I am always battle ready," whispered Bharat, smiling with nonchalance.
Gouda shrugged and got into position.
Bharat waited for Gouda to make the first move as he observed the tribal warrior lazily.
Gouda suddenly lunged forward and thrust his sword into Bharat"s abdomen. Bharat smoothly twirled around and brought his sword in from a height, landing a sharp blow at Gouda"s right shoulder. Gouda smiled and retreated, careful not to reveal any pain.
I could have disembowelled you," said Gouda, drawing the boy"s attention to the red mark smeared across his abdomen.
Your arm would be lying on the floor before that," said Bharat, pointing at the red mark his wooden sword had made on Gouda"s shoulder.
Gouda laughed and charged in again. To his surprise, Bharat suddenly leapt high to his right, bringing his sword down from a height once again. It was an exquisite manoeuvre. Gouda could not have parried that strike from such height, especially since the attack was not on the side of the sword-arm. It could only have been blocked by a shield. However, Bharat was not tall enough to successfully pull off this ingenious manoeuvre. Gouda leaned back and struck hard, using his superior reach.
Gouda"s sword brutally hit the airborne Bharat"s chest, throwing him backwards. Bharat fell on his back, a kill-wound clearly marking his chest, right where his heart lay encased within.
Bharat immediately got back on his feet. The blood capillaries below the skin had burst, forming a red blotch on his bare chest. Even with a wooden sword, the blow must have hurt. To Gouda"s admiration, Bharat disregarded the pain. He stood his ground, staring defiantly at his opponent.
That was a good move," said Gouda. I haven"t seen it before. But you need to be taller to pull it off."
Bharat glared at Gouda, his eyes flashing with anger. I will be taller one day. We will fight again."
Gouda smiled. We certainly will, boy. I look forward to it."
Varun turned to Vashishta. Guruji, both are talented. I can"t wait for them to grow up."
Vashishta smiled with satisfaction. Neither can I."
Dusk had fallen as a contemplative Ram sat by the stream, which flowed a little away from the ashram. Spotting him from a distance as he set out for his evening walk, the guru walked up to his student.
Hearing the quick footsteps of his guru, Ram rose immediately with a namaste. Guruji."
Sit, sit," said Vashishta, and then lowered himself beside Ram. What are you thinking about?"
I was wondering why you did not reveal our ident.i.ty to Chief Varun," said Ram. He seems like a good man. Why do we withhold the truth from him? Why do we lie?"
Withholding the truth is different from lying!" Vashishta remarked with a twinkle in his eye.
Not revealing the truth is lying, isn"t it, Guruji?"
No, it isn"t. Sometimes, truth causes pain and suffering. At such times, silence is preferred. In fact, there may be times when a white lie, or even an outright lie, could actually lead to a good outcome."
But lying has consequences, Guruji. It"s bad karma."
Sometimes, the truth may also have consequences that are bad. Lying may save someone"s life. Lying may bring one into a position of authority, which in turn may result in an opportunity to do good. Would you still advocate not lying? It may well be said that a true leader loves his people more than he loves his own soul. There would be no doubt in the mind of such a leader. He would lie for the good of his people."
Ram frowned. But Guruji, people who compel their leaders to lie aren"t worth fighting for..."
That"s simplistic, Ram. You lied for Lakshman once, didn"t you?"
It was instinct. I felt I had to protect him. But I"ve always felt uneasy about it. That"s the reason why I needed to talk to you about it, Guruji."
And, I am repeating what I said then. You needn"t feel guilty. Wisdom lies in moderation, in balance. If you lie to save an innocent person from some bandits, is that wrong?"
One odd example, out of context, doesn"t justify lying, Guruji," Ram wouldn"t give up. Mother lied once to save me from Father"s anger; Father soon discovered the truth. There was a time when he would visit my mother regularly. But after that incident, he stopped seeing her completely. He cut her off."
The guru observed his student with sadness. Truth be told, Emperor Dashrath blamed Ram for his defeat at the hands of Raavan. He would have found some excuse or the other to stop visiting Kaushalya, regardless of the incident.
Vashishta measured his words carefully. I am not suggesting that lying is good. But sometimes, just like a tiny dose of a poison can prove medicinal, a small lie may actually help. Your habit of speaking the truth is good. But what is your reason for it? Is it because you believe it"s the lawful thing to do? Or, is it because this incident has made you fear lying?"
Ram remained silent, almost thoughtful.
Now, I am sure you are wondering what this has to do with Chief Varun."
Yes, Guruji."
Do you remember our visit to the chief"s village?"
Of course, I do."
The boys had once accompanied their guru to Varun"s village. With a population of fifty thousand, it was practically a small town. The princes were enchanted by what they saw. Streets were laid out in a semi-urban, well-organised living area in the form of a square grid. The houses were made of bamboo, but were strong and st.u.r.dy; they were exactly the same, from the chief"s to the ordinary villager"s. Houses were without doors, each with an open entrance, simply because there was no crime. The children were raised communally by the elders, not just by their own parents.
During their visit, the princes had had a most interesting conversation with an a.s.sistant to the chief. They had wanted to know who the houses belonged to: the individual living in that unit, or to the chief, or to the community as a whole. The a.s.sistant had answered with the most quizzical response: How can the land belong to any of us? We belong to the land!"
What did you think about the village?" asked Vashishta, bringing Ram back to the present.
What a wonderful way to live. They lead a more civilised life than we city-dwellers do. We could learn so much from them."
Hmm, and what do you think is the foundation of their way of life? Why is Chief Varun"s village so idyllic? Why have they not changed for centuries?"
They live selflessly for each other, Guruji. They don"t have a grain of selfishness in them."
Vashishta shook his head. No, Sudas, it is because at the heart of their society are simple laws. These laws can never be broken, and must be followed, come what may."
Ram"s eyes opened wide, like he had discovered the secret to life. Laws..."
Yes, Ram. Laws! Laws are the foundation on which a fulfilling life is built for a community. Laws are the answer."
Laws..."
One might believe that there"s no harm in occasionally breaking a minor law, right? Especially if it"s for the Greater Good? Truth be told, I too have occasionally broken some rules for a laudable purpose. But Chief Varun thinks differently. Their commitment to the law is not based on traditions alone. Or the conviction that it is the right thing to do. It"s based on one of the most powerful impressions in a human being: the childhood memory of guilt. The first time a child breaks a law in their society, however minor and inconsequential it may be, he"s made to suffer; every child. Any recurrent breach of the law results in further shaming. Just like you find it difficult to lie even when it benefits someone because of what your mother suffered, Varun finds it impossible to do the same."
So, not revealing our ident.i.ty is in some way linked to their laws? Will knowing who we are mean that they"re breaking their laws?"
Yes!"
What law?"
Their law prevents them from coming to the aid of the Ayodhya royalty. I don"t know why. I"m not sure if even they know why. But this law has held for centuries. It serves no purpose now but they follow it strictly. They don"t know where I"m from; I sometimes think they do not want to know. All they know is that my name is Vashishta."
Ram seemed troubled. Are we safe here?"
They are duty-bound to protect those who are accepted into this gurukul. That is also their law. Now that they"ve accepted us, they cannot harm us. However, they might expel us if they discover who the four of you are. We"re safe here, though, from other more powerful enemies who are a threat to our cause."
Ram fell into deep contemplation.
So, I haven"t lied, Sudas. I"ve just not revealed the truth. There"s a difference."
Chapter 6.
Dawn broke over the gurukul at the fifth hour of the first prahar, to the chirping of birds. Even as the nocturnal forest creatures returned to their daytime shelters, others emerged to face the rigours of another day. The four Ayodhyan princes though, had been up and about for a while. Having swept the gurukul, they had bathed, cooked and completed their morning prayers. Hands folded in respect, they sat composed and cross-legged in a semi-circle around Guru Vashishta. The teacher himself sat in padmaasan, the lotus position, on a raised platform under a large banyan tree.
In keeping with tradition, they were reciting the Guru Stotram, the hymn in praise of the teacher, before the cla.s.s commenced.
As the hymn ended, the students rose and ceremoniously touched the feet of their guru, Vashishta. He gave them all the same blessing: May my knowledge grow within you, and may you, one day, become my teacher."
Ram, Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrughan took their allotted seats. Thirteen years had pa.s.sed since the terrible battle with Raavan. Ram was thirteen years old, and both Bharat and he were showing signs of adolescence. Their voices had begun to break and drop in pitch. Faint signs of moustaches had made an appearance on their upper lips. They"d suddenly shot up in height, even as their boyish bodies had begun to develop lean muscle.
Lakshman and Shatrughan had now begun combat practice, though their pre-adolescent bodies made fighting a little difficult for them. They"d all learnt the basics of philosophy, science and mathematics. They had mastered the divine language, Sanskrit. The ground work had been done. The guru knew it was time to sow the seed.
Do you know the origins of our civilisation?" asked Vashishta.
Lakshman, always eager to answer but not well read, raised his hand and began to speak. The universe itself began with-"
No, Paurav," said Vashishta, using Lakshman"s gurukul name. My question was not about the universe but about us, the Vedic people of this yug."
Ram and Bharat turned to Shatrughan in unison.
Guruji," began Shatrughan, it goes back to Lord Manu, a prince of the Pandya dynasty, thousands of years ago."
Teacher"s pet," whispered Bharat, indulgently. While he teased Shatrughan mercilessly for his bookish ways, he appreciated the fearsome intellect of his youngest brother.
Vashishta looked at Bharat. Do you have something to add?"
No, Guruji," said Bharat, immediately contrite.
Yes, Nalatardak," said Vashishta, turning his attention back to Shatrughan and using his gurukul name. Please continue."
It is believed that thousands of years ago, swathes of land were covered in great sheets of ice. Since large quant.i.ties of water were frozen in solid form, sea levels were a lot lower than they are today."
You are correct," said Vashishta, except for one point. It is not a belief, Nalatardak. The "Ice Age" is not a theory. It is fact."
Yes, Guruji," said Shatrughan. Since sea levels were a lot lower, the Indian landma.s.s extended a lot farther into the sea. The island of Lanka, the demon-king Raavan"s kingdom, was joined to the Indian landma.s.s. Gujarat and Konkan also reached out into the sea."
And?"
And, I believe, there were-"
Shatrughan stopped short as Vashishta cast him a stern look. He smiled and folded his hands into a namaste. My apologies, Guruji. Not belief, but fact."
Vashishta smiled.
Two great civilisations existed in India during the Ice Age. One in south-eastern India called the Sangamtamil, which included a small portion of the Lankan landma.s.s, along with large tracts of land that are now underwater. The course of the river Kaveri was much broader and longer at the time. This rich and powerful empire was ruled by the Pandya dynasty."
And?"
The other civilisation, Dwarka, spread across large parts of the landma.s.s, off the coast of modern Gujarat and Konkan. It now lies submerged. It was ruled by the Yadav dynasty, the descendants of Yadu."
Carry on."
Sea levels rose dramatically at the end of the Ice Age. The Sangamtamil and Dwarka civilisations were destroyed, their heartland now lying under the sea. The survivors, led by Lord Manu, the father of our nation, escaped up north and began life once again. They called themselves the people of vidya, knowledge; the Vedic people. We are their proud descendants."
Very good, Nalatardak," said Vashishta. Just one more point. The Ice Age came to an abrupt end in the time-scale that Mother Earth operates in. But in human terms, it wasn"t abrupt at all. We had decades, even centuries, of warning. And yet, we did nothing."
The children listened with rapt attention.
Why did the Sangamtamil and Dwarka, clearly very advanced civilisations, not take timely corrective actions? Evidence suggests that they were aware of the impending calamity. Mother Earth had given them enough warning signs. They were intelligent enough to either possess or invent the technology required to save themselves. And yet, they did nothing. Only a few survived, under the able leadership of Lord Manu. Why?"
They were lazy," said Lakshman, as usual jumping to conclusions.
Vashishta sighed. Paurav, if only you"d think before answering."
A chagrined Lakshman fell silent.
You have the ability to think, Paurav," said Vashishta, but you"re always in a hurry. Remember, it"s more important to be right than to be first."
Yes, Guruji," said Lakshman, his eyes downcast. But he raised his hand again. Were the people debauched and careless?"
Now you"re guessing, Paurav. Don"t try to pry open the door with your fingernails. Use the key."
Lakshman seemed nonplussed.
Do not rush to the "right answer"," clarified Vashishta. The key, always, is to ask the "right question"."
Guruji," said Ram. May I ask a question?"
Of course, Sudas," said Vashishta.
You said earlier that they had decades, even centuries of warning. I a.s.sume their scientists had decoded these warnings?"
Yes, they had."