Shakti: The Feminine Divine (23 page)

‘Anxious to remedy the situation, Chitraketu paid Sage Angiras a fortune to help him get an heir and secure his line. Through the intervention of Angiras, if you know what I mean, a son was born to him of his eldest wife. Chitraketu was beside himself with ecstasy and he near beggared the kingdom by authorizing lavish celebrations in honour of his heir, covering him and the mother with wildly extravagant proofs of his largesse. But his happiness was short-lived, for the precious child was murdered by the rest of his jealous wives, who hired a midwife to smother him to death.

‘Utterly devastated and almost demented with grief, Chitraketu executed every one of the killers with his own hands, making sure that they died screaming in agony. But the slaughter did not bring his son back and only pushed inner peace further away from his reach. Acting on the advice of Angiras, who pitied him, the king walked away from his kingdom and took up the ascetic way of life.

‘After many years devoted to the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, Chitraketu was admitted into the realm of the immortals. But he had not been successful in ridding himself entirely of the trauma from his past. It lingered, biding its time.

‘Chitraketu was an ardent devotee of Shiva and tended to feel resentful about the special place the lord had afforded to Parvati in his heart. In fact, he felt foolishly compelled to say
on more than one occasion that the three-eyed god was better off without a wife. It became the grand mission of his existence to separate the divine duo and once he even upbraided the Destroyer for getting intimate with his wife, in the presence of others. Parvati had had enough by then and cursed him to be reborn as an asura, so that he may find a way to sublimate his excessive hatred of women.

‘Vritra was born, therefore, for the ostensible purpose of learning to slough off his vituperative feelings towards women. In accordance with Parvati’s wishes, he declares himself to be a devotee of the Goddess, and so the ill-will he continues to nurture remains cleverly hidden, but looks for an outlet all the time. Vritra believes in what he says and his intentions are good, which is why there are so many who cleave to him. But that does not alter the fact that he is like a virus, seeking to overpower the world with an influx of evil.’

Indra was mystified and when the sage paused for a breath, he spoke up at once, ‘While the truth about his past is quite interesting, I don’t see what it has to do with the present situation. If he hated women excessively in the past, he seems preoccupied with loving far too many of them at present. Be that as it may, what does it have to do with my plan to get rid of him for good?’

‘You will find out if you let me finish,’ Dadichi replied. ‘Already the omens of doom have begun to show themselves on heaven and earth. Celestial couples are facing marital strife because wives are no longer chaste and devoted solely to their husbands. Their baser passions have been brought to boil by Vritra, whom they worship, and who has usurped their spouses’ place in their hearts and loins. While earlier it was unheard of for an immortal to strike a member of the weaker sex, now
there are endless reports of domestic violence, as you know.

‘The mortals model themselves after the celestials, as is always the case, and things are even worse there. The Goddess cult has mushroomed all over the place and the evidence of its malevolent after-effects are apparent to all who have the eyes to see. Fallacious prophets have encouraged women to step away from the safety of the home and hearth to unleash the shakti within, promising them that by making themselves a vessel in which the power of prakriti can be contained, they may cure diseases, predict the future, amass fortunes and even kill with just a word or look.

‘They have thus brought down the wrath of the mighty male ego and unspeakable tragedy is quick to follow in its wake. Children are being raped by neighbours and their own family members almost by the hour. Nubile young girls are trafficked across the length and breadth of the land. Female foetuses are being slaughtered in the womb and everywhere there is violence against women accused of being possessed by unholy spirits. Vritra is right in saying that females are a precious gift and should be cherished. But his teachings have been entirely counterproductive. He must be stopped at all costs and it must be done sooner rather than later.’

Dadichi’s voice reverberated with the scathing intensity of his passion and Indra let himself be carried away. He thought of his mother, daughter and wife, and he knew that it was his duty to make the three worlds a safe place for them again, no matter the cost. If the entire thing rang a little false in his ear, so what? All he had to do was ignore his misgivings.

‘I am with you in this great crusade, noble sage! Just say the word and I will have Vritrasura forcibly ejected from our lives. Although it never is quite as simple as that, which is why you
are here, I presume.’

The sage allowed him a small, tight-lipped smile, rather like a stern teacher whose student had managed not to disappoint him. ‘True enough. As I recall, you mentioned that Vritra could not be persuaded by his father to undertake penances to strengthen his position. Twastha, however, was unwilling to let the matter rest.

‘Everybody knows that Vritra eschews violence of any kind, but thanks to the circumstances that resulted in his unconventional birth, Twastha knew that his son would have definitely sounded an alarm for your survival instincts. As a prophylactic against you, the once-bitten father undertook the performance of a series of yagnas, under cover of great secrecy, to secure a boon for his son, with the result that Vritra has been blessed with a physical coil that is hard as agate and invulnerable to the attacks of all conventional weapons. Since previously the much-vaunted strengths of your enemies had served only to fuel your resolution to batter away at them using all manner of guile, Twastha has taken great pains to keep the resources he accreted to the natural gifts of his boy under wraps.

‘In the past, Vishnu has always guided you towards the chinks in the armour of those who pose a threat to the Vedic way of life. This time around, I am the chosen one that fate has decreed will help you prevail over a dreaded foe. We don’t have much time to lose. Summon the lokapalas and Brihaspati. I will give up my body and your guru will instruct you as to how my bones may be fashioned to create a weapon that will be more than up to the task of destroying the indestructible.’

Indra stared at Dadichi, stunned by the revelation, the nature of the supreme sacrifice that he was willing to make in
that incredibly nonchalant manner of his and the sheer gravitas of the moment. His hair stood on end and his skin tingled. For once, words failed him and he prostrated himself at the feet of the noble sage, whom he respected more than even his mother or Vishnu at the moment. Having lost his best friend so recently, Indra was grateful to the fates for giving him an ally who had joined the good fight. That too, someone who was willing to sacrifice his life so that Indra may triumph over the terrible threat that had materialized in the form of Vritra.

Brihaspati, the preceptor of the devas, and the guardians of the universe to the west, south and north—Varuna, Yama and Kubera, respectively—were summoned to the top secret conclave at a hidden location chosen by Dadichi. They arrived at the hall with their trusted followers and fellow devas.

The Saptarishis—Maricha, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Krartu and Vashishtha—were already there, with the most accomplished sages and rishis of the age. But even that august gathering was outshone by the presence of the ruling Manu of the present age, Svayambuha, the first of his kind. His Eminence, acting on behalf of Brahma, was the progenitor of the mortals and oversaw their existence on earth. His sons, all kings deputed to the land of men to enforce the rule of their father, were also present.

The movers and shakers of the three worlds had gathered under one roof in a vast assembly hall of white marble that seemed to stretch on forever. It was bare of ornamentation, with the exception of the nine pillars, that had been made entirely from the navaratnas. Yet the heavy atmosphere, on account of the dignitaries present, gave the occasion all the ostentation it could possibly need. There were seats of honour for Indra, Svayambuha and the eminent sages. The others sat
cross-legged on the floor, in deference to their superiors.

A huge sacrificial pyre blazed in the middle of the hall, where the sages fed the flames and chanted incantations with hypnotic monotony. The hall branched off into rooms where those gathered might rest and refresh themselves.

Dadichi began the proceedings by addressing the gathering in stentorian tones, ‘First of all, I would like to thank you all for gathering here in support of the noble cause we have undertaken, and throwing the full weight of the ruling Manu and the king of the heavens behind this endeavour. It is reassuring that you are all willing to do whatever it takes to stem the tide of Vritra’s spurious teachings. Going forward, it is my wish that every one of you entertain no doubts about what we are about to do. It is in the interest of clarity that I invite my counterpart, Sage Brihaspati, a revered member of the Vedic brotherhood, to elucidate the exact role played by the Goddess in the universal scheme of things, as well as in the slaying of Mahishasura.’

The preceptor bowed his head in courteous acknowledgment, cleared his throat noisily and spoke, ‘The Goddess is the cosmic queen and mistress of the world, let us be clear on that. However she works in ways that are often beyond the pale of understanding of even her staunchest devotees and the most learned scholars over the ages. It is she who receives Shiva’s seed and brings forth the universe from her womb, holds it securely in her arms, nourishes it and protects it from all harm. Since all living things emerge from her, they also return to her.

‘The Divine Mother’s ethereal beauty is fabled, but only the truly blessed are allowed to gaze upon it, as a reward for the countless good deeds they have notched up over the course of
many lifetimes. I have heard that she has a golden complexion and flowing tresses of black hair. Every feature is sculpted to perfection, from her piercing black eyes to each one of her perfect little toes. They say that Shiva never tires of nuzzling her swan-like neck, resting his head on her bountiful breasts, cradling her tiny waist in his palms and embracing her perfectly rounded shoulders. In fact, he sprouted a third eye just to feast on her unparalleled beauty.

‘Her noblest features, however, are her connate auspiciousness, without which no wife or mother could ever lay claim to those loftiest of stations, and becoming modesty, which causes her to shun vulgar adulation and public extrapolation of her immeasurable worth for the notable achievements she views as nothing more or less than her duty. I have heard from the highest sources that she is utterly mortified by the atrocities that are increasingly being perpetrated in her name.

‘The Goddess wields great power as the Divine Mother, who is skilled in the practice of Maya. But she shuns unladylike pursuits that involve wrestling with baseborn creatures, rightfully leaving the job to Vishnu, who performs it in his capacity as the Divine Protector; or Shiva, the Destroyer. She has been known to say that there is no higher calling than motherhood. It is a full-time job that has her attending ceaselessly to the demands of the three worlds. It does not allow her days off, so she has absolutely no interest or inclination to go traipsing off into the wilderness in pursuit of the dubious activities she has been accused of practising. All allegations to the contrary are the work of the evil-minded.’

‘I have heard that under Vritra’s tutelage, a strange ritual is practised whereby a young girl is chosen to stand in a yantra,
inside which Kama and Rati make love in a frenzy, and this girl balances herself on top of their writhing bodies while they are united thus in sexual intercourse. If that were not bizarre enough, the goddess by proxy slits her own throat, allowing her worshippers to lick the blood off her body and those of Kama and Rati below,’ Kubera remarked with calculated dryness, not wanting to come across as salacious in that salubrious gathering.

Dadichi was the first to respond with the true scholar’s detachment. ‘You have blundered into the very heart of why the teachings of Vritra are truly dangerous. There are many esoteric secrets in this universe that only the adept must attempt to unearth, and only if the need is urgent. Such matters are not to be toyed with.

‘The ritual you refer to is a debauched, conveniently simplistic interpretation of the fact that the Divine Mother is the source of all the energy in this world and maintains it in a fixed state. Life, intercourse and death alike cause fluctuations, which she must exert herself to balance. As far as explanations go, this is oversimplified, but it will suffice for now. A preoccupation with this sort of thing is unhealthy. Faith requires you not to question or even wish to comprehend divine concepts, but merely surrender to its pull.’

Feeling somewhat chastised, Kubera retreated, allowing Brihaspati to resume his speech pertaining to the enigmatic Goddess. ‘As I was saying, it is extremely disheartening for the Goddess to have become a victim of her own reclusive nature. This has given mischief-mongers the leeway they need to spread lies about her and remould her through their jaundiced vision. The slaying of Mahishasura is the perfect example. Few know better than the devas the conundrum they faced when
Agni injudiciously bestowed a boon upon Mahisha, making it impossible for a man to slay him.

‘It was quite the quandary and the situation was desperate, which was why Vishnu assumed his Mohini avatar to slay the demon Mahishasura, in accordance with Shiva’s guidance. The illusion, of course, would not have been possible without the help of the Goddess, which is why he insisted with typical large-hearted munificence that worship be offered solely to the Goddess Durga. That is the truth and it is unfortunate that it has gotten lost from collective consciousness simply because liars are naturally blessed with extraordinary prowess in the art of storytelling.’