SYNOPSIS- Satyan 4 - Sordid Incident

It took Vasudev more than a day to reach Mangadh which was the kingdom where Badrinath resided.  He and his charioteer, Varuna, were enthralled to see the vast greenery around them for which this kingdom was famous for.  Everywhere they could find green pastures with varieties of trees and flowers dotting the streets that happily swayed in the cool morning breeze.  Just a few miles away from the sage’s ashram, Vasudev was witness to an incident which disturbed him.  He kept looking at what he saw till the time the racing chariot put the view beyond his vision.  If only he could show this sight to Chakrabandhava!  But he knew that it was not possible.

On reaching the ashram, Varuna hurried to tell the inmates about the arrival of his King and his desire to meet the sage.  Vasudev, in the meantime, had a good look at the surroundings from his chariot.   Apart from the thick foliage, there was also a small garden which had medicinal herbs in plenty.  A river existed a few miles ahead with its crystal water shimmering in the growing radiance of the rising sun.  There was also a waterfall far ahead which joined the river with a great surge. Colourful birds chirpily flew around from one tree to another.  Vasudev’s heart enlivened to see nature in such full bloom!  Just then he found Badrinath himself coming towards him.   Vasudev got down from his chariot and touched the feet of the sage.  Blessing him the sage led him inside a small cottage where someone was seated on a mat.  Vasudev recognized him.  It was Chakrabandhava!  The noble King had seen him on quite a few occasions in King Chandravarkar’s court.  The Rajguru, too, appeared to recognize him for his face took a scornful look.  The brothers had some similarity in their looks especially the wide eyes, full lips and the flowing beard. 

“Maharaj, we are so glad to have you here.”  Badrinath spoke with great reverence.  “Can you excuse me for some time for I am in the midst of imparting education to my students?  I will join you after that and then we can converse.” 

Vasudev who was thoroughly pleased at this hospitality of the sage readily agreed to his request. 

“I am sure you know my brother, O King!”  The sage asked Vasudev.

“I do, O Sage.”  The King admitted. 

The sage wanted to offer some food to his guest in the form of fruits which Vasudev politely declined.  Thereby, instructing his brother to look after the needs of the King and make him feel comfortable, Badrinath took his leave.  Vasudev sat beside Chakrabandhava who continued to look at him with disdain.  A rage also filled the King’s heart when he had reminiscence of the mental torture that the Rajguru was causing his friend.  The realization that he had to make attempts to bridge the animosity between them and not aggravate it calmed him down.  He looked at the ground and a few moments of uneasy silence prevailed.  Finally deciding to break the deadlock, he asked the Rajguru to accompany him on a short journey.  After much reluctance, Chakrabandhava agreed.  Vasudev led him to his chariot and after they had mounted it, he instructed Varuna, the charioteer, to take an opposite turn and then move ahead.  As soon as they reached the spot which Vasudev wanted, he asked Varuna to stop and gestured Chakrabandhava to look to his right.  Amidst the trunks of two mighty trees a little afar they found a couple of deer lying on the ground.  One which was a male was dead due to an arrow that had pierced its stomach.  The other, a female, rested its head on the stomach of the dead deer and looked at the ground with forlorn eyes.   Vasudev began, “From what I feel looking at this incident, it could be that someone killed that deer probably only for fun.  While the killer may have gone away happy at the thought that his arrow has met its mark, see what his action has done for the other deer whose stubs reveal her gender and even her identity of being a probable female companion of the dead deer.  Her eyes reveal her unspeakable pain and trauma.  This is indeed what most of our thoughtless actions do, O Sage!  Therein lies the problem.  To satiate our own needs and benefits we never think from the prospective of others.”  The Rajguru who was trying to grasp Vasudev’s viewpoint looked at the female deer.   The way she was lying beside her dead mate with grief-stricken eyes did inculcate a sense of pity in him for the poor animal.  He hung his head down for a few moments and looked up at Vasudev who continued, “Had that hunter thought in these terms that the deer whom he was targeting could very well have a family just like we humans do, he may have not had the heart to shoot off the arrow with the ease that he did.  Had you thought from the perspective of my friend and his family, you, too, may not have liked to harass him in the way you did.   Shiva always dreamt of having a career in singing and by God’s grace he finally got the assignment he was looking for in your kingdom.  However, all his happiness has drained down and his life has become a nightmare following your constant threats and demands.  His wife who was equally thrilled at this new opportunity that had come her husband’s way has today been reduced to tears.  What wrong have they done to suffer like this?  Moreover, what virtue are you going to gain by causing grief to innocent souls, O Sage?  Let me specify that I had no intention of deliberately hurting or causing insult to your brother.  It is after years of effort that I managed to eradicate gender bias in my kingdom.  Now, if I allow your brother to open an ashram wherein, he admits only males, all that efforts would go in vain.  I am ready to compromise with my principles if they are wrong but why should I do so when they adhere to ethics?  I had no choice but to decline his offer.  I had expressed my apology to him for not fulfilling his wish.   The way Badrinathji behaved with me today is ample testimony to the fact that he has put that incident behind the back of his mind.  Thus, why can’t you do the same?  If you want, I am ready to ask his forgiveness for going against his wishes.  However, neither can I express any specious regret over my actions nor can I allow him to open an ashram in Chandrapur.  If you want to punish me in any other way here, I am right before you.  You are free to punish me in whatever way you deem fit.”           

The geniality in Chakrabandhava had not so completely died down that he could not comprehend the principled stand taken by Vasudev.  Once a noble man himself, it was after he assumed his post of Rajguru that he learnt the knack of becoming a shrewd politician which had changed his priorities.  Moreover, the blind faith of his King Chandravarkar gave him the liberty to take his actions for granted.