Recap: Dasharatha learns that his estranged daughter is now married to the man who holds the magical solution to his troubles. Previous post here.
Deep within a dark jungle, somewhere in the middle of modern day Nepal, sat a scantily clad man, eyes closed in deep meditation, oblivious to the singing birds and slithering snakes around him. 'Weird' is the word that would best describe him. His skin was flawless, almost translucent and seemed to glow from within. His hair was matted, gathered into a long bun at the top of his head, making him look like a human unicorn. He spent all his time praying, meditating, cleaning his place of worship, or just simply staring into space. Quite unusual for a young man hardly into his twenties. When he spoke, it was almost a whisper, yet his voice rang with the clarity of a bronze temple bell rung with fervent devotion. His life revolved around only two things - his father, and God. He did not know of anything beyond them and did not wish to. One could have said he was happy, if only he knew what it was to be happy. The only emotions he knew were the peace of his forest, the anger of his father and the devotion to God. He had never been sad to know what happiness meant. It never occurred to him that there might be other inhabitants on the planet, or that there might be a bustling royal city full of pleasures, just a few miles away from where he sat meditating everyday. And that was probably why, on this given day, he felt something new for the first time in his life.
While roaming about the forest aimlessly as he did on some afternoons, Rishyashringa, son of the great sage Vibhandaka and the lovely divine damsel Urvashi, chanced upon a curious creature. It looked similar to him in height and structure, but was somehow different. It had slender hips, long, lustrous hair that flowed down like a black waterfall, and a voluminous chest which was covered by a rich cloth and shining jewels. He felt himself feeling fear, confusion, excitement, and some strange feeling at the pit of his stomach, all at once. He couldn't take his eyes off the thing. And before he could get a grip on himself, the thing spoke.
"Greetings, O great tapasvin! I am honoured to have finally met you. I wander these forests in search of enlightenment and was hoping you could help me". Rishyashringa heard music for the first time in his life. He wanted to keep hearing it all day.
"I..um..What are you?", he managed to blurt out.
"I seek englightenment and liberation, O great soul. Please allow me to pay obeisance to you".
And Rishyashringa was half forcibly and half delightedly, taken to the thing's dwelling place. It made him an offering of flowers, the most delicious sweets and a soothing drink that calmed his nerves. In their clan, prostration was not the supreme mark of respect, he was told. The thing, instead, clasped Rishyashringa with its hands and held him close. He wondered if what he heard was his heartbeat or the thing's. When he finally broke away and rushed back to his hut, he was in a dizzy. He had never felt this way before. He just sat and stared and stared and stared into space, till he heard his father yelling at him.
"Shringa! Why haven't you offered the evening prayers? Why is the hut so dirty? Dare you ignore my questions? LOOK AT ME!", Vibhandaka shook his son out of his reverie.
"I am sorry, father. Something strange happened today. I chanced upon a student of spirituality, who looked so...different. It was fair, had long hair and two ball-like things on its chest. It was covered in shiny things and made a sound that was sweeter than the song of the koel. It showed me a new method of worship, which made me feel real spiritual bliss..", said the dutiful son and attempted to hug his father, to show how it was done. Vibhandaka, who hated women and had so carefully kept his son away from them since his birth, was furious. His son had been a mistake. He was the result of Indra's treacherous scheme to spoil Vibhandaka's penance and stop him from becoming more powerful than the King of Gods. Indra had sent his most beautiful apasara Urvashi, to seduce the sage and disturb his tapasya. In a moment of lust, Vibhandaka had given her a son. Mission accomplished, she had flown back to the heavens, with not an iota of guilt, leaving the baby's care completely to the rishi. Rishyashringa was a constant living reminder of his one moment of weakness that had stopped him from achieving the greatness he deserved. And now there he was, telling him how irresistible womenfolk were!
Shringa had never seen his father get so out of control before. He was admonished severely and told that the thing he saw was a rakshasa in disguise, who wanted to stop their continuous penance. He was warned never to get close to such a thing again. But try as he might, the new creature was all that Rishyashringa could think of day and night. He refused food and slept scarcely. He could not concentrate on his prayers. He longed to set his eyes on the creature again. He wandered the forests when his father was away, trying to spot a glimmer of shiny garment, or hear a whisper of its musical sound. Finally one day, he struck gold. And what a treasure it was, when he found not just one creature, but a whole flock of them! They welcomed him with glee and pampered him like he had never been. They sang and danced around him and fed him with foods that tantalized his senses. He realized what it was to feel happy. He was taught how to laugh. He learnt the magic of touch. He became aware of lust. And so, when those beautiful creatures invited him to visit their capital city, how could he refuse?
The entire population of Champapuri gathered on both sides of the road to watch this strange man who was supposed to be their bringer of good fortune. Romapada awaited at the entrance to the city, with his wife Varshini, daughter Shanta and a whole royal entourage. And the moment Rishyashringa set foot at the gateway, they say, the clouds darkened. When the king offered him the traditional royal welcome, they say, one could hear the thunder above the drums and dholaks. And as Rishyashringa walked the royal path towards the King's palace, the crowds gathered on either side had to run for cover. The parched earth of the kingdom of Anga finally saw rains, after years of drought. The king bowed in reverence, the people danced in joy and Rishyashringa just stood there, bewildered.
"Incredible!", exclaimed Dasharatha, as the father of his daughter finished recounting the tale of Rishyashringa. "It was quite a risk you took there, sending your courtesans to woo him. But it seems to have worked well". There was a hint of mischief in his voice. Romapada didn't miss it.
"Haha! You should have seen Vibhandaka when he arrived in my court a few days later. I almost thought my kingdom was going to be destroyed forever. He calmed down only when he heard of his marriage to Shantha. I still think he secretly hates me, though", Romapada chuckled as he took another sip of madhubaanam. He was glad to have finally found a chance to discuss these matters with an old friend. Someone who wouldn't judge him for what he did. Someone who would understand that a rightful king would do anything to end the misery of his citizens, even if that meant seducing holy men to visit his land.
"Do you really think this is the man that I ought to trust with my Ashwamedha Yagya? All the magic apart, he seems like some who is not quite himself", Dasharatha finally got down to business.
"Don't be so critical, my friend. Would you have been any less awkward if you hadn't seen a woman for twenty years? Several years have passed since he first set foot on my soil and I can assure you today that I haven't seen a wiser man walk this earth. And when it comes to rituals and vedic adherences, he is the go-to man. All that aside, there is something divine about him that I can't quite put my finger on, Dasharatha. If his mere arrival could bring rains to my scorched country, imagine what he can do for you if he performs the Yagya", answered Romapada.
"I trust you, my friend. I know I can take your word on this", said Dasharatha. "After all, if a father-in-law has this to say about a man, I'm sure there must be something divine about him!", he added as an after thought, triggering another round of guffaws.
Dasharatha felt light and joked freely that night. The long journey to Anga had been worth it. If meeting his daughter after several years had lifted a huge weight off his chest, a grand feast and a long conversation with his old friend had raised his spirits further. There was something therapeutic about nostalgia. Above all, he now knew the medicine to cure his heartache. Whether the medicine would agree to travel with him, could be pondered over in the morning.
