Adisesh

 

 

Satrajit’s Lab:

'Glory to Mathura!' shouted the royal guard as they reached Satrajit's entrance. Satrajit rushed to greet his royal guest. A large, bulky man with a body full of battle scars climbed down the horse.

 

'Yuvaraja! What brings you here at this hour? You could have sent for me,' said Satrajit.

 

'Acharya, why the formalities? You're of my father's age. It is I who should travel to your house. Shall we go inside?'

​

Satrajit welcomed Balarama to his abode. The Yadava brothers had studied under Satrajit when they were young. They were ever grateful for Satrajit's counsel. However, Balarama had some other intentions for this visit.

 

'Acharya, last time we spoke, you had mentioned a liquid potion to heal wounds. How's the progress on that?' Asked Balarama

 

'Yuvaraja, My team and I have studied the Amritjal from the hills of Anga. We have narrowed down the ingredients required for synthetic production. We're currently testing it on monkeys' Satrajit gestured to the potion container in his living room.

 

'Thank you for facilitating that expedition. I can only imagine the toil it must have taken on you to travel through Anga,' Satrajit continued.

 

'It wasn't hard, Acharya. King Romapada of Anga is a childhood friend of our King Ugrasena. All I had to do was ask my grandfather to inform his friend of my arrival. Navigating the hilly region of Anga is a story for another time,' Balarama conversed as he meandered through Satrajit's living room turned lab, admiring the various innovations.

 

'Speaking of your brother, how is he? I haven't seen him since the Yagnya.'

 

Balarama had by then reached the entrance to the backyard.

 

'This is precisely why we need the potion, Acharya. Mathura will face a war soon. This potion will help our soldiers recover faster.

 

'Oh my! Are the rumors true?'

 

'Yes, Shishupala has allied himself with Jarasandha. He now commands a combined 23 akshauhini army. These forces attacked King Drupada of Panchal. This was the news I had received during the Yagnya'.

​

Satrajit looked gloomy. A man of science could never understand the carnal nature of war.

 

Balarama stood still with his penetrating gaze falling upon the giant statue of Lord Ram.

 

'Mathura will face war. My brother and I are busy preparing its defenses. He is to cross over the Yamuna tomorrow and inspect the siege readiness of our frontline troops,' said Balarama, emphasizing the news of his brother's travels.

 

'Son, will we win this war?' asks a worried Satrajit.

 

'Unfortunately, I'm not a Ramanandi sadhu to predict the future Acharyaji.'

 

Satrajit was left searching for words as he wondered if Balarama knew of his prior visitors.

 

'Yuvaraja, why do you suddenly mention the sadhus?'

 

'The National Guard tells me we will soon have more sadhus in this town than civilians,' joked Balarama.

 

'Adisesh, I have a request for you. I plan to send a student of mine to study the Anjaneya caves in Ayodhya. I have heard there are precious stones there that glow brighter than the Syamantaka. My student will find it helpful if he has a royal seal with him in case he gets into trouble with the national guards beyond the border,' Satrajit blurted out after gathering all the courage he had in his feeble body.

 

'Acharya, the sun is the brightest stone of them all. Should we send students searching for the sun as well? Your research ambitions are clouding your judgment.'

 

'No, but..' Satrajit pondered, trying to reason.

 

'Alright! Here's the royal seal. This should help your student in his travels,' said Balarama, handing over his royal seal to Satrajit.

 

'Acharya, please also warn him of the perils of the journey. I have heard a lot of rumors recently that the path to Ayodhya is filled with white ghosts.'

 

Just as he completed the sentence, there was a whispering hiss from the feet of the statue.

 

‘Thank you, Balarama. I'll make sure he travels safely. Shall we have dinner now? I have a large spread waiting for you,' asked Satrajit.

 

'Thanks, Acharya! But some other time. I'll take you leave now; it's getting late,' says Balarama, kneeling to take Satrajit's blessings. As he prostrates, he observes the wet footmarks leading to the sculpture.

 

Balarama swiftly gets up and signals to the royal guard holding a large briefcase.

 

'Acharya, your student must be a young one. Please give him this and convey my wishes. Tell him to follow his dharma, and all will be well.'

 

Satrajit accepted the briefcase and escorted Balarama to his entourage.

​

Moments later, two figures appeared from Satrajit's backyard.

 

Yuyudhana is in a daze, trying to comprehend everything he has seen over the past few hours. 'Who was Balarama? Who was Ananthaswami? What were their intentions?' He wondered.

 

Anantha, however, was pacing around Satrajit's living area, lost in deep thought. He muttered a few sentences while scheming. His gaze caught the briefcase that Balarama had left behind and moved closer to inspect it.

 

'The Adisesh has a gift for you.'

 

Yuyudhana peaks over to see the contents: a large bow and a tubular case. A bright light hits him as he unscrews the case to find a cache of arrows.

 

'Why did he gift me a set of bow and arrows?'

 

'Not just arrows, notice the tip. They're studded with the Syamantaka. The arrows will explode when hit under pressure,' exclaimed Anantha.

 

'I know; I used a similar one in my fight with the Shiv bhakts at the caravan attack.'

 

'Son! Here's the seal. Show this to any Mathuran National Guard that stops you on the way to Ayodhya. You can leave early tomorrow morning,' Satrajit interrupts the duo.

 

'And here's the scroll for my Guru Satyasariyar once you reach Ayodhya. It's written in a special dialect used by us Ramanandis,' says Anantha, handing Yuyudhana a wrapped scroll.

​

'Acharya, do you see any benefit in me going to Ayodhya? My gut tells me there's something wrong with traveling in such secrecy. Shall I wait for my papers and then start the journey to the caves?'

 

'Son, didn't we discuss this? You don't have your papers, and the National Guard is searching for you. The complete legal process would take a fortnight or two. The Anjaneya caves will close for the winter solstice by then,' urged Satrajit with a sense of unbridled passion to explore the caves.

 

'Acharya, I will go there if you say so. I have come this far to study under you. I will pursue this if it's your command,' says Yuyudhana, still trying to decide about the journey.

 

Satrajit suggests the duo stay overnight and arrange a guest room. Yuyudhana begins to pack his shoulder sack for the journey while Anantha swami observes the kid.

 

'Appane! Don't worry; you will not face any trouble traveling to Ayodhya. I have added you to my prayers to Lord Ram.'

 

'Swami! What use is Lord Ram, who couldn't save you from the beast that gave you that scar on your back? bursts Yuyudhana, unable to contain his turbulent thoughts.

 

'Thambi! How did you know?'

 

'I felt it when we hid behind Lord Ram's statue.'

 

'Yuyudhana, there are some things I cannot tell you. There are tasks that I undertake for the greater good of the 16 Mahajanpads. I'm following my Guru's orders and what my dharma dictates.'

 

'Does your dharma dictate you to attack the Syamantaka caravans?' asked an angry Yuyudhana

 

'No, but it does dictate me to sabotage the unbridled looting of this land. It does dictate me to protect the delicate balance that holds sanity among the Mahajanpads. The very balance that the Adisesh and his brother are looking to destabilize.'

 

Yuyudhana is further confused. He continues to pack his bags.

 

'I don't care about your dharma Swami. I will be leaving tomorrow because of my Guru's commands. I do not want anything to do with your revolution and balance. All I want to do is to study and settle down in Mathura. That is considering I live through my travels to Ayodhya…'

 

'Oh, son! Don't put such heavy thoughts on that gentle mind of yours. Leave the revolution to grownups like me. You simply focus on Satrajit's instructions. Also, you will not face any issues in your journey.'

 

'How can you be so sure? I'm perplexed about how I would exit the city with the royal guard searching for me. A seal can only work if they don't recognize me from the wanted list posters around town, right?'

 

'Appane! The seal is for the soldiers you encounter on the frontline after crossing the Yamuna. I can ensure you won't get caught while exiting Mathura.'

 

'How? The National Guard mans every exit port from the city.'

 

'True, but you won't be using those. Have you ever heard of how Balaram's father Vasudev crossed over to Gokulam during the night with his baby brother in hand?'

 

'Yes, It was the Adisesh serpent that helped him cross. It is said that the Yamuna had split in half to make way for him.'

 

Anantha laughed hysterically with all his crooked teeth.

​

 

 

The royal entourage moved south from Satrajit's place. Balarama was leading the procession, surrounded by guards trying to keep up with his pace. He had the same penetrating look we had seen earlier.

 

He slowed down as he heard a jingle from the opposite direction. As the bullock cart approached closer, Balarama stopped and gestured his royal guard to follow at a distance. 

​

'How's the cotton trade flourishing, Maama?' Balarama quipped.

 

'By the grace of the Ikshvaku, it's very profitable Bala. I have lots to share with you,' said Akrura. 

 

'Maama, who's the sadhu? We met him and the young boy on my way to Satrajit's.'

 

'Ah, I found the sadhu and the young one on my way from Vrindavan. The sadhu is a schemer working with the Ramanandi mutt in Mathura. He and his entourage were responsible for today's attack. I believe he is with Shishupala. The boy is his pawn,' continued Akrura.

 

Go on, gestured Balarama.

 

'Satrajit is under the sadhu's spell after he brought him those precious stones from Ayodhya. He's manipulating Satrajit to force the boy to travel to Ayodhya with an ulterior motive; he plans to…'

 

'Thought as much. Don't worry about the boy; I'll take care of the sadhu. What about the news from Panchal? Did you hear anything from your messenger?' asked Balarama eagerly. 

 

Akrura was the uncle of the Yadava brothers and Ugrasena's nephew. Above all, he was also the spy chief of the Narayani Sena and had a penchant for on-field missions.

 

'Ah yes, I went there myself. Arjuna has reached Ahicchatra and is awaiting your command to attack. When will you cross over?'

 

'There's been a change of plans. Commander Parasuram will be crossing over instead of me. Orders of my little brother.'

 

'Does he want us to attack now?'

 

'No, and in his words: "We must only attack when we know victory is certain," Parasuram will take the Vrishni special forces and attack from the South.'

 

'At the same time, we will signal Arjuna and the remaining Panchal forces hiding in Ahicchatra to attack from the North,' Balarama continued.

 

'What about you?'

 

'He has commanded me to stay within the fort and protect the king. It did not make sense to me initially, but after seeing the havoc created by the sadhu, I should stay back in Mathura.'

 

'And what about the boy? Which exit gate will he be traveling through? I'll have to let the National Guard know.'

 

'You'll do no such thing. We will let the boy travel to Ayodhya. I have a feeling he will be key to winning this war.'

 

'Then I'll have to instruct the National Guard so they don't stop him at the border. He's currently on the wanted list,' said a puzzled Akrura.

 

'If my guess is right, he will not exit through the border gates nor sail from the Yamuna ghat.'

 

'How else will he exit Mathura? Ah, I see what you're saying…'

 

'Yes, the Vasudev tunnels. Remember I instructed you to seal off all the tunnels under the city. I believe we finally found the one my father used to transport my brother to Gokulam.'

 

Akrura listened keenly.

 

'It's wiser to spare the rat, allowing it to guide us to its hole. Today, I realized that the entrance to my father's tunnel begins at Satrajit's backyard.'

 

'The Lord Ram statue?'

 

'Yes, if my guess is right, Yuyudhana will leave through the tunnel behind that statue and reach the opposite end near the outskirts of Gokulam. He will then travel to Ayodhya through Kampilya.'

 

'Understood. Where do you want me to go?' asked an enthusiastic Akrura.

 

​

​

Satrajit's Lab:

Yuyudhana woke up at the sound of the roaster. He looked around to find no one in the room. He proceeded to the restroom to complete his morning ebullitions. He was greeted by an older woman serving food in the living area.

​

'Son! Come eat; I have made some khaman rice cakes for breakfast.'

 

'Thaye, where are the Acharya and Ananthaswami?'

​

'Satrajit was working late at night on the gems Anantha brought. He is still asleep. Anantha woke up and left early today. He said he had some work at the Yamuna ghat.'

 

Yuyudhana swallowed a big gulp. 'What devious act has the sadhu's dharma dictated him to do now?' He wondered. 

 

'He wished you well and asked you to ride with the horse left in the backyard. He said only you know the way to Ayodhya.'

 

'Amma, thank you. These cakes are delicious,' said Yuyudhana, diverting the topic.

 

'If I may ask, how are you related to Satrajit?'

 

'I'm his mother, son'

 

'Thayee, thank you for bringing my Guru to this world. I owe all my future to you.' Yuyudhana stood up with his hands bowed down.

 

Amma blessed Yuyudhana and noticed Yuyudhana's palm.

 

'Appane! You have an illustrious future. The kriya (career) line on your hand has the right curvature.'

 

'Amma, what more do you see?'

 

'It says you will find your destiny in a journey beyond the Yamuna.'

 

'Does it say if I will be successful in my research of the caves?'

 

'No, your destiny shows the markings of Kshatriya. Science will have to wait.'

 

'Will I be a good Kshatriya or a bad one?'

 

'It says you'll change sides at some point.'

 

Yuyudhana sighs and continues eating his rice cakes. He pondered if Satrajit and Anantha were not his mentors. After breakfast, he moved to the backyard to look at the Yamuna before leaving, never knowing if he would ever be back in the city.

 

Satrajit's backyard was a vast garden on an elevated piece of land. It had the best views of the Yamuna. The river glistened with the sun rising in the east. There was a small group of boats near the Yamuna ghat with soldiers loading them. Yuyudhana noticed two distinct figures at a distance. 

 

One bulky individual spoke incessantly to a shorter one. The shorter man had a bluish tinge to his skin and seemed to be a man of few words. He spoke briefly as the taller continued. 

 

Yuyudhana recognized the bulky, taller individual as Balarama. He seemed to bid farewell to the shorter man who had just boarded the boat. The duo waved to each other as the boats moved.

 

The shorter man was now at the boat's helm, guiding the rider. As he stood up, Yuyudhana could see the crystal blue waters of the Yamuna merging with the man's torso. As the mesmerized Yuyudhana peaked over the backyard walls, the shorter man suddenly shifted his gaze in Yuyudhana's direction. He had a captivating smirk that whispered of confidence and allure.

 

Yuyudhana was quick to rush back into the backyard. 'Was it the younger Yuvaraja that everyone speaks about?' 'Why is he crossing over the Yamuna?' 'Does this mean war?' 'Where is Ananthaswami?' 'What work did he have at the Yamuna ghat in the morning?' 'Is he part of the Yadava entourage?'

 

Yuyudhana moved the statue that revealed the entrance to the tunnel. Anantha had directed him to use the tunnel to cross the Yamuna. He brimmed with confusion as he mounted his horse. He could see the shorter Yadava's boat pass into oblivion. He hopped for light at the end of this proverbial tunnel.

​

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