Chapter 10 - The sons of Ambika and

Ambalika
I wish I were calling on to my son in happier circumstances....Satyavathi thought
as she closed her eyes thinking of her first born son.
She smiled to herself as she fondly remembered the times when she was ferrying
people across the Yamuna. It seemed like another life time....almost unconnected
with her present life. For a second she wondered whether her daughters-in-law
would believe the fact that she, Satyavathi, the present Queen of Hastinapur, was
the daughter of the head fisherman. Was she still that same woman? Satyavathi
mused as she thought of Sage Parasaran. The sage was the one who was
responsible for taking away her fish smell and give her this divine fragrance. The
divine fragrance which was responsible for King Shantanu to fall in love with
her.Yes...Satyavathi thought nodding to herself. In many ways it was Sage
Parasaran who was responsible for her present life, as the Queen of Hastinapur.
Satyavathi thought of her son, her first born son. She had but seen him once in her
life. She still remembered her disbelief as she saw her son a baby grow from a
young child to grown up male all within a span of few minutes. 'Mother! Bless
me!' Veda Vyasa had said falling at her feet. Satyavathi still could not believe that
the dark, grown up man with wild matted locks, was her son. Even then, Satyavathi
could see the knowledge of the Vedas which Vyasa had imbibed shine through
him. A gentle soul with passionate eyes. Satyavathi knew that as long as she lived
she could never forget that face.
In the present, Satyavathi opened her eyes as she heard a rustling noise. Standing
before her was Veda Vyasa, her son exactly as she had imagined him. Satyavathi
smelt the fragrance of the fish from him, which had once been a part of her. She
smiled with tears in her eyes, as she embraced her son.
For a first few minutes, she seemed incapable of talking as she enjoyed the sheer
pleasure of being with her child. Veda Vyasa, divining his mother's feeling kept
quiet not saying anything.
That was when Satyavathi realized that Veda Vyasa was standing in her inner
apartment. 'How did you get in? Did none of the guards....'
Veda Vyasa chuckled. 'You called me and I came directly to you! Nobody knows
that I have come here...'Veda Vyasa looked at the closed door. 'I do not think
closed doors or guards can keep me out!'
Both mother and son smiled as Satyavathi made her son sit down. Veda Vyasa
studied his mother. 'Why did you call me, mother? Something tells me, motherly
affection is not the only reason, you suddenly remembered me...'
Satyavathi smiled to herself a little sadly and she nodded her head. 'How I wish I
had spent more time with you...' She said musing a little about her past life. 'What
would have happened, if I had not come back to my father for ferrying the people
across the Yamuna....Probably then none of this would be happening....'
Veda Vyasa raised his eyebrows. 'You are a queen, mother! The mother of the
kings of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world....' Veda Vyasa frowned,
as Satyavathi broke out crying as she heard the words of Veda Vyasa.
A mother of kings....Satyavathi felt the irony of the situation as fresh sobs racked
her body. 'I am not the mother of kings....not any more..' She said in a broken
voice.
Veda Vyasa waited patiently as Satyvathi controlled herself. She took a deep
breath and told him everything. Everything from the foolish promise that her father
had extracted from Devavratha, Devavratha's promise which earned him the name
of Bhishma, the death of Shantanu, the death of Chitrangada, the marriage of
Vichitraviryan to the princesses of Kasi and now the death of Vichitraviryan. 'My
father took the kingdom away from Bhishma and my sons' have paid the price for
this foolishness!' Satyavathi shook her head. 'I begged Bhishma to take the
kingdom and marry Ambalika and Ambika....He is Vichitraviryan's brother and he
has the right to the throne and he can marry the princesses.' Satyavathi smiled
mirthlessly, shaking her head. 'He said his vow is more important to him, and that
the vow is his Dharma! He said he would give everything up, but he would stand
by his vow!'
Veda Vyasa nodded as his mother continued. 'So now, I approach you!'
'What do you wish me to do, mother?' The sage asked his mother.
Satyavathi told Veda Vyasa of Bhishma's story of Sage Parashurama. 'So a great
sage can perpetuate the royal lineage, when the king dies childless. This is a
practice allowed by custom!' Satyavathi said looking down, her heart hammering
badly, as she clutched her hands in a tight fist to prevent them from shaking. Would
Vyasa accept her wishes or would he also....
Veda Vyasa took a deep breath and looked at his mother. 'If this is what you want,
I will carry out your wishes!'
Satyavathi's tear stained face broke into a beautiful smile as she heard the words.
She kissed him on the forehead and embraced him once more. 'Thank
you...Thank....'
'Mother! Please listen to me!' Veda Vyasa said gently as Satyavathi looked at him
frowning. 'Your daughters-in-law.....they are princesses! I...I am....' Veda Vyasa
took a deep breath and continued. ' I am sage. I have spent my entire life in the
forests, performing penance! I have never bothered about my looks and never will!
I look wild and have have this smell of fish coming continuously from me....Your
daughters-in-law may get scared of me....Please prepare them properly so that they
are not caught unawares....!'
Satyavathi nodded, leaving the room. 'Do not worry! I will prepare my daughter-
in-law to receive you!' she said leaving the sage alone.
Satyavathi first approached her elder daughter-in-law Ambika. 'Ambika! I know
that you grieve for your husband....' Ambika broke out into fresh sobs as Satyavathi
held her tightly. She then looked at her. 'However all that is past! We need to get
on with our lives....' Ambika felt scared as she saw the almost single-minded
determination in Satyavathis' eyes. Satyavathi took a deep breath continuing. 'The
throne of Hastinapur cannot be vacant....The kingdom needs a heir!' Ambika
wondered what her mother-in-law expected her to do about it, when Satyvathi
continued. 'I have convinced your husband's elder brother to come here....' Ambika
frowned some more. She knew only Bhishma as her husband's elder brother. She
obviously had no idea as to who Veda Vyasa was and that Satyavathi was referring
to him. Ambika wondered how Satyavathi had managed to convince Bhishma to
break his vow but she did not say anything....
'He will be coming to meet you!' Satyavathi said continuing completely unaware of
the confusion in her daughter-in-law's mind. 'Please be prepared to receive
him...Do not be scared of him!' Alarm bells were ringing in Ambika's head
now. Why would her mother-in-law expect her to be scared? However Ambika
was even more scared of the almost ferocious expression in Satyvathi's face and
decided not to ask any questions.
When Ambika first saw Veda Vyasa, she was shocked. The man looked....wild and
the smell of fish....Ambika was not able to think anything and closed her eyes
tightly as she saw the sage, wishing she never opened them again.....
Satyavathi looked at Veda Vyasa happily, the next day. 'The child which will be
born to Ambika....he would be the future king of Hastinapur, won't he?' she asked a
hint of desperation in her voice.
Veda Vyasa smiled sadly as he looked at his mother with pity. 'Why did you not
tell your daughter-in-law that it was me who was coming to meet her? She got
scared of me....she closed her eyes tightly....' Veda Vyasa said sadly. Satyavathi
was numbed as she heard Veda Vyasa. She blinked as she tried to think of her
conversation. Slowly....slowly she understood her daughter-in-law's confusion and
cursed herself for her stupidity. Ambika had not expected to see Veda Vyasa and
had obviously been scared out of her wits on seeing him....
Satyavathi blinked as Veda Vyasa continued. 'The child born to Ambika would be
strong....Phenomenally strong! But he would be blind!'
Satyavathi looked at Veda Vyasa shocked unable to make sense of her thoughts as
they spiraled out of control. 'Ambalika!' She whispered finally. 'I will ask my
second daughter-in-law to come and I will tell her everything...Please do not say
no to me....Please!' She begged Veda Vyasa.
Veda Vyasa sighed as he finally nodded his head.
Unfortunately for Satyavathi, Ambika had already spoken to Ambalika about the
wild man who was Satyavathi's eldest son. By the time Satyvathi spoke to her,
Ambalika was so scared of Veda Vyasa that she wanted nothing more than run
away from there. But then Satyavathi was the queen of Hastinapur. How could she
say no to her?
The next day, Veda Vyasa looked at his mother who was looking at him hopefully.
'Ambalika did not close her eyes, mother....but she got scared....She almost became
pale in fear!'
Satyavathi made a chocking voice as Veda Vyasa continued. 'The son of Ambalika
would be a brave and bold price....but he would pale....the same colour that his
mother went, when she saw me....'
Satyavathi sighed, then she brightened. 'Please son....Come back after the
princesses have had the children.....Then....they would not be so scared of
you...Probably the child born later on, would become a perfect king of Hastinapur!'
Veda Vyasa almost chuckled looking at his mother. But then he nodded and went
away from there.
As Veda Vyasa predicted, Ambika's son was born blind. He was named
Dhirdarashtra and he ferociously strong. A day later, Ambalika gave birth to the
pale Pandu.
A year later, when Veda Vyasa came back, Satyavathi again approached her
daughter-in-law to go to the sage. But Ambika were so completely unnerved of the
sage and her mother-in-law that instead of going herself, she sent her maid to the
sage.
********
Satyavathi was disappointed because the son born to the maid was perfect in every
way but could never ascend the throne.....because he was not the from the royal
lineage....The son of Veda Vyasa and the maid was called Vidura, who was
considered by many as the embodiment of Lord Dharma....
*********
When Satyavathi requested Veda Vyasa to approach the younger
daughter-in-law, for the second time, Veda Vyasa firmly refused.
'Mother, I am a sage! I cannot be here.....I have done what you asked
me to do....My work here is done!' So saying Veda Vyasa walked
away from Hastinapur without a backward glance.