Badshah Khan stopped in his tracks, he tried to turn around slowly..the voice said, "get down from the camel, hands on your head..turn around slowly.." he followed, there were few men who looked like Dacoits. The man who was speaking earlier said, "Go and check him, take away the valuables he is carrying"..a man descended from his camel and checked Badhshah Khan, he checked his pockets and pulled out some stuff, there were few copper coins and two gold coins, he took them away..he submitted it to the person who was speaking earlier, he must be the leader, he said, "that is all? check his luggage..!" again the person who checked Badshah Khan earlier, went and checked his luggage..he took out a small muslin cloth tied with a thread..Khan said,"please,its very important for me.." the person sneered, he removed the thread and unfolded the muslin cloth..there were two gem stones and one golden ring encrusted with a diamond..Khan said,"brother..please..I will give you more money..please leave those.." the leader said, "what have you checked? he says he got more money..hand over the money first!" Khan took out his turban and unfolded it, he took out three gold coins and handed those over.. the chief said, "my good man! thank you..you can proceed on your journey.." Khan said, "but, my belongings, please give those items in the muslin cloth to me..they are really important.." the leader said,"important? haha..haaa..more important than your life? get going..or else you will be killed.." Khan looked at the men, put together there were four men, he did not say anything..he silently turned around..there was one silver dagger he hid carefully in the foldings of his robe, he removed that dagger and waited, as the men turned around ..swish...the dagger flew and landed in the neck of the leader, then he took the other dagger from the ground thrown by the dacoits earlier and hurled it towards another person, that person fell too...everyone was shocked..two men fell in less than two minutes..the two surviving people looked at Badshah Khan with fear..he said,"handover my bag and the money..or else I will kill you"....Meanwhile in Gupta empire, the festival of Dusshera was being celebrated in full scale..people were very happy..all the people were arriving and having scrumptious food..everyone was enjoying well, the day of Saptami(7th day of Hindu Calendar) has come..this was the day of the marriage....the marriage was to be held in the arena where the festivities were being carried out, the stage was set, the whole platform was adorned with beautiful flowers and garlands of mango leaves(mango leaves are considered auspicious in India) the center of the stage had a wooden platform in the shape of a huge rectangle, the four corners of the rectangle had four wooden pillars, uprooted banana trees were tied to the pillars..then the four pillars were joined by flower garlands..it was a beautiful Mandap (platform set for wedding) the flowers lined the mandap , it looked like a fairy tale..the beautiful jasmines, lillies,magnolia flowers, marigolds and roses adorned the mandap..it looked as if all the flowers directly landed from the sky.. there were beautiful painted pots kept around the mandap..everything looked like a dream.. Prince Pinaka came and sat on a small wooden flat stool..he started performing some rituals on the mandap with the guidance of Raj Guru, all the important family members stood on the stone platform on which the mandap (wooden platform) was erected, Princess Samyukta was brought over..she was accompanied by her sister Radhika and her mother Padmini..Samyukta was adorned in valuable silks and heavy jewelry.. her long hair was braided and decorated with jasmines and roses.. she had a huge translucent veil covering her face.. Pinaka looked at her with adoration, today this wonderful woman would be his wife.. Samyukta felt a bit uncomfortable in all the heavy clothes and jewelry, but she couldn"t deny her mother and mother in law who prepared her for the wedding with enthusiasm..
She looked like a G.o.ddess, beautiful ,majestic and divine..she approached the mandap, offered prayers to G.o.ddess Parvati (G.o.ddess of Shakti) and stepped over the mandap.. emperor Krishna Chandra and Empress Padmini took their daughter, sat opposite to Pinaka, then they placed her hand in Pinaka"s hand and Raj Guru uttered few holy Mantras (chants) which translate to below meaning
Who offered this maiden?, to whom is she offered?
The G.o.d of love gave her to me, that I may love her
Love is the giver, love is the acceptor
Enter you, the bride, the ocean of love
With love then, I receive her
May she remain mine, my own, O G.o.d of love
truly, your art, prosperity itself
May the heaven bestow her, may the earth receive her
Then Samyukta"s father said, "Dharmecha..(lawfully) Arthecha (financially) Kamecha(in love) naaticheritavya (will you accompany my daughter in life) then Pinaka replied..Naaticherami (yes I will accompany her). The same verses were repeated thrice..
It was followed by Panigrahana (hand holding ritual) , again few holy verses were uttered by the Raj Guru..meaning is as below,
I take your hand in mine, yearning for happiness ; I ask you, to live with me, as your husband Till both of us, with age, grow old ; Know this, as I declare, that the G.o.ds Bhaga(wealth), Aryama (heavens), Savita (radiance) and Purandhi (wisdom), have bestowed you, upon me;that I may fulfill, my Dharmas of the Grihastha (householder), with you..
Then it was time for Saptapadi (seven vows)..then they circ.u.mbulated around holy fire lit in the center of the mandap and took the seven vows..
Step 1 : taken for Nourishment of body by food and nutrition
Step 2 : taken for strength of body, strength of character and strength of positive energy
Step 3 : taken for wealth earned lawfully
Step 4 : taken for happiness and to enjoy worldly pleasures together
Step 5 : taken for prosperity
Step 6 : taken for cherishing and experiencing together all the seasons and changes of time
Step 7 : taken for friendship and to be true companions of each other till death does them apart
Then Raj Guru said: Your marriage ceremony is fulfilled...treat each other with equality and respect.!
Pinaka said.. "This is just the beginning..!" their family had tears in their eyes, people of the empire felt their hearts move..they felt as if they gave away their own daughter in marriage and cried along with Samyukta"s parents..