The Archer And The Ascetic

It was almost noon when the boy laid down his quiver of arrow and his bow and sat under the shade of a banyan tree. It was a non-forgiving day in the summers of the South of Bharatakhanda. In a few miles walk was Vijayavatika, the city that very recently entered conversations. The reason why its name was echoed throughout the land was due to a rumour that Lord Shiva himself had appeared and had granted a boon to one of his ardent devotees. And he himself being one great devotee of Lord Shiva, the boy had journeyed all the way from the Southern Territories of Malaya. He was a young man who must have recently entered his early twenties. His arms and thighs were well-built. There were numerous scars on his biceps which reflected the training that he had undergone. Most of his scars were fresh which showed that his journey was not an easy one. 

He rested his back on the tree's body and began to enjoy the solitary peace. He never knew how much serenity such a small area of shade could bring him. As he was about to fall asleep, he heard footsteps. Being a trained warrior he quickly woke up alerted and turned to look at all the directions. And towards the western horizon, he saw an ascetic walking towards him. Amidst the glare of radiation sun, he looked like a majestic being, filled with grace and splendour. 

The boy stood up and patted his garments to shove away mud. In a few minutes, the ascetic walked closer and as he was getting close, the boy noticed that the ascetic too had a well-built body and a long beard that was black with few threads of white hair. He was tall, with a slim hip and a broad torso. His eyes were strong, sharp and powerful. His chests were broad and muscular. He wore a saffron dhoti and a saffron cloth draped across his shoulders. A couple of garlands made of Rudraksha adorned his neck. His hair was tied up, with a few strands curling over his shoulders. 

The boy involuntarily joined his hands in a Namaste. After reciprocating, the ascetic asked the boy. 'What brings you here at this time of the day? Are you on a journey?'

'Yes, sire. I'm from the kingdom of Malaya, towards the south.' The boy replied. 

'Where are you off to?' The man asked. 

'People in my kingdom spoke of Lord Shiva appearing in the hills of Vijayavatika and offering his devotee a boon as a reward for his penance.'

'Oh, so you're here to see the lord himself?' The man asked with a feeling of excitement.

'No, I'm here to see the devotee, whom I've heard was Arjuna, the skilled Pandava King.'

'Oh, what makes you drawn towards him?' 

'I'm trained in archery. But until I get blessings from the greatest archer, how could I call myself to be one?'

'If so, continue walking and in a few miles, you will reach the Indrakeeladri hills upon which I heard Arjuna had been meditating. But you need to know something.' The man paused. 

'What is it sire?'

'Arjuna may be skilled but he also has his own temper. You should know how to appease him.'

'Do you know how?' The boy asked eagerly. 

'What good will it give me by sharing it with you?'

'What have I got to offer an ascetic who has renounced everything?', the boy spoke equally wise. 

'Maybe company. I have a long journey ahead. Will you accompany me as I walk towards the Holy Ganges?' The man asked. 

'The Ganges?' the boy gasped. 'But the Indrakeeladri hills lie to our east. It could take me months to return, by which Arjuna and his associates would have entered into their year of disguise.'

'Think wisely boy. Meeting him now and returning with no blessings or meeting him after a few months and getting his blessings. Which is better?' The man was questioned. 

'I have waited sixteen years; a few more months should not be a problem.' The boy answered as he picked up his quiver and his bows. 

'So you're coming with me? Trust me, you will not be disappointed.'

Saying this both of them began walking towards north. All along the way, the ascetic spoke about the beauty of the surroundings and the elegance of the wild animals that they averted now and then. While the boy taught the man about various skills that he had learnt. Occasionally they had also spoken about the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas. Once while drinking from the Godavari, the boy asked the man, 'Did you know how rich the Pandavas were?'

 'Do I look like someone who is interested in the wealth of royal families?' The man replied. 

'Let me tell you.' The boy began. 'Every day at King Yudhisthira's palace, eight thousand Brahmanas were fed in golden plates. The king supported nearly eighty thousand families. He also had twenty thousand servants and maids to serve the royal household and the guests. The Pandavas also had a lakh horses of pure white colour and reddish nose, which could not be found elsewhere. Could you even imagine?'

'However rich they might have been, I hear the Pandavas are into exile.' The man said scratching his beard. 

'Their exile is about to end, and in a year they'll definitely win back their kingdom.' The boy spoke out of confidence. 

'They have no army. I mean look at the Kauravas. The eldest of them stands to be the Emperor. How on earth could five forest dwellers win over an entire empire?' The man asked. 

'They may be forest dwellers now, but each of them has their own powers and with Krishna and Queen Draupadi, they are no match in physical as well as mental strength.'

As the sun was about to set in the west, the man said, 'You are so sentimental and superstitious. I am not going to take you on my journey. You may turn back.'

'But did you not promise to tell me how to pacify King Arjun?' the boy asked stepping forward. 

Upon listening to this, the ascetic picked up a dried lotus leaf from the ground and began writing on it using a black dye. The boy stood gazing at him. 

After a few minutes, the man rolled the leaf handed it over to the boy and said, 'Take this to your king Malayadhwaj Pandya... Do this and you may appease your hero.' 

'All right then. So this is where we part?' The boy said as he joined his hands again for a namaste. The man reciprocated and began walking away. The boy turned back back and walked a bit forward, when a thought struck him, 'Whom should I say has sent this?'

'Let the world know that the Pandyas fought on our side. Tell you, king, that this is a letter of request from the third Pandava.'

'Fine.' And then he gasped. 'Pandava? Thir...?'

And then he turned back to look at the king in disguise. 'You are King Arjun!'

But there was no one on the other side of the river. He murmured, 'Arjun is really skilled.'