MAHABHARATA SERIES BOOK#2: The Seeds of War (Mba) (8 page)

She turned back to Yayati. ‘Enough! There is no reason to avoid the daughter of a brahmin! You are merely speaking ill-thought statements.’

Yayati shook his head. ‘On the contrary, I can explain the whole argument. The wise have clearly explained why a brahmin is to be avoided at all costs.’

Devayani folded her hands on her chest tightly, glaring at him. 

Yayati went on. ‘A brahmin is to be avoided even more than a raging fire that spreads in all directions, or a venomous snake that strikes anyone who approaches near. This is the full warning issued by the learned and I merely repeat it as I was taught.’

Devayani started to speak, then held her tongue, choosing to fume instead. Then she changed her mind and sputtered: ‘If the learned say so, they must have good reason. Explain!’

Yayati smiled and continued, speaking as much for the benefit of Sharmishtha and the other maids, knowing that by doing so he enfuriated Devayani all the more. ‘The reason for this is a good one. It is thus. A snake, even if it lunges, can only spend its venom on a single victim. A fire can rage and burn down a forest but cannot cross water or spread to the cities unchecked. Whereas a  brahmin when angered can issue a curse that kills any number, that can destroy entire cities, even entire worlds. The more famous and powerful a brahmin, the greater his anger, the greater his ability to curse and cause ruin. Therefore the learned have advised that one should always steer clear of a brahmin, and stay even farther away from a famous or powerful brahmin. Such as your father.’ 

He smiled. ‘Now do you see why I cannot possibly marry you, lovely maiden Devayani? I dare not risk incurring the wrath of a brahmin, a very powerful brahmin at that, perhaps the most powerful of all, as you yourself admitted. For if he were to grow wrathful at me, his brahman power could end my dynasty, ruin my kingdom, and wipe out my entire race! I dare not risk such an event. I dare not risk angering your father. Therefore I cannot marry you.’

The peals of laughter from around were suggestive of cheers of approval. Yayati was amused to see that even her own maids did not feel great loyalty towards their mistress. He thought that being enslaved against their will might have something to do with it. Sharmishtha was smiling triumphantly, looking most pleased of all. At the sight of her, his breath caught in his throat, and he thought to himself: I must have that woman. I must! 

Devayani was staring at him with an inscrutable expression on her face. He could not read the expression, or even tell whether it suggested rage, frustration, or humiliation. In any case, he did not expect her to have any rejoinder this time. He was quite pleased with himself. He had set the woman in her place once and for all. He finished untethering his horses and mounted the first one. 

He heard the second horse whinny softly and turned. He was surprised to see Devayani sitting astride his spare horse, sitting as comfortably as any young princess who had ridden horses all her childhood. He assumed she had learned to ride while playing princess in the city of the asuras. 

‘Very well,’ she said. 

‘Could you dismount from my horse, please,’ he asked politely. ‘I wish to be on my way.’

‘Very well,’ she said, louder this time. The giggling and excited chatter died down around them as all the maids noticed their mistress astride the horse. ‘I accept your proposal of marriage. We shall proceed at once to my father so that you may ask him.’

‘Ask him what?’ Yayati said, his brow furrowing with irritation. ‘This matter has been settled, Devayani. I have already told you, it is quite impossible for me to marry you.’

‘Because I am the daughter of a powerful brahmin, isn’t that right?’ she asked. 

‘Yes,’ he said doubtfully, wondering what new mischief she was upto. 

‘And because you fear that he might curse you to ruin and you cannot risk that, being a king and therefore responsible to your people, am I correct?’

‘Yes,’ he said. 

‘Then it is settled. We shall go to my father, you shall ask him for my hand in marriage, and you shall lay down the condition that you marry me only on condition that no harm or ill ever befalls you or your future offspring or your city and kingdom and possessions and people…ask him to ensure spiritual protection for your sewer-cleaners and butchers as well, if you wish. He is a powerful brahmin. His word is immutable. You shall have protection for all that you hold dear. Since that is your only objection, it is best to eliminate it at once. There will be no further obstacle in the path of our marriage. Come now,’ she said, urging the spare horse forward, ‘let us ride to Vrishaparva and settle this matter. I wish to be married at the earliest.’

5

Yayati was cornered. He had done it to countless prey before and he knew exactly when a beast was left with no way to run, to place to hide, nothing but its own end staring it in the face. He had seen that look on countless animals before he despatched them with his arrow, sword, javelin or pike. Devayani had taken his own objection and turned it against him. Without actually saying so at any time, she had made him realize that what he said was in fact true: Guru Kavya Ushanas was a powerful brahmin. If Yayati now offended him by refusing his daughter’s hand in marriage without a suitable reason, the preceptor of the asuras could indeed curse him to ruin. At the very least, he could invoke the wrath of the asuras against Yayati and his allies. A war with the asuras would be as ruinous as a curse. By taking her hand – albeit to haul her out of the well in which she had been trapped – he had indeed offered her protection and as such, had initiated an offer of marriage. If unaccompanied by any romantic feeling or emotional attachment, perhaps that innocent act of grasping her hand could have been overlooked, but the fact was he had been infatuated with her, had returned time and again to the site of their first encounter, and had eventually met her, stayed with her, romanced her and been romanced. They had progressed far down the path of courtship and it would be impossible now to deny it to any third person. With a thousand witnesses, it would be equally impossible to disprove her claims. And by raising the spectre of brahminical curses he had given her the very weapon which she was now using to seal the contract. For he had suggested, however indirectly, that by offending her or her father – and what greater offense could a man of good breeding cause a young maiden than to propose marriage and later reject her? – then her father would be justified in issuing a curse against him and his people. He had said the very opposite, of course, but it served the same purpose: it had put the idea into her shrewd head. And now that the idea was planted, he would be risking the wrath of the preceptor of the asuras if he rode away from here. 

Unable to think of any honourable way out of this situation, Yayati rode in silence to Vrishaparva city with Devayani. She rode surprisingly well for a brahmin, and it only served to remind him that she was not in fact simply a brahmin’s daughter. Also, he had observed that over the days he had spent with her, she had reduced her eating considerably, shedding some of those kilos of excess weight, and had begun to look like the same vision he had first seen in the well. The intensity of her arguments, while obnoxiously worded and imperiously delivered, were passionate enough to suggest a woman possessed of great will and life-force. However much he might not want her to be his wife, the fact remained that she could become a formidable queen. As king, one of his responsibilities was to choose a suitable queen, one who was as competent at governance as in spousecraft. There was no doubt that Devayani qualified eminently. And she looks like she would be a tigress in the arts of love, he mused. Perhaps marrying her was not such a bad thing after all. In any case, as king, he was free to spread his seed as he pleased. To take more than one queen if he desired. To maintain a palace full of concubines if he wished. So marrying Devayani was not necessarily the end of his freedom. In fact, this might turn out to be of advantage in time. By marrying the daughter of the preceptor of asuras, he would always be able to count on the support of the asuras, which would strike fear into the hearts of his mortal rivals and challengers. And if the devas objected or crossed paths with him, he need not fear being labelled disloyal since his marriage did not necessarily constitute a military alliance with their enemies. He could play it different ways in different circumstances, using the political and military advantages as he pleased. 

By the time they reached Vrishaparva and were shown to Guru Shukracharya’s chambers, he had convinced himself that marriage to Devayani was a desirable thing after all. 

So when Devayani introduced him to her father as the man who had taken hold of her hand and saved her life, then announced that she wished to marry him, Yayati offered no objection. For one thing, Devayani told the truth, even when it reflected her in an unflattering light. He saw that her father was accustomed to her imperious way of demanding things. 

‘Son of Nahusha,’ the Maharishi said to him thoughtfully. ‘So you saved my daughter’s life and have now been chosen by her as a husband. Do you agree to this union?’ There was a look in his eyes that suggested he wanted to be certain that Yayati was not under coercion. 

Yayati nodded. ‘Yes, great descendent of Bhrigu, I do.’

Shukracharya nodded thoughtfully. ‘You are a brave man.’

Yayati remembered the last part of his argument with Devayani. ‘Gurudev, as part of my marriage contract, I wish you to kindly ensure that no harm will ever befall me or my offpsring as a result of my marrying a brahmin’s daughter.’

Kavya Ushanas considered this thoughtfully. ‘A wise request. One that suggests great foresight and planning. You are a good king and will be a good father as well. Your wish is granted. No harm shall ever befall you or your offspring because of our relationship in marriage.’

Yayati bowed low, smiling happily. He had secured a major military, diplomatic and strategic advantage! This alone was worth marrying any woman. ‘I thank you, great one.’

‘But in return, I have a request of my own,’ the guru said quietly. Devayani was not with them at this time, having gone with her maids to make arrangements for the marriage. ‘Nay, consider it more a command from your father-in-law.’

Yayati looked up at the preceptor, head still bowed, palms still joined. ‘I am listening, gurudev.’

‘The maid named Sharmishtha,’ Shukra said. ‘She is an attractive girl, is she not?’

Yayati was completely taken aback. What did this mean? Why was his father-in-law-to-be speaking of some other girl, a mere maid at that? Unsure how to answer such an unusual question, he nodded.

‘You must vow never to bed her,’ said the guru. ‘Do you understand?’

Yayati gazed back at the guru. The brahmin had just promised that he would never let harm befall Yayati or his offspring. Even so, like all kshatriyas who knew of the power that could be gained through sustained meditation and austeriities, he still feared the maharishi. He dared not even ask why the guru was making this request or what would happen if he refused – besides, how could he possibly refuse the request without seeming boorish and immoral? He could hardly say to his prospective father-in-law that he found the maid named Sharmishtha far more seductive and alluring physically than his own wife-to-be Devayani. 

‘I understand,’ he said simply. 

6

Yayati’s people welcomed their new Queen with great pomp and ceremony. The entire city was coloured with festivities. The celebration was lavish. Yayati instated Devayani in the traditional queen’s quarters but immediately commissioned a separate palace for her. Devayani was delighted at the thought of having her own independent residence. Situating the new queen’s palace in a beautiful grove of ashoka trees within easy travelling distance from the main palace annexe, Yayati had the structure raised in record time. He made sure that the new palace contained rooms for Devayani’s thousand maid servants as well. In addition, he honoured her chief maid and official companion Sharmishtha with an additional one thousand maids of her own. This was certainly not pleasing to Devayani but since Sharmishtha was under her command, it effectively put the additional thousand maids under Devayani’s command as well, so in a sense, it was she who was being gifted the additional thousand maids. Aloud she did not complain but her eyes shot daggers at Sharmishtha and she increased her demands on the latter, making her work from morning to night without respite. 

For his part, Yayati contented himself with that lavish gesture, even if it was but a formality since Sharmishtha still remained a maid, and buried his lust for the beautiful underservant deep in his heart. The guru’s warning had shaken him to the core and he took it very seriously. He made no attempt to reveal his true feelings for Sharmishtha and at no time let himself lapse. 

In time, Devayani conceived and delivered a beautiful baby boy as her firstborn, providing Yayati with an heir. 

A thousand years passed. For this was Satya Yuga and the ages of men were far, far greater than they are now. 

Sharmishtha being younger than Devayani, she had yet to attain her prime. But in due course, she too attained that flush of womanhood and came into season. Until now, she had accepted her fate reluctantly. But with the blossoming of her womanhood, new emotions stirred within her and she was overcome by a great resentment against her tormentor, matched by an equally powerful lust for Yayati. ‘For too long have I lived in Devayani’s shadow,’ she thought, ‘enduring her endless stream of insults and humiliations. How long will I have to suffer for my one lapse? Now I am in season and my body greatly desires the love of a man as well as to bear a child of my own. I cannot stand by and let my youth blossom and fade, unplucked. I am the daughter of a king, a true princess in my own right, not a make-believe one like Devayani. I deserve a king to sire an heir upon me as well. I know that Yayati still has feelings of desire for me. Why should I not pursue him and make him my mate?’