SATYAN2
-1. Proposal

Sage Suryananda took his seat beneath a banyan tree and looked at his students who were eagerly awaiting his recital of a new story that evening.  All of his stories taught the children to follow good principles and be virtuous in life.  The Sage glanced at his students and addressed them benignly, “Dear students, some time back I had told you the story of Satyan.  Do you remember?”  All of them nodded their head in agreement.  “Good!” the sage exclaimed and continued, “There are some more events that occurred in the life of Vasudev – who got the name Satyan from his King for following the path of Dharma and truth – which I would like to narrate to you today.  Thus, my new story begins where the earlier version of Satyan ended.  Listen!”  As the students listened with rapt attention, the sage began with his sequel to the story ‘Satyan’.

People celebrated the marriage of their King Bharadwaj to Chitralekha – the daughter of King Dharmaraja – with great passion and fervour for days together.  They wore colourful dresses, merrily danced in the streets, distributed sweets among one another, decorated the streets with flowers and sprinkled aromatic scents.  They prayed to God to bless the royal couple with a long and happy life.  The King, on his part, thanked his subjects for sharing his happiness and bestowing their good wishes on him and the Queen.  As for the noble Vasudev, he stood with his eyes closed and palms folded in front of his idol of Lord Krishna and thanked the blue-coloured deity for bringing in this moment of happiness in the life of his beloved King.  As he had the privilege of having the darshan of Krishna in his dreams, he could easily imagine the Lord’s divine and glowing face smiling and blessing him that filled his heart with glee.   Queen Chitralekha displayed a strong willingness in managing the affairs of the kingdom, which was much appreciated by the King and others.   She was delighted to see that the King and his ministers, especially, Vasudev, took a keen interest in motivating the women folk of the kingdom to come up in life by sending them to education which was the first step towards their empowerment. 

With the permission of the King, Vasudev opened several Dharmashalas that housed orphans and anyone who had no one to look forward to for survival.  He spent a major part of the day interacting with these people and tried to provide solutions to their problems. In the evenings, he took education under a Sage called Adirath, so that it could not only augment his knowledge but also enhance his skills to deal with the administrative affairs of his kingdom.  Adirath, who knew about Vasudev’s remarkable transformation and his selfless services to the King, considered it a privilege to have a disciple like him.  The noble minister decided to take only simple food, dress like an ascetic – where he donned saffron robes and matted his hair – sleep on a mat and not marry till he completed his education.  At his request, a cottage was built for him in the palace compound which he made his home during the tenure of his education that was to last for the next twelve years.  The King did not like his minister stay in a cottage but he dared not express his displeasure for he knew how austere Vasudev was in his principles!

Everything went by happily in Somnapur.  The just rule of Bharadwaj accompanied with the able assistance of his trusted ministers like Vasudev brought cheer and prosperity in every household. 

Five years passed by.  Queen Chitralekha was now in the very initial stages of pregnancy, much to the delight of the King and others.  Vasudev was now elevated to the post of a minister following his unflinching commitment to work and also owing to the knowledge he was gaining under his guru Adirath.

One evening, as King Bharadwaj was spending time with his Queen, the palace singer, Neelkant, sought an audience with him.  The King, who held him in high reverence, rose to welcome him.  After they had exchanged pleasantries and were comfortably seated, Bharadwaj asked, “Pray tell me the purpose of your visit, O Neelkantji.” 

The singer, who appeared elegant with his fair complexion, expressive eyes and a flowing white beard, responded, “Maharaj, I have come here to take your permission for something I would like to do.” 

As the couple listened keenly, he continued, “I have become old and no longer have the desire to continue singing and enjoy all these worldly pleasures.  I am now inclined to retire to the forest and do penances till the rest of my life.” 

Both the King and Queen were taken aback to hear these words of the great singer and gave each other a pensive look.  “Why have you taken such a drastic decision, Neelkantji?  You may have grown old but your voice is as melodious as ever and your heart is still young and agile.  These are the things which actually matter.”   The King tried to circumvent his singer’s point of view. 

“Maharaj, if I continue, I will not be able to do justice to my profession.  I have come to this decision after much thought and consideration.”  Neelkant insisted. 

Bharadwaj knew that he could not do anything to change his mind.  “If you are so firm in your mind, I can do little but agree.  The void that you will be leaving behind can never be filled up, Neelkantji.” the King lamented. 

“No, Maharaj!  I have an idea which is the other purpose for my visit.  Let all those who can sing in our kingdom come and exercise their vocal chords in front of me.  In my discretion, I shall choose the best ten among them.  Thereafter, let us organize an event where these ten participants will sing in front of a huge sabha.  I will then choose the winner and then even groom that singer with proper training, if need be, to offer you my suitable replacement that is to the best of my ability.  It is only after that shall I take your leave, Maharaj.”  Neelkant opined.  The King and the Queen liked his idea and consented.  

Later, Bharadwaj apprised Vasudev of his meeting with Neelkant.  Vasudev was disappointed to hear about the veteran singer’s decision to retire to the forest after appointing his successor.  The King asked him, “If I remember correctly, your friend Shiva is a singer!  I hope he takes part in this event.” 

“Yes, Maharaj!  I am sure that he will participate.” Vasudev replied.  He was pleased for the King remembered his friend.   

(To Continue)