anbusivan and you my son’ saying this Aryabhatta’s father gets up and enters a small hut. Aryabhatta smiles and says ‘my father loves you Punditji, he feels I am so secure with you, in Dharmavarman’s absence you have kept two great kingdoms from reaching me, you are terrific Punditji.’

Pundit Anbusivan smiles and says ‘I know you from long Aryabhatta, don’t think you can change subjects and get away from my questions.’
Aryabhatta laughs and says ‘all right, ask what you want.’ and Punditji asks Aryabhatta.
‘I remember once you had said as a kid, once you go up in the sky, you will find that where you came from, is now up in the sky’
Aryabhatta smiles and says ‘that will take a long time for me to explain, your Brahmin beliefs will take a beating if I start explaining.’
‘I see, just explain me one thing, when someone attempts to beat gravity…it is to go up, and away…but where were you planning to reach, when this research was taking place more than eight hundred years ago?’
‘If Ashoka hadn’t used the ‘Anushastra’ in the war with Kalinga, I could have given you a better answer today, even Arjuna had refused to use divyastra during Mahabharata, my greatest regret is I was unable to convince Emperor Ashoka, who was in his true Chandashok moods, anyway, back to your question, simply put, we were building a ship, that could go flying in realms of space that we find littered with uncountable sun’s in the night skies, Emperor Ashoka had a dream of building an observatory on a comet, the ‘chiyattri’ comet, that passes close to our earth once every seventy six years.’
Pundit Anbusivan’s is gaping at Aryabhatta with surprise as he continues telling him ‘if we had built an observatory on chiyattri, a lot of answers could have been found today, perhaps we are as a race not yet destined to know these answers, because everyone who has the power, is hungry for more power, no king uses his power with responsibility, they subjugate the weak and oppressed, they show their might to the deprived ones, all the kingdoms are founded on basis up usurping power from earlier kings, now I know in this birth of mine that might Mauryan empire was also ended soon afterwards, Pushyamitra Sungha usurped Mauryan power… Punditji until and unless there is a single state on this planet, a single king, we will never get to where humanity deserves to be.’
‘this is all impossible, there can never be a single state, and no one can build an observatory on a comet…you stop joking with me Aryabhatta, don’t make me a tool of your amusement today.’ Pundit Anbusivan feeling he is being a fool made of rattles in irritation. Aryabhatta folds his hands to Anbusivan and tells him.
‘My apologies, only Dharmavarman takes me seriously, but Punditji, it is true that Emperor Ashoka felt Buddhism has the power to unite all races and make a single nation on this planet, and as far as my joking with you is concerned, I dare not Punditji…I know the influence you have on my benefactor and friend Dharmavarman, I do not wish to lose him’
Pundit Anbusivan becomes quiet for a while and then he asks Aryabhatta.
‘Why did Ashoka find Buddhism better alternative than Hinduism Aryabhatta…this question have bothered many thinkers since years?’
‘I cannot answer for Emperor Ashoka Punditji, but yes, I can certainly say that he felt principles of Buddhism could make humans pursue scientific and developmental objectives of humanity in a rational and correct manner, without carrying a baggage of ancient myths and undated history that Brahmin’s have on their backs, Ashoka felt guided by a new religion there would be better chances of true growth, and principals of Ahimsa of Buddhism meant progress will not be as destructive like Emperor himself found out by his own cruel deed during the Kalinga war.’
Pundit Anbusivan is not convinced and queries ‘what baggage of history Brahmin’s carries Aryabhatta?’
Aryabhatta scratches his head and then answers ‘you suppose for an instance that the epic war of Mahabharata was fought on the planet Mars.’
Pundit Anbusivan’s eyes show he is becoming irritated. However Aryabhatta carries on.
‘that war rendered Mars inhabitable, meanwhile the sun had become cooler, and planet earth which was warmer earlier had become cooler too, now imagine a ship from Mars arrives on earth carrying thousands of men, they make earth their home, but with generations their books and manuals of the ship get destroyed, the ship rusts and decays as on earth there is nothing to keep it in condition. The technicians and scientists could not pass on the technology because there wasn’t any infrastructure on earth to save it for future generations; there were no modern tools available on earth or skilled number of persons to keep the science alive. Therefore with each passing generation, the people from Mars started losing their knowledge, till it is lost completely, and the stories and knowledge passed by words to successive generations the truth becomes mythological stories, folklore, humanity tomorrow would never accept them to be a scientific fact.’
Pundit Anbusivan asks incredulously ‘you think this could have actually happened?’
Aryabhatta nods and says ‘It is a possibility, a very strong mathematical possibility. So Punditji, Brahmin’s are carrying many thousands of year’s worth of mythological baggage. Atharvaveda explains the principals of electricity. You consider it to be some black magic and do not attempt its application. What we did under Ashoka was to apply much of Atharvaveda’
Father of Aryabhatta comes out of the hut with food and drinks and sits next to his son and he looks at Pundit gaping at Aryabhatta with his mouth open and asks him ‘what has happened Punditji?’
Pundit Anbusivan shakes his head in exasperation and says ‘let Dharmavarman arrive, because what this boy goes on talking about is so blasphemous he will get us all killed if ilk of Skandavarman become kings, they are true champions of Vedic life…god save Aryabhatta.’
Aryabhatta chuckles and tells Punditji ‘after you eat take care on your way back, I am sure Skandavarman’s men are chasing you to find out my location.’
‘You can trust me on one thing Aryabhatta…I will never lead Skandavarman to you…I want Dharmavarman to sit on the seat of Kanchi…which is the most glorious city of the world today.’
Aryabhatta busies himself in enjoying the food, so does Anbusivan. The father of Aryabhatta asks Pundit Anbusivan ‘when is Dharmavarman arriving?’ ‘He will be in Kanchi, by the time I reach there.’

4.

The Brahmin kingdom of Kanchi was decorated everywhere, along its promenades, pathways, markets, trading councils and the palace; it was as if the festival of lights had dawned in March. Everyone was ready to welcome their most favored prince Dharmavarman, favored son of king Simhavarman, Dharma third in line of succession was returning after very successful voyages to eastern colonies of imperial Pallavas.

Dharma it was rumored everywhere in Kanchi was carrying with him loads of riches and treasures from Swarnadweep, Khambuja, Lanka, Shoolapradesh and Bhu Nayi (the new land), Kali Mata sthan, Angadweep, Ved Naam, Siam, Champa, Java dweep and had negotiated major trade concessions from all of them. However the celebrations were not only for felicitations due to the successful exploits of Dharmavarman, but it seemed everyone had a reason to believe that Dharmavarman would soon be installed the official heir to the throne and this belief had spread so much joy in the south India peninsula, that whole Pallava kingdom was in raptures, except for a sulking few whose fortunes were to be directly affected if Dharmavarman rose to be the king.

The two elder brothers of Dharmavarman were plotting, eldest Skandavarman was angry with the suggestions that he could be denied what was rightfully his, the throne of Kanchi. Nandivarman his sibling was not comfortable with the idea of his younger brother Dharmavarman becoming supreme and thus they were united in the view that Dharmavarman’s accession must be stopped at all costs.

It was unthinkable that in the court of a Brahmin King the courtiers and princes can stoop to plotting coups against their own kin, it was a preposterous thought in light of the strict adherence to elder’s wishes that was the prevalent tradition in Kanchi, but unchecked, both sulking brothers schemed openly in the corridors of the palace of a kingdom whose writ was established not only in entire south India, but in entire south East Asian nations, making Pallava a dominant imperial power.

The South East Asian mainland and over a thousand islands were under the influence of Pallava Varman Kings. The authority of Pallava King was immense, sea trade routes were completely under its rule and they earned a hefty wealth from traders in duties and taxes, in lieu of being assured a safe passage in Pallava controlled waters.

Nandivarman and Skandavarman were sure that Dharmavarman is favored to the throne because he is demonstrating to their parents that only he can keep the kingdom united, as he was opposed to strict imposture of Vedic principles. Skandavarman was sure that Atharvaveda had in its contents not references to magical spells and powers, but indications of great scientific research told in as common tongue as possible when it had been written, Skandavarman had connected the research of Emperor Ashoka with Atharvaveda, which in his hands was an incomplete document and was looking for Aryabhatta to give him information. Nandivarman and Skandavarman were sure that Aryabhatta was in touch with Dharmavarman and Dharmavarman had designs on the seat of Kanchi.

Skandavarman had learnt of the happenings at Lanka, the news of the loss of ancient Buddhist manuscripts, the carting away of Emperors Ashoka’s dharma chakra studded lion statue from Simha Giri, made them believe either Dharmavarman had cracked the secrets unfolded by Aryabhatta about emperor Ashoka, or was near it.

The news of missing Buddhist manuscripts a few of which were brought by Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitra has Skandavarman regretting. In his mind he was certain that Dharmavarman now has in possession the scientific works researched under Bindusara, and both were repenting their folly of sending Dharmavarman to Lanka, which now they realize could be their greatest blunder.

Skandavarman had also met Aryabhatta when he was a young lad a few times, he was also privy to the fact he was someone’s re-incarnation. It was only when Dharmavarman started to roam about with Aryabhatta he became suspicious, especially when Pundit Anbusivan and his guru Raghunandan started to meet up with Aryabhatta regularly, to get to the bottom of what was cooking, he had Dharmavarman held up and went to Raghunandan in the night and learnt whose re-incarnation Aryabhatta was.

Skandavarman was thrilled to know that Aryabhatta was one of the nine great men of Ashoka, who folklore said had developed weapons and delivery systems that would make any king the most powerful on this earth and Ashoka fearful that such power in wrong hands could end our mother earth had abandoned his secret society and disbanded the research. Skandavarman wanted this power…Dharmavarman, and Raghunandan were just delaying him.

Now that Dharmavarman had reached the shores of his kingdom, Skandavarman wouldn’t take long to get to Aryabhatta, he had a loyal band of secret guards who will monitor every excursion of Dharmavarman, whom Kanchi was preparing to receive with pomp and show. Somewhere deep inside he knew that masses preferred Dharmavarman, but if he had the power, what else would he care for…Dharmavarman the least.

Dharmavarman, was a true warrior, exponent of the offensive martial art of kallari payth, he was invincible in hand to hand fight. A great scholar, Dharmavarman had accumulated knowledge diligently; he was a master in planning and executing battles and has proved his abilities time and again.

Dharmavarman believed that unless the people of his state were rich, his state was unlikely to be rich. Dharmavarman could not imagine a state were poor people were forced to pay huge taxes, thus he exempted the poorer from any kind of taxation and fostered trade councils, there were more than two thousand registered traders in Kanchi, and top twenty of them put together could match half the wealth of the Pallavars. Kanchi flourished as no other city of the world at this time.

Kanchi boasted of the biggest shipbuilding facilities just outside city next to the coast, facilities that produced thousands of ships every year. Kanchi two main products the Matsya Yantra, the compass which made sea voyages possible with precision and silk cloth were a rage and were traded without bargaining.

The city markets were lined with exquisite clothes, perfumes and commodities. Precious wares like gold, silver and stones were traded openly and displayed without fear. For anyone coming into Kanchi for trading was an exhilarating experience, his stay was full of unending excitement, Kanchi was a melting pot of cultures, almost duty free and totally safe, the tourist traders could get anything that they required, wine and women from various nationalities were in plentiful, the accommodations on hire were princely, as the sun set, the stage performances of plays, and entertainers took over, or musical performances went on in different parts of the city.

Being in Kanchi was being in heaven for people, there was no other place like it anywhere, and a lot of credit to this successful model city went to Dharmavarman who had nurtured and promoted private enterprise of his people, who beyond doubt had made the kingdom the richest anywhere in the world. Therefore it was natural for the rich content citizens of Kanchi to desire Dharmavarman as their king.

Dharmavarman had a lot to do with the wealth of Kanchi, after the earlier Pallava capitol Pallavpuri was consumed by rising waters, Dharmavarman’s grandfather had shifted the capitol to Kanchi, but it was young Dharmavarman’s spirit of enterprise that changed the city completely.

Kanchi became the place for talented people, painters, sculptors, mathematicians, astronomers, writers, poets, teachers, priests, they thronged to Kanchi in droves, Kanchi was the place where fortunes would be made, dreams would be realized, if not in Kanchi itself, then in one of its imperial colonies where indigenous talent was much in demand. This was the time when writers from Kanchi, went not only to the colonies but in the china mainland, and composed works which were of great relevance.

After his floating city dropped anchor just off the coast there was jubilation everywhere. Palace was getting prepared for a lavish reception for Dharmavarman. At the same time, Skandavarman was instructing his soldiers to search the ship and friends of Dharmavarman for anything of antiquity and capture it secretly to be brought back to him.

The smaller boats ferried wealth and treasures from the ship and then Dharmavarman led his crew and soldiers in a procession towards the huge northern gates of Kanchi fort, to the bridges of a deep moat which led to huge gates of Kanchi palace, and the whole route was full of citizens trying to catch a glimpse of their future king.

The cavalcade of riches lying in open carts passed through cheering multitude of people. The reception by the commoners made Nandivarman very nervous, instantly Nandivarman knew what he had to do. He would have to eliminate Dharmavarman before his father makes a formal announcement of the succession.

Skandavarman though in agreement with his brothers view, had another objective achieved first, he wanted to control the research and discoveries of Dharmavarman, specifically relating to the knowledge of the works of Emperor Ashoka’s scientists, and so he advised his brother to bide time till he takes over the ‘power’ from Dharmavarman that he needed to successfully wield not only on the Pallava colonies, but entire universe.

Dharmavarman reached the bridge on the moat, the huge doors of Kanchi fort were unlocked and opened, bugles were sounded, Brahmins lead the family towards the entry, where a religious service took place, and Dharmavarman was welcomed to enter the palace arena, where his father stood, proud and erect, overjoyed seeing his son before him.

Simhavarman greeted his son upon his entry in the palace, Dharmavarman touched his feet and then Simhavarman gave him a warm hug but Simhavarman withdrew away with alacrity breaking the hug seeing a concerned look on the face of the courtiers and family, but Dharmavarman hugged his father again and in a soft reverent tone told him.
‘You have been cured of leprosy father, I have heard that lord Shiva has blessed you, so don’t withdraw, let me hug you tight father.’
Simhavarman looks with happiness at his son, but Dharmavarman looked at his father with concern and commented ‘you have become older in looks father.’
Simhavarman blessed his son and replied ‘now that you are back, I can regain my health and retrieve a little of my youthful looks because lot of my tasks will be eased with you taking over a part of my load.’
Dharmavarman smiles and moves to touch the feet of his mother Queen Subhadra, who is shedding tears of unadulterated joy with her son in front of her eyes. Skandavarman was burning inside, the pompous display of riches brought by Dharmavarman, and the reception accorded to his youngest sibling was intolerable, he was sure like always Dharmavarman had done everything to place his one step nearer to the throne of Kanchi, and as Dharmavarman was in a tight hug with his mother he thundered ‘Dharmavarman, what is this devastating news your people are bringing with them, is it true that you have become bent towards Buddhism?’
Skandavarman adds in contempt without waiting for an answer from Dharmavarman, ‘Dharma, do not forget we call the ignorant and stupid people Buddhu, are we to believe that you have become ignorant and stupid?’

This was unexpected; a silence falls in the palace courtyard, with courtiers glancing at the king and his sons. Dharmavarman lets loose a huge smile on his face and breaks the hug and walks up to his elder brothers, touches their feet in respect and reverence and then meets their eyes and replies ‘I am as much a Buddhist, as my father is, it must not be forgotten that many of our brothers in our Pallava imperial dominions are Buddhist Kings, and we extend our support to Buddhism as a matter of state policy.’

Nandivarman shows anger and accuses Dharmavarman, ‘state policy matters we understand fully Dharma, we support Buddhism, to flourish in our colonies, but we will not tolerate it rising in the Brahmin lands, we support it because the principals of Buddhism suit us, the non violence principals of Buddhism means that the vassal kings remain dependant on us Dharmavarman, that is the state policy, it is not for us to embrace Buddhism, and undo whatever our forefathers have been doing from past many decades, the throne of Kanchi has to remain Brahmin.’

Simhavarman gestures his elder sons to be quiet and moves towards them and tells them brusquely ‘Kanchi will remain Brahmin, Skandavarman, however a great principal for a prince to follow is not to react on hearsay, this matter and our state policy is not a subject of public discussions, it will be done in confines of my court and in private.’ Simhavarman disliked the attitude of his elder sons, sees the courtiers totally quiet, he orders them ‘make it known to everyone, a Kanchi citizen or a foreign national, to celebrate my dear son’s arrival, I announce two months of tax holiday on every kind of trading, all ships passing through our waters will be given a free passage.’
A huge cheer goes up in the multitudes of people as Simhavarman guides his favorite son inside the palace court.

The court of Simhavarman was opulent, it appeared the only metals that were used in building and furniture were gold and silver, precious stones were studded in frames and utensils, the throne was huge, the legs of the throne were two lions one on each side, and the seat was cupped and cushioned, as everyone took their seats in the court, Skandavarman and Nandivarman took the pride of place next to their father’s throne, while Dharmavarman goes and sits on the ground close to the feet of his father, which makes Simhavarman and others react in surprise and Simhavarman mildly admonishes his son ‘Dharmavarman, show of reverence and servility is not for you, my kingdom adores you, as much I adore you, you deserve even a higher pedestal than me.’

Simhavarman gets up from the throne, helps his son on his feet and guides him towards the throne, there is anxiousness on Skandavarman and Nandivarman’s face but to their relief, their father doesn’t seat Dharmavarman on the throne itself but seats him absolutely next to the throne much to the annoyance of the supporters of Skandavarman and Nandivarman, who were whispering that Dharmavarman is resorting to theatricals and playing to the gallery, to impress the king.

Simhavarman tells the court proudly ‘Dharmavarman is the first of Varman kings to have toured the whole kingdom, a kingdom that spreads far and long, seven seas away, beyond the imaginations of our forefathers. Let Dharmavarman himself tell the court how well the Pallava kingdom finds itself this day.’

Simhavarman gestures Dharmavarman to brief the court and Dharmavarman nods and rises before the court and starts to speak. ‘The furthest from Kanchi is Bhu Nayi (new land), the new land taken in control by Moolavarman, who is a cousin of my great father and the present ruler of Shoolapradesh. Moolavarman’s heir Ashwavarman is governor of a province of Shoolapradesh, which we know as Kali Mata sthan. His second son Aryavarman has embraced Buddhism, and the province is flourishing while Moolavarman is extending the empire with each passing day, and as I speak in the middle of the day here, Moolavarman would be getting ready to prepare for dinner at this time.’

The courtiers look at Dharmavarman with disbelief, they exchange looks with each other but Dharmavarman continues briefing ‘Moolavarman has sent a lot of treasures for our beloved king, and has promised that once his desired conquests are over, he would like to return back to Kanchi, to seek blessings of lord Shiva, whose miracle has saved Pallava kingdom and it’s king, and the great Pallavar dynasty by curing our beloved king Simhavarman of leprosy, whose bath in the Kunda of Shiva Mandir have washed away all the sins of Pallavars, Moolavarman had named his territory Trishool Pradesh after the weapon of lord Shiva, but it has been shortened to Shoolapradesh as we all know of it today.’

Dharmavarman halts for a few moments and says, ‘Angadweep is in a process of churning, it appears that our brother Pratapvarman of Champa will overrun Angadweep and merge it in Champa. Similarly, the provinces of Ved Naam are being under invasions from Cheen, a constant tussle for territories is on there, I have deputed Pratapvarman and Aryavarman not to turn a blind eye to Ved Naam and have extracted a promise of extensive support so that we can save Ved Naam from becoming a dominion of Cheen. Siam and Khambuja are flourishing, however the Sri Vijay empire which has taken control in the Swarnadweep is trying to extend it’s influence in this region, and whatever I have seen in Swarnadweep, I have no doubt that Sri Vijay will become the most dominant territory of ours, though it is new, the portents of a strong province are all omnipresent there.’

‘In Javadweep, Taruma kingdom is at its peak, Purnavarman’s legacy is well entrenched there. Further East Sri Kaundya’s has overcome a coup by his commander in chief, with little help of Kanchi and propriety has been restored.’

There is a cheer over this in the court and when the din dies Dharmavarman says. ‘Let me be very clear, all of our provinces look to Kanchi for support and are paying their taxes diligently, the gifts that they have sent for our beloved king are there for all of you to see, and on my voyage to Lanka from Javadweep, I had a brief stay at naccapuram which is the land of naked tribes, and very averse to meeting any of us, Naccapuram stands just as if in centre from us to Java, and at the doors of Swarnadweep, and Lanka, so with permission of the court and grace of lord Shiva, we will annex that island to serve as a logistical point in our trade with our provinces.’

Skandavarman gets up and asks Dharmavarman, looking annoyed ‘logistical support base means you have a war in mind, what are you trying to hide Dharmavarman, which province is on your mind Dharmavarman, the court needs to be clear on this point.’

Dharmavarman smiles and speaks respectfully ‘my brother, you are right about the interpretation of a logistical base, but clearly it is not because we would attack our own province, it would be to keep a base so as to be able to provide help to our provinces quickly, as Taruma kingdom is already under threat, I have spoken about the coup attended on Sri Kaundya in east Javadweep, similarly there is infighting among the royal princes, and with each passing month, more new smaller kingdom’s are rising, and if we allow this to happen continually, in a couple of centuries time, the whole region will become a cluster of small kingdom’s not even aware of our supremacy.’
Nandivarman interjects ‘it is wonderful that you are visualizing about two centuries later, however you have conveniently avoided a mention of Lanka, you were asked to stop over in Lanka, what have you brought from there?’ Dharmavarman smiles and says ‘victory, King Kasyapa no longer lives, Migara has been decimated too, the wish of our beloved king is fulfilled, prince Moggallana has become the new King and Anuradhapur is being restored as the capital.’

Simhavarman himself rises from the throne and embraces his son, the court also rose with him and the joy amongst them knows no bounds, and Dharmavarman tells them all when Simhavarman breaks his loving embrace ‘Lanka will pay duties to Kanchi, Lanka will no longer will be a free port.’ The court is happy and Skandavarman rises and asks Dharmavarman ‘I have learnt that prince Moggallana has restored Simha Giri to Buddhists on your command.’
Dharmavarman nods and says ‘yes indeed, because Simha Giri was no longer going to be the capital, I had it restored to Buddhists.’
Skandavarman looks angry as he says ‘but haven’t in one stroke you have angered Buddhists there, there are reports that your men stole the Lion statue of Simha Giri and manuscripts of antiquity from a Buddhist shrine?’
Dharmavarman is a bit flummoxed but gathers his composure and tells the court ‘My men will not carry out any misadventure, unless it is my command, they have just done what I have told them, and I haven’t given any further instructions that I had received from my father, the king of kings himself.’
Skandavarman mutters under his breath ‘liar.’

Simhavarman raises his hand, everyone becomes quiet and the king now gestures Dharmavarman to sit down and tells the court ‘now that Dharmavarman is here, and since I am getting too old to carry out regularly kingly duties, in consultation with the family and chief courtiers, time has come to declare the next king, I shall do it soon, very soon. The next time the court meets it will be for anointing the next king of Kanchi.’

A thunderous clapping echoes through the court, Simhavarman rises, but he cannot quell the thunderous cheer, and when a few courtiers hail Dharmavarman, Skandavarman gets up and walks inside in a huff, followed by Nandivarman.

Skandavarman and Nandivarman with their core supporters were in an animated conference, the subject of discussion was naturally the announcement of the king agenda during the next court. There were many suggestions floating, from staging a coup by arresting Simhavarman, to sending Dharmavarman in exile.

Soldiers of Skandavarman arrive and they bow before him and the chief in them reports “Master, we have searched the entire ship of Dharmavarman, we have checked all the men and their belongings but we have not found anything that could have been close to what you had sent us for.’

Skandavarman looks irritated, and Nandivarman thunders ‘have you all done your job properly or have neglected to report nothing, we can see there is a lot that Dharmavarman has brought with him.’

The chief soldier panics and bows and says ‘you can take my life, if I have failed in my duty…what you want is not on this ship.’

‘Then it will arrive in another vessel, Dharmavarman is smart, he knows that I will have his ship searched, his men checked… if I were him, I will use a decoy.’ Skandavarman is certain. He thumps his hand on the pillar and orders his soldiers ‘check all the vessels that dock in our ports, from Lanka or elsewhere, Dharmavarman’s most important baggage is yet to follow.’

The soldiers nod and exit in a single file and Brahmaswaroop Misra the chief advisor of Skandavarman and a person who is a great influence on the way of Skandavarman’s thinks has been in disagreement with all that was being discussed and happening, when the soldiers left and there was relative calm once again he stood up and faced everyone and declared.
‘Dharmavarman is not an easy adversary, the stupid suggestion that you all have been discussing if implemented will cause unrest, and history will never see Skandavarman with respect.’

Skandavarman who was changing his swords halts to pay attention to his guru who speaks to him in a calm serene manner ‘restoring the Vedic way of life which has been the norm in all lands around us since long to its glory will never be accepted if Skandavarman ascends to the throne by virtue of a coup against his father.’

Nandivarman is desperate and questions Brahmaswaroop Misra, ‘my guru, please don’t get into morality of the issue, there is hardly any time, how will Vedic culture which is under attack in far away lands today be restored if you allow Dharmavarman to occupy the seat of Kanchi, when it is known he is more of a supporter of Buddhists.’
‘the only way out is the elimination of Dharmavarman himself, history will never know who killed him, common public has a short memory, they will get over Dharmavarman, while we will set about on the task that most emperors had only dreamt of, making the entire land of this world a single state, under single dharma.’ Skandavarman presented his conclusive view.

‘I will not support it, it is against the duty ascribed by the very basic principles that we wish all others in the world must follow, Skanda-.’ Brahmaswaroop Misra spoke gravely.

Skandavarman looks at his guru, a little disappointed, and then turns to his brother and asks him ‘Vikramaditya was a greatly loved king north of our boundaries, his dynasty is greatly respected and revered, didn’t he ascend to the throne by eliminating his elder brother Ramgupta?’
Nandivarman nods and looks at Brahmaswaroop Misra and tells him ‘guruji, Vikramaditya was great king, wasn’t he pursuing the same religion as us, when he has killed Ramgupta after Ramgupta was anointed king and had sat on the throne, history doesn’t respect him less!’

Skandavarman adds in concurrence ‘Nandivarman is right, to unseat a person from a throne is a crime, that would be a religious wrong, but to stop a person from ascending to the throne is politics my guru, and you must give us the go ahead for it.’

Brahmaswaroop Misra looks confused and becomes silent and Nandivarman says ‘guru, do you wish the great culture of our land decimated, would you like to see a time when guru’s like you have no place in confabulations of state affairs, if so, gladly stop us.’
‘Don’t forget Nandivarman you are as much a Brahmin as I am, and as Brahmin we have some morals.’ Brahmaswaroop Misra states in authoritatively.

Skandavarman comes directly in front of his guru and tells him ‘as princes, rulers of the land, we have to follow the Raj Dharma too, it is our dharma to act in the interest of larger good of the people and thus Raj dharma becomes more important than any other dharma, I wouldn’t be the only one who is going to pursue the Raj dharma, you have yourselves told me that Lord Indra himself pursued it, though he destroyed cities, he is revered as a destroyer of cities.’
Guru Brahmaswaroop Misra is unsure, he goes and sits down on a seat and starts to ponder as others wait for him to speak, when he keeps quiet Nandivarman asks him ‘what are you thinking guruji?’

Brahmaswaroop Misra says ‘What lord Indra did was indeed Raj Dharma, mighty Assurs had captured cities after cities of ours, we were pushed back in the interiors of our own lands, the way Assurs were advancing and taking over our lands, we were on the verge of being wiped out, the entire Vedic culture was facing decimation. So lord Indra and Lord Varuna had to intervene, they changed courses of rivers, they brought rains heavy rain fall up north, and flooded the entire Assur occupied lands, most flourishing cities were destroyed, but in the end the Vedic culture survived, the devas had won and Assurs defeated.’
Brahmaswaroop Misra looks at Skandavarman and asks him ‘who are you going to defeat Skandavarman, one of your own?’
Skandavarman nods and says ‘I have no Assurs to defeat guruji, but my objective is similar, if I don’t do what I have decided…then Buddhism will be the religion of the world, and there would be no place in the world left for you and me or our lineage.’

Nandivarman is convinced with his brother and asks Brahmaswaroop Misra ‘lord Indra, and lord Varuna, they had done a massive deed to uphold the Vedic religion. They had eradicated cities that were touched by malechaa’s. the rivers which became impure by the bathing of malechaa were dried up and citadel’s of foreign culture upon our lands were flooded, and guruji they did not spare lord Mitra who was so highly spoken of in our Vedas…because he had slain a cow, today Lord Mitra is no longer our god but the god of malechaa’s. When gods themselves have upheld our civilization, our Vedic culture, why cannot we do the same? When gods had one of them punished and banished Lord Mitra from our pantheon, why cannot we punish Dharmavarman?’

Brahmaswaroop Misra gets up and looks at Skandavarman and tells him in a very measured tone ‘if you are convinced of the end objective, then you have my blessings.’
Nandivarman nods in satisfaction and puts his hand of support on Skandavarman’s shoulder.

5.

Pundit Anbusivan having returned to Kanchi sees the gaiety and celebrations all around and knew that Dharmavarman had returned, he wanted to go and meet him immediately, however he had to return to his house first, having just returned from Brahmagiri, that also taking route through jungles to avoid coming into contact with secret agents of Skandavarman had made him very tired. His clothes were very dirty and without taking a proper bath and change of clothes he wasn’t in a condition to enter the palace.

As Pundit Anbusivan passed through the bustling streets towards his house, everyone greeted him with delight, for everyone knew that he was friend and guide of Dharmavarman, he could see the foreign traders spending big in Kanchi Bazaars, as the amount usually saved for paying duties was also being invested into goods for profits, arrival of Dharmavarman has created supreme joy in Kanchi and Anbusivan couldn’t wait to recount these visuals to Dharmavarman whom he would be seeing after three long years.

Pundit Anbusivan enters his house and is shocked to see that it has been ransacked, it appears as if a whole unit of an army has run over his house which is in shambles, the family members are distressed, he approaches his wife, she is tearful, and relates soon after the arrival of Dharmavarman, soldiers of Nandivarman and Skandavarman entered searching if something has been sent here by Dharmavarman, she is very sad to show their precious belongings have been broken during the process of the soldiers turning the whole house upside down, looking especially for books.

Pundit Anbusivan is in a rage, and he immediately goes towards the water room puts cold water from the buckets on his body and asks his wife ‘get me fresh clothes, I will seek audience at the palace immediately.’

A similar fate has fallen on Mahaveer Ratnam, after having gone up to the northern gates up the Kanchi fort with Dharmavarman, he returned once the welcome religious ceremony was over and done with at the gates. He was dying to see his family members after three long years. His soldiers had already carted to his house whatever he had collected over these years for his family; he reaches his house and is shocked to find them terrorized by the soldiers of Nandivarman.

The soldiers asked no questions, and they opened all the boxes of Mahaveer Ratnam and searched everything that he had brought and the things that were in the house, causing tremendous damage to his goods apart from causing chaos in the family.

His wife tells him ‘the soldiers were muttering about tracing a lion statue and some manuscripts as they looked sure that Mahaveer Ratnam had those things in his possession. Mahaveer Ratnam had reacted exactly as Pundit Anbusivan had and soon left his house, to meet up with Dharmavarman to lodge a protest against his elder brothers.

Angry Mahaveer Ratnam entered the palace complex and was promptly stopped by the eight guards at the palace entrance. Mahaveer was shocked, this had never happened before, and when he asked the guards the reason, he was told that Mahaveer Ratnam will have to first meet Skandavarman. Mahaveer was seething already in a rage and the guards pushed Mahaveer Ratnam ordering him ‘this way Mahaveer.’

It was as if something snapped in Mahaveer, he couldn’t tolerate soldiers below his rank ordering him, he just slapped a guard halting him and drew his sword and shouted ‘Mahaveer Ratnam doesn’t take orders from petty soldiers.’ The guards took a step back and Mahaveer moved ahead, the chief of guards asked his guards to halt Mahaveer ‘stop him; we have clear orders from Prince Skandavarman.’
As the guards besieged Mahaveer, he challenged them, and a sword fight broke out. Eight guards against single Mahaveer, he valiantly fought on, the battle was not gone unnoticed, a commotion began in the palace, and Dharmavarman came out running and drew his sword and screamed at the top of his voice ‘Any one who challenges Mahaveer will have to cross swords with me first.’

The guards dropped their swords; Dharmavarman went ahead and stood next to Mahaveer seeing if anyone still is in a mood to challenge. Skandavarman also comes out; he looks at the scene and at agitated Dharmavarman. ‘They are following my orders.’

Dharmavarman looks at Skandavarman and asks him ‘there is a code of conduct my brother, have you forgotten it?’
Skandavarman is angered and replies ‘you have been away for three years Dharma, a lot has changed here. So have the codes.’

Mahaveer moves forward with his sword still drawn and he asks Skandavarman ‘you had my house searched, why, why on earth you did that, what will people think of me, that palace considers me to be a petty thief?’
Dharmavarman is angered too and he thunders ‘with whose authority did you have the house of Mahaveer Ratnam searched.’

Skandavarman stares at his brother and says ‘my authority is good enough, and certainly I do not appreciate a brother’s trusted soldier drawing a sword on his elder brother, while younger brother remains a mute spectator! Have you forgotten customs Dharmavarman?’

Dharmavarman looks at Mahaveer, and the drawn sword in his hands before he can say anything, Mahaveer directly replies to Skandavarman ‘The sword was drawn by your guards here, the customs have been broken by them, and they were not respectful to a senior soldier.’

Skandavarman looks at Mahaveer and says ‘seniority is an issue that I decide in this palace. Mahaveer…you certainly are no higher up than those guards.’
Mahaveer looks at Skandavarman overcoming his shock and asks him caustically ‘then why did you wish a lowly ranked soldier like me to pay a call to you before a meet others at the palace?’

Skandavarman looks at Mahaveer and then at Dharmavarman and replies ‘I will settle this matter in the court; I certainly won’t waste time arguing with unprincipled soldiers who need to be punished thoroughly.’
Skandavarman turns and walks away. Dharmavarman takes Mahaveer with him in the interiors of the palace, as the soldiers start to apply medications to the wounds inflicted upon by them by Mahaveer Ratnam.

Pundit Anbusivan is already in the chambers of Dharmavarman when he enters with Mahaveer Ratnam, he is also agitated and as soon as he learns of the reception Skandavarman’s guards accorded to Mahaveer Ratnam, he starts to think. Then after they all have sat down besides each other and all attendants are out of the precincts of Dharmavarman’s palace their private conversation begins.

‘the moment I left my home to meet you Dharma, I realized that amongst the people there is a buzz around that you have laid hands on the old manuscripts which were lying safe in a Buddhist temple in Lanka.’ Pundit Anbusivan intimates.

Dharmavarman and Mahaveer exchange quick glances and seeing them quiet Pundit Anbusivan continue ‘if you indeed have those manuscripts then it is evident that you have people amongst your ranks who are informing your elder brothers for a price about your exploits in Lanka.’

Mahaveer Ratnam nods and says ‘that’s the reason my house was raided and ransacked.’

Pundit Anbusivan adds ‘so was mine, because Skandavarman would have thought that I am the person that Dharma will send the manuscripts for perusal and appraisal.’ Dharmavarman is looking shocked and taken aback totally.

Mahaveer Ratnam says ‘Without doubt one of my men has been leaking the news to Skandavarman, which is why the guards wanted me to see Skandavarman first.’

Pundit Anbusivan warns Dharmavarman, “your brothers are scared of you Dharma, there is general perception that King will proclaim you as his successor very soon and this has turned your brothers against you, the fact your endeavor with Aryabhatta into research of Emperor Ashoka’s knowledge, and the weaponry used in battle of Kalinga isn’t a secret from your family.

Skandavarman has become paranoid that you intend to possess the same powerful weapon that King Ashoka had unleashed on the mighty Kalinga warriors. If I were you, I will tread the ground very safely from now on.’

Mahaveer Ratnam is shocked and he says ‘are you suggesting that Skandavarman can take the life of Dharmavarman?’

Dharmavarman rejects this view ‘impossible, Skandavarman knows how much I respect him, and he knows I will not step into his domain.’

Pundit Anbusivan looks at Dharmavarman and tells him ‘you are blissfully unaware that your assassination is being planned by your elder brothers. What keeps you alive still is that Aryabhatta will come out only when you seek him and Skandavarman wants Aryabhatta and not you?’

Dharmavarman looks at Pundit Anbusivan with disbelief ‘No I refuse to believe this, there are usually many rumors floating around palace courts, my brothers have no reason to be afraid of me.’

‘They are not afraid of you, they are afraid that people and King of Kanchi will want none apart from you as their king.’ Pundit Anbusivan says with conviction.

Mahaveer nods in agreement with Pundit Anbusivan and says with concern ‘one thing that I have also learnt Dharma, is that your brothers are not interested in your exploits of Pallava provinces; they’re only interested to learn if Dharmavarman has been successful in cracking the secret of Dharma chakra.’

Dharmavarman looks disturbed and says ‘We cannot let these problems take our minds off our aims, our objectives are close to being met; however there is a problem, Punditji while I may have secretly procured few books of Ashoka’s secret society from Lanka, where they were taken by his daughter Sanghamitra, we still have to recover most of the books from Javadweep.’

Pundit Anbusivan asks him incuriously “I wasn’t expecting this, has your voyage failed? How can you fail Dharmavarman, when you know that Dharma Chakra’s are what Aryabhatta needs to remember the main equation, these Dharma chakras are a wheel to your power in three worlds!’

Dharmavarman nods and replies ‘Punditji, the location of these books could have been lost for ever, because though we know they were sent to Javadweep, there has been a influx of people from our lands to Javadweep, two hundred and fifty years ago, almost twenty thousand left the shores of our great land from Kalinga to settle in Java.’

Pundit Anbusivan becomes pensive as Dharmavarman gives him the true picture ‘it is getting difficult to ascertain today, which family line is the oldest, and until we know that, we will not find the key to the remaining books and the dharma chakras.’

Mahaveer Ratnam rises up and says “Punditji, I have told Dharmavarman that I will take a force to Javadweep and return with the manuscripts, it will be done in a matter of weak, we shall subjugate the masses and find which family is still holding the books written in a language which is now alien to them.’

Dharmavarman rejects the whole idea, as he had done earlier and says with caution in his tone ‘not apt Mahaveer, in Java, we are known as Kalings, they call everyone from our land Kalings because of those twenty thousand people who reached Java from Kalinga, a quarter of an century ago.’

Mahaveer Ratnam interjects ‘what has that got to do with our getting the books, let them call us Kalings or anything else they want, it hardly matters to me.’

Dharmavarman isn’t in agreement and informs Mahaveer Ratnam ‘the friendship and brotherly relationship that we have with them is because Javadweep is ruled by kings who are kin, the family of my father’s cousins, any attack, or any use of force will make them look at us differently, these common people who were following animistic religion not so long ago are followers of Hinduism or Buddhism, and they consider us to be belonging to Emperor Ashoka’s land…’

Dharmavarman in a louder voice explains it to Pundit Anbusivan also ‘We according to them are from the land of the compassionate, they have a lot of faith in our religion, our idea of brotherhood, the people of Javadweep are certain of our support at all given times, and if a civil war happens between us, or if in future any king attacks people of Java and Swarnadweep, their aspirations would be shattered, and dare I say…they might en mass shun our religion and embrace their animistic roots again.’

Pundit Anbusivan understands and says ‘that means all the relics of past religion may get destroyed, all things connected to older religion like books may be burnt, and we will never get to find the book Aryabhatta so desperately wants from Dharmavarman.’

Dharmavarman nods and says ‘how right you are Punditji, Today it is Hinduism and Buddhism, which binds these provinces to us, and brings to us the riches, after understanding this fact, I cannot even think of doing anything to endanger the extent of this empire.’

Pundit Anbusivan asks Dharmavarman ‘I think we can wait, everyone knows that you will be the next king, and as a king you can order your provinces to find what you need.’
Mahaveer Ratnam smiles as he agrees with Anbusivan however Dharmavarman becomes a little thoughtful.

‘I don’t wish to become a king of Kanchi Punditji, especially not by overstepping the rights of my two elder brothers.’ Mahaveer Ratnam looks dejected.

Dharmavarman says ‘however I have gained a lot more knowledge over these three years, and I know, what Emperor Ashoka has left behind, With Aryabhatta’s help, I need it to be restored to be hidden carefully once again, so that it can be discovered again, when the time in future or history requires it.’

Mahaveer looks a little more dejected and he questions with impulsiveness ‘Dharma, what for you need to learn the secret of Dharma Chakra for if you don’t plan to be a king?’

Dharmavarman smiles and says ‘there are other places in our provinces that I could rule Mahaveer Ratnam, don’t worry, you are destined to become my commander in chief.’
Mahaveer Ratnam doesn’t look convinced, and Pundit Anbusivan now queries ‘Dharmavarman, where are those manuscripts after all, which have caused my and Mahaveer’s house to be searched?’

Dharmavarman looks grave and says ‘Punditji, I knew that whatever we have in our possession is too dangerous to fall in the hands of people who can misuse the knowledge contained in the manuscripts, that is why I have not carried it with me in my ship, the books and the dharma chakras are scheduled to arrive soon, we need to find a safe place to study them, and keep them invisible from all other men.’

Pundit Anbusivan looks at Dharmavarman and says ‘I am watched, so are you and Mahaveer Ratnam, we need to be very careful as to how we go about finding the safe place before we take them to Aryabhatta.’ Mahaveer Ratnam asks Pundit Anbusivan ‘how is Aryabhatta?’

Pundit Anbusivan looks at the two and says ‘Aryabhatta is as unique as ever, he is waiting for Dharmavarman; I have just visited him and his family, he is on the run from Tathagat Gupta, who wants Aryabhatta to side him in developing technology which will make Gupta Empire dominant once again.

Tathagat Gupta is flaunting his Buddhist principals to assure Aryabhatta that he has peaceful future in mind. However Aryabhatta has also been staying away from Ashmaka because Skandavarman had begun besieging him there, he is at relative peace in Brahmagiri I will soon take the two of you to him.’

Dharmavarman looks a little happier at the mention of safety of Aryabhatta and says ‘it is such an exhilarating experience talking to him; I will look forward to visiting him soon.’

Pundit Anbusivan says ‘he is going a little crazy these days ‘he talks of flying crafts that can go and build observatories on the comets and so on, complete humbug.’

Mahaveer Ratnam appears taken aback and says “Punditji, comets, do you mean to say, Emperor Ashoka had also developed flying machines? Then maybe he never hid the books here on earth, he could have just sent them up there in one of his machines with orders never to return!’

Pundit Anbusivan says ‘don’t ask me, it is beyond me to understand.’

Dharmavarman smiles and looking happy he tells Mahaveer Ratnam ‘what you have just told us Mahaveer Ratnam can be entirely the truth!’

Mahaveer looks confused and says ‘what did I say?’
Dharmavarman looks excited ‘it is the manuscript on anti-gravity, if Emperor Ashoka had indeed developed the technology then it is within the realms of the possibility that he would have sent all the works that we are looking for on earth, into deep ends of the space above. However in that case somewhere on this earth must be another space craft built by Emperor Ashoka that could go and retrieve these books!

Pundit Anbusivan and Mahaveer Ratnam are speechless and Mahaveer gapes at Dharmavarman with his mouth wide open. Dharmavarman places his arm around the shoulder of Mahaveer Ratnam and tells him “you will be confused if you participate in each discussion of mine.’

Mahaveer Ratnam says ‘there cannot be anti-gravity, it is impossible!’
‘Then you need to see the levitating stones in front of the shivpuram temple, your faith will be shaken when you see two heavy boulders levitating at a chant of a mantra.’ Dharmavarman says. Mahaveer Ratnam is staring at Dharmavarman with disbelief and Dharmavarman just smiles at him.

Dharmavarman then turns ‘Punditji, we will talk about all this later, my mother would be waiting for me now. I will send soldiers with the two of you to guard your premises and will ask the great King to insure that you have no further trouble with Skandavarman.’

Mahaveer Ratnam says with caution ‘I just hope you don’t have trouble with Skandavarman, he is a man who feels his future is soon to be snatched by you.’ Dharmavarman laughs as they exit he tells them ‘Skandavarman is so wrong.’

6.

Dharmavarman’s mother Subhadra is very excited her palace is buzzing with activity, the aroma of delicious dishes is in the air, and queen of Kanchi has got prepared all the favorite dished of her favored son. The cooks have arrived from all corners of the kingdom to prepare the best home food that Dharmavarman had missed and queen herself had been supervising the preparations in the kitchen.

Wine also had been prepared especially for this event from the cashews, the best glasses and plates had been taken out, to some people it appeared a feast for celebrating a great occasion, for queen mother it was the greatest occasion, she had missed her son over these long four years and was sending her maids again and again to look for Dharmavarman and tell her when he is arriving in her palace.

A rush of maids entered happily chirping that the prince has entered the queen’s palace and she rose from her seat and rushed to greet her son as he entered her chamber, Dharmavarman was greeted with great affection and love by his mother, she had missed him a lot over these three years and now that her son was in front of her, nobody could have been more happier than her today. For a long time the son and mother exchanged notes about the happenings during the last three years.

Dharmavarman had brought special leaves from Nagadweepa, that were touted as immediate pain reliever, his mother had a problem in her knees and she was usually in pain. Queen mother accepted the gift from her son and told him ‘all my pain has vanished as soon as you arrived, I wouldn’t need these leaves.’ Dharmavarman just smiled and says, soon you will realize that these leaves do a better job than me as a pain reliever.’

Queen Subhadra laughed at this and she asked his son it is time that she saw him married maybe then she will get a true daughter in her palace who will not let her move a lot, thereby removing the cause of the pain itself.’ Queen mother was desperately hoping that Dharmavarman marries now and unlike the wives of her elder son he gets a girl who will have more time with her and be daughter like.

Queen tells Dharmavarman ‘I do not want a girl for you who let’s go of her husband like the wives of your elder brothers.’
Before Queen mother should also tell about the specific girls that she had in her mind, Dharmavarman thought it to be prudent to tell the truth to her. Dharmavarman told her ‘I have someone in mind mother.’

Subhadra became a bit flustered, she had always dreamt of choosing his bride herself and a proposal was in her mind, she had met a Chalukya descendant family, who were no longer in power as their cousins were ruling the remnants of Chalukya kingdom but queen had found the girl eligible for alliance with Dharmavarman. King Simhavarman had also given her his assent, for it made good political sense to keep a branch of warring Chalukya’s on their side.

Dharmavarman realized that his mother has not taken his admission well so he tells her ‘however mother, I will not marry if you do not approve of the girl, in that event I will marry the one you will choose for me.’

Queen Subhadra is relaxed and caresses the forehead of Dharmavarman and he adds ‘please don’t tell father about this, or for the matter anyone else, I will have the girl summoned to Kanchi shortly, only if you approve, then I will leave the rest to you.’

Subhadra looks at her son and then queries him ‘who is the girl, I hope she is fit to be a queen someday?’

Dharmavarman smiles and says ‘I don’t know about the future, but the fact is that she is a princess and from a kingdom allied with ours.’

Queen mother Subhadra is mighty satisfied knowing this, it was always important that marital alliances are used as a tool to further alliances by ruling elites and she was happy her son understands this and has chosen wisely she assures Dharmavarman ‘I am happy that you have so far chosen wisely, do not worry, this news will be a secret till I see the girl.’ Dharmavarman is happy and embraces his mother and she cuddles him like he was a baby.

The conversation of mother and son had to be halted when queen’s maid announces the arrival of the king. King Simhavarman King entered the chambers with his two elder son’s Skandavarman and Nandivarman. Queen greeted her husband and remarked to him ‘my son Dharmavarman looks weaker doesn’t he? He has done everything except taken care of his health.’

The king blesses his son and looks at the well laid banquet; it is Vasundhara who says sarcastically ‘how can he take care of himself, when he is busy taking care of someone else, especially when she is a princess and very beautiful.’

The king looks at Vasundhara sharply; the serving girls laugh, Dharmavarman looks at Vasundhara with angry eyes, Vasundhara was deputed by the queen to be around Dharmavarman during his voyages.

As Skandavarman and Nandivarman fix their gaze on Vasundhara, queen mother covers Vasundhara’s faux pas by saying ‘Vasundhara, I know everything, so you better watch what you say, just because you have been around my son for three years doesn’t give you the liberty to speak when you are not required to, have you forgotten palace manners?’

Vasundhara is taken aback and would have spoken her regrets but Dharmavarman gestures her to be quiet and go away, and Vasundhara retreats and walks out in obedience.

Nandivarman takes over from Vasundhara and asks Dharmavarman ‘so where this princess that you are hiding from us is, let me also see how pretty a woman, Dharmavarman has selected for himself.’

The queen also queries in mock concern ‘is this true Dharma? Have you selected a girl without telling me?’ Dharmavarman simply says ‘if I do, I will first tell you, it will not be left for Vasundhara to intimate, and I am sure my mother, will not pay attention to silly gossip of serving girls.’

Simhavarman puts an end to all the gossip by walking towards the banquet saying ‘I have invited Prajnatara to visit Kanchi as soon as he can, I am going to confabulate with him in deciding my successor.’

Skandavarman is stung and he asks ‘Why a Brahmin King needs to take in confidence a Buddhist priest?’

Simhavarman looks at his elder son and asks him ‘You know very well, that Prajnataras word is important to the seat of Kanchi, and as kings we have to be concerned for each faith that exists in our dominions, am I wrong?’

Skandavarman is silenced so Nandivarman confronts his father ‘being tolerant to other faiths is absolutely fine father, we have just given a large parcel of land near the border of Kanchi to followers of Jain faith, but does this tolerance mean tomorrow we will have to include Jains too in questions relating to royalty?’

Simhavarman replies ‘Prajnatara is a towering personality of our land, and it is just, that we must confabulate with him, he represents the views of a major faith of our dominions today, to me that is a huge reason, and I do not understand why my son’s cannot understand such a simple lesson pertaining to the kingdom’s administration and welfare.’

The rest of the dinner was mostly quiet, as much as Dharmavarman tried to regale everyone with anecdotes of his voyages, the sullen and glum faces of his elder brothers made everyone respond without cheer, as soon as they finished dinner, Dharmavarman’s brothers asked for leave, then Simhavarman told them ‘I have asked for a competition of Kallari Payth to be held before Prajnatara, and I want all my son’s to demonstrate their skills in that competition.’ The color of Skandavarman became paler and he just walked out followed by Nandivarman.

7.

In the prince’s private palace, the servants were readying girls for the pleasure of princes. Thirty girls were lined up for the approval of the princes. These girls were from various nationalities, including a few from Kanchi. The princes had a preference for black tough girls from Habshiyaana (Abyssinia) who had large mouths and next in choice were, chinky eyed Chinese or Javanese girls, these girls were routine picked up from trading vessels, and were told if princes would be happy with them, they can gain untold wealth, and these girls for lure of making big money lined up, dressing seductively best to attract the princes of the mightiest kingdom of the time.

However today princes had no time for girls, as soon as they entered Skandavarman told his servant ‘bring to me Vasundhara, and send these girls away.’

The servant was a bit surprised he thought perhaps he had lined up a bad selection and argued ‘your Excellency must at least look at these nubile girls, they are full of youth and energy, they are wonderfully endowed with curves by god to provide my princes with pleasures like no one else, and Vasundhara is an old woman, she may be an expert, but no match for these girls.’

Nandivarman looks towards the girls and says ‘there isn’t time for arguing with you, do as told, when Skandavarman wants Vasundhara here, just go and get her.’

Nandivarman’s authority makes the hesitant servant bow to the princes and gestures the girls to leave, who appeared very disappointed as if they had lost a grand fortune each, but who could argue with the princes.

After everyone had left, Skandavarman pours himself wine from a golden decanter, into shimmering gold wine glass studded with precious jewels, Nandivarman has a frown on his face and speaks as if wounded ‘This is a conspiracy, the very fact that Prajnatara is being summoned, is for the king to announce later that Prajnatara has advised him to make Dharmavarman the king of Kanchi. Everyone knows that Dharmavarman is favored by Prajnatara.’

Skandavarman is looking aflame, the wine doesn’t seem to douse his fury, if it were in his hands he would have resisted his father at dinner, asked his soldiers to affect a coup, but he knew that patience could pay greater rewards. He faces his brother and tells him ‘the competition, this is a joke, everyone in Kanchi kingdom is aware that Dharmavarman is the foremost exponent of Kallari payth. We stand no chance in that competition Nandi… and the winner will get to take it all, and we will become nobodies in Kanchi.’

Nandivarman looks at dejected and angry Skandavarman who adds ‘Now we do not have time to uncover whatever secrets that Dharmavarman may be hiding from us, it is time to destroy him, I suggest, that we have our men assassinate Dharmavarman in the competition, and it would appear like an accident.’
Nandivarman looks at his brother, a shine appears on his face as he nods in agreement gushing ‘that’s a wonderful idea, we must implement it, and I dare say no one would ever get to find the truth out.’

Skandavarman nods, and says ‘king is presenting us with an opportunity that we cannot let by, Kallari Payth is an offensive martial art, and accidents normally take place during competitions, it would be nothing new.’

Nandivarman is looking mighty relieved and says ‘you are an ingenious person Skanda, Kanchi deserves to be ruled by you.’

There is a noise at the door, the servant announces himself and Skandavarman given him the order to enter, moments later the servant enters with Vasundhara and both prince become quiet as the servant announces ‘I have summoned Vasundhara as your Excellencies had desired.’

Skandavarman nods and orders the servant ‘you can leave now.’ Nandivarman looks at Vasundhara with lecherous eyes, Vasundhara is also looking a bit surprised, she hadn’t expected the call and she speaks to Skandavarman ‘My master has no dearth of pretty nubile beauties from around the world, why has he suddenly desired me.’

Skandavarman goes and looks at the face of Vasundhara, he keeps the glass of wine on a table and caresses the body of Vasundhara, she writhes in semi- pleasure and shock as Skandavarman feels for her breasts, and taking his hands down on her navel, and her hips slowly he hugs Vasundhara, holding her very close he tells her ‘It is my mistake, I never realized that the most rare jewel is right before my eyes, while I was trying to pick between cheap stones being offered to me.’

Vasundhara frees herself from the grip of Skandavarman and utters in a disappointed tone ‘but your youngest brother never saw me in this light, for three years I have tried to seduce him, but I failed.’

Nandivarman comes closer and makes Vasundhara sit down on a couch and asks her ‘why did you fail Vasundhara?’

Vasundhara smiles and replies wistfully ‘because Dharmavarman is in love, with Avanti.’

Both brothers exchange looks, they know they are getting somewhere and then ask Vasundhara in unison ‘who is Avanti?’

Vasundhara has been in palace for a long time now, she can see when there is intrigue brewing, she realizes that Skandavarman’s show of lust towards her is a make believe exercise and that she is being used by the princes to extract information about Dharmavarman and Avanti, Vasundhara has always known when to take advantage of such a situation so she turns on her charm ‘You know my masters, it is not appropriate for me to divulge the truth, if queen mother comes to know, I will be banished from the palaces.’

Skandavarman tells her with great determination “Vasundhara, soon it will be me, that will decide who must be banished from palaces, and it will be me who will decide who my favorite consort would be in times to come.’

Vasundhara was not going to be conned by such words, she makes an innocent face and looks at both the princes with fake expressions of helplessness and says in fear ‘I cannot risk it my master, everyone knows that Dharmavarman is destined to be the king.’

Skandavarman would have slapped her in any other circumstances as his natural instincts wanted him to even now, but he realized that Vasundhara is not a servant of his, and any indiscretion could cause problems and he takes a few steps back away from Vasundhara, contemplating his next query, Nandivarman realizes that Skandavarman is stung and he like a true bargainer asks Vasundhara ‘maybe you have some information that could help my brother sit on the throne of Kanchi Vasundhara, after all, three years alongside Dharmavarman could have made you very knowledgeable about him.’

Vasundhara realizes that now the make believe atmosphere has dissipated and truth has started to emanate Vasundhara makes her eyes grow big in surprise, and then she acts fearful, takes a few steps away from Nandivarman who is nearing her and she says acting to the hilt ‘I can tell my masters many things, what good would they do to me if finally, my masters still don’t accede to the throne and if Dharmavarman learns about it, either I would become a pauper, or lose my life!’

Skandavarman opens a chest and takes out several gold coins, he also takes a few huge jewellery pieces and puts them in the lap of Vasundhara and tells her ‘this is just the advance, if your information is valuable enough to help make me the king, I give my word of honor that you will get ten times of the value of what you take from me today’

Vasundhara’s eyes are twinkling, with trembling hands she grabs the jewels and gold coins as she handles the wealth greedily, Vasundhara mentally prepares how much in one go she will tell both brothers and begins ‘my masters must be aware of Dharmavarman’s obsession with everything connected to Emperor Ashoka.’

Skandavarman nods while glancing at Nandivarman as Vasundhara continues saying ‘now he has got a very good ally in pursuing his obsession, Avanti, an eastern Java princess, a Buddhist girl, with whom Dharmavarman is already living like a husband, but Dharmavarman did not bring her to Kanchi after the halt at Lanka island, the last stop of Dharmavarman’s voyages, I suspect she would arrive soon, why Avanti has been left behind, I will be able to tell you as soon as she arrives.’

Skandavarman and Nandivarman are absolutely thrilled with this piece of information and Nandivarman goes and hugs Vasundhara in pure joy. Vasundhara doesn’t understand what could make the two brothers so pleased. Skandavarman escorts Vasundhara to the door and tells her ‘whenever you have more information, I will have more wealth for you Vasundhara.’

Vasundhara nods and exits cheerfully. After Vasundhara has gone away from their chambers Nandivarman is ecstatic, he says ‘this almost corroborates the information that we have, all the ships that have come from Lanka have brought the news that ancient books have been stolen from a Buddhist shrine, and the Dharma Chakra engraved lion statue at the base of Kasyapa’s spiral staircase to his citadel in sky is also missing, and all this happened while Dharmavarman was at the island.’

Skandavarman says ‘you are right Nandivarman, Dharma wanted to fool us, as you had guessed earlier, he knew we will have his ship and his safe houses searched so he will send all these things with Avanti, now there isn’t any doubt that Avanti would be bringing these treasures with her as we have searched everywhere possible so far and not found a trace of them.’

Nandivarman pumps the air happily and says ‘a Buddhist princess, I am sure a king of Kanchi must not have an inter caste marriage, let Vasundhara help us find more details about her, we will make such a hue and cry over this alliance that maybe Dharmavarman if he truly loves her, will marry her in lieu of Kanchi’s throne for you.’

Skandavarman’s eyes are burning by now, he looks at his younger brother and says ‘don’t think too far Nandivarman…we will not be needed to do all this murky work, a simple sword mistake at the competition will be sufficient to safeguard the throne of Kanchi…I just hope Avanti comes to Kanchi prior to that, so that if we have any questions that can be answered by Dharmavarman, we can ask him.’

Nandivarman disagrees with Skandavarman and says ‘No my brother, we will have to ask him no questions to Dharmavarman…if Avanti brings the manuscripts, all the questions will be answered whenever and wherever we find Aryabhatta.’

8.

Back at the palace chambers of Queen Dharmavarman is still with his father Simhavarman and mother, Simhavarman looks at Dharmavarman and intimates him “Dharma, my son, you have as a kid visualized the shape this city would take, your tremendous hard work has shaped the history of Pallavas, the way our subjects have prospered has made Kanchi a model for the rest of the world to follow, and as I am nearing my last days, I can hear a clamor for you to be installed the king”.

Queen mother looks pleased by the prospect and adds happily “I fully support the will of the people, while kingdoms north to us are busy in wars, trying to either fight invasions, or consolidate the extent of their empires, Kanchi has developed much ahead of them, in development of science and trade, we are no less than mightiest of powers ever on this earth if not mightier, and thus there isn’t anyone better than Dharmavarman who has furthered these ideals to sit on the throne of Kanchi”.

Dharmavarman smiles and says “no it is not apt, I am the youngest of my brothers and as the custom is, the eldest brother should be made the king” Simhavarman looks at his son and queen mother interjects “that is very nice of you, very noble of you to think in this way, but your father and I have arrived at the conclusion, that you have best credentials to accede to the throne, entire Kanchi wants you to be the next king”.

Dharmavarman gets up and bows to his parents and says “I am honored that my parents think me to be worthy of the throne, but I am not interested in the seat of power” Queen mother looks a little shocked and Simhavarman asks his son “you are refusing the throne my son”?

Dharmavarman answers “I have my goals very clear my father, I have a mission in my life, and it certainly doesn’t include stepping over my elders for a throne.” Queen mother exclaims “every astrologer has predicted that you will become the most worthy of all my progeny in history, you would be revered like a god by millions thousands of years later, and you wish to throw away all that”

Dharmavarman smiles and says “if I am destined, so be it, but I am not prepared for the throne of Kanchi” As Dharmavarman prepares to leave Simhavarman says “Whatever your reservations my son, finally you will be responsible to what is the majority decision, this matter will be soon decided in the court” Dharmavarman nods and says “I assure you, my stand will remain the same”

Simhavarman is a bit upset and says ‘whatever your mind is now it can change later Dharmavarman, this mind is very fickle. Not too long ago Chandragupta II was asked to accede to the throne, but he refused, so Samudragupta named Ramgupta his heir, Ramgupta acceded to the throne, but he was incompetent, what happened, the public pressure and family’s and courtiers pressure made Vikramaditya murder his own brother and became a king. I cannot allow palace intrigues after I pass away. I have decided upon it Dharma, and I order you to accede to the wishes of the majority.’

Dharmavarman is at a loss of words, he is unable to explain his mission to his father, all he can say to him is ‘please understand me father.’

Queen mother replies instead ‘you have grown up my son, but don’t ask your father to understand you, while it is your duty, your dharma to understand and obey him. I know Dharma you are chasing a pipe dream, you have had an obsession about Emperor Ashoka ever since you heard the accounts of Aryabhatta…they are nothing but a cock and bull story, created by his father, who was a failed mathematician. And is now selling his work under the garb of Emperor Ashoka’s research…’

Simhavarman agrees ‘I have also thought about all this Dharma, few things in this world are just not possible, man can never become a god, whatever I have heard about Aryabhatta from Skandavarman is blasphemous and I would have had him killed had he not been so dear to you.’

Queen places her hand on the head of Dharmavarman and tells him ‘don’t throw away your destiny, future of Kanchi connected with your destiny, if you don’t become the king our Pallavar dynasty will also fade away like many others, only you have the power for it to flourish like no other kingdom ever in history…don’t say no my son.’

Dharmavarman is speechless he has nothing to offer he ponders talking further and realizes it would be useless, so he just bows and leaves, and Simhavarman is silent for a long time after Dharmavarman has left and then he tells his wife ‘No doubt about this boy, he is special, it requires a great character to say no to be Kanchi’s king.’

Vasundhara who had returned back from the elder princes palace, has been hearing the complete conversation between the king, queen and son, she gets a wry smile on her face as she places her wealth in a basket, which she then carries away.

9.

Vasundhara had made a bargain deal with Kannan the largest trader of gold jewellery in Kanchi, she had walked away with a favorable deal using her charm and seductive attitude, and the trader had paid her a higher price because Vasundhara had agreed to spend a day sailing in the seas on his private vessel. Vasundhara was very attractive and trader had gone gooey eyed before her, and had sent away all his servants and dealt in private with Vasundhara.

Vasundhara had also made it sure that she would get a good price the next time too, she had made a pact with the jeweler that she will return again in next few days to convert more jewellery into coins and that would be the time when they will fix a date for their leisure trip. After Vasundhara left, the trader was unable to carry out much work, so enthralled he was by Vasundhara, and the prospect having her as his own for a whole day. Kannan never even once thought that this jewellery were given to Vasundhara by Skandavarman and are palace jewels, which could cause trouble for him later.

Vasundhara walked proudly through the bustling market lane of Kanchi’s main bazaar. Pundit Anbusivan was negotiating a basket of mixed fruits when he saw Vasundhara; she was spending big money on exquisite silk dresses. Pundit Anbusivan was perplexed when he saw Vasundhara pay up with gold coins, as she had quite a few.

Curious he followed Vasundhara and found her eyeing pearl jewellery at Chandra’s shop, which housed the most priceless pearls of the orient and now Anbusivan was suspicious. He had his mind set on questioning her, but he didn’t get the opportunity as Skandagupta’s loyal men entered the shop, they began talking to Vasundhara and she left with them, but not before she had bargained for a priceless pearl set.

Vasundhara was taken to a gazebo at the private gardens of Nandivarman, and she bowed to elder princes Skanda and Nandi who were waiting for her.

Skandavarman poses a query as soon as he sees Vasundhara ‘I believe king offered the seat of Kanchi to Dharma last night?’
‘Yes… but you have nothing to fear, as Dharmavarman had refused the throne of Kanchi, despite the pressures of queen mother.’ Vasundhara answers.

Nandivarman asks her is this true, that queen mother was dejected after his refusal, and King Simhavarman has assured her that when Dharmavarman is nominated in the court, he will not be able to refuse?’

‘that is correct master, but Dharmavarman was certain about his not overstepping the rights my master to the throne, and that is why I am overjoyed and out in the market purchasing best things to adorn myself with at your coronation.’ Vasundhara proudly tells Skandavarman.

Skandavarman nods and says ‘I hope you see my coronation.’ Skandavarman takes off his necklace and offers it to Vasundhara, who gleefully accepts and leaves the garden having become wealthier.

Tremendous tension builds up in Skanda & Nandivarman. Skandavarman says “I am certain that Dharmavarman is faking refusal.’
Nandivarman agrees ‘by refusing he is winning the hearts of the Kings coterie who will finally persuade him to be the king, and Dharmavarman will make it look to us that he had no other choice but to accept.’

Skandavarman looks disappointed ‘the writing is on the wall for us, things are moving so rapidly that we cannot trust that King will make his decision till Prajnatara arrives, if possible, we must strike before that.’

Nandivarman responds ‘unless we can discredit Dharmavarman thoroughly and totally so that his kingship is out of question, and for that we must find his elusive consort Avanti.’

Skandavarman responds ‘I have spread my men far and wide, as soon as any girl is seen with Dharmavarman, we will become the first to know.’ He sees Vasundhara leave with his soldiers eyeing her lecherously.

Vasundhara isn’t aware that she has raised suspicions in the mind of Pundit Anbusivan is a very careful man. Anbusivan is certain that he is being followed, as he walks through the rich lanes of Kanchi. He goes through various lanes and makes sure of the identity of his followers, who have no indication that they are being beaten at their own game by Pundit Anbusivan who finally enters the house of Mahaveer Ratnam.

As Mahaveer greets the pundit, he tells him gravely, ‘we are under constant surveillance, and the ship is due today I am absolutely at my wits ends where do we house Avanti and the cache of treasure which we have to cart to Aryabhatta.’

Mahaveer Ratnam says ‘I have been thinking of it too, all our men are easily identifiable, whom we should entrust Avanti with, and this is really difficult.’

Pundit Anbusivan sits down exasperated and says ‘we need a decoy, a person who wouldn’t be followed.’

Mahaveer Ratnam is afraid ‘Skandavarman would like an opportunity to discredit Dharmavarman, knowing that there will be resistance for Avanti here, Dharmavarman has made her arrive by a separate vessel, we did not cater for this surveillance… Skandavarman will be delighted to sacrifice Avanti as the scapegoat for Dharmavarman’s fascination for Buddhism and win the throne by deceit.’

Pundit Anbusivan says ‘there is one more thing, Vasundhara has suddenly become very wealthy it appears, she has been buying gold and silk and pearls. I checked up with the council of jewelers, she has sold a lot of jewels and jewellery yesterday, claiming it was given to her by prince Skandavarman.’

Mahaveer is all attention, and he becomes thoughtful after this and then he says ‘definitely she must have passed information useful to Skandavarman to have gained such riches from him, because that lustful Skandavarman has eyes only for young nubile and preferably Habshi or chinky eyed girls, if what you say is true, then it must be true that Vasundhara has given to Skandavarman what she doesn’t possess physically, and that can only be crucial information about Dharmavarman, as she has returned after three years in his service with him, she would have plenty to offer.’

Pundit Anbusivan looks at Mahaveer Varman and tells him with relief ‘you have to be right, I have got a plan to keep Avanti’s arrival under the cloak. Vasundhara will be our decoy.’

Dharmavarman was strolling anxiously in his private chambers when Vasundhara enters and looks with surprise at Dharmavarman and asks him seductively ‘my master, I almost died when I was told that you wish to meet me in private, after all these years I had certainly given up hope that my master will cast his glad eye upon me.’ Vasundhara looks at Dharmavarman and sees his expression is ice cold, she asks trying her best to use her seductive charm ‘my master looks in a very angry frame of mind just now, have I done anything wrong?’

Dharmavarman nods and goes close to Vasundhara casting a burning look, the intensity of which pierces Vasundhara and Dharmavarman states ‘Vasundhara, if a dog stays with someone for three years, he becomes faithful, but it is human nature to deceive those who have provided you with earning and food.’

Vasundhara chokes a little and fearfully asks Dharmavarman ‘why do you say this to me master?’
Dharmavarman says ‘I think we must meet queen mother, she has kept you in my service, so that I will be protected and cared for by you, so you explain to her, from where did you get so much jewellery that has all the jewelers council gossiping about palace?’

Vasundhara is scared, her heart misses a beat and she says ‘please don’t tell anything to queen mother prince, she will have me buried alive.’ Vasundhara looks mortified.

Dharmavarman asks her ‘you have been poisoning my brother’s mind about me, what have you told her?’
Vasundhara gulps in air and she says ‘everyone knows about your obsession with dharma chakras, the only new information that I gave them is about Avanti, especially that you are keen to marry her and she might be arriving into Kanchi anytime now.’

Dharmavarman is in rage, it appears he will do something wild, but the temper on his face subsides and he after a long pause calmly tells Vasundhara ‘you have put me in a great difficulty Vasundhara, either you can come with me to queen mother and face her wrath or do as I say.’
Vasundhara looks at Dharmavarman with renewed hope and answers ‘I have always done what you have said.’

From the interior of the room Pundit Anbusivan enters and tells Vasundhara ‘you have to undo the wrong that you have done to our beloved prince, you have to receive and protect Avanti now, come with me, I will tell you what prince wants.’

Pundit Anbusivan takes Vasundhara aside and sits down on a bench as Dharmavarman looks out towards the sea and he sees a ship emerging in the horizon and mutters “Avanti”. He turns and sees that Vasundhara is nodding, Pundit Anbusivan rises and says ‘Dharmavarman, I am leaving now, and I am sure from out of the palace I will be followed, but rest assured I will throw all pursuers off my back, Vasundhara will receive Avanti at the port and take her to the safe house that we have agreed upon. Mahaveer Ratnam will come and brief you about the further plan. Avanti and her baggage will not remain here in Kanchi till tomorrow.’
Dharmavarman looks at Vasundhara and says ‘can she be trusted?’
Pundit Anbusivan says ‘if she wants to live, we can trust her.’
Pundit Anbusivan turns and walks out briskly and Vasundhara looks at Dharmavarman and says ‘I will secure Avanti; it is my promise to my master, an honest promise.’ Vasundhara bows and exits the chambers as Dharmavarman turns and looks at the ship arriving with anxiety.

As luck would have it the Queen mother was entering the palace of Dharmavarman and she sees Vasundhara and Pundit Anbusivan exiting, she halts seeing the picture of Pundit and Vasundhara in an animated discussion and Skandavarman arrives from the end of the corridor he also observes Pundit walking out with Vasundhara but before he can ponder of the consequences, he sees his mother and walks to her and kneels and touches her feet. Queen mother Subhadra blesses her eldest progeny ‘may god fulfill all your wishes’

Skandavarman rises before his mother and replies with sadness in his tone ‘you are my god my mother, and I know that you are against fulfillment of my wish to be the king of Kanchi, which is my right, by being your firstborn, so please don’t shower me with an empty blessing.’

Queen Subhadra is a touch guilty but she tells her eldest son ‘you will be a king Skanda- Kanchi is big enough to accommodate all my sons, don’t you know our extent is far and wide?’

Skandavarman smiles sarcastically and utters ‘there is no comparison of any place other than the seat of Kanchi…why are you denying me my right, when you know I am most fit and able, why are you promoting Dharmavarman?’

‘I must not interfere with the affairs of state my son, I may be the queen, but these matters are entirely to be decided by the imperial court of Kanchi.’ Queen Subhadra says with frankness.

Skandavarman shakes his head vigorously disagreeing with his mother ‘Oh! Mother! Don’t lead me to believe this, isn’t it a truth that you have asked, rather insisted to Dharmavarman to accept the throne?’

Queen Subhadra nods and becomes silent, Nandivarman also enters the palace precincts and comes near his brother and mother as Skandavarman prods his mother into answering him ‘Am I not fit and able to even receive a reply from you mother! Tell me where did I go wrong? What fault of mine is so glaring that even my parents deem me unfit for a throne which by tradition has been the birthright of the eldest progeny?’

‘It has got to do with your philosophy my son.’ Queen Subhadra answers, as Skandavarman makes a face which tells everyone looking at him that he hasn’t understood the charge, Queen mother Subhadra adds ‘ True philosophy cannot subsist with dogma, you are too dogmatic Skanda.’ Skandavarman is a bit taken aback as he hears his mother making a grave face and saying ‘You defend orthodoxy, there is theological prejudice evident in you, people charge you of being unprogressive, as if you have become stationary in age old rituals of religion without modern outlook which is needed to guide an imperial Kanchi.’

Nandivarman looks agitated as Skandavarman objects in highest pitch of his voice ‘this is untrue! I am not what you are making out me to be.’ Queen Subhadra looks at her elder son and asks her ‘then what are you?’ Skandavarman replies with pride his chest pumped up ‘I am a true Brahmin.’ Queen mother says as if she has been vindicated ‘and that isn’t a qualification to rule Kanchi.’

Queen mother starts to walk towards the palace of Dharmavarman and Skandavarman walks by her side telling her in anger ‘I disagree with you mother, I can see all around me that intellect of people has been enslaved, the freedom from authority has caused bondage of souls to materialism… cannot you see winds of change, Arav sthan is being attacked with gospels of Christianity, we are ourselves fostering Buddhism and Jainism if this continues we will become a race that will become a part of history, a race that built mighty technology just to throw it away because new religions bar our intellect. Mother I will not allow this to happen!’

Queen mother Subhadra stops and looks at her son with piercing eyes and asks him in a hard tone ‘how do you intend to stop it…is the seat of Kanchi the only manner by which you can attain your goals, or you just need an excuse to sway the masses in your favor by religious nonsense, just because you want to ascend a throne of which others are as worthy if not more worthy than you!’

Nandivarman kneels at his mother’s feet and says ‘I am not more worthy than Skanda, but I am more worthy than Dharma, you have always loved your youngest the most mother, don’t take your affection to an extent that can cause problems in Kanchi.’

Queen Subhadra looks extremely annoyed and says ‘my resolve to see Dharma on throne becomes greater now, look at him, Dharma is refusing the throne because he feels it rightfully belongs to Skanda and look at the two of you, literally begging for it…beggars never become kings!’ Queen mother gives a definite gesture for the two brothers to halt as she enters the palace of Dharmavarman.

Nandivarman gets up and almost begins quarreling with Skandavarman ‘for what did you deem it fit to plead with your mother for the throne?’

Skandavarman replies ‘in hope she will see the truth.’
Nandivarman says ‘she saw the truth; she said you do not need to be a king if the objective that you wish to attain is good.’
Skandavarman is annoyed ‘I do not want to propagate as a pauper, I am not Buddha, neither a religious minister, I feel my religion is abandoning the sword, to wield which, is an important duty, sacred dharma.’
Nandivarman is sarcastic ‘that is not a reality in today’s plural faith world my brother, to be a king you have to be tolerant, and forget that you are a Brahmin.’

Skandavarman attains a defiant posture; a solid look of determination comes on his face and he says ‘I am involved in a clash with my own brother, our methods may be different, but our objectives are same. Dharmavarman wants to attain the power that Brahmin intellect provided Emperor Ashoka, but his Buddhist intellect made him throw it away, and I want that power too…to establish Brahmin supremacy that has been over the world since time immemorial. This is not a battle for the throne Nandivarman, this is a battle to do what I feel is a sacred duty of a Brahmin, to keep our religion’s dominance alive.’ With these words Skandavarman turns and leaves the palace of Dharmavarman. Nandivarman stands and looks at him walk away for a while then he also follows him with slower steps.

Queen mother Subhadra is with Dharmavarman who is in a prayer before her and he says ‘I asked you to see me mother, because this desire of yours to see me as a king is making my life difficult, my brothers have put me and my associates under surveillance, I am shocked and taken aback at this move of them.’

Queen mother rises and pulls her son up and says ‘there is always opposition whenever tradition is broken my son, but like every storm, this storm too will die down and soon you will find yourselves in an easy position.’

‘But mother, Avanti is coming to Kanchi, her ship is about to dock now, with conniving brothers, whose opposition is well known I am scared to bring her to meet you.’ Dharmavarman tells her, in a fearful tone.

Queen mother looks flustered and she asks Dharmavarman ‘who are your brothers to oppose your choice of bride, I will not allow that to happen.’

Dharmavarman looks at his mother and says ‘she is Buddhist my mother, and views of Skandavarman are well known, I am scared.’

Queen mother is taken aback, as if she had not expected this, and after grappling for words she tells Dharmavarman ‘I am sure you will convert her to our faith, love makes people do everything, converting will not be a difficult choice for her to make for you Dharmavarman.’

Dharmavarman looks at his mother and asks her ‘but why should I ask her to convert when I myself do not wish her to, I am comfortable with the notion of her pursuing her faith, and how different Buddhism is from our own faith…if there is anything, it is a little more refined and truer, and more modern of the values that we have in our religion.’

Queen mother looks at Dharmavarman with authority creeping in her expressions ‘you will ask her to convert; a king’s children have to be of pure faith.’
Dharmavarman loudly says ‘Mother, I don’t want to be a king.’

Queen mother looks at him with anger and says ‘you will do what your father and the court says, you will do what Prajnatara says, in whom you pay so much faith, as for this girl…bring her to me, when she is a Brahmin.’ Queen mother Turns and leaves and Dharmavarman looks at her go with thousands of emotions churning on his face.’

10.

In the gymnasium grounds which are an especially constructive area for martial arts practice of Skandavarman and his loyal troops, his warriors are practicing the martial art of kallari Payth in the traditional garb Kacha, red flowing waist length cloth of raw silk, with upper torso bare. The Kacha is wrapped in a particular manner on the waist of the warriors so that navel emanates a special power which is the basis of this martial art.

Skandavarman also enters the practice area, he touches the ground in a mark of worship and reverence, he wears the Kacha, gingely oil is applied which is specially medicated oil for the warriors. This renders coolness and flexibility to the body and invigorates the veins and muscles. Application of this oil reduces body temperature, while performing exercises. The warriors stop their practice and watch their master prepare for the exhibition of his skills.

Brahmaswaroop Misra enters the area with metal lashes, and throws them towards Skandavarman, the metal lashes are silvery in appearance and as Skandavarman holds the metal lashes and swishes them in air, a few branches of trees which come in it’s contact are slit of their trunk as in a ready pose, these metal lashes curl around the body of Skandavarman, who bows to Brahmaswaroop Misra who gestures a warrior to enter the practice ground and face Skandavarman.

Brahmaswaroop Misra tells his men ‘we will see the prince in Angathari proficiency, Angathari is use of metal weapons and mere practice can be dangerous. As the king has announced that a exhibition is going to be held, I am sure Angathari exhibition will also be also displayed, specifically when Dharmavarman is the chief exponent of the art.’

Skandavarman looks at his guru and says in disdain ‘however, while Dharmavarman will be displaying his skills for exhibition, remember, we have only one objective, to have the slain body of Dharmavarman to be displayed.’

The guru gives the signal for the practice to start and Skandavarman jumps about seven feet high in air and launches his metal lashes which appear to be swirling in a rhythmic dance in the air, his opponent is no amateur, instead of jumping, he bent backwards, his back almost touching the ground letting the metal lashes swirl over him and curl back without damaging him, and before the metal lashes could completely curl back, he launches his metal lashes, Skandavarman is caught unawares, he could see death approaching, Skandavarman was at his wits end, whether to curl his lashes or duck the opponent, if he curls his metal lashes, he will be in chopped in half by the lashes of his opponent, and if he ducks the lashes, his own metal lashes would slice through him. Skandavarman saw his own death.

However absolutely alert guru Brahmaswaroop Misra skillfully launches his metal lashes, in direct line of the two pairs of lashes swirling towards Skandavarman, they clash, a sound of metal clanging sounds and electricity is generated due to friction and force, the metal lashes darken at places while appearing red hot at others as they fall to the ground. Brahmaswaroop had saved Skandavarman from a certain death and he angrily comes into the arena directly opposite a stunned Skandavarman.

Skandavarman looks dejected, he was defeated, as soon as the fight had started Skandavarman was humiliated, he could not bear to stand in the arena any longer with the self esteem with which he had arrived, now his head hangs in shame. Nandivarman couldn’t tolerate the annihilation of his brother in a simple bout of Kallari and ashamed of his brother’s weakness just walks out of the arena muttering something in anger.

Facing his pupil, Guru Brahmaswaroop Misra tells Skandavarman ‘you are not fit for Kallari payth exhibition Skandavarman, you might hurt yourself, or even might get killed, you will need a long time to practice and we do not have this much time.’

Skandavarman looks dejected but is still determined ‘guruji, devise a method, I have to be in the arena when exhibition takes place, I cannot let people feel that I was a coward and ashamed of losing.’
‘That doesn’t mean you have to be stupid and get killed’ guru Brahmaswaroop Misra thunders in anger.
‘Guru, we shall be having Dharmavarman assassinated in this exhibition, and if I am not participating, fingers could point towards me.’ Skandavarman voices his major worry.
‘Can’t you understand? You might get killed instead of Dharmavarman! Skandavarman you are no exponent of kallari payth and you must admit it, if it were not for me, your body would have been lying in equal pieces and this soil would have been blood red!’ Brahmaswaroop Misra coldly points out the truth to Skandavarman.

Skandavarman looks to all his troops and sees the same concern on each and every face, he understands that the reactions of his troops is not exactly the reaction when they look up to their commander-in-chief, disappointed Skandavarman looks at Brahmaswaroop Misra and asks him sounding very frustrated ‘then what good are all these warriors for guruji, if they cannot protect their master?’

‘They would be of no good to you.’ Brahmaswaroop Misra says this and comes closer to Skandavarman and tries to explain ‘The Kallari payth training aims at something more at the ultimate co-ordination of mind and body. The weapon is only an extension of the body, controlled by the mind and the use of these both in attack and defense attain a very high degree of perfection. Dharmavarman has controlled his mind, whether he has weapons or not, he is formidable.’
Skandavarman is angry ‘you are praising Dharmavarman, are you scaring my warriors guruji?’
Brahmaswaroop Misra raises his pitch and booms ‘it is proper to know about your opponents capabilities… In Kallari payth, as you know there are different poses or vativus that are designed and developed to get concentration for perfect power and perfect force in carrying out a particular action or for being in readiness for action.

Skandavarman is disinterested but Brahmaswaroop tells everyone around ‘There are eight such vativus namely-Gaja Vativu(elephant pose), Aswa Vativu(horse pose), Simha Vativu(Lion pose), Varaha Vativu(boar pose), Matsya Vativu(Fish pose), Marjar Vativu (Cat pose), Kukkuta Vativu (Cock pose) and Sarpa Vativu(Serpent pose). While you may know one or two of these, the best of my warriors here know almost all, but Dharmavarman knows one more Vativu.’ Face of Skandavarman drops, his jaw almost hangs down and Brahmaswaroop tells them ‘Dharmavarman knows Mayura Vativu (Peacock pose) which very few of these warriors even know about, or if it actually is also practiced in kallari. Mayura Vativu makes a person extremely agile and flexible; his reflexes are unbeatable, unless we have a warrior who knows Mayura Vativu. I assure we will not be able to kill Dharmavarman.’

Skandavarman looks disappointed and he says with frustration evident in his tone ‘guruji it is my order, don’t use skill to kill enemy, use deceit, use cunning, scheme the exhibition in a manner that our objective is attained.’

Brahmaswaroop looks at Skandavarman and asks him ‘how do you propose we attain this objective?’
Skandavarman bites his lips, he has no clue to choreographing an assassination in kallari Payth exhibition and honestly says ‘I do not have any idea, I request my guru to plan it up for me and when you have this objective clear, I will be back here to see what these warriors can do for me.’ Skandavarman walks away and leaves Brahmaswaroop Misra pensive, and the warriors converging closer to him.

Skandavarman is met by his loyal guards who intimate him ‘master, mighty king has summoned you in his palace.’
Skandavarman nods and then turns into the direction of his father’s palace but as he walks with brisk pace he asks them ‘any information why this unscheduled audience has been sought?’

The head of the guard replies ‘no my master, all I know is that Nandivarman and Dharmavarman have also been summoned.’

Skandavarman becomes pensive, he becomes very restless, his brisk pace drops and he now trudges along fearful that he has left things for too late, a fear crosses his mind that in moments from now his dream of becoming a king would shatter. Skandavarman tries to reason in his mind of all the possible reasons that would make the king summon and as he thinks of each, his heart sinks further, and he walks into the heavily guarded royal palace.

Simhavarman’s palace is full of grandeur, in its architecture and in its decoration. The palace is fit to be the home of a King who rules lands never before ruled by a single king before. Ever since Skandavarman was a young boy, he had nursed his ambitions to own this palace personally and now as he walks into its open passageway, he has a depressing feeling that soon this would belong to Dharmavarman.

Skandavarman looks at the huge tall towers on all four sides, which overlook most of Kanchi city and give a clear view of the sea, Skandavarman heart is full of sorrow, this palace should not pass out to anyone else, he thinks. As he casts a glance down to the bustling city of Kanchi where people of different nationalities are busy making deals, he feels his vision of a Vedic world is in shambles. The religious order that Vishnugopa has initiated has not been taken forward.

Skandavarman stops next to a tower, something stops him from going to the palace immediately, he takes the three steps leading up to the wall, his favorite spot since he was a child. Skandavarman used to stand at this spot looking at the city, and at the sea which was a distance away. Skandavarman stood there once again seeing the life passing merrily down on the streets as it always had, without of an inkling of the great turmoil that was in his heart. Without any perception of the intrigue which was encompassing the palace.

Skandavarman leaning on the precipice, pauses to plan his reaction if his father does announce Dharmavarman as his successor, as he looks at a distance in the sea where a newly arrived ship is docking into the port, his mind is calculating specific lines he has to utter if things don’t happen in the manner he had wanted to.

There is a huge tower next to the dock that catches his eyes, which was erected by the Simhavarman I and completed by Vishnugopa who were his forefathers, the tower was the memorial of their ancestors the mighty Pallava clan, who had been pushed as far as south India in last two thousand years of history.

Once Pallavas were undisputed emperors in Persia Skandavarman thoughts went to the times when his ancestors had ruled the vast Persian lands, where no kings but their close associates and allies ruled. They had close ties with the Mitanni Kingdom, which were personally blessed by Lord Indra and Varuna themselves. Mitanni’s were called the Empire of ‘Narains’ after their deity of worship lord Vishnu and they had relationships with Kings of Misra (Egypt) the descendents of King Ramasya (like Rama). They had marital alliances with the kings of Misra and their empire was around Dwa Jala (two Rivers).

The Vedic priests that performed ritual in courts of Misra were from their and Mitanni empire these priests and their religious followers over course of time had traveled with them and settled in various parts of land of Bharata calling themselves Misra’s and stopped being priests barring a few.

Pallavas had to push back to Bharata because they were caught in the cross fire of a war between devas (gods) and Assurs (demons). Assurs had been pushed by Pallavas earlier towards northern Bharata, where they ran over the indigenous people and took over their great cities forcing Pallavas to come and create bases around the cities and launch a war against them. Assurs had regrouped on the Dwa Jala lands and attacked Misra (Egypt) and then they came strongly back to provide support to thriving cities of the northern Bharata which were occupied by the Assurs.

The onslaught of Assurs had been great, not only the kingdom’s of Misra crumbled, Pallavas also had to retreat down south waiting for divine help from Varuna, Indra and Mitra. When divine help arrived, it was pure devastation, and Indra flooded the cities occupied by Assurs and decimated them. Pallavas over past hundreds of years kept their culture and tradition alive without a kingdom as they regrouped and resurfaced and claimed Kanchi in south of Bharata, with a kingdom today that spans across many oceans, however the descendants have forgotten why they had survived, why they had retreated, the main objective was to keep Vedic religion alive, so it was a sacred duty for a Pallavar head that Vedic religion survives and once again becomes as glorious as it was hundreds of years ago.

However today it appears to Skandavarman, that he is alone, the only one left with a sense of tradition because all kings though have kept their culture intact, but once again are doing the same mistake as their forefathers did while allowing different cultures to flourish around them, and the end result would be the same, tolerance will make them retreat once again in future and the tremendous knowledge that Vedas contain will again become undecipherable for generations to come.

Skandavarman’s thoughts are broken by Nandivarman’s call ‘Skanda- what are you thinking, father is waiting for us!’
Skandavarman turns and sees his brother with his guards entering, he nods and walks down the stairs again and joins Nandivarman whom tells him ‘my troops have informed me that a ship has docked and it has come from Lanka.’

Skandavarman looks at Nandivarman and says ‘and shall I believe that King has summoned us at this time, because of some inane reason, prompted by Dharmavarman so that we cannot personally overlook the search of the boat?’

Nandivarman has no answer as they walk inside the palace, the guards halt outside, and as customary they lower their weapons and stand at guard, taking vantage points around the palace.

King Simhavarman was sitting on a high stone seat, made of pure white marble, Dharmavarman was already there standing next to his father’s seat and the trusted coterie was also around, everyone except King bows to the arriving princes, who bow to the idol of golden Ganesha the elephant god at the entrance of the royal chamber they place their hand on the flame of an oil lamp lit in front of the idol of reclining lord Ganesha, they touch that warm hand to their forehead and start to walk again.

The royal chamber was a large hall, in which private meetings were held by the king, matters which need urgent attention were discussed here and decided, the presence of coterie in this meeting gave credence to Skandavarman that succession issue was going to be settled, he glanced at Nandivarman who read the thoughts of his elder brother and he whispers ‘I am with you, I assure we will not let any conspiracy against you succeed.’

Both elder brothers go and kneel before their father, the imperial King and then they rise up with head bowed to go and pay reverence to their ancestors, the hall was well lit up with twenty four chandeliers, and the walls had pure clarified butter lit lamps lighting up the portraits of mighty ancestors of Pallavas, who in eyes of Skandavarman were true emperors who had propagated Vedic culture with vengeance.

Vishnugopa was Skandavarman’s ideal, Vishnugopa had encouraged the use of Sanskrit the language of gods to minimize the use of Prakrit which was prevalent, especially because Prakrit was the language fostered by the followers of Buddha, Vishnugopa had also overlooked the claims of Buddhist over a shrine in Tirumalai and declared it a shrine of Vishnu. Skandavarman bowed under the portrait of his ideal and then returned to face his father.

King Simhavarman is handed a couple of rolled letters and he begins to speak ‘my son’s I have two important messages with me, that need urgent decision. One is from Sumadravarman, this mighty king of Kamrupa the eastern Kingdom; he wants to marry his daughter to the next King of Kanchi.’

Skandavarman tightens his fists, ‘so it is the question of succession, disguised in an offer of marital alliance.’ Skandavarman thought and his mind raced ahead planning his reply.

Simhavarman gets up from his seat and says ‘Skandavarman and Nandivarman are already married and I was wondering if Dharmavarman would accept the proposal.’

That was as clear as one could get about the succession issue Skandavarman realized and felt powerless and angered. Nandivarman is taken aback with the suggestion and he sees that his elder brother is too shocked to speak, so Nandivarman speaks first ‘Mighty Sumadravarman has specifically mentioned that his daughter is to be married to the next Emperor of Pallava imperial kingdom, if the king has decided the succession issue and the next King, then it is fine, we will bow our heads in deference to his choice, but if he has not yet decided on the successor the issue of succession must be cleared before the issue this alliance can be discussed.’

Simhavarman looks at his son a smile comes on his face and he says ‘very wise my son.’ Simhavarman looks at his minister and advises him ‘you can tell the messengers who have brought this letter for alliance that we will decide on the succession issue as soon as Prajnatara sends the date he shall be arriving in the court, so if they wish to carry a positive reply back, they must stay as our guests in the palace for a few days.’

The minister bows to the order of the king and says ‘consider it done my king.’ Skandavarman suddenly feels rejuvenated, new hope fills in his heart as he presses Nandivarman’s hand in thanks and his head is held high again.

Now Simhavarman opens the next letter, he looks at it and then at Dharmavarman and reads it out saying ‘To revered and greatly honored and admired king of Kanchi, a request from Tathagat Gupta, emperor of Bharata.’

Skandavarman immediately objects and loudly says ‘he has no business to call himself Emperor of Bharata, this is disrespectful to you my king.’

King Simhavarman looks at his son and says ‘indeed it is, Tathagat is no Vikramaditya, his empire is in shambles, but it is very interesting what he had requested, Tathagat has written here that, Pallavas have captured Aryabhatta, who is a citizen of Gupta ruled Kusumpura. Tathagat feels Aryabhatta is in possession of documents that are vital for the resurrection of Gupta Empire and he believes that seat of Kanchi in greed for these documents are holding Aryabhatta. So he has prayed that Aryabhatta must be released immediately and restored to Tathagat Gupta, along with all the possessions that he believes are with Aryabhatta.’

Skandavarman hears this and immediately looks towards Dharmavarman, whose face is a bit apprehensive and a little red, and Nandivarman once again speaks but this time with more surety and clarity ‘Tathagat has a reason to send us this communication, even we do believe that Aryabhatta is held, but not by the royal seat of Kanchi, but by Dharmavarman.’

Skandavarman adds immediately ‘I also agree with Nandivarman, it was not long ago when Buddhadev Gupta the last king of Gupta empire had also made a similar demand, however he had the courtesy to not make an official representation, but unofficially he had sent emissary to convey his demand to seek Aryabhatta and help avoid an unnecessary conflict between us. I did my best to trace Aryabhatta, but failed.’

Simhavarman looks at Dharmavarman and says ‘so it is true that you are holding Aryabhatta, my son, over last few centuries we have successfully avoided any conflict with the northern empires. So it is in the interest of flourishing Pallava empire we keep these northern kings at bay, who have no idea about the kind of trade we have developed, they have no idea of the power that we wield, though we may be greatly powerful and beat Tathagat Gupta if he foolishly ventures to our borders, we will open the gates for northern powers to realize our might. We cannot risk showing them the wealth of this nation, which is what draws every foreign power to Bharata and they get stuck up with kings up north and never reach us…it is in our interest to keep away from these kings. The Kanchi Empire is down south, east and west of us but not north. So leave Aryabhatta out of captivity Dharmavarman. I do not wish Pallavas to become masters of north by default.’

‘Aryabhatta is no captive, he is staying in Pallava domains from last two years of his own free will.’ Dharmavarman answers in reverent tone to his father. Skandavarman as if gets the opportunity to speak his heart out alleges to the king.
‘Dharmavarman has just confessed what he and his men have denied to me so far, that Aryabhatta is indeed in Pallava domains, just what is the reason that you are protecting Aryabhatta Dharmavarman, why cannot I get an audience with Aryabhatta and decide if he should be treated as a state guest of Kanchi or to be returned to Tathagat Gupta, or if he has indeed brought secret documents relating to Gupta empire?’ Skandavarman purges his unanswered questions in a hurried tone full of expectation of a positive answer.

Dharmavarman looks calmly at his elder brother and then towards the king and replies serenely ‘Aryabhatta is writing a book, and when he publishes it he will leave to wherever he wants, Tathagat Gupta may be informed, though he thinks Aryabhatta is a citizen of Kusumpura, we perceive him to be a citizen of Ashmaka where he was born, and which is a part of Pallava dominions, it is a matter of choice of an individual where he wishes to stay, and which place he chooses to be a citizen of between the place of his birth or the place he grew up at.’

Skandavarman looks at the king and tells him in a fiery tone ‘Aryabhatta isn’t at Ashmaka, that leads to give credence to Tathagat’s claim that Aryabhatta is kidnapped, let Dharmavarman allow us to meet Aryabhatta and decide what reply needs to be sent to Tathagat Gupta.’

King Simhavarman immediately agrees with his eldest son and tells Dharmavarman ‘Skandavarman is right here, we must ascertain the views of Aryabhatta before we send a missive back to Tathagat Gupta.’

Dharmavarman looks disturbed and is in a fix, Nandivarman gets a broad smile on his face that he cannot hide and he exchanges a happy look with Skandavarman, the entire coterie is looking at Dharmavarman and waiting for his answer, Dharmavarman is confused as to what he must do, and seeing him speechless Skandavarman asks him ‘So is Dharmavarman going to disobey his father, the king of Kanchi?’

Dharmavarman is cornered and he replies ‘I dare not disobey my father, however I know Aryabhatta, as a friend. I know he wouldn’t wish to appear before Skandavarman, as Skandavarman has already sent his men far and wide and they had given Aryabhatta a tough time, he has roamed a lot trying to escape Skandavarman. I do not believe that he will come to the court if I say.’

Nandivarman puts the blame back on Dharmavarman ‘you are evading the issue at hand by blaming Skandavarman, you are still trying to say that Aryabhatta will not come, how do we believe you, let King’s men meet Aryabhatta and if the King is advised by Aryabhatta that he doesn’t wish to see Skandavarman, so be it, and I am sure Skandavarman would be the last man on earth to harbor a friendly feeling for such a man who dislikes him. However Dharmavarman, you have to disclose where Aryabhatta is, unless you wish Kanchi to engage in a useless expenditure of a fruitless war with Tathagat Gupta, by defeating whom we have nothing to gain.’

Skandavarman adds ‘Dharmavarman is right too; I have indeed tried to trace Aryabhatta, but for reasons best known to Dharmavarman. As a younger brother Dharmavarman should have shown some grace and due reverence to his elder brother by allowing him to meet Aryabhatta, but what has he achieved by hiding him? What conspiracy Dharmavarman is hatching with Aryabhatta, King and his coterie has a right to know.’

King Simhavarman looks at his son’s and says with disappointment ‘I am sad to see that Aryabhatta is a matter of mistrust between my sons, Dharmavarman, I request that Aryabhatta be produced before us.’

Dharmavarman looks at the king, and then at his brothers, he sees the expressions on the faces of the coterie who are waiting for Dharmavarman to acquiesce to the king and Dharmavarman decides, a tough expression comes on his face and he says with solid determination ‘Aryabhatta will not come to Kanchi.’

There is a deathly silence, King is shocked, the coterie, of Simhavarman is stunned, and Skandavarman is speechless seeing the gall of his younger sibling. Simhavarman cannot believe his ears, he had never expected Dharmavarman to disobey him, that too in front of entire court. Simhavarman feels slighted and his eyes become red. The silence is ghastly everyone expects the worst to take place. However only Dharmavarman stands calm with relative peace on his face and Nandivarman asks ‘Does Dharmavarman know the consequences of his actions?’

Dharmavarman nods and looks at his father who is feeling angered and betrayed. Simhavarman is filling up with fury seemingly ready to explode as Dharmavarman once again goes closer to him kneels and lifts his face up and says in a very respectful tone ‘my father, my king, I cannot disobey you. I submit before you that Aryabhatta has reasons to fear Skandavarman, if his location, and the meetings with him are kept a secret from Skandavarman, I see no reason why Aryabhatta should refuse to come before you, because I will convince him to do so myself.’

Skandavarman smiles as he could see Dharmavarman bending in front of the kings dictate. Dharmavarman has risen up now, and takes a few steps back faces the king and his coterie and then glances at Skandavarman and adds ‘however bringing Aryabhatta here on your order father and without an assurance from you that he be kept away from Skandavarman would mean that I would be cheating a friend who trusts me.’

Simhavarman’s expression changes and he looks at his youngest son as he continues ‘Aryabhatta is my guest in this kingdom, my Athiti deva (therefore like my god as per our tradition). If king asks me to betray my friend who as per our tradition must be looked after like a god, I will not hesitate to do so and fulfill your command to betray my Athiti deva Aryabhatta, Though I will honor your command and bring Aryabhatta before you, I will punish myself for going against dharma and slay myself for the crime that I would have otherwise never committed.’

King Simhavarman is further taken aback, he cannot remain standing and goes back and sits on his marble throne and says ‘this is a battle between you two brothers, and Aryabhatta has become a tool between Skanda and you to settle scores, more than a political issue this has become a family issue.’

Skandavarman moves forward goes climbs the steps leading to Simhavarman’s throne and he kneels there and says ‘father, you do not understand the machinations of Dharmavarman well, by giving this issue a look of conflict between us he is trying to divert you from carrying out the matter of state, I request that you do not give in to the emotional blackmail Dharmavarman is resorting to and summon Aryabhatta to the court.’

King Simhavarman is sad and he looks at his sons with a grave face and says ‘I cannot believe this, my son’s have been impressed with a fake man, I have known about father of Aryabhatta, he was a failure who had talked nonsense all his life and was prone to making unbelievable stories, he had made up the story of re-incarnation of Aryabhatta, and you all believe it?’

Dharmavarman nods and says ‘I have reasons to believe Aryabhatta; I have spent a lot of time with him my father.’

‘I don’t believe him and I want to prove fallacy of Aryabhatta’s theories, that is why Aryabhatta fears me and stays away from me, if he is brought to the court, everything will be come crystal clear.’ Skandavarman states in an earnest manner.

Kind Simhavarman nods and tells Dharmavarman ‘I have heard the useless conjectures floated by Aryabhatta, he makes Ramayana and Mahabharata seem like some strange scientific fiction, it is blasphemous, he speaks of aircrafts as a possibility…now who in this court will believe Aryabhatta? His father had once narrated to me how his son believes that vailixes a lost civilization was in war with Rama kingdom, and that the Ayodhya that we know of is not the real Ayodhya, that Rama’s empire was further east of where we know it to exist today.’

Dharmavarman keeps quiet, he had already made his point and had no inclination to fan positives and negatives of Aryabhatta theories and the king says with remorse ‘Dharma If you believe such a man, I fear for you my son, with all you capabilities this is a blot upon your sensibilities. Aryabhatta is against the principles of our religion, he says there are many sun’s in the sky when we see only just one.’ King rises up again and tells his son almost in a plea ‘Dharmavarman stay away from this fool and let us return him to Tathagat Gupta.’

Dharmavarman nods towards his father and says ‘your command will be adhered to, but I will finally request once again, let Aryabhatta meet anyone but Skanda- we need to uphold a man’s dignity, we need to uphold his freedom of choice.’

King Simhavarman nods and says ‘fine…it is done, you leave tomorrow and return with Aryabhatta, I assure you that he will meet just me and the coterie and we will protect his identity and location from Skandavarman if he convinces us that it needs to be so.’

Dharmavarman bows and turns and walks out of the royal palace. Skandavarman and Nandivarman are trying to hide their glee as they kneel before their father and seek his leave, Simhavarman’s minister asks bowing before him ‘My King, what if Aryabhatta cannot convince you that he has to fear Skandavarman, Dharmavarman is a man of word, and he will kill himself!’

Simhavarman looks a little away, his eyes fixed towards a vacuum and after a long pause he utters ‘we can convince Dharmavarman, or we will convince Aryabhatta.’

11.


Avanti had been mesmerized with the view of Kanchi in the evening setting sun, as the ship was drawing close to dock, the sun rays made Kanchi appear to be a golden city. The structure of Kanchi were prominently visible from a long distance away and provided a sight like none other so far that Avanti had encountered, from a distance she was sure that she is arriving in a city that was the capital of the world.

Avanti was longing to meet her lover Dharmavarman at the docks, she was sure that he would be there to receive her. All the statues, manuscripts and the treasures had been in her baggage, with two loyal combatants and her two maids. As the ship drew closer to the port, the anxiety of Avanti kept on increasing, and when she could make out people milling in the port, she looked with concentration for anyone who had princely clothes, but she found none.

Maids of Avanti were surprised by the imposing structures of Kanchi, they were awed by magnificent fortress of Kanchi that appeared prominent from where they were looking from but in actuality was situated a long distance behind the coast. The other structures were as if fighting for their attention with huge temple structures which appeared nothing less than extra ordinary, works of great architects it was impossible to decide on one particular building to stand out from others.

If fort was the abode of the king, comparatively the house of commoners were ‘grand’ to say the least, these houses were big enough to be small palaces and adorned the coastline of Kanchi. It was evident they had arrived in a thriving city, a city of rich people, where commoners could amass as much wealth as the king himself if they worked hard for it, there was no other place in world where people other than the royal family had so much good going for them.

Avanti had been lonely in the last few days, without Dharmavarman it was difficult for her to pass even a little time. During the ship journey too she had felt a lot bored despite the fact that, many travelers with their fantastic stories tried to regale the passengers. From them Avanti had learnt of the strife their lands of China, where from last couple of centuries, many kingdoms rose and fell. China had become virtually war torn, with clans fighting for supremacy, which threw up new kings rapidly, while the masses were working hard for almost nothing, life for commoners in China was nothing like it appeared to be for the people of Kanchi.

There were traders from west who brought stories of Arav Sthan (the land of horses). This land was to the west of Kanchi, and a week’s sea journey away. Avanti learnt how this land which provided a land link to mighty Dwa Jala region was essentially a melting cauldron churning up new ideas of philosophy at a time when vegetation was decreasing alarmingly and the land trade routes were becoming absolutely dangerous.

Avanti had learnt that old customs in Arav Sthan were decaying, while faiths like Christianity were taking roots, Buddhism had no takers, mainly because it was hard for anyone to understand the principal of Ahimsa when the tribes of Arav Sthan were involved in battles every day, the friendly clans were overnight turning into bitter enemies to keep control of water sources which were becoming scarce. Avanti looked towards Kanchi, which epitomized peace in these turbulent times in lands east and west to it and wondered if it can exert influence everywhere as Dharmavarman had always visualized that one day it would. Avanti was unsure, how can a man usher in a peaceful world, when every man seems to be ready for a battle over, a coin of gold, a piece of land or a woman. Avanti had heard the grim story of a trader who had traveled far and wide made a lot of wealth and returned to Arav Sthan to find his wife the mistress of his tribe’s chief, and in a fit of rage sailed back to the sea in his boat and sunk himself with all the riches he had obtained, rather than be a laughing stock of his folks.

Avanti heard funny stories too, about the life of people in far off places, she learnt about their lands and their way of life and often wondered if the world around India was primitive. There were some mysteries as well, told especially by people who belonged to lands even further west of Arav Sthan, a race of strong and tough people who were dark with long wide mouths and strange bush of hair. They told stories of how the weak amongst them were coveted as slaves by other races as they were very hard workers, but their faiths were absolutely different, they worshipped strange deities of which Avanti had little knowledge of however these passengers though few in numbers aroused curiosity of Avanti especially after an incident when one of these passengers was thrown overboard because of the story he had narrated.

This passenger was from a group of traders who were from Habshiyaana (Abyssinia) who apart from commodities dealt in humans as well and he had an amazing and intriguing story for Avanti. This Habshi prayed to a god unknown to others a god who he claimed had come to earth on a heavenly vehicle and he pointed in the sky a star from where he had arrived and landed in the dominions of the Dogon, which was situated to the west of Habshiyaana, and was the home of this trader.

This Habshi gave details about the location of the star and its exact distance from earth which caused sniggers amongst the listeners. He called the place from where his gods came as Pa Tolo. According to him these gods were fish like amphibians. This Habshi made others angry by claiming that all life on this earth thrived because of his gods. That other race were a dilution of his gods color which was black and they were the purest form of his gods still surviving.

Angry passengers probed his religion a little more they became furious at whatever this Habshi added in his replies, he had claimed that life as we know here, flourishes in the skies too. That sun rotates on its axis around the galaxy like other stars. His knowledge of other planets in our system was preposterous to all. The conviction of the Habshi that he was the purest in descent from the gods made passengers volatile and it was heard that after a drinking bout in the night, he was thrown off the ship.

Avanti was sad, she wanted to know more about the Dogon’s and she definitely wanted this man to recount his faith before Dharmavarman, because she had known it was only Dharmavarman who could have believed this man. What had struck Avanti was a little similarity in what this man said confirmed with the mythic folklore she grew up with.

According to folklore there were three worlds. The Bhu Lok (Earth) Dev Lok (Planet of gods) and the third world was called, ‘paa Tal Lok’ sounding similar to Pa Tolo. Paa Tal Lok was supposed to be the underwater world, inhabited by amphibious gods. To Avanti the resemblance was uncanny and something for Dharmavarman to know, but sadly the Habshi was no more, and his colleagues were intelligent not to broach this subject again.

As the ship was getting ready for docking, Avanti went to her cabin to change in her best attire, and adorn herself with the choicest of ornaments to look like the princess who deserved to be the wife of the prince of Kanchi. Avanti had forgotten all the trials and tribulations of last few days which she had passed without Dharmavarman and was excited about meeting her beau without delay at the port.

At the port Vasundhara was waiting, she had come in with Kannan the trader besotted with her; she had walked to the port with the pretext of seeing his boat on which they were to spend a day of passion together. Kannan was more than obliging, he was treating Vasundhara royally and showing her his prized possession a huge boat, with a high mast and colorful sails. Vasundhara looked pleased with the display, however her mind was on the ship that docked and she was searching for Avanti, while Kannan was thinking that he has mesmerized another girl and was contemplating a day of a new conquest soon.

Pundit Anbusivan had shirked off his pursuers and had met up with his trusted client and friend, Bhaskaran, who was the biggest trader of Kanchi and president of the Kanchi trading council. There was hardly any ship either arriving or departing from Kanchi which did not carry a cargo of Bhaskaran. Pundit Anbusivan had briefed Bhaskaran on what he had to do, he pointed out Vasundhara and asked Bhaskaran to keep his loyal workers next to Vasundhara and instructs the course of action. They had to retrieve the cargo from the ship and cart it to Brahmagiri before anyone can know that Avanti has arrived in this ship.

Vasundhara caught the sight of Avanti and she tells Kannan ‘oh, I see a friend of mine, wait a few moments, I’ll talk to her and come back.’

Kannan was obliging, and Vasundhara raced up the stairs to the ship and met Avanti who was still searching the port for Dharmavarman and was looking disappointed upon not seeing him Vasundhara reaches her and says ‘you must change into simple clothes, Dharmavarman has sent me to fetch you.’ Avanti was hesitant, she had always known Vasundhara disliked her and thought it to be some conspiracy against her. Vasundhara adds ‘trust me, Dharmavarman already has problems here, if his elder brothers find out that you have arrived with the cargo, it will be confiscated.’

Avanti was not convinced, she was going to refuse Vasundhara when one man who had followed Vasundhara steps forward and tells Avanti ‘this woman is right, you must let your men take the cargo with us, here is a note from Dharmavarman himself and I am Bhaskaran’s man.’

The man shows a note to Avanti, it is indeed from Dharmavarman, she recognizes the seal it says ‘does what you are told by the bearer of this note, leave with Vasundhara, and let Bhaskaran’s men take the cargo to their warehouse for further disposal. I am sorry I cannot make it personally.’

Avanti is a bit upset, she wondered why Dharmavarman didn’t come to receive her, at first she was angry, a lot of vicious thoughts crossed her mind, particularly as she had never trusted Vasundhara, but then she trusted her instincts, she realized that the treasures that she carries are of equal importance to Dharmavarman. Avanti knew about the attempts of Skandavarman to obtain what she has in her possession today and she told her men to obey Bhaskaran’s man and goes back to her cabin to change in simpler clothes.

Vasundhara comes down and reaches Kannan and apologizes, ‘sorry to make you wait, one of my old friend has returned back to Kanchi after a long time, I would like to leave with her, that is if you allow. Kannan had seen Vasundhara chatting with Avanti and was already mesmerized with Avanti’s beauty. Kannan was rich and was already planning to get an introduction to beautiful Avanti, if he kept Vasundhara in good humor and tells her in an obliged tone ‘of course you may’ and then adds lecherously ‘I saw your friend is very beautiful.’ Vasundhara is adept to pandering a lecherous man’s soul and informs Kannan ‘my friend is unmarried; I can get her to meet you later, if you give me something in return.’

Kannan is overjoyed and says ‘I cannot believe my luck, you have walked in my trading office and changed my life, I have made a lot of money, and I can certainly afford some fun.’ Kannan takes a few gold coins from his pocket and gives them to Vasundhara and says ‘go and enjoy, settle your friend comfortably and bring her to me after we return from our journey tomorrow.’ Vasundhara nods and gives a seductive smile overjoyed Kannan walks away as Vasundhara turns her sight back to the ship. Bhaskaran’s men are carrying away the cargo along with Avanti’s entourage and soon afterwards Avanti also walks down wooden stairs, dressed as commonly as possible, but still appearing a princess that she is. As Avanti sets her foot on Kanchi’s land Vasundhara accosts her, she takes Avanti by her arm and acting like friends they walk away from the port.

As the sun had set Avanti and Vasundhara entered the Kanchi palace, for Avanti it appeared as if she was stealing something, this wasn’t the way she wanted to enter this palace, like a commoner. Avanti had perceived that after marriage she would enter this palace as a bride and stay happily forever with Dharmavarman, little she knew what shocks future held for her.

Avanti was pretty so she attracted immediate attention, from the royal guards to Skandavarman’s soldiers everyone asked who she was, and Vasundhara told them, she is a new maid in Queen Subhadra’s palace, an expert masseur to attempt a cure for Queen’s hurting knees. Lustful eyes followed Avanti as Vasundhara led her to the queen mother’s palace, when they reached the palace exteriors Vasundhara went to her room and made Avanti comfortable in her quarters while she went to check if Dharmavarman was around in his palace and inform him that his loved one is in the palace. After Vasundhara left Avanti saw outside from the window, and the amazing life of the vibrant city caught her attention, but her regret was that she was seeing things from servant rooms, dressed like a servant and wondered why Dharmavarman had asked her to go through all this.

13.

Pundit Anbusivan had finished his work, he had gone to perform an innocuous looking religious service in the house of trader Bhaskaran soon his pursuers got disinterested in his activities and went a little far away from him. It was then when Anbusivan had formulated his plan. Bhaskaran had men all over the port, all port authorities were under his control, if anyone’s cargo could leave unchecked from the port officials was Bhaskaran’s cargo.

Anbusivan had requested Bhaskaran a favor, Bhaskaran was obliging, Anbusivan asked Bhaskaran to cart the luggage of Avanti from the ship to one of his warehouse, and in the dead of the night have it transported out of his warehouse and taken where Dharmavarman intends to have it sent. Bhaskaran was a little hesitant, a simple check could land him in trouble, the king could bar him from trading, perhaps all his wealth would be confiscated. As Bhaskaran pondered the consequences his grave face turned light, a smile came back on his face.

Bhaskaran could never refuse Anbusivan, as Anbusivan was his family’s chief priest, and Bhaskaran also had a great respect for Dharmavarman, a man he had always credited for his success. Bhaskaran had flourished due to the benevolent policies of Dharmavarman, and in him Bhaskaran saw a great future king, who would unite further lands and improve trade between far off lands, In a moment of truth Bhaskaran had calculated his fortunes were a gift of Dharmavarman’s policies and he could risk it on a man who would fetch him further wealth if he became a king. Bhaskaran swore to be secretive of the whole affair and did what was asked by Anbusivan.

Once Anbusivan was satisfied everything would go as per his plan, he finally managed to smile on a job well done and trudged back to the palace aware of his pursuers and laughing at them in his heart. As Anbusivan walked to meet Mahaveer Ratnam and Dharmavarman, he had no inclination as to what had transpired in the royal palace earlier in the day.

Mahaveer Ratnam was already with Dharmavarman and as Anbusivan entered the princes palace, Dharmavarman is very relieved to see him, he immediately sends all the guards away and orders them that he should not be disturbed till he passes order to the contrary. Anbusivan gives the good news first ‘Avanti has arrived and she and cargo are safe’.

Dharmavarman looks relieved and he asks Anbusivan almost immediately ‘where is Avanti?’

Pundit Anbusivan smiles and says ‘don’t worry, she must be here already, I just left after she had started for the palace.’
Mahaveer Ratnam apprehensive queries shocked ‘Palace! Avanti isn’t here, and she wasn’t supposed to be here Punditji?’
Pundit Anbusivan nods as he sees the tensed face of Dharmavarman and intimates ‘last moment change of plans, as we had decided to house Avanti with the family of Bhaskaran, I had a creeping doubt in my mind, that what if your suspicious brothers find out that there was no reason for me to be at Bhaskaran’s place today, as it is neither an auspicious date today, neither any pre announced service at Bhaskaran’s house, so I had a better idea, I asked Vasundhara not only to receive her, but to bring her here at the palace.’

Dharmavarman is tensed and his fists tighten with anxiety and he says ‘Vasundhara hasn’t informed me about this. Where is she?’

Mahaveer Ratnam is the next to speak and he says ‘you tell your guards to allow Vasundhara to meet you if she comes and if she hasn’t arrived to this palace, have her summoned.’

Dharmavarman nods and he almost races to the door and tells his guards ‘I want you to allow Vasundhara in my palace.’
The guards nod and bow to Dharmavarman, who casts a glance towards the corridor waiting to catch a sight of his beloved. Dharmavarman keeps waiting for a few moments but he cannot see Vasundhara anywhere around.

Vasundhara had started for Dharmavarman’s palace but before she had exited guards had halted her, because Queen mother had summoned Vasundhara, and she had no choice but to turn back and return to the queen’s palace.

Vasundhara finds Queen mother in pain, it was her knees again. Subhadra was in pain the Vaidya (doctor) had left after applying a mixture of crushed leaves that were brought by Dharmavarman from Nagadweep and Queen was sitting by the window of her room seeing the sun set on the horizon. Vasundhara bowed to the queen and asked ‘Queen mother, what I can do for you?’

‘Talk to me, I want to know about the girl Dharmavarman wants to marry, the girl that you had gossiped about, that my son was in love with a Buddhist girl?’ Queen mother asks Vasundhara in a grave tone.

Vasundhara looks more than shocked and mutters ‘mother… I never told you she was Buddhist, all I had said was the prince was not looking after himself because his mind was busy with someone else!’

‘Dharmavarman has told me she is a Buddhist’ Queen coldly intimates Vasundhara and adds ‘he has also told me that he intends to marry her, you were with him all these years, what is this girl like?

Vasundhara grapples with words, she doesn’t know what she must tell the queen just now and what she must keep a secret the Queen saves her from answering by adding in pain ‘I am worried, very worried because love makes people do strange things and I don’t want the throne of Kanchi going to someone apart from Dharma- because of this girl.’ Queen is looking despondent now.

Vasundhara nods and says ‘her name is Avanti, and she is a very pretty girl, she loves Dharmavarman as much as he loves her, and they make a nice pair. I do not know about any other thing Queen mother.’

The piercing look that queen casts upon Vasundhara stuns her, she is mortified as if queen might just throw her in dungeons as burning rage of queen mother is evident when she says ‘I should have sent someone else instead of you Vasundhara, someone younger and more loyal to me, who should have kept the prince in humor and not let him fall, of all the things in love!’ Queen mother is very angry.

Vasundhara is aware of the time ticking by, she is worried as Avanti is alone in her quarter where anyone can come and go she needs to find Dharmavarman fast she tells queen mother ‘Dharmavarman never cast a glance towards me Queen mother, and he hasn’t cast a glance on anyone else other than Avanti, Dharmavarman is last of the ideal men in Kanchi.’ Vasundhara praises Dharmavarman as her defense.

Queen mother’s fury is evident as she thunders at Vasundhara ‘Vasundhara maybe you were busy with some other men, and not done your duty well. I warn you, if anything untoward happens because of this love affair of Dharmavarman in politics of Kanchi, I will lay all the blame at your quarters and expect no mercy from me, whatever ill fate falls on Dharmavarman, a worse fate shall await you.’ Queen mother had risen and as she takes a few steps to directly face a cowering Vasundhara, her weak knees wobble and she looses her step, Vasundhara helps the Queen gather composure and seats her again and remarks ‘the mixture has slipped low, so it isn’t taking effect, let me place it right.’

Vasundhara begins to work on Queen Subhadra’s knees thinking of her future, whatever she does, she is sure to anger someone and her life is threatened forever. Vasundhara knows that guards will intimate Skandavarman that she had left with Anbusivan, and soon sometime in future they will know it was she who had brought Avanti to the palace, every guard has seen them enter together. Vasundhara contemplates death awaiting her, unless something miraculous happens to her foremost in her mind is the question, how should she save herself from the wrath of princes?

In his palace Dharmavarman was also tensed up, Pundit Anbusivan had learnt of the king’s directive and was sure that if Dharmavarman leaves for Brahmagiri next day as per the order, Skandavarman’s men will chase him and then once they have Aryabhatta in their eyes, they might capture him. Aryabhatta might never be brought to Kanchi, making Dharmavarman appear as a son who cannot fulfill his father’s order, Skandavarman will portray Dharmavarman as a subject who defies his king.

This was the time to counter the enemies with deceit, even if it meant doing something irrational. Mahaveer Ratnam offered a solution ‘Let Dharmavarman steal out in the night itself, once I leave the palace, the trail will be behind me, I will round up the soldiers and give orders to them to be ready to march with the first light with Dharmavarman. This will make Skandavarman depute most of his men behind me, his men will also prepare to be ready to chase us in the morning, while though we will be ready to leave in the morning, but we shall never start because Dharmavarman would have left in the night itself.’

Pundit Anbusivan is in agreement but the question remains ‘how will Dharmavarman leave from this palace, to the left is Skandavarman’s palace, and to the right is Nandivarman’s palace. The moment Dharmavarman leaves both the brother’s guards will alert the troops and the plan will come a cropper. Mahaveer Ratnam suggests ‘Dharmavarman can scale down the wall of the fort from this window!’

Pundit Anbusivan gives Mahaveer a dirty look and says ‘bad idea, the wall of this palace is too high and the moat below has some of the most ferocious crocodiles, no way Dharmavarman can afford this risk, we cannot put Dharmavarman’s life in danger.’

Dharmavarman looks at Anbusivan and says with hope ‘there is a way, I can leave from Queen mother’s palace, I can go to visit her and then never return, as the palace is off limits for male guards I can simply leave as a female attendant, and walk out without a problem, but we will need Vasundhara’s help to arrange female dress. And she also has Avanti with her and I am not leaving her behind.’ Dharmavarman had offered the best possible solution. Mahaveer Ratnam and Anbusivan nod.

‘I will go and arrange for your loyal combatants who arrived with Avanti to carry the cargo and I will meet you outside DhawalKota village at the second quarter of the night, I will wait for two hours, if you do not arrive I will see you in Brahmagiri whenever you reach there after kicking off the trail.’ Pundit Anbusivan says.

‘Travel in night time only, don’t let anyone see you in day, people will recognize and feed the news to the men of Skandavarman who will be swarming all the directions once they know they have been fooled.’ Mahaveer Ratnam says in a warning.

Dharmavarman agrees and says ‘yes that’s the way it will be, Punditji keep enough provisions, and we might need to hide in jungles during the day to avoid being looked at.’

Pundit Anbusivan nods and says ‘that’s fine so it’s decided, I am leaving now as I have a lot to arrange, it will be good if Mahaveer if you come with me, so that we can divide the pursuers when we need to.’ Mahaveer Ratnam nods and Dharmavarman walks with them to the door saying ‘I will go to the queens’ palace now and find Vasundhara, and Avanti.’

As they walk out Pundit Anbusivan tells Mahaveer ‘start the subterfuge from the precincts of the palace itself, summon all those soldiers from here to assemble with you, which you do not plan to take, just to mislead Skandavarman’s men.’

Mahaveer nods and then looks at Dharmavarman and says ‘I am sad, that I cannot be with you on this journey, but then there isn’t another way to see that you leave safely.’ Dharmavarman places his hand on the shoulder of Mahaveer but says nothing. Mahaveer turns and walks out with Anbusivan and as he exits, he loudly tells the guards the name of soldiers he wants to be assembled at the city center within next one hour for his orders. Dharmavarman sees the two go out and then looks at the skies, the sun had set, darkness was engulfing the city and his heart was in turmoil, he needed to see Avanti.

Dharmavarman had just taken a couple of steps when he saw Vasundhara hurrying towards him, he halted saw the tensed up face of Avanti and his heart beat increased, Vasundhara came close and bowed and says in a mortified tone ‘prince, my life is in a grave danger.’

Dharmavarman overlooked the fear written on Vasundhara’s face and he questions her ‘where is Avanti?’

‘She is safe, and waiting in my quarters, I needed to take your permission before I get her here.’

Dharmavarman let’s out a huge sigh of relief and he says ‘thank god, you almost had me gravely worried, do not get Avanti here, I will come to Queen’s mother’s palace.’

Vasundhara nods but she says ‘please prince, you must give me a brief audience before we go back there, because whatever happens next, I will be killed…help me kind Dharmavarman’

Dharmavarman looks at Vasundhara and then he takes her arm and turns towards his palace door and both enter his private domain as guards look at the two with interested expressions on their faces.

Apart from the guards it was the secret eyes of Skandavarman, who had also observed curiously that Dharmavarman had led Vasundhara in his chambers holding her arm reported to Skandavarman immediately. Skandavarman who was busy selecting a woman for him for the night paid attention to his men and sent all the girls away and instead summoned Nandivarman.

Nandivarman arrived soon after and the brothers started confabulating about the possibility of them being misled by Vasundhara who it appears is close to Dharmavarman and may have given them all wrong information. Skandavarman was very angry, he wanted the head of Vasundhara, because now everything that has happened earlier makes them see things differently. Vasundhara had left the palace with Pundit Anbusivan in the evening and had returned with a very pretty girl in tow.

The pursuers of Mahaveer Ratnam also arrived back to intimate that a battalion of his is ready to depart with Dharmavarman with the first ray of the sun in the morning. They sought orders from Skandavarman if they were to chase the battalion and capture Aryabhatta.

To Skandavarman if something was amiss in all this, was the role of Vasundhara. Nandivarman agrees with Skandavarman and tells him ‘If Vasundhara doesn’t come to us and report what has transpired it is obvious that she has betrayed us and though what I say is a conjecture at the moment, the girl that Vasundhara brought with her was the girl Dharmavarman wants to marry because she got off the boat that arrived from Lanka today.’

Skandavarman was getting agitated with each passing moment, he felt himself being outmaneuvered by his youngest sibling. Skandavarman now had to control the damage and guesses ‘if your conjecture is indeed true Nandivarman, then it appears the precious cargo Dharmavarman was to receive has also arrived on this ship, but where could it be?’

Nandivarman spits in anger ‘Skanda-our men have proved useless, without doubt. There is subterfuge in process, what our men see and hear is what Dharmavarman wants them to hear and see. The men had reported to me that Vasundhara was at the port with trader Kannan, well according to my men he had been buying our jewellery from Vasundhara and is besotted by her so they considered him innocuous.’

Skandavarman adds understanding everything ‘Kannan was helping Vasundhara, and indeed while Mahaveer Ratnam and Pundit Anbusivan kept our guptchars (Secret agents) busy, Vasundhara helped Dharmavarman’s lover and the cargo off the ship.’ Nandivarman looks in total agreement and Skandavarman clenches his fist and says ‘I need that cargo, at all costs.’

Nandivarman raises his eyebrows and looks at Skandavarman ‘that is possible if cargo is still in Kanchi, because if I am not wrong, Dharmavarman has kept one step ahead of us, and while we are talking here thinking he shall leave in the morning, there is every possibility that he would be preparing to leave earlier if he has not already left with the cargo and with his woman.’

Skandavarman picks his sword, pours himself a large glass of wine which he gulps down and leaves the palace to look for Dharmavarman and Vasundhara with his men following him.