AJAYA I -- Roll of the Dice

  ISBN 978-93-81576-03-8

  (c) Anand Neelakantan, 2013

  Cover Urvi Dutt Vashistha, Leadstart Design

  Layouts Ajay Shah

  Printing Manipal International Printing Press Ltd

  First published in India, December 2013 by PLATINUM PRESS An imprint of LEADSTART PUBLISHING PVT LTD Trade Centre, Level 1, Bandra Kurla Complex Bandra (E), Mumbai 400 051, INDIA T + 91 22 40700804 F +91 22 40700800 E [email protected] W www.leadstartcorp.com US Office Axis Corp, 7845 E Oakbrook Circle, Madison, WI 53717, USA All rights reserved worldwide

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior permission of the Publisher. Any person who commits an unauthorised act in relation to this publication can be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  Disclaimer This is a work of fiction. The contents of this book are the expressions and opinions of its author and a work of imagination. It does not claim scriptural or historical authenticity. This work does not represent the views of the Publisher nor endorses them in any way. The Publisher makes no representations or warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of the information used.

  *

  *

  *

  To my Aparna,

  and our Ananya & Abhinav

  *

  *

  *

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  I WAS BORN IN A QUAINT little village called Thripoonithura, on the outskirts of Cochin, Kerala. Located east of mainland Ernakulam, across Vembanad Lake, this village had the distinction of being the seat of the Cochin royal family. However, it was more famous for its 100-odd temples, the various classical artists it produced, and its school of music. I remember many an evening listening to the faint rhythm of the chendas coming from the temples, and the notes of the flute escaping over the rugged walls of the music school. However, Gulf money and the rapidly expanding city of Cochin, have wiped away all remaining vestiges of that old-world charm. The village has evolved into the usual, unremarkable, suburban hellhole - clones of which dot India.

  Growing up in a village with more temples than was necessary, it was little wonder that mythology fascinated me. Ironically, I was drawn to the anti-heroes. My own life went on... I became an engineer, joined the Indian Oil Corporation, moved to Bangalore, married Aparna, and welcomed my daughter Ananya, and son, Abhinav. However, the voices of yore refused to be silenced in my mind. I felt impelled to narrate the stories of the vanquished and the damned; and give life to those silent heroes who have been overlooked in our uncritical acceptance of conventional renderings of our epics.

  This is Anand's second book and follows the outstanding success of his national #1 bestseller, ASURA Tale Of The Vanquished (Platinum Press 2012). AJAYA Book II, Rise Of Kali, is due for release later in 2014.

  Anand can be reached at: [email protected]

  *

  *

  *

  CONTENTS

  Author's Note

  Select Cast of Characters

  Genealogy

  Prelude ~ GANDHARA

  1 PRINCE OF THE BLOOD

  2 THE TEACHER COMES

  3 CHILD OF THE FOREST

  4 THE CHARIOTEER'S SON

  5 MAVERICK BRAHMIN

  6 CHALLENGE OF THE EUNUCH

  7 THE LESSON

  8 RAMA WITH THE PLOUGH

  9 THE BEAST

  10 NAGAS

  11 IN THE SHADOWS

  12 THE TRIAL

  13 DHARMAVEERA

  14 GURUDAKSHINA

  15 DHARMA

  16 RETURN OF THE SUTA

  17 WANTED

  18 GRADUATION

  19 REVENGE OF A BRAHMIN

  20 HOUSE OF LAC

  21 SWAYAMVARA

  22 MARRIAGE

  23 MARCH OF CIVILIZATION

  24 A CITY CURSED

  25 RAJASUYA

  26 THE FALL

  27 ROLL OF THE DICE

  Short Notes

  Glossary

  Acknowledgements

  *

  *

  *

  AUTHOR'S NOTE

  WHY WRITE ABOUT DURYODHANA?

  Many years ago, I witnessed a spectacle many of my readers would not even have heard about, let alone seen. It was a day of grand celebration. Even the hot tropical sun shining above could not diminish the pervading festive spirit. There were more than 100,000 people assembled to watch the procession and pay homage to the presiding deity of the temple. The devotees belonged to all castes and creeds and the fervour they displayed was bewitching to watch. Strangely enough, the majestic festival was in honour of a man I had always believed to have few admirers, if any. The deity at the Malanada Temple in Poruvazhy village, Kerala, is none other than the most reviled villain of Indian mythology - Duryodhana. If the devotees are to be believed, the tradition of this procession goes back centuries to the time of the Mahabharata itself.

  There is a fascinating story attached to the temple: Duryodhana came to the village in search of the Pandavas in exile. Thirsty, he asked an old woman for water. Impulsively, she gave him the toddy she was carrying. The parched Prince drank it with relish. It was only then that the woman noticed he was a Kshatriya warrior and he could lose his caste by drinking toddy served by an Untouchable Kurathi woman like herself. Horrified by what she had done, she was certain the Kshatriya Prince would punish her with death if she told him the truth. However, not wishing to cheat someone who had trusted her, she confessed her 'crime', risking her life. She waited for certain punishment, but was astonished by Duryodhana's reaction. "Mother," he said, "there is no caste for hunger and thirst. Blessed are you for putting the interests of a thirsty man before your own safety."

  The villagers rushed to see this high-born man who was so different from the haughty, upper-caste men who came only to punish them or treat them like worms. The Hastinapura Prince announced he was gifting the surrounding villages to a temple that would be built but have no idol. A Kurava Untouchable would be the Priest. To this day, family members of that old woman's family are the hereditary Priests of the temple, which has no idol. Instead, the presiding deity is Duryodhana. The minor deities are his wife Bhanumati, his mother Gandhari, and his friend Karna. It is generally believed that the spirit of Duryodhana resides here to protect the poor and weak. He answers the prayers of the destitute and those suffering from disease, poverty, or harassment from those stronger than themselves. This deity is the protector of the weak and downtrodden.

  My first reaction to the story was one of incredulity. Why would a Prince of Hastinapura, located at the northern-most border of the country, have come all the way to a village at the southern tip of India - a distance of more than 3000 kilometres - thousands of years ago? The answer to my question was like a slap in my face. The villager asked me why the Adi Shankaracharya had travelled so many times from a village in Kerala to Kedarnath or Badrinath, in his short lifespan of 32 years? It made me rush home to revisit the Mahabharata, an epic that has inspired countless writers over the centuries. Once I started viewing the Kaurava Prince through the eyes of the villagers of Poruvazhy, a different picture of Duryodhana began to emerge - far removed from the scheming, roaring, arrogant villain of popular television serials and traditional retellings. Instead, here was a brutally honest Prince, brave and self-willed, willing to fight for what he believed in. Duryodhana never believed his Pandava cousins to be of divine origin; and to modern minds, their outlandish claim now sounds chillingly similar to present-day political propaganda used to fool a gullible public.

  Duryo
dhana's personality comes alive when he makes Karna, the King of Anga at a crucial moment in his life, when he is being humiliated because of his caste. The Kaurava Prince challenges orthodoxy by making a Suta a King, and he does so without selfish motives. His treatment of Ekalavya; his refusal to fight for Subhadra; his courage in taking on the Pandavas; and his unwavering faith in his friends; all make him hero material rather than a despicable villain. He never attempts to justify his treatment of Draupadi. His flaws make him human and believable, unlike the protagonists, who wrap themselves in a cloak of dharma, miracles, and divinity, to justify their actions. Tomes have been written in praise of the actions of the Pandavas and Krishna. Great works exist about Karna and Draupadi. There are literary masterpieces in vernacular languages about Bhima, Arjuna, and Kunti. However, except for Orubhanga, a play in classical Sanskrit by Bhasa, dealing with Duryodhana's last moments, and Gadayudha, by the medieval Kannada poet Ranna, no authors have been sympathetic to the Crown Prince of Hastinapura.

  Ajaya is an attempt to view the Mahabharata from the side that lost the war. One of the meanings of Duryodhana is 'one who is difficult to conquer', in other words, Ajaya (Unconquerable). Though named Suyodhana, the Pandavas used the derogatory 'Dur' to slander him as 'one who does not know how to wield power or arms'. Duryodhana's story includes those of Karna, Aswathama, Ekalavya, Bhishma, Drona, Shakuni, and many others. It is the narrative of the Others - the defeated, insulted, trampled upon - who fought without expecting divine intervention; believing in the justice of their cause. Perhaps Ajaya is my belated answer to the villager, who stumped me with his simple question on the humid afternoon when the procession honouring Suyodhana was marching through the green paddy fields of Poruvazhy: If our Lord Duryodhana was an evil man, why did great men like Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and the entire army of Krishna, fight the war on his side?

  *

  *

  *

  SELECT CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Bhishma: Grand Regent of the Kuru clan and granduncle to both the Pandavas and Kauravas. Also known as Gangadatta Devavrata. Referred to here as the Grand Regent or Bhishma, a name acquired after he took a vow of celibacy and relinquished his claim to the throne as a precondition to his father marrying Satyavathi, a fisherwoman (who had another son, Krishna Dwaipayana Vedavyasa, prior to this marriage).

  Vidhura: Youngest of Bhishma's three nephews, he was born of a lowly house cleaner and the sage Vedavyasa. A renowned scholar and a gentleman, but of low caste, he is the Prime Minister of Hastinapura, and the conscience-keeper of the Grand Regent.

  Parshavi: Vidhura's wife.

  Dhritarashtra: Son of Vedavyasa, he is the legitimate, though blind, King of Hastinapura, and father of the Kauravas. Denied the kingship because of his blindness, Pandu (his albino younger brother), reigns instead. On Pandu's death, Dhritarashtra assumes the kingship nominally, with Bhishma as Grand Regent.

  Pandu: Dhritarashtra's younger brother and briefly King of Hastinapura until his premature death. Cursed with impotency, his two wives (Kunti and Madri), are impregnated by sages and gods. There are, however, enough hints in the Mahabharata that their five sons were not, in fact, of divine origin. Called the Pandavas, they are recognized as Pandu's sons, though he did not father them. Pandu dies attempting sexual union with Madri, who then commits sati, leaving Kunti to care for all five boys.

  Kunti: First wife of Pandu and collective mother to the Pandavas, she also has an illegitimate son. Ambitious, ruthless, and self-righteous, she is determined to ensure Yudhishtra succeeds to the throne of Hastinapura.

  The Pandavas (five sons of Pandu):

  Yudhishtra (Dharmaputra): the eldest, was born to Kunti and fathered by Dharma or Yama, the God of Death. His claim to the throne of Hastinapura rests on the fact that he is considered Pandu's son, has divine lineage, and is older than Crown Prince Suyodhana by a day. The whole Mahabharata hinges on this accident of birth.

  Bhima: Kunti's next divine progeny is the Crown Prince's archenemy and is renowned for his brute strength as well as his willingness to use it on his brothers' behalf.

  Arjuna: Youngest of Kunti's three divine sons, he is a great archer and warrior, and Yudhishtra's only hope of winning against the Kauravas.

  Nakula & Sahadeva: Madri's twins, also of divine lineage, play minor roles in the epic as sidekicks to their three older siblings.

  Draupadi: The wife shared by all five Pandava brothers. Dhristadyumna is her brother, and Shikandi (a eunuch), an adopted sibling. She is spirited and does not take insults quietly. Fiercely determined, she is perhaps the real 'man' in the Pandava camp.

  Gandhari: Princess of Gandhara, Bhishma forcibly carries her off to marry his blind nephew, Dhritarashtra. She voluntary chooses to bind her eyes to share her husband's blindness. She is the mother of Crown Prince Suyodhana and his brothers, the Kauravas. Her brother is Shakuni.

  Shakuni: Prince of Gandhara, Queen Gandhari's younger sibling, and maternal uncle to the Kauravas; his only ambition is the destruction of the kingdoms of India in order to avenge himself against Bhishma for sacking Gandhara, killing his father and brothers, and abducting his sister. Skilled at dice and intrigue, he always carries the dice made from the thighbones of his slain father.

  The Kauravas: the legitimate scions of the Kuru clan, that holds suzerainty over all the kingdoms north of the Vindhya ranges. Crown Prince Suyodhana and his hundred siblings are determined to hold onto what is rightfully theirs.

  Suyodhana: Usually known as Duryodhana (a derogatory term signifying 'one who does not know how to use weapons or power'), is a name given to him by his detractors. The eldest of the Kauravas, and Dhritarashtra and Gandhari's firstborn, he is the legitimate Crown Prince of Hastinapura. This book is about his fight to claim his birthright. He is perhaps the most celebrated villain in Indian mythology, after Ravana of the Ramayana. However, here we see him as loyal and generous and sometimes brash and arrogant; his mind is set against the taboos and convoluted arguments of orthodoxy.

  Sushasana: Suyodhana's next sibling; more famously known as Dushasana.

  Sushala: The only girl child amongst the Kauravas, she is known as Dushala in popular lore; she is also the loving wife of Jayadratha, King of Sindh.

  Jayadratha: King of Sindh, he is Suyodhana's brother-in-law and loyal friend.

  Aswathama: Suyodhana's close friend and son of Guru Drona, this Brahmin youth refuses to blindly follow tradition. He believes Suyodhana's cause is just and is willing to fight even his illustrious father. He views Arjuna as his arch foe.

  Guru Drona: Teacher to both the Pandavas and Kauravas, and Aswathama's father; he will do anything to make Arjuna the greatest warrior in the world. His love for his disciple is legendary, exceeded only by his love for his son. Orthodox to the core, he believes in the superiority of his caste and that no lower castes should have the privilege of knowledge. The poverty of his early life haunts him.

  Ekalavya: A tribal youth who desperately wants to become a warrior; he is ready to give his life to achieve some dignity for his people.

  Karna: A low caste Suta and son of a charioteer, he is willing to travel to the Deep South to become a warrior par excellence. Generous, charitable, and exceptionally gifted, he is Suyodhana's answer to Arjuna's challenge. He is spurned for his low birth and insulted by Draupadi, but Suyodhana staunchly stands by him.

  Parashurama: Drona, Kripa, and Karna's Guru, friend-turned-foe of the Grand Regent, and the supreme spiritual leader of the Southern Confederate. A fanatical Brahmin and the greatest living warrior of the times, he curses Karna for duping him about his caste. He yearns to defeat Hastinapura and bring all of India under his sway. He rues the peace treaty he signed with the Grand Regent years ago and awaits the opportunity to ignite a great war.

  Kripa: A maverick genius as well as a learned Brahmin warrior, he does not believe in caste. He is Drona's brother-in-law (his opposite), and Aswathama's uncle. He believes Suyodhana has a point. A carefree soul without boundaries, he
is outspoken to the point of arrogance but kind-hearted beneath his rough exterior. He believes knowledge ought to be shared freely.

  Balarama: Leader of the Yadava clan; an idealistic dreamer who wishes to bring prosperity to his people and believes in the equality of all men. He sees the path to progress as lying in farming and trade. A pacifist at heart, he builds an ideal city on the west coast of India, where he puts his ideas into practice. He longs to prove one can rule without compromising one's principles. Elder brother to Krishna and Subhadra, he is also Suyodhana's Guru and mentor, and inspires men like Karna to reach beyond the imposed limitations of their caste.

  Krishna: A Yadava Prince who many consider an avatar of Vishnu - part of the Hindu Trinity. He believes he has come to this world to save it from evil. He is also Arjuna's brother-in-law and mentor. He sees the Great War as the inevitable conflict required to put all ambiguities to rest, and for dharma to be reinstated. His greatest challenges come from men like Jarasandha, Suyodhana, Karna, Ekalavya, and Carvaka.