214. Katha Sarit Sagara : Chapter 4
The Tale of Vararuchi: Love, Learning, and Loss
1. Vararuchi Continues His Tale
The wind whispered secrets through the dense, ancient trees of the Vindhya forest. The fire crackled, painting the face of Kanabhuti in shifting shadows as Vararuchi, his voice a low, resonant drone, leaned forward. He had just finished the story of an old adventure.
“And so, Kanabhuti,” Vararuchi began, his eyes distant, fixed on a memory only he could see, “I related that episode. But now, let me return to the path, the main thread of my life, which led me to the very heart of the royal court and the edge of despair.”
2. Attaining Adulthood and Education
“My days were spent not in the usual pleasures of youth, but in the hallowed halls of learning, under the watchful eyes of my great preceptor, alongside my two closest companions, Vyaadi and Indradatta. We were three vessels, all sailing toward the same shore of knowledge.
“The hours blurred into years. I devoured texts on logic, astronomy, and the vast, intricate web of the Vedas. I felt the dry dust of forgotten scripts settle on my mind, only to be washed clean by the clear waters of understanding. Vyaadi was meticulous, a master of detail. Indradatta was a wizard with the occult, his mind sharp for magic and illusion. I, perhaps, was the bridge between them, seeking the unifying philosophy.
“One evening, Varsha, our revered teacher, laid his hand on my head, his touch heavy with pride. ‘Vararuchi,’ he said, his voice husky, ‘you have emerged. The boy is gone. The scholar stands before me. You have attained perfection in all sciences. The condition of childhood is dissolved.’ It was the greatest accolade a young man could receive, the official emergence from the chrysalis of youth into the full light of scholarship.”
3. Meeting Upakosha
“It was shortly after this milestone that the great festival of Indra was announced in Pataliputra. A celebration of divine bounty and earthly joy, a kaleidoscope of color and sound. Vyaadi, Indradatta, and I, eager to step away from our scrolls for a single day, joined the throng.
“The crowds were a roaring sea of humanity, but suddenly, the clamor faded. It was as if Indra himself had silenced the music and dimmed the lights, focusing all the world’s attention on a single point.
“There she was.
“She moved through the crowd with the grace of a river goddess. Her form was not that of a simple girl, but of a goddess descended. She looked, Kanabhuti, like a weapon of Cupid, yet not an arrow designed for a single wound, but a divine, perfect instrument forged from light and desire. My breath caught in my throat. I had mastered every science, yet at that moment, I understood nothing.
“I nudged Indradatta, my voice barely a whisper. ‘Who… who is that lady?’”
4. Mutual Love and Upakosha’s Beauty
“Indradatta followed my gaze, a knowing smile playing on his lips. ‘Ah, Vararuchi, your mind has finally found a worthy puzzle,’ he jested, though his voice held reverence. ‘She is the daughter of Upavarsha, a scholar of high renown. Her name is Upakosha.’
“As he spoke her name, our eyes met across the tumultuous sea of people. It was more than a glance; it was a connection that bypassed the mind and struck directly at the soul. She must have inquired about me through her handmaids, for a look of recognition, perhaps even destiny, illuminated her face.
“She looked away then, struggling, but not before she had drawn my soul after her with that one glance, a glance made tender and fierce by sudden, undeniable love. She managed to return to her house, but her image remained etched behind my eyes.
“Kanabhuti, her beauty was a tormenting perfection. Her face was like the full, cool moon of autumn. Her eyes, long and dark, resembled the blue lotus floating on still waters. Her arms were graceful, like the soft, swaying stalk of a lotus. Her neck bore the three sacred lines of a shell, marking her divine proportion, and her lips were the magnificent, ripe coral. Her full bosom spoke of abundant life and nurturing grace. She was, quite simply, a second Lakshmi, the storehouse of King Cupid’s entire treasury of beauty.
“My heart, the heart of a proud, conquering scholar, was cleft by the stroke of love’s arrow. That night, the most agonizing of my life, I could not sleep, tortured by the desire to kiss the bimba lip I had only glimpsed.”
5. A Vision of Sarasvatí
“Exhaustion, finally, was my conqueror. In the final hours of the night, when the light of the new day was preparing its ascent, I drifted into a deep, heavy sleep.
“There, in the quiet darkness, I saw a woman. She was clad in garments of shimmering white, a vision of pure, radiant energy. Her expression was compassionate, her form luminous.
“She spoke, her voice like the gentle music of a lute, yet firm with divine authority. ‘My son, you must not feel this anxiety. Upakosha was your devoted wife in a former birth. Her soul remembers the merit of your past life, and she desires no one but you in this one. Therefore, cast off your worry, for this union is decreed.’
“My astonishment must have shown on my face, for she smiled. ‘I am Sarasvatí. I dwell continually within your frame, for you are a vessel of learning. I cannot bear to behold the grief that dulls the intellect I nourish.’
“With a final, encouraging nod, the celestial woman disappeared, vanishing like a mist touched by the rising sun. I woke up, the reassurance of the goddess like a balm upon my burning heart.”
6. Seeking Parental Consent for Marriage
“Somewhat encouraged, I rose and went out, drawn by an invisible thread to her home. I stood slowly under a young, flowering mango tree near Upakosha’s dwelling, a silent supplicant.
“It was not long before her confidante, a bright-eyed woman with a keen mind, came to me. She told me of Upakosha’s own ardent attachment, a feverish passion that had struck her just as fiercely.
“My own pain, hearing her words, felt suddenly doubled, no longer a lonely burden. Yet, the scholar’s code held me firm.
“‘My good woman,’ I said, the words heavy with my conviction, ‘how can I obtain Upakosha unless her natural protectors willingly bestow her upon me? I am a man of honor. Death is better than dishonor for me. I cannot steal her, nor bring shame to her father. Therefore, if by any means your friend’s heart became known to her parents, perhaps our end might be prosperous. Bring this about, I beg you. Save the life of me and of thy friend by acting with integrity.’
“The confidante, recognizing the strength of my virtue, nodded gravely. She saw that I valued Upakosha’s honor as much as her love. She turned and went directly to Upakosha’s mother to tell her all.”
7. The Marriage
“The effect was immediate. The mother, seeing the deep, virtuous love of her daughter, immediately told her husband, the venerable Upavarsha. Upavarsha, in turn, conferred with his wise brother, Varsha. Both men, recognizing my name as a rising star of scholarship and appreciating the honesty of my approach, approved of the match.
“The wheels of destiny began to turn swiftly. Our marriage was determined. Varsha, our tutor, sent Vyaadi to bring my mother from Kausambi to Pataliputra.
“Soon, the courtyard of Upavarsha was adorned for the ceremony. Upakosha was bestowed upon me by her father with all due rites and ceremonies, a radiant bride who was also the fulfillment of a divine promise.
“And so, Kanabhuti, I began a period of profound happiness. I lived in Pataliputra, my days filled with the joy of my mother’s presence and the sweet, steady companionship of my wife, Upakosha. The world felt complete.”
8. Pánini's Challenge and Vararuchi's Defeat
“But destiny, as you know, is a fickle architect. It raises mountains only to flatten them.
“My brother-in-law, Varsha, continued his teaching, and among his many excellent pupils was one young man named Pánini. Pánini was rather stupid, slow of wit, and wearied out with the chores demanded by the preceptor's wife. Finally, disgusted with his lack of progress and yearning for true learning, he was sent away.
“Pánini, instead of returning home, went to the Himalaya mountains. There, driven by sheer frustration and desperate ambition, he performed severe austerities. He propitiated Lord Shiva, the great ascetic god who wears the moon as a crest. Shiva, pleased by Pánini’s devotion, granted him a new grammar, a complex, profound treatise that instantly became the source of all true learning.
“Armed with this divine gift, Pánini returned to Pataliputra. He came straight to me and challenged me to a disputation.
“I was the master of the Aindra grammar, the established, revered text. I accepted the challenge with confidence. Seven days passed in relentless debate, the most intense battle of my life, a war of words and logic. On the eighth day, I had fairly conquered him. Pánini was silent, defeated.
“Then, it happened.
“A sound. A terrible, menacing sound was suddenly uttered by Shiva himself in the firmament. It was the sound of a cosmic drum, a damaru, not of creation, but of obliteration.
“Due to that divine, terrifying utterance, our Aindra grammar was exploded in the world. It became obsolete, irrelevant, replaced by the celestial logic of Pánini’s new text. All of us, the great scholars of the old school, were conquered by Pánini in that instant of divine decree, and we became accounted fools. The victory I had just won was rendered meaningless, a footnote in the history of grammar.”
9. Vararuchi's Penance and Upakosha's Vow
“The defeat was not just an intellectual blow; it was a crisis of faith. I, Vararuchi, the man who had mastered all sciences, was now considered a fool by decree of the God of Destruction. I was filled with a profound despondency.
“I called for the merchant Hiranyadatta, a man I thought trustworthy. Into his hand, I deposited all my wealth, to be held in trust for the maintenance of my house and my family while I was away.
“I went to Upakosha. Her eyes were wide with worry, but her posture was straight and strong.
“‘My love,’ I told her, my voice raw with humiliation, ‘I must go. The very foundation of my life, my learning, has been erased. The only path left is the mountain. I must go to Mount Himalaya, and I must propitiate Shiva with austerities, as Pánini did. I will not return until I too have won the God’s favor and earned this new knowledge.’
“She did not weep. She merely held my hand, her strength passing into me. ‘Go, my husband. Do what you must to restore your honor. I shall remain here, anxious only for your success. I will keep a strict, virtuous vow. I will bathe every day in the pure waters of the Ganges. I will not fail you. Return to me the scholar you are destined to be.’
“I left Pataliputra, my heart heavy with parting but lightened by her absolute faith. I journeyed to the snowy peaks of the Himálaya, going fasting, my only mission to appease the great Lord Shiva.
“Upakosha, for her part, remained in our house. Thin and slightly pale from her strict observance, yet her beauty was undimmed. She was like the faint streak of the new moon, lovely, vulnerable, and a charming sight to the eyes of all men.”
The Tale of Vararuchi: Part Two - The Four Suitors
10. The Four Wicked Suitors
“It was spring. The season of burgeoning life and uncontrollable desire. Upakosha, devoted to her vow, went as she did every day, to bathe in the purifying waters of the Ganges. But the eyes of men, now that the King of Love had aimed his bow, were fixed upon her.
“She was seen. She was seen by three men of prominence, whose eyes instantly became targets for the arrows of love, the sight of her driving them to a maddening desire.
“First, there was the king’s domestic chaplain, a man of supposed piety whose heart was suddenly filled with unholy desire. Next, the head magistrate, a pillar of justice whose moral foundation crumbled in a single glance. And third, the prince’s minister, a powerful court official whose clever mind turned instantly to wicked plots.
“To this trio of lust was added the fourth and most cruel. The very merchant to whom I had entrusted my wealth, Hiranyagupta. These four men would soon form a ring of temptation and danger around my virtuous wife.”
11. The Minister's Assignation
“One day, Upakosha’s bathing took longer than usual. The sun began to set, casting long shadows of twilight as she returned.
“Before she had gone many steps, the prince’s minister laid violent hands upon her, his grip tight with lustful impatience.
“But Upakosha, my wife, had a mind as sharp as any scholar’s. She kept her composure, her eyes betraying none of the terror she must have felt. With great presence of mind, she spoke.
“‘Dear Sir,’ she said, her voice soft and alluring, ‘I desire this as much as you. Do not doubt my passion, but I am of a respectable family, and my husband is away. How can I act in this manner, here, in the open? Someone might see us! Misfortune would befall you as well as me, and all your honor would be destroyed.’
“The minister’s grip loosened slightly as he listened to this plea, his mind already clouded by anticipation.
“Upakosha continued, leaning closer, her voice conspiratorial. ‘Therefore, you must come, without fail, to my house. Come during the first watch of the night of the spring-festival, when the citizens are all excited and drunk with celebration. No one will notice you there.’
“She had set the date and pledged herself. The simpleton believed her. He was induced to release her, his mind now fixed on the future pleasure she had promised.”
12. Assignations with the Chaplain and Magistrate
“But fate had decreed a truly dramatic night. She had not gone many steps further before she was stopped by the king’s domestic chaplain. His eyes burned with the same wicked fire.
“Upakosha, weary but resolute, made a similar assignation with him. ‘Come to my house on the same night,’ she promised, ‘but you must wait until the second watch of the night.’ He, though with difficulty, was induced to let her go, his mind now eagerly awaiting the agreed-upon hour.
“Again, she walked only a little further. Up came the third person, the head magistrate, who detained the trembling lady.
“She made a similar assignation with him too, setting the time for the third watch of the same night. With great good fortune, and promising him the very same intimacy, she managed to get him to release her.
“She rushed home, trembling but triumphant. Of her own accord, she told her handmaids the terrifying arrangements she had made. She reflected: ‘Death is better for a woman of good family, when her husband is away, than to meet the eyes of people who lust after beauty.’ Full of these thoughts, and regretting the terrible beauty that had endangered her, the virtuous lady spent that night in fasting, weeping for the plight of her own perfection.”
13. The Merchant's Demand and Upakosha's Strategy
“Early the next morning, the day of the spring festival, she began the preparations for her counter-attack. She sent a maid-servant to the merchant Hiranyagupta to ask for some money, claiming she wished to honor the Brahmans on the festival day.
“The merchant arrived. That villain, seeing her alone and vulnerable, ushered her into a private space and revealed his true colors. ‘Show me love,’ he whispered, his voice slimy with greed, ‘and then I will give you what your husband deposited with me. You will get nothing otherwise.’
“Upakosha’s heart was tortured. She reflected on her predicament: I had been too trusting, leaving the deposit without a witness. She realized she faced a complete scoundrel. If she failed now, my entire fortune would be lost.
“Tortured with sorrow and grief, she saw her last, and most important, opportunity for vengeance and justice. She put on a brave face and, with a sigh of seeming surrender, made a fourth and final assignation with him for the last watch of the same night. He went away, gloating.”
14. Preparation for Revenge
“Upakosha, filled with cold, determined resolve, immediately directed her handmaids. They prepared a large vat filled to the brim with a thick, sticky mixture: lamp-black mixed with oil, and scented cleverly with musk and other perfumes to disguise its true nature.
“She also instructed them to prepare four pieces of rag anointed with the same black oil, to be used as undergarments.
“Crucially, she ordered the making of a large trunk with a special feature—a fastening outside. This was not a trunk for clothes, Kanabhuti, but for wicked men.”
15. Trapping the Minister
“That night, the night of the wild spring festival, arrived. The town was alive with music and shouting.
“The prince’s minister was the first to arrive in the first watch of the night, dressed in gorgeous array, expecting a night of pleasure. He entered the house, without being observed, into the chamber.
“Upakosha greeted him, her smile a beautiful lie. ‘Sir, I will not receive you until you have bathed. You must be purified before you can touch me. Go in and bathe.’
“The simpleton, eager and vain, agreed. The handmaids led him into a secret, dark inner apartment. There, they stripped him of his expensive garments and jewels, and gave him, by way of an under-garment, a single piece of rag—the rag pre-anointed with the black dye.
“Then, the cruelty began. Pretending the lamp-black mixture was a sacred, scented unguent for purification, the handmaids began to smear the rascal from head to foot with a thick coating of that lamp-black and oil. He, unsuspecting in the darkness, never detected the true nature of the ‘unguents’.”
16. Trapping the Chaplain
“While the handmaids continued rubbing the minister’s limbs, the second watch of the night came, and the chaplain arrived.
“The handmaids acted with a terrifying urgency. ‘Here is the king’s chaplain come!’ one of them hissed at the naked, black-smeared minister. ‘He is a great friend of Vararuchi’s! If he sees you, you are ruined! Creep quickly into this box!’
“Terrified of discovery and utterly humiliated by his naked, black state, the minister was bundled into the trunk, just as he was, with the utmost precipitation. The handmaids then fastened it outside with a bolt.
“The priest, the chaplain, was then brought inside into the dark room on the pretext of a bath. He, too, was stripped of his garments and ornaments and, like his predecessor, was made a fool of by the handmaids by being rubbed from head to foot with the black oil, until the third watch of the night began.”
17. Trapping the Magistrate
“In the darkness, the chief magistrate arrived in the third watch.
“The handmaids immediately used his arrival to terrify the priest. With a quick push and a hard shove, they pushed him into the trunk like his predecessor. They bolted him in as well.
“Then, they brought in the third man, the magistrate, on the very same pretext. He, too, was stripped and given the single rag, and was bamboozled by being continually anointed with lamp-black, completely distracted by the promise of Upakosha, until the last watch of the night began.”
18. Trapping and Exposing the Merchant
“In the last watch of the night, the most crucial moment of all, the merchant Hiranyagupta arrived.
“The handmaids used his arrival to alarm the magistrate. They bundled him also into the trunk and fastened the bolt, securing the final, central piece of Upakosha’s brilliant trap.
“Inside the box, those three men—the Minister, the Chaplain, and the Magistrate—were shut up. They were forced to touch one another, covered in the vile dye, yet they did not dare to speak on account of fear. They were, as my text says, acustoming themselves to live in the hell of blind darkness.
“Then, Upakosha entered the room, carrying a lamp. The light shone, a blinding contrast to the darkness of the men’s deeds. She made the merchant enter.
“‘Hiranyagupta,’ she said, her voice clear and cutting through the silence of the night. ‘Give me that money which my husband deposited with you! I need it now!’
“The rascal, looking around the empty, well-lit room, observing that all her handmaids were standing there but seeing no one else, smiled cunningly. ‘I told you, Upakosha. I will give you the money your husband deposited with me! But first, you must keep your promise! I will not give it otherwise!’
“Upakosha did not argue. She merely looked at the large trunk, calling out to the unseen witnesses. ‘Hear, O ye gods!’ she cried, ‘Hear this speech of Hiranyagupta! He admits the deposit!’
“She blew out the light. The merchant, like the others, was smeared with the black dye on the pretext of a bath. Then, at the close of the night, the handmaids took him by the neck and pushed him out of the door sorely against his will. He made the best of his way home, with only the piece of rag to cover his nakedness, smeared with the black dye, dogs biting him at every step, thoroughly ashamed of himself. He did not dare to look his own slaves in the face as they washed the black dye off his villainous body.
“Kanabhuti, the path of vice is indeed a painful one.”
19. Upakosha Appeals to King Nanda
“Early the next morning, the day after her terrible ordeal and glorious victory, Upakosha acted immediately. Accompanied by her handmaids, but without informing her parents, she went directly to the palace of King Nanda.
“She bypassed the ministers and courtiers. She herself stood before the King.
“‘My Lord,’ she said, her voice firm and ringing with virtue, ‘I come to you for justice. The merchant Hiranyagupta is endeavoring to deprive me of the money deposited with him by my husband, Vararuchi, for the maintenance of our house while he is away on a sacred penance. He demands that I show him favor before he will return my own property.’
“The King, hearing the accusation against a prominent merchant, and seeing the noble bearing of the woman, immediately had the merchant summoned to the court to inquire into the matter.”
20. The King Investigates and the Box is Brought
“Hiranyagupta, the moment he was questioned, put on a mask of innocence. ‘Your Highness,’ he declared, feigning piety, ‘I have nothing in my keeping belonging to this lady. Her husband deposited nothing with me.’
“Upakosha waited for his lie, and then struck with the final blow of her brilliance.
“‘I have witnesses, my Lord!’ she announced, silencing the surprised court. ‘Before he went, my husband put the household gods into a box, and this merchant, with his own lips, admitted the deposit in their presence. Let that box be brought here, and ask the gods yourself!’
“The King was in utter astonishment. No one had ever before suggested questioning a god in court! He knew he could not refuse. He ordered the box to be brought immediately.”
21. Confession of the "Gods"
“In a moment, that large trunk, heavy with its contents, was carried in by many men. It was set down in the center of the court.
“Upakosha stepped forward, looking down at the chest. Her voice was steady, yet imbued with the authority of the Goddess Sarasvatí who had blessed her.
“‘Relate truly, O gods,’ she commanded, ‘what that merchant said! And then, go to your own houses! If you do not tell the truth, I will burn you, or I will open the box here, in court, for all to see what gods Vararuchi truly worships!’
“A terrified silence fell upon the court.
“Then, a muffled, trembling voice came from inside the chest. Then another, and another. The men in the box, beside themselves with fear and knowing they were trapped, cried out in unison: ‘It is true, Your Highness! The merchant admitted the deposit in our presence! We are witnesses!’”
22. The Unmasking and Public Shame
“The merchant, utterly confounded by the voice of the ‘gods,’ had no choice. He confessed all his guilt.
“But King Nanda’s curiosity, Kanabhuti, was uncontainable. He had to know the source of the voices. After asking the permission of Upakosha, he ordered the chest to be opened. His servants broke the fastening there in court.
“And those three men were dragged out. They looked like three lumps of solid darkness, naked save for their rags, covered head-to-foot in the thick, black dye. They were only with difficulty recognized by the King and his ministers.
“The whole assembly burst out laughing, a roar of incredulous, delighted mockery that echoed across the palace hall.
“The King, wiping a tear from his eye, looked at Upakosha. ‘What is the meaning of all this, my sister?’
“And the virtuous lady, with a quiet dignity, told the whole story.
“A murmur of approbation swept through the court. ‘The virtuous behavior of women of good family, who are protected by their own excellent disposition only, is incredible!’ the assembly declared. Upakosha's brilliance was a greater spectacle than any magic.”
23. Justice and Reward
“Justice was swift. King Nanda, furious at the corruption and wickedness of his officials, ordered that all those coveters of their neighbor’s wife be deprived of all their living, and banished from the country. The merchant’s money was seized.
“‘Who prospers by immorality?’ the King thundered.
“Upakosha was dismissed, but not empty-handed. King Nanda, who showed his great regard for her character, presented her with a gift of much wealth.
“‘Henceforth, thou art my sister,’ he declared, bestowing upon her an honor that made her virtually untouchable.
“She returned home, a hero. Varsha and Upavarsha, her uncle and father, congratulated the chaste lady, and there was a smile of admiration on the face of every single person in that city. She had saved her honor, her husband’s money, and the dignity of her house, all while punishing four powerful, wicked men.”
24. Vararuchi Returns with the New Grammar
“While my wife was securing my home and honor in Pataliputra, I was fighting a different battle on the snowy mountain. I performed a very severe penance, a complete mortification of the flesh, until I propitiated the great god, the husband of Párvatí, the giver of all good things.
“Lord Shiva appeared to me, his presence a white-hot furnace on the ice. He looked upon my perseverance and was pleased. He revealed to me that same treatise of Pánini. He did not just give me the text; he gave me the understanding of the text. ‘Complete it,’ he commanded, ‘and restore the balance of scholarship.’
“Filled with the nectar of the favour of that god, who wears on his crest a digit of the moon, I completed the new grammar. I felt no fatigue of the journey, returning home with the speed of an arrow, eager to share the divine knowledge and embrace my wife.”
25. News of Upakosha's Bravery
“I rushed home, first worshipping the feet of my mother and my spiritual teachers. They were overcome with joy at my safe return and my triumphant scholarship.
“But then, they told me. They told me the wonderful achievement of Upakosha. They told me of the four suitors, the black dye, the trunk, the merchant’s lie, and the King’s judgment.
“Kanabhuti, my breast swelled to the upmost height. I was a man of logic and reason, but I was utterly overcome. Joy and astonishment washed over me, a tidal wave of emotion, together with natural affection and a great respect for my wife. The woman I loved was not just beautiful, but the very embodiment of courage and genius. I had married a scholar in her own right, a master of strategy and virtue.”
26. The Teacher's Fee
“The world was restored. My fame was renewed, and my wife was a legend.
“My teacher, Varsha, immediately expressed a desire to hear the new grammar, and as I recited it, the god Kártikeya himself, the divine warrior and keeper of secrets, revealed it to Varsha.
“It came to pass that Vyaadi and Indradatta approached our preceptor. ‘What fee shall we give you, Master, for this incomparable instruction?’
“Varsha, without hesitation, replied, ‘Give me ten millions of gold pieces.’
“It was an immense sum, staggering to three scholars. Vyaadi and Indradatta, having consented to the demand, came to me.
“‘Come with us, friend,’ they pleaded. ‘We cannot obtain so much gold from any other quarter. We must ask King Nanda to give us the sum required for our teacher’s fee. He possesses nine hundred and ninety millions, an inexhaustible treasury. Moreover, he has long ago declared your wife Upakosha, his sister in the faith! Therefore, Vararuchi, you are his brother-in-law. Surely, for the sake of your virtues and this honored relationship, we shall obtain something.’
“I agreed. The need to pay our teacher was paramount. Having formed this resolution, we three fellow-students left Pataliputra and set out for Ayodhyá, where the King was encamped.”
27. King Nanda's Death and Indradatta's Magic
“We reached the camp of King Nanda in Ayodhyá.
“The very moment we arrived, a great sorrow descended. The King died. A sudden, silent collapse of the throne. Accordingly, an outburst of lamentation arose in the kingdom, and we were instantly reduced to despair. Our mission had failed at the final moment.
“It was then that Indradatta, who was an adept in magic, stepped forward. His eyes held a sudden, dangerous gleam of opportunity.
“‘Do not despair!’ he whispered urgently. ‘I will enter the body of this dead king! I possess the knowledge of soul-transference. Let Vararuchi prefer the petition to me, and I will give him the gold. Vyaadi, you must guard my abandoned body until I return. Do not fail me!’
“It was a desperate, reckless plan, but our need was immense. Saying this, Indradatta performed the magic and entered into the body of King Nanda.
28. Indradatta as King Yogananda
“A moment later, the ‘dead’ King stirred. He sat up. The kingdom erupted in a great rejoicing. The King had come back to life! They named him Yogananda, meaning ‘joy through magic or union.’
“While Vyaadi remained hidden in an empty temple to guard the magically abandoned body of Indradatta, I went to the King’s palace. I entered, made the usual salutation to the supposed Nanda, and presented my request for the instructor’s fee—ten million gold pieces.
“He, the new king, Yogananda, immediately ordered a man named Shakatála—the real Nanda’s minister—to give me the sum.”
29. Minister Shakatála's Suspicion
“That minister, Shakatála, was a man of legendary wisdom, a hawk of the court. When he saw that the dead king had come to life and that the petitioner immediately got what he asked for—a huge, uncharacteristically quick grant of money—he guessed the real state of the case.
“‘What is there that the wise cannot understand?’ Shakatála said to himself.
“He saw the danger. ‘Nanda’s son is but a child,’ he reflected. ‘Our realm is menaced by many enemies. I will do my best for the present to keep this body on the throne, even in its present state, until the prince is ready.’
“Out loud, he merely said, ‘It shall be given, your Highness.’ But his mind was already moving. He had a duty to the real Nanda’s line.
“He took immediate steps to have all dead bodies burnt, employing spies to discover them. He was not looking for disease; he was looking for a vacated vessel.”
30. The Burning of Indradatta's Body
“It was only a matter of hours. The spies, diligent in their new task, found the body of Indradatta in the empty temple. Vyaadi was hustled out of the temple; his frantic protests were ignored, and his friend's body was burned. The soul of Indradatta was now imprisoned in the royal body beyond all possibility of escape.
“In the meantime, the King, impatient in his new, grand role, was pressing for the payment of the money.
“Shakatála, who was still testing the new King, stalled him. ‘All the servants have got their heads turned by the public rejoicing. Let the Bráhman wait a moment until I can organize the payment.’
“It was at this critical moment that Vyaadi arrived, breathless and covered in ashes, running straight into the court.
“He complained aloud in the presence of the supposed Nanda: ‘Help! Help! A Bráhman engaged in magic, whose life had not yet come to an end in a natural way, has been burnt by force on the pretext that his body was untenanted! And this in the very moment of your good fortune, Your Highness!’
“On hearing this, the supposed Nanda—the soul of Indradatta—was in an indescribable state of distraction from grief. His friend’s body was gone. His freedom was gone. He was trapped forever in the life of a king, a man of lower caste.
“Seeing the King’s genuine, uncontrollable grief, Shakatála knew his guess had been correct. Indradatta was truly trapped. The kingdom was safe for now. The discreet Shakatála went out and, without another word, gave me that ten millions.”
31. Yogananda's Grief and Vyáḍi's Advice
“Later, in a secret, anguished meeting, the supposed Nanda—Yogananda—confessed his torment to Vyaadi.
“‘Though a Bráhman by birth, I have become a Śúdra,’ he whispered, his new royal voice hollow with pain. ‘What is the use of my royal fortune to me, though it be firmly established? My true life is ash.’
“Vyaadi, the man of meticulous care who had failed to guard his friend's body, comforted him and gave him seasonable advice.
“‘You have been discovered by Shakatála,’ Vyaadi warned. ‘You must henceforth be on your guard against him, for he is a great minister. In a short time, he will destroy you and will make Chandragupta, the son of the previous Nanda, king. He has a duty to the true royal line. Therefore, immediately appoint Vararuchi your minister, in order that your rule may be firmly established by the help of his intellect, which is of god-like acuteness. Only your old friend’s genius can protect your new throne.’”
32. Vararuchi Becomes Prime Minister
“When he had said this, Vyaadi departed to give that fee to our preceptor. Yogananda immediately sent for me.
“‘Vararuchi,’ the King announced, his face resolute. ‘You shall be my minister. You shall guide this new kingdom.’
“I accepted the heavy burden. My first counsel was blunt. ‘Your Majesty, though your caste as a Bráhman has been taken from you, I do not consider your throne secure as long as Shakatála remains in office. He is a dangerous man whose loyalty is to the dead King’s son. You must destroy him by some stratagem before he destroys you.’
33. The Imprisonment of Shakatála and His Sons
“Upon my advice, Yogananda acted immediately. He needed a plausible crime.
“He threw Shakatála into a dark dungeon, and with him, his hundred sons. The King loudly proclaimed the crime: Shakatála had burnt a Bráhman alive (Indradatta’s body). The punishment, a living death, was justified by the severity of the alleged offense.
34. Shakatála's Vengeance and Survival
“The horror of the confinement began immediately. One porringer of barley-meal and one of water was placed inside the dungeon every day for Shakatála and his hundred sons.
“Shakatála, the wise, the ruthless, looked at his sons. ‘My sons,’ he stated, his voice devoid of emotion. ‘Even one man alone would with difficulty subsist on this barley-meal. A hundred cannot. Therefore, let that one of us who is able to take vengeance on Yogananda, consume every day the barley-meal and the water. The rest must endure.’
“His sons, knowing their father's towering intellect and iron will, answered him with one voice. ‘You alone are able to punish him, Father. Therefore, you must consume them.’
“Vengeance is dearer to the resolute than life itself.
“So Shakatála alone subsisted on that meal and water every day. Alas! Those whose souls are set on victory are cruel.
“Shakatála, sitting in the dark dungeon, was forced to behold the death agonies of his starving sons. He thought to himself, ‘A man who desires his own welfare should not act in an arbitrary manner towards the powerful, without fathoming their character and acquiring their confidence.’ It was a lesson learned at the cost of his family.
“His hundred sons perished before his eyes, and he alone remained alive, surrounded by their skeletons. He lived, a ghost of a man, his soul focused entirely on the eventual destruction of Yogananda.”
35. Vyáḍi’s Departure
“With Shakatála safely entombed, Yogananda took firm root in his kingdom. The danger was averted for a time.
“Vyaadi approached him, having completed his sacred duty of giving the teacher’s fee. He bowed low.
“‘May thy rule, my friend, last long!’ Vyaadi said to the King. ‘I take my leave of thee. I go to perform austerities somewhere. The world of men is too dangerous for a scholar.’
“Yogananda, with his voice choked with tears—the true tears of Indradatta trapped inside—said to him, ‘Stop, Vyaadi. Stop and enjoy pleasures in my kingdom! Do not go and desert me! You are my only link to who I truly am!’
“Vyaadi answered with the wisdom of the Vedas. ‘King! Life comes to an end in a moment. What wise man, I pray you, drowns himself in these hollow and fleeting enjoyments? Prosperity, a desert mirage, does not turn the head of the wise man.’
“Saying this, Vyaadi went away that moment, resolved to mortify his flesh with austerities, fleeing the poisonous, magical throne.”
36. Vararuchi's Prosperity and Divine Aid
“Then, King Yogananda went to his metropolis, Pataliputra, for the purpose of enjoyment, accompanied by me and his whole army.
“I, Vararuchi, having attained prosperity, lived for a long time in that state, bearing the burden of the office of prime-minister to that king, accompanied by my mother and my preceptors. My life was filled with the companionship of my virtuous wife, Upakosha, who had saved our honor.
“In that city, the Ganges, propitiated by my former austerities, gave me every day much wealth. And the Goddess Sarasvatí, present in bodily form, told me continually what measures to adopt.
“My success was not merely human. It was divine. But even with a Goddess at my side, Kanabhuti, I knew that the silence of the dungeon, where Shakatála sat among the bones of his sons, was merely the prelude to a terrible storm.”
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