Jai Gatha- Saga of a King Pt-IV, Pg-14

Pt-I Pg-1: Jai Walia, King of Vatsa

Pt-II, Pg-7 King Nishikant and Princess Banidevi in Gauda

Pt-III, Pg-11 King Jai marries Princess Bani

Pt-III, Pg-14, King Jai and Queen Bani in exile

Background- This is an adaption of a Sanskrit Classic of Ancient India set in what is today Allahabad (with suitable modification of course). Anyone who can guess the classic gets a million hugs and kisses. By the way this FF would eventually have a bigamous JW so beware of what you are into. But hopefully you guys will read it with an open mind. 😃Besides while most FFs are romances this has a bit of intrigues, dishum dishum and history as well so you guys might find it boring. I am posting the first part today, will continue only if you guys accept my FF's subject. So if you are kind enuff to read do leave behind an Aye if you want me to continue, No if you don't.

Introduction- The story is set in the Sixth Century AD- the dark age of Bharatvarsha (Indian subcontinent). The great Gupta Empire of yore had declined and fallen all over the place- it had long ceased being an Empire and had become completely gupt now. The whole of Bharatvarsha had been divided into a number of petty principalities whose only purpose seemed to be to fight with each other and to oppress its own citizens. With the result that the nation had become vulnerable to Huns, Sakas and sundry other tribesmen from Central Asia. In short life was nasty, brutish and short for the hapless inhabitants of most of Bharatvarsha.

Against this crazy patchwork of little states, arose five kingdoms, which were slightly more powerful and better run than others. These were:

Matsya (Rajasthan) ruled by the Dixit clan with its capital at Arbudanchal (modern Mt. Abu). Vatsa (Much of what is today Uttar Pradesh) ruled by the Walia clan with its capital at Kausambi ( near modern Allahabad). The Walias were warrior tribes from Madra (modern Punjab) but had long migrated to Vatsa and were the ruling clan now. They were good fighters and wise rulers and generally decent men except that the Walia men were rather fond of wine and women. Nonetheless, the citizens of Vatsa observed that they never allowed their pleasures to interfere with business and that under the circumstances they were well served by their rulers. Avanti (Madhya Pradesh) ruled by the Randheria clan with its capital at Ujjain. Magadha (South Bihar) ruled by the Yadav clan with its capital at Pataliputra (Modern Patna).
• Gauda (West Bengal) ruled by the Deb clan with its capital at Kalkata (Calcutta).

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Chapter-I Jai Walia, King of Vatsa

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Year 558 of the Vikram Samvat (V.S.) (Year 500 AD as per our calendar)

King Uday Walia of Vatsa was returning to Kausambi from an arduous but successful military campaign. As he entered the capital city he got a happy piece of news from a bearer. His beloved queen Krishna had after five years of marriage finally borne him an heir. The proud king named his son Jai- for the young boy had brought victory to him.

Young Jai grew up to be the apple of both his parents' eyes (three years later they had a daughter as well who was called Jigyasa). So much so that when he had grown up to be 10 and the King suggested that he be sent to an ashram for his education as was the wont with princes in that era the Queen flatly put her feet down. She would not be parted with her son. So the king suggested an alternative that the Prince be educated in the palace itself. For that purpose he humbly requested a wise acharya of that era Maharishi Ranvijay to come to the palace and take charge of Jai's education. The rishi was impressed by Jai's intelligence and humility at first sight and soon took up his abode at the palace and began his education. He taught Jai all the sciences that were needed for his future kingly duties- archery, horsemanship, economics, philosophy, law and all such subjects. Young Jai proved to be very fast learner and fully earned the respect of his guru. The guru who stayed in a hermitage within the palace grounds also had a daughter, a comely young lass called Roshni. Unbeknownst to the guru, while he taught young Jai the Dharmashastra and Arthshastra by day , the young lady began giving the young Prince lessons in Kaam Shastra by the night.😳 So much so that by the age of 16, young Jai had become as adept at the art of love as in the art of war. 😳

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The young prince was fast growing into a tall, handsome and strapping boy, wise and brave beyond his years. His life was indeed blessed for he had the love and affection of his parents and his guru, the well-wishes of his subjects and the company of beautiful young Roshni. The first major turning point in the prince's life came when he turned 16. His mother the beloved Queen Krishna passed away. 😭😭😭The King as well the kids were distraught but soon the king being a Walia started missing the presence of a lady in his life. His sycophantic courtiers who understood the symptoms too secretly started encouraging the king "The princes need a mother", "A man needs a wife" "A kingdom needs a queen" they said. Finally the king decided to take a plunge. He married Barnali, a beautiful (but rather selfish and wicked) woman. The new queen detested the princes and although she did nothing openly gradually started gradually distancing the king away from his children. Her hatred for the princes particularly Jai increased even more after she gave birth to a young boy Nachiket (JW was 18 then) and secretly she started desiring to have her son crowned as the Yuvraj (heir apparent) rather than JW. She now openly started humiliating and insulting JW and Jigyasa and the old king who was so besotted with her by now that he turned a blind eye to them. Jai was very unhappy at this turn of events but did not complain.

Some of the courtiers who thought poorly of Barnali did encourage the prince to revolt against his father but the prince who was rather righteous refused. He sought to drown his sorrows by doing some good karmas. He requested the King to post him as the Governor of Mayarashtra (modern Meerut), a province at the western end of the Kingdom. The Queen initially advised the King against the appointment as she did not want him to gain any powers. But one of her counsels a wizened old lady called Manthara advised her to let him go to Mayarashtra.

She said "This is the most dangerous provinces of Vatsa. It is infested by bandits and outlaws and moreover being at the westernmost outpost is always being attacked by Mongols, Huns and Sakas. The last three governors have all died violent deaths. So let the prince go. He will die. If Omkara (Author's Note: a notorious bandit leader who was very active in that region ) doesn't get him, the Huns will"

Happy, the queen now persuaded the king to let the prince JW go to Meerut. JW left accompanied only by his sister Jigyasa, his childhood buddy Aditya and his guru and Roshni. In Meerut he was joined by his widowed Maasi, Queen Shobhana (aka Billo Maasi) of Chandigram (modern Chandigarh) and soon she became the main comfort of Prince Jai and Princess Jigyasa.

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If Queen Barnali thought that she had taken care of Jai she was completely wrong. The young prince soon took charge of the situation there and ruthlessly dealt with the bandits completely wiping the miscreants from the area. And then when he heard that the Huns were again threatening his borders he decided to take the initiative in his own hands. Instead of waiting for the Huns he decided to march out against them and before long he had reached Panduprastha (Modern Panipat). The morning before he gave battle to the Huns he sought the blessings of a rishi who had his ashram in the neighbourhood. The rishi gave him the boon of victory but in turn demanded that after he had won the battle he would come down straightaway to thank him.

On the morrow a fierce battle ensued between the two armies but thanks to the bravery and superior strategy of Jai, the Vatsa army won a brilliant victory. They thoroughly decimated the Hun army and killed its general and ensured that the Huns would never threaten Bharatvarsha's border for ages. However after having won the battle he committed a major blunder on his way back. He failed to pay his obeisance to the rishi. The furious rishi then placed a curse saying that in future no king of Bharatvarsha would ever win a battle at Panduprastha (Author's Note: Looks like the curse of the sage worked. Since then no Indian Army has ever won a battle at Panipat😭)

Prince Jai was now the toast of the whole of Vatsa and people started speaking fondly of what a great king he would prove to be. Queen Barnali was of course furious at this turn of affairs and kept conspiring to have him discredited or killed but all to no avail. His guru, his aunt and his friend Aditya were always all eyes and ears and kept him safe from harm.

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579 V.S.

The old King Uday died after a brief illness. Prince Jai was away fighting a battle somewhere when the king died so Barnali tried to take advantage of the situation by making the young boy Prince Nachiket the king. But Jai and his troops came back to the capital and removed Nachiket and Jai was duly crowned as the King of Vatsa. Tarundas, a wise old Brahmin who was the Mahamantri (PM) of the kingdom now argued with King Jai to have the queen and the prince exiled so that they could do no harm in future. However the new King who was chivalrous, generous and forgiving to a fault demurred. He would never harm his (step) mother and brother, he said. He appointed young Nachiket as the Yuvraj and had Barnali treated with all the respect that was due to a Rajmata (Queen Mother).

The King now took over the reins of the administration with the help of his Cabinet which was well served by an able PM- Tarundas, a brave general- Ranveer, his loyal and witty vidushak (Court Jester)- Aditya and a number of other able ministers. The new King proved to be not only a good soldier but also a very wise and just ruler. He extended the boundaries of his empire by annexing some 300 kingdoms and principalities in the next five years and his good rule brought unprecedented peace and prosperity to his subjects. He imparted justice impartially among his subjects and under him learning, the arts and Dharma flourished in his kingdom. And Crime would hardly raise its head among the people. It was said that a woman could walk on the highway at night fully loaded with ornaments and she would never come to harm. The Gods too gave their seal of approval to the king by blessing the kingdom with ample monsoons and keeping it free of plague and pestilence.

The next 15 years proved to be the Golden Era of Vatsa (Author's Note: At the end of this period, he would meet his future queen and the waters would become a bit choppy after that😉) and all of Vatsa rejoiced at having such a wise ruler. If at all they had any complaints against the King it was his refusal to marry. It was not as if there was any dearth of women who were willing to marry him or that the King was not interested in women. Indeed it was just the opposite with many Kings and Noblemen throughout Bharatvarsha seeking the Kings hand for their daughters and sisters and the King in turn had a warm and close friendship with a number of women in his Court. The Rajnartaki (Court Dancer) Pia, his childhood friend and instructress Roshni and last but not the least a noblewoman named Sarladevi. This lady was a buxom beauty who had been abandoned by her husband Ashokshukla and she had then taken shelter with the King. The King was not only very fond of her but also of her children particularly of her younger son Pushkar. So much so that a persistent (but ill-founded) rumour abounded that young Pushkar was the King's natural son.

Come what may however, the King was very happy with his current state of life – a powerful army, a prosperous kingdom, a satisfied citizenry, the blessings of the holy men of his kingdom, loyal friends and the company of three gorgeous young ladies who would go to any extent to keep him happy😳- what more could a man want from his life? As far as his heir was considered there were no shortages of candidates- Prince Nachiket and Prince Saahil (the son of Jigyasa and her husband Aditya). And when his friend Aditya or his Maasi or his Guru would broach the subject of his marriage, he would merely nod his head and say that there was no woman who could tempt him into marriage.

Rgds,

Priyanka

PS: Enough of Jai jaap for the time being. I know you guys would be waiting for Bani Rani to make her appearance. She will in the next Chapter- "King Nishikant and Princess Bani in Gauda"😉 Do leave behind your suggestions.