The Secret of the Nagas

  Lord Matsya looks so much like the dolphins I’ve seen in the rivers here. Only He is much larger.

  Shiva bowed down and paid his respects to the Lord. He said a quick prayer and then sat down against one of the pillars. And then he thought out loud.

  Vasudevs? Are you here?

  Nobody responded. No one from the temple came to see him.

  Is there no Vasudev here?

  Absolute silence.

  Is this not a Vasudev temple? Have I come to the wrong place?

  Shiva heard nothing except the gentle tinkle of the fountains in the temple compound.

  Damn!

  Shiva realised that maybe he had made a mistake. This temple probably wasn’t a Vasudev outpost. His thoughts went back to the advice Sati had given to him.

  Maybe what Sati said is right. Maybe the Vasudevs were trying to help me. They did help! I would have been devastated if anything had happened to Kartik.

  A calm clear voice rang out loud in his head. Your wife is wise, great Mahadev. It is rare to find such beauty and wisdom in one person.

  Shiva looked up and around quickly. There was nobody. The voice was from one of the other Vasudev temples. He recognised it. It was the one that had commanded the Kashi Vasudev to give him the Naga medicine. Are you the leader, Panditji?

  No, my friend. You are. I am but your follower. And I bring the Vasudevs with me.

  Where are you? Ujjain?

  There was silence.

  What is your name, Panditji?

  I am Gopal. I am the Chief Guide of the Vasudevs. I bear the key task that Lord Ram had set us: Assisting you in your karma.

  I need your advice, Panditji.

  As you wish, great Neelkanth. What do you want to talk about?

  Sati, Kali, Ganesh and the Branga-Kashi soldiers were marching towards Kashi. Loud conversation amongst them disturbed the silence of the forest.

  Vishwadyumna turned to Ganesh. ‘My Lord, don’t you find the forest oddly silent?’

  Ganesh raised his eyebrows, for the soldiers were creating quite a racket. ‘You think our men should be talking even louder?!’

  ‘No, My Lord. We are loud enough! It is the rest of the forest that I’m talking about. It is too quiet.’

  Ganesh tilted his head. Vishwadyumna was right. Not a single animal or bird sound. He looked around. His instincts told him that something was wrong. He stared hard into the woods. Then, shaking his head, he looked ahead and goaded his horse into moving faster.

  A short distance away, an injured animal, massive in his proportions, with his wounds partially healed, crept slowly forward. The shaft of a broken arrow, buried deep in his shoulder, caused the liger to limp a little. Two lionesses followed him silently.

  Chapter 18

  The Function of Evil

  This country is very confusing.

  Gopal thought softly: Why would you say that, my friend?

  The Nagas are obviously the people who are evil, right? Almost everyone seems to agree. And yet, the Nagas helped a man in need, in the interests of justice. That’s not how evil is supposed to be.

  A good point, great Neelkanth.

  Considering the mistake I’ve already made, I’m not about to attack anyone till I’m sure.

  A wise decision.

  So do you also think the Nagas may not be evil?

  How can I answer that, my friend? I do not have the wisdom to find that answer. I am not the Neelkanth.

  Shiva smiled. But you do have an opinion, don’t you?

  Shiva waited for Gopal to speak. When the Vasudev Pandit didn’t, Shiva smiled even more broadly, giving up this discussion. Suddenly a disturbing thought struck him. Please don’t tell me the Nagas also believe in the legend of the Neelkanth.

  Gopal remained silent for a moment.

  Shiva repeated, frowning. Panditji? Please answer me. Do the Nagas also believe in the Neelkanth legend?

  As far as I know, great Mahadev, most of them do not believe in the Neelkanth. But do you think that would make them evil?

  Shiva shook his head. No, of course not.

  Silence for some time.

  Shiva breathed deeply. So what is the blessed answer? I have travelled through all of India. Met practically all the tribes except the Nagas. And if none are evil, maybe Evil hasn’t arisen. Maybe I’m not required.

  Are you sure it is only people who can be Evil, my friend? There may be attachment to Evil within some. There may be a small part of Evil within them. But could the great Evil, the one that awaits the Neelkanth, exist beyond mere humans?

  Shiva frowned. I don’t understand.

  Can Evil be too big to be concentrated within just a few men?

  Shiva remained silent.

  Lord Manu had said it’s not people who are evil. True Evil exists beyond them. It attracts people. It causes confusion amongst its enemies. But Evil in itself is too big to be confined to just a few.

  Shiva frowned. You make it sound like Evil is a power as strong as Good. That it doesn’t work by itself, but uses people as its medium. These people, maybe even good people, find purpose in serving Evil. How can it be destroyed if it serves a purpose?

  That is an interesting thought, O Neelkanth, that Evil serves a purpose.

  What purpose? The purpose of destruction? Why would the universe plan that?

  Let’s look at it another way. Do you believe there is nothing random in the universe? That everything exists for a reason. That everything serves a purpose.

  Yes. If anything appears random, it only means that we haven’t discovered its purpose just as yet.

  So why does Evil exist? Why can’t it be destroyed once and for all? Even when it is apparently destroyed, it rises once again. Maybe after much time has elapsed, perhaps in another form, but Evil does rise and will keep rising again and again. Why?

  Shiva narrowed his eyes, absorbing Gopal’s words. Because even Evil serves a purpose...

  That is what Lord Manu believed. And the institution of the Mahadev acts as the balance, the control for that purpose. To take Evil out of the equation at the correct time.

  Take it out of the equation? asked a surprised Shiva.

  Yes. That is what Lord Manu said. It was just a line in his commandments. He said that the destroyers of Evil would understand what he means. My understanding of it is that Evil cannot and should not be destroyed completely. That it needs to be taken out of the equation at the right time, the time when it rises to cause total annihilation. Do you think he said that because the same Evil may serve the purpose of Good in another time?

  I came here for answers, my friend. You are only throwing more questions at me.

  Gopal laughed softly. I’m sorry my friend. Our job is to give you the clues that we know. We are not supposed to interfere in your judgement. For that could lead to the triumph of Evil.

  I have heard that Lord Manu said Good and Evil are two sides of the same coin?

  Yes, he did say so. They are two sides of the same coin. He didn’t explain any further.

  Strange. That doesn’t make sense.

  Gopal smiled. It does sound strange. But I know you will make sense of it when the time is right.

  Shiva was silent for some time. He looked out across the temple pillars. In the distance, he could see the people of Vaishali outside the gates, waiting patiently for their Neelkanth. Shiva stared hard, then turned back towards the idol of Lord Matsya. Gopal, my friend, what is the Evil that Lord Rudra took out of the equation. I know the Asuras were not evil. So what Evil did he destroy?

  You know the answer.

  No, I don’t.

  Yes, you do. Think about it, Lord Neelkanth. What is the enduring legacy of Lord Rudra?

  Shiva smiled. The answer was obvious. Thank you, Panditji. I think we’ve spoken enough for today.

  May I offer my opinion on your first question?

  Shiva was surprised. About the Nagas?

  Yes.

  Of course! Please.

  It i
s obvious that you feel drawn to the Nagas. That you feel that your path to Evil lies through them.

  Yes.

  That can be due to two reasons. Either Evil exists at the end of that path.

  Or?

  Or Evil has caused its greatest destruction on that path.

  Shiva took a deep breath. You mean the Nagas may be the ones who suffered the most at the hands of Evil?

  Maybe.

  Shiva leaned back against the pillar. He closed his eyes. Maybe the Nagas deserve a hearing. Maybe everyone else has been unfair to them. Maybe they deserve the benefit of the doubt. But one of them has to answer to me. One of them awaits justice for Brahaspati’s assassination.

  Gopal knew who Shiva was thinking about. He kept quiet.

  Sati stood in front of Athithigva in his private chambers. Standing next to her were Kali and Ganesh. The stunned King of Kashi did not know how to react.

  Sati had returned from Icchawar that morning with twenty-seven lion skins, proof of the destruction of the man-eating pride. Special prayers had been intoned at the Vishwanath temple for the brave Kashi soldiers who had died there. Kaavas had been promoted to the rank of Major. The courage of the Branga platoon had also been acknowledged. The Brangas of Kashi would be exempt from taxes for the next three months. But this specific problem was particularly knotty for Athithigva. He did not know how to react to the presence of the two Nagas beside Sati. He dare not expel the relatives of the wife of the Neelkanth from his city. At the same time, he couldn’t allow them to live openly in Kashi. His people would consider it a crime against the laws of Karma. Superstitions about the Nagas ran deep.

  ‘My Lady,’ said Athithigva carefully. ‘How can we allow this?’

  Kali was staring at Athithigva, livid at the humiliation being meted out to her, a Queen in her own right. She touched Sati’s arm. ‘Didi, forget this...’

  Sati just shook her head. ‘Lord Athithigva, Kashi is a shining light of tolerance within India. It accepts all Indians, no matter what their faith or way of life. Isn’t rejecting some noble and valiant people, just because they are Nagas, going against the very reasons that make your city a beacon for the downtrodden and marginalised?’

  Athithigva looked down. ‘But, My Lady, my people...’

  ‘Your Highness, should you give in to your people’s biases? Or instead, lead them onto a better path?’

  The Kashi king remained silent, wavering.

  ‘Please do not forget, Your Highness, that if the Kashi platoon has returned and the villagers of Icchawar are alive today, it is due to the bravery of Kali, Ganesh and their men. We would all have been killed by the lions. They have saved us. Do they not deserve honour in return?’

  Athithigva nodded hesitantly. He looked out of the window of his private chambers. The Ganga flowed languidly, cradling the reflection of the Eastern palace on the far bank. Where his beloved sisters Maya led a miserable life, practically imprisoned. He would have loved to challenge the fear of the Nagas in his people. But had always lacked the courage. The fact that the Neelkanth’s wife stood by her family, gave him hope. For who would dare to challenge the Neelkanth? Everyone knew how Shiva had abolished one set of unjust laws. So why not the same for the Nagas too?

  The King turned back towards Sati. ‘Your family can stay, My Lady. I’m sure they will be comfortable in the wing of the Kashi palace allocated to the Lord Neelkanth.’

  ‘I’m sure they will,’ replied a smiling Sati. ‘Thank you so much, Your Highness.’

  Shiva was standing at the head of the ship, Parvateshwar next to him.

  ‘I’ve doubled the speed of the lead ship, My Lord,’ said Parvateshwar.

  Shiva had asked Parvateshwar to ensure a quick arrival of their fleet to Kashi. He had been away from his family for more than two years. It was too long a time and he missed them dearly.

  ‘Thank you, General,’ smiled Shiva.

  Parvateshwar bowed and turned to look at the Ganga again.

  Shiva spoke with a hint of a smile on his face. ‘So how is married life, General?’

  Parvateshwar looked at Shiva with a broad smile. ‘Heaven, My Lord. Absolute heaven. A very intense heaven though.’

  Shiva smiled. ‘Normal rules don’t seem to apply, do they?’

  Parvateshwar laughed out loud. ‘Well, Anandmayi continues to update the rules as each day comes along and I just follow them!’

  Shiva laughed loudly as well and patted his friend. ‘Follow those rules, my friend, follow those rules. She loves you. You will be happy with her.’

  Parvateshwar nodded heartily.

  ‘Anandmayi told me that she has sent a cutter to Ayodhya to inform Emperor Dilipa of your nuptials,’ said Shiva.

  ‘Yes, she has,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘His Highness will be coming to Kashi to receive us. He has promised to hold another, completely extravagant celebration for us in Kashi within ten days of our arrival.’

  ‘That should be fun!’

  ‘Yes, My Lord?’ asked Nandi.

  Nandi and Bhagirath were with Shiva in his cabin.

  ‘When we reach Kashi, stay close to Prince Bhagirath.’

  ‘Why, My Lord?’ asked Bhagirath.

  Shiva raised his hand. ‘Just trust me.’

  Bhagirath narrowed his eyes. ‘My father’s coming to Kashi?’

  Shiva nodded.

  ‘I will be the Prince’s shadow, My Lord,’ said Nandi. ‘Nothing will happen to him as long as I am alive.’

  Shiva looked up. ‘I don’t want anything happening to you either, Nandi. Both of you keep your eyes open and remain careful.’

  ‘My son!’ cried Sati as Kartik ran into her arms.

  Kartik was only three, but, due to the Somras, he looked like a six–year–old. He screamed, ‘Maa!’

  Sati twirled her son around happily. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’

  ‘I missed you too,’ said Kartik softly, still unhappy about his mother leaving him behind.

  ‘I’m sorry I had to go away, my child. But I had very important work to do.’

  ‘Next time, take me with you.’

  ‘I will try.’

  Kartik smiled, seemingly mollified. He then pulled his wooden sword out of the scabbard. ‘Look at this, Maa.’

  Sati frowned. ‘What’s this?’

  ‘I started learning how to fight the day you left. If I was a good soldier, you would have taken me with you, no?’

  Sati smiled broadly and plonked Kartik on her lap. ‘You are a born soldier, my son.’

  Kartik smiled and hugged his mother.

  ‘You know how you always ask me for a brother, Kartik?’

  Kartik nodded vigorously. ‘Yes! Yes!’

  ‘Well, I’ve found a wonderful brother for you. An elder brother who will always take care of you.’

  Kartik frowned and looked towards the door. He saw a giant of a man enter the chambers. He was wearing a simple white dhoti and an angvastram was draped loosely across his right shoulder, his immense stomach jiggling with every breath. But it was the face that startled Kartik. The head of an elephant on top of a human body.

  Ganesh smiled broadly, his heart beating uncertainly, anxious for Kartik’s acceptance. ‘How are you, Kartik?’

  The normally fearless Kartik hid behind his mother.

  ‘Kartik,’ smiled Sati, pointing at his elder brother Ganesh. ‘Why don’t you say hello to your dada?’

  The boy continued to stare at Ganesh. ‘Are you human?’

  ‘Yes. I am your brother,’ smiled Ganesh.

  Kartik didn’t say anything. But Sati had taught Ganesh well. The Naga held out his hand, displaying a succulent mango, Kartik’s favourite fruit. The boy was at once delighted and surprised at seeing a mango so late in the year. He inched forward.

  ‘Do you want this, Kartik?’ asked Ganesh.

  Kartik frowned, drawing out his wooden sword. ‘You are not going to make me fight for it, are you?’

  Ganesh laughed. ‘No, I’m not. But I will char
ge a hug from you.’

  Kartik hesitated and looked at Sati.

  Sati nodded and smiled. ‘You can trust him.’

  Kartik moved slowly and grabbed the mango. Ganesh embraced his little brother, who immediately got busy, biting strongly into his favourite fruit. He looked up at Ganesh and smiled, whispering between loud slurps. ‘Wow... Thank you... dada.’

  Ganesh smiled again and patted Kartik lightly on his head.

  The lead ship docked lightly onto the Dasashwamedh ghat. As the gangway was being drawn, Shiva’s eyes desperately sought Sati. He could see Emperor Dilipa and King Athithigva standing at the royal platform, with their families. There was a multitude of Kashi citizens thronging the ghats, but...

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘I’ll find her, My Lord,’ said Bhagirath as he disembarked, closely followed by Nandi.

  ‘And, Bhagirath...’

  ‘Yes, My Lord,’ said Bhagirath, stopping.

  ‘After all this is over, please take Purvaka to the King’s palace. Ensure that he is comfortable in my family’s area.’

  ‘Yes, My Lord,’ said Bhagirath, as he darted away, ignoring Dilipa, his father and the Emperor of Swadweep. But Nandi was surprised at the changes visible in the Emperor. Dilipa looked at least ten years younger, his face glowing with good health. Nandi frowned, before turning to catch up with Bhagirath.

  Shiva stepped off the gangway.

  Dilipa directed one long hard stare at the retreating form of his son and shook his head, before turning towards the Neelkanth. He bowed low before Shiva, touching his feet.

  ‘May your dynasty continue to spread prosperity, Your Highness,’ said Shiva, himself bowing his head with a namaste to Dilipa.