the immortal of maluha
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
and deeply believed in <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> karma being carried over many births. He mumbled<br />
s<strong>of</strong>dy, ‘It’s <strong>the</strong> law, my Lord...’<br />
‘Well, to be honest, it sounds like a ra<strong>the</strong>r unfair law to me.’<br />
Nandi’s crestfallen face showed that he was pr<strong>of</strong>oundly disappointed that Shiva did not<br />
understand such a fundamental concept about Meluha. But he also kept his counsel for fear <strong>of</strong><br />
opposing what Shiva said. After all, Shiva was his Lord.<br />
Seeing a dejected Nandi, Shiva patted him gendy on <strong>the</strong> back. ‘Nandi, that was just my<br />
opinion. If <strong>the</strong> law works for your people, I am sure <strong>the</strong>re must be some logic to it. Your society<br />
might be a litde strange at times, but it has some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most honest and decent people I have<br />
ever met.’<br />
As a smile returned almost instantly to Nandi’s face, his whole being was overcome by his<br />
immediate problem. His debilitating hunger! He entered <strong>the</strong> restaurant as a man on a mission,<br />
with Shiva chuckling s<strong>of</strong>tly behind.<br />
A short distance away on <strong>the</strong> main road, <strong>the</strong> procession <strong>of</strong> vikarma women walked silently<br />
on. They were all draped in long angvastrams which were dyed in <strong>the</strong> holy blue colour. Their<br />
heads were bowed low in penitence, <strong>the</strong>ir puja thalis or prayer plates full <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ferings to Lord<br />
Agni. The normally quiet market street became almost deathly silent as <strong>the</strong> pitiful women<br />
lumbered by. At <strong>the</strong> centre <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> procession, unseen by Shiva, with her head bowed low,<br />
draped in a blue angvastram that covered her from head to toe, her face a picture <strong>of</strong> resigned<br />
dignity, trudged <strong>the</strong> forlorn figure <strong>of</strong> Sati.<br />
‘So where were we, my Lord?’ said Daksha, as Shiva and Nandi setded down in his private<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice <strong>the</strong> next morning.<br />
‘We were about to discuss <strong>the</strong> changes that Lord Ram brought about, your Highness. And<br />
how he defeated <strong>the</strong> rebellion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> renegade Brahmins,’ answered Shiva.<br />
‘That’s right,’ said Daksha. ‘Lord Ram did defeat <strong>the</strong> renegade Brahmins. But in his view, <strong>the</strong><br />
core problem went deeper. It wasn’t just an issue <strong>of</strong> some Brahmins who did not follow <strong>the</strong><br />
code. The problem was a conflict between a person’s natural karma and what society forced<br />
him to do.’<br />
‘I didn’t understand your Highness.’<br />
‘If you think about it, what was <strong>the</strong> essential problem with <strong>the</strong> renegade Brahmins? Some <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m wanted to be Kshatriyas and rule. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m wanted to be Vaishyas, make money<br />
and live a life <strong>of</strong> luxury. However, <strong>the</strong>ir birth confined <strong>the</strong>m to being Brahmins.’<br />
‘But I thought that Lord Brahma had decreed that people became Brahmins through a<br />
competitive examination process,’ said Shiva.<br />
‘That is true my Lord. But over time this process <strong>of</strong> selection lost its fairness. Children <strong>of</strong><br />
Bralimins became Brahmins. Children <strong>of</strong> Kshatriyas became Kshatriyas and so on. The formal<br />
system <strong>of</strong> selection soon ceased to exist. A fa<strong>the</strong>r would ensure that his children got all <strong>the</strong><br />
resources and support needed to grow up and become a member <strong>of</strong> his own caste. So <strong>the</strong><br />
caste system became rigid.’<br />
‘So did that also mean that <strong>the</strong>re could have been a person talented enough to be a Brahmin<br />
but if he was born to Shudra parents, he would not get <strong>the</strong> opportunity to become a Brahmin?’