KRISHNA CORIOLIS#6: Fortress of Dwarka (8 page)

They chattered and squeaked excitedly about the astonishing new visitors and hoped they would see them again when they returned.
 

If
they returned, their elders corrected. Land creatures who ventured so deep never returned. It was possible that these strangers were the exception, but that remained to be proven. Then they went about their watery play again.
 

Tvasta and Daruka both looked around with wonderment as the chariots travelled downwards at a sharp inclining angle.
 

They reached out and felt only air around them. Looking at Balarama’s chariot beside their own, they saw that each chariot was encased in a large bubble of air, the bubble’s shape warped and distorted by the force of their downward flight.
 

At one point, both bubbles touched and were joined together, sharing the same large store of air. They looked up and saw the distant surface of the ocean and the bright sky and sun beyond, barely visible already. They had already sunk several hundred yards deep and at the rate they were proceeding, there was a great distance yet to travel.
 

Krishna said, “Are you well, Tvasta?”

“Aye, my Lord,” said the young sculptor. “I feel as healthy as I did moments ago when we were hovering above the ocean.” He looked around, marveling. “It is a miracle how you accomplish these wonders.”

Krishna smiled indulgently. “This is nothing, Tvasta. In fact, the real miracle is the trust you place in me and the faith you have in my abilities. It is what makes it possible for Balarama and I to do whatever we do. Am I not right, bhai?”

“That you are, bhraatr,” Balarama called out, his voice somewhat muffled by the sound of the water buffeting the bubbles. “It is faith that enables you to lift mountains and plumb the depths of the ocean.”

Krishna smiled again at Tvasta. “You know, Tvasta, your faith in me reminds me of a tale of another faithful follower who also traveled to the same realm where we now descend.”

Tvasta looked curiously at his master. “Where is this realm we go to, my Lord? What is its name?”

“Samyamani is a realm like no other. There is nothing to compare it to. It is described in the tale I speak of, although you will perceive it with your own eyes.”

Tvasta joined his hands before Krishna. “My Lord, it would be my great fortune if you would recount this tale to me.”

Krishna raised an eyebrow. “You wish me to narrate the tale? Now?”

Tvasta indicated their descending chariots. “I see we have some distance yet to travel. It would help pass the time and take my mind off the fact that I am descending into the depths of a great watery world!”

Krishna chuckled. “Why not. It is a good tale and bears narrating. It is one that is known to the great Maharishi Krishna Dweipayana-Vyasa, it is he who has recorded it and perhaps someday he shall include it in his Fifth Veda.”

Daruka turned to look at Krishna. “A Fifth Veda, my Lord? I thought there were only four and the rest were vedangas.”

Krishna nodded. “I speak of the one that is not yet written but shall be written not long from now, a mere two generations hence. It is not strictly a Veda like the Rig, Yajur, Atharva and Samar, it is more a katha-vidya and as such it is unparalleled in the annals of human knowledge. Someday it will be known as the greatest story ever told. This is but a tiny morsel from that vast banquet of stories that remains to be told, and written. Listen now, to the tale of the Disciple And The Earrings.”

“His name was Uttanka,” Krishna went on, beginning his tale…

***

Uttanka was a novice to Guru Veda. One day, Guru Veda had to leave home to officiate at the ceremony for his patron. He left his shishya Uttanka in charge of the ashram and house with the instructions, “Do whatever needs to be done to take care of the household. Ensure that nothing is lacking.”
 

With these simple instructions, Veda left.
 

As it transpired, his journey took him to a faraway foreign nation and his absence from home was far longer than expected. Uttanka obeyed his guru’s request dutifully.
 

Some months later, the women of the household gathered together to speak to him. They told him that Rishi Veda and his wife had been desirous of having offspring for a long time. Now, the preceptor’s wife was in the ideal period for conception, based on her biological factors as well as the astrological signs and other omens. If this time passed, who knew when she might conceive again. As the man of the house, it fell to him to impregnate her and ensure that her period fertility did not go waste.
 

Uttanka was troubled by the request of the women. He said to them, ‘I hear your demand but it is not proper that I should do this on your word alone. I take my instructions only from my guru and he has not asked me to do any such thing.’
 

They urged him, saying that the preceptor had after all told him to do whatever needed to be done and to ensure that nothing was lacking, therefore he would only be performing his duty to the guru by filling his wife’s barren womb.
 

But Uttanka held firm and refused to do as they said.
 

In time, the guru returned home from his long journey. He heard all that had transpired in his absence, and was pleased with Uttanka’s decision for he would not have approved of another man inseminating his wife.
 

He said to Uttanka, ‘My son, you have fulfilled your dharma admirably while using your own judgement wisely. This is a great service you have done for me and I am deeply grateful to you. In return, name anything you desire and I shall do everything in my power to return the favour. Do you wish to leave my service and pursue your own fortune? If so, then I grant you leave to go and bless you with a certainty of success in any endeavour you choose.’

Uttanka considered his guru’s words and replied, ‘Gurudev, it is well known that when a shishya completes his education he must give his guru a dakshina, otherwise if one person asks for something without offering anything in return and the other person gives without rightfully receiving anything in exchange, there shall be enmity between those two, and one shall inevitably die. You have already granted me the greatest gift any guru can give his shishya: you have given me leave to go forth into the world, declaring my education complete. In exchange, I wish to give you your guru-dakshina as it is only fair that I repay you for your gift of learning to me.’

Rishi Veda was impressed by his pupil’s answer and said, ‘In that case, Uttanka, give me some time to consider what guru-dakshina to ask.’ Uttanka was sanguine and continued to stay peacefully at his guru’s ashram.
 

Some time later, Uttanka came before his preceptor and asked him once again, ‘My guru, command me what guru-dakshina you desire that I may give it you.’
 

Rishi Veda said, ‘Uttanka, my son. So many times have you asked me already what guru-dakshina I desire. I am still unable to think of anything. Yet you deserve an answer, therefore go to my wife and ask her if she desires anything. Give her whatever she demands and I shall consider it as my guru-dakshina.’
 

So Uttanka went to the guru’s wife and joined his hands before her. ‘Shrimati, my guru says I have completed my education and may go home. But I must give him guru-dakshina before I take my leave. He has sent me to you. Command me what you wish and I shall bring it to you as a guru-dakshina.’
 

The preceptor’s wife thought briefly and replied: ‘Go then to King Paushya, your guru’s patron. His queen possesses a certain set of earrings that she wears. Ask him to give you those earrings and fetch them to me. In four days, there shall be an important ceremony and I wish to appear most radiant before the brahmins who will attend. Bring me the queen’s earrings and you shall have the blessings of your guru as well as my own good wishes!’

Happy to finally have a task to perform, Uttanka set out at once for Raja Paushya’s palace.
 

14

Krishna
smiled and shook his head as if remembering. “Poor Uttanka had to suffer a number of mishaps and adventures but finally, after great effort, he procured the ornaments in question and was returning home to give them to his Guru’s wife when the earrings were stolen from him by Takshak, the king of Nagas. Uttanka immediately gave chase to Takshak and would surely have caught him. But then Takshak dropped out of sight, literally, for he had jumped into the earth to reach the same city where we are traveling now.”

“Samyamani,” said Tvasta with wide eyes. “Is it the city of Nagas?” He swallowed, visibly nervous as would be any man who was told he was entering the fabled kingdom of the Serpents.
 

Krishna shrugged. “The Nagas dwell there as do many other species. But the realm itself is governed by another master.” He gestured. “We shall speak of him another time.” He seemed distracted for a moment.
 

Tvasta gazed around as he waited for Krishna’s attention to return to him. He saw the ocean passing by outside the bubbles of air, vast and dark and forbidding. By now they were traveling at a great depth, so deep that sunlight did not penetrate and all was dark and mysterious. The bubbles captured light with them as well, and within their confines, it was as bright as the sunlight in the sky above—as if Krishna had captured entire snatches of air, complete with the sunlight passing through them and trapped them in the bubbles.
 

This light lit up the ocean passing by, and occasionally Tvasta caught glimpses of a few strange beings that moved ponderously through the depths. They were vast and dark in visage and size and inscrutable. He felt himself cringe at the thought of what might happen if one of those sea giants were to penetrate the bubbles or attempt to assault himself and his companions. Even though he knew Krishna and Balarama were capable of taking on any opponents, he still feared for himself. To distract himself, he turned to his Lord again.
 

“My Lord Krishna,” he said. “Tell me everything, in all its detail? I wish to hear the full extent of the tale?”

Krishna returned from his distant thoughts and looked at Tvasta again. “And so you shall, good Tvasta. For katha-vidya is the foundation of our cultural heritage. Even the great Vedas, the Books of Knowledge which contain the wealth of our collective wisdom from ages past, convey their greatest messages through the medium of katha. Story is the highest form of shared knowledge, the most exalted form of learning. No mere recitation of facts and numerals can equal the insights conveyed through a simple story effectively narrated. Listen now and I shall tell you the rest of Uttanka’s tale. For there is a message within it that concerns yourself.”

***

It was a long distance to the palace of Raja Paushya and while he was walking, Uttanka saw upon the road the largest bull he had ever seen in his life. Seated atop the bull was the largest man he had ever seen! Intrigued by this extraordinary sight, Uttanka slowed to stare at the enormous bull and the giant seated atop it.
 

As he was staring at them curiously, the man called out to him. ‘Uttanka!’
 

He was startled to hear his name shouted by a stranger. The man called out to him, ‘Uttanka, eat the dung of this bull!’ Uttanka recoiled in disgust at the very thought. Naturally he did not comply with the giant’s request. Once again the giant called out, ‘Uttanka, eat it without hesitation. Your guru himself has eaten in his time.’
 

Despite his disgust, Uttanka felt a powerful urge to do as the stranger said. Somehow, he overcame his repulsion and ate the bull’s fetid dung and even drank its urine.
 

Soon afterward, Uttanka reached the palace of Raja Paushya and went before the king. He introduced himself and announced, ‘Raje, I am the disciple of your guru Rishi Veda.’ King Paushya replied warmly, ‘Then you are as a god to me. Speak. What can I do for you?’
 

Uttanka told him about the earrings his queen possessed, which were desired by Rishi Veda’s wife, to wear for the ceremony before the brahmins. ‘I beg you to give me the earrings that I may present them to my guru’s wife as my guru-dakshina.’ Paushya answered without hesitation: ‘Of course. Go directly into the queen’s palace and ask for my wife. Tell her I sent you and you shall have what you desire.’
 

Pleased to hear this, Uttanka went into the inner apartments of the palace of the queen. He searched everywhere but could not find the queen.
 

Returning to the king, he said with some irritation: ‘Raje, you ought not to have lied to me. You said the queen was in her palace but I looked everywhere and could find no trace of her.’
 

Paushya was taken aback at first, then thought for a moment.
 

Finally he said, ‘There can be only one explanation. You must be somehow impure or polluted. Since she is a faithful wife to me, she cannot be seen by anyone who is not immaculately clean.
 

Somehow, you must have consumed leftover food or in some way rendered yourself unclean. Think and try to remember.’ Uttanka thought back and realized the king spoke the truth. ‘Indeed, it is as you say. As I was in a hurry to come here and reach back to the guru’s house before the ceremony, I performed my ablutions on the road, while walking.’ Paushya nodded. ‘That would explain why you did not see the queen. Ablutions must always be performed while sitting, never while standing or walking.’
 

Uttanka saw the wisdom of the kshatriya’s words and performed his ablutions again. He sat facing the east, then first washed his hands, face and feet thoroughly and without making haste. Then, maintaining absolute silence, he sipped just enough clean water, ensuring it was completely free of scum or froth, in precisely the right amount that was required to reach his heart. Then he washed twice and cleansed his orifices with water.