Syamantaka

One summer afternoon, near the banks of the Yamuna, a young traveler rests under a humongous banyan tree. He is deep in sleep but keeps murmuring words that seem rehearsed. In his slumber, the boy does not notice a set of eyes locked onto him. The pair of eyes slither through the grass swiftly between moments of silence.

A silence familiar to these parts of Vrindavan, the silence before a hunter leaps onto its prey. The pair of eyes suddenly jump from the grass towards the boy's hand. The hunt is interrupted by a scream. The boy wakes up to a sudden jab to his hand.

'Swami, thank you for saving me,' utters Yuyudhana as he collects his senses upon seeing the snake bite the sage's hands.

'Young one, I seem to have scared you. The snake was about to bite your hand,' said a lean bald man in orange robes.

'No, no, I should be the one apologizing for bringing harm to a Ramanandi Sadhu. Let's wash the blood and treat your wounded hand.'

'Thambi, it's not my blood. It's this Vasudev's. The fertile soil of Vridhavan attracts these snakes,' says Anantha Swami with a broad smile, revealing his crooked teeth as Yuyudhana noticed the blood oozing out of the snake's fangs.

The youth helped the sage remove his hand from the snake's grasp.

'So it is true that Ramanandi Sadhus have impermeable skin. I hear it's a boon procured from their penance. How many years were you in sanyas, Swami?' asked Yuyudhana.

‘Yuyudhana, what brings you to Vrindavan ? I often don't see 19-year-olds traveling alone through these parts?' said the sadhu, evading the boy's questions.

'Swami, how do you know my name?'

'It's an acquired skill, child. You were once my disciple in a previous birth. Why else do you think I killed the snake?'

'Tell me, Swami, what else do you know about me?'

'Thambi! It's better if you introduce yourself at this point.'

'I'm Yuyudhana, from the Vrishni settlement in Bajra up north. I'm traveling to Mathura for my education.'

'Ah! Are you joining Satrajit's Gurukul?' Anantha asked.

A stunned Yuyudhana nodded in agreement and asked,' Swami, can you also see the future?'

'Shall I make a prediction?' The sadhu asked rhetorically, again showing his toothwork.

'Mathura will see war. Blood will flow through the Yamuna,' he continued.

Yuyudhana stood still in his tracks as his hopes of an education crumbled at the sadhu's nonchalant utterance. His fears are interrupted as a cart with a jingling bell approaches them.

'Aiyya! You seem to be traveling towards Mathura. Can you please drop us at the nearest point on your way?' Anantha asks the cartman.

'Jai shree ram, Swami. Are you traveling to Ayodhya?' asks the rider as he helps the duo onto his cart.

'Jai shree ram. Yes, but I have some work in Mathura before that at the Ram temple.'

'We need more Ramanandi Sadhus in Mathura Swami; you're always welcome.'

'What are you taking to Mathura Aiyya?' asks the Swami.

‘Swami, I’m transporting cotton from Hastinapur. It's one of the few things Mathura imports, as we don't have local plantations.'

'Ah! Yes, you'll need to import these because of all the daily wage workers moving,' says the Swami.

The trio travels towards Mathura when Anantha notices Yuyudhana lost in thought and realizes he hasn't completed the story; 'Son, you look like you need some context to my earlier conclusion. You might be confused about such a prosperous city going to war.'

'Yes, Swami, I'm coming here for my education after much thought between the scientists of the Mahajanpads. I hope I have not made the wrong decision to study in Mathura. Could you explain how you arrived at this conclusion?' says a worried Yuyudhana as the cart-man listens, intrigued by the duo's conversation.

'For that, you need to know the history of this region, Thambi.' says Anantha as he adjusts his legs into a Sukhasan.

'The North of the Vindya's have long been divided into 16 regions, regions of large settlements of people.

These settlements attracted more trade and advancements, leading to more people migrating to these locations. They are called the Mahajanpads. You might know them as Anga, Assaka, Avanti, Chedi, Gandhara, Kashi, Kamboja, Kodsala, Kuru, Magadha, Maila, Matsya, Panchal, Vajji, Vatsa, and lastly, Surasena.'

'Surasena is one of the smallest mahajanpads. However, it has become a prosperous and thriving economy solely because of one person.'

'Who is that, Swami? I think I know who you're talking about,' says Yuyudhana

'I'm sure you don't. Most youngsters don't know the history of this place and idealize a cowherd unnecessarily. No offense, Aiyya,' said the Swami haughtily. The cart-man nodded as the duo conversed.

'It is because of a man called Ugrasena. The surrounding Mahajanpads of Chedi, Panchala, and Matsya were always at war. He brought about stability by forging alliances and building up trade with the Macedonian travelers from the west. He also increased focus on education and sciences, leading to eminent scientists like the guru you seek, Satrajit settling in Mathura.' said Anantha.

'But prosperity is a two-sided coin. An evil eye had struck this kingdom. You might have heard about his son, Kamsa…'

'Ah, Swami! I know about how Kamsa usurped the throne and tried to kill his nephews. The nephews return for revenge and…' bursts out an eager Yuyudhana.

'Son, Kamsa was a great ruler too. He was not the villain as portrayed by the historians. The Mathura and Magadha conglomerates were frequently at war. He brought peace by allying with the current king of Maghadha, Jarasandha. Kamsa was clever; he knew Jarasandha's might. It also helped that both of them were Shiva bhakts. They met during a five-year-long penance.'

Yuyudhana couldn't help but notice the crooked teeth of the Swami as he rambled on about Mathura-101.

'I thank the gods for Kamsa's wisdom. Jarasandha's army at the time had 18 akshauhinis, and Jarasandha himself would been enough to defeat Mathura's akshauhini army. Oh, how great was Mathura during Ugrasena's times!' the Swami looked upward, nostalgic.

' 'Is' Swami, Ugrasena is very much alive and is the current ruler of Mathura.' the cart-man corrected the sage.

'You seem to know how the story goes about Kamsa usurping the throne and his nephews returning to kill them,' continued Anantha, perturbed by a mere cart-man interrupting him.

'The Vrishni nephews killed Kamsa and are the ones currently ruling Mathura. Don't be fooled by the deceitful games like our Aiyya here,' says Anantha, laughing heartily.

'All of Mathura's upcoming misfortunes will be attributed to this duo and their ambition. Take their greed over the Syamantaka; your Satrajit also has a place in this story,' says Anantha.

'I know all about the Syamantaka, Swami. I heard that it is a gift given by the Sun god to the chief scientist Satrajit. Rumors are it produces 7 tulas of gold per day and is the sole reason for the rise of Surasena in such a short span. I plan to write my thesis on this very gem.' Yuyudhana jumps in.

'Clever, Appane. However, you only have half the story. I can't believe you're making a godman like me teach you science! Narayana Narayana!' laughed Anantha.

'Syamantaka does not produce the gold directly; it possesses characteristics that, when used efficiently, would give its owner wages worth 7 tulas of gold per day. This gem is why Mathura's stature has increased; you're right about that!' Anantha swami says.

'It is an insulator in its natural state, but when passed through sunlight, the crystal's atomic structure converts into that of a superconductor. This perfect anuvithi has led to the technological advancements in Mathura and, in turn, the other Mahajanpads.' continued Anantha swami. One would not be wrong to mistake the Swami's eyes for the very Syamantaka he described.

'Also, Satrajit is a friend. He did not get it from the sun god. He found the gem while hiking and has used it to advance the progress of Surasena' continued Anantha as the cart-man patiently listened to the conversation.

'But why would all this lead to war?' A confused Yuyudhana interjected.

'Remember that Jarasandha, the most powerful ruler of Magadha with that 18 akshauhini…'

'Yes, go on,' Yuyudhana was getting fidgety.

'He was Kamsa's father-in-law. When those nephews killed Kamsa, little did they know they had set off a chain reaction that would forever change the Mahajanpads.' completed Anantha Swami.

'So is he coming here for revenge?' asks Yuyudhana.

'Let me tell you, son, let the sadhu rest,' says the cart-rider. With his palm upwards, the sadhu gestured to the rider to continue as he grabbed his lotta to drink some gangajal.

'After Kamsa's assassination, Jarasandha is hell-bent on avenging his son-in-law's death, and the rumor is that he has turned one of our own neighboring Yadava tribes, the Chides, against us. The sadhu has not made any prediction; he would have just heard of the news beforehand.' continued the cart-man.

'Oh, Please! Let me tell you something no one knows: I agree that the Chedi king is an able commander. But Shishupala alone cannot muster the courage to attack Mathura. During my morning japam, I saw a large contingent of 23 akshauhinis of Jarasandha's army marching towards Mathura with Shishupala leading it. '

'We can defeat that too! Each Yadava is equal to 10 Maghadhans' boasted the cart-man. The sadhu watched, surprised at the sudden courage of a mere cart man of Mathura.

'Why are you then running away from all the terror attacks happening in Mathura's villages? I hear about white ghosts pillaging the outskirts of Gokulam.'

Yuyudhana was confused and gazing through the water stream parallel to their path. He could swear he saw the cart-man's smug smile when the sadhu mentioned the ghost.

'But all this hassle for a single gem?' Yuyudhana asked, still trying to connect the dots.

The sadhu spat the water he was gulping, and the cart-man laughed loudly. 'How did Satrajit even agree to take you?' the cart-man asked.

'A single gem? What the hell, Appane! They have a whole mountain full of it' burst the sadhu as the Govardhan parvatham appeared to the west.