Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta (Sample Chapter)
Chapter-1
He had a towering presence and it befitted his status of being the most powerful man in the whole of Aryavrat. True to the meaning of his name, the sea, he was master of the endless seas and the vast expanses of land he controlled. Battle axe held high, the king stood on a rock the size of a war elephant. In front of him, the audience of soldiers were assembled on a large expanse of flat grassland dotted with numerous army tents. The king took off the metal mask from his face, something he wore in every battle along with his body armour. The mask made him look ruthless. Without it, he was an ageing man with sharp features, greying hair, vibrant skin and a benevolent expression. After seven days of battle, the soldiers were exhausted. On any other day, they would have collapsed from fatigue but today the rush of blood came from their victory, and they gathered to hear the victory speech from their beloved king.
Hidden in the sea of men, two amber coloured eyes were transfixed on the king, closely observing him, his every move and gesture. All eyes were filled with admiration but these eyes were contemplating something. Planning something really sinister.
King Samudragupta, or Samrat Samudra as he was lovingly called by his people, started speaking in his rich baritone, ‘Yodha-jan Abhinandanam! Today you will all sleep with the satisfaction of having served your motherland well and so will I. I feel blessed because I hail from this land, a land so rich in culture, spirituality and traditions. It is my wish to be born here again and again in every birth. I know that each one of you feels the same. The native people of Aryavrat and subjects of our kingdom Magadha, have a large, compassionate heart but that should not be taken for granted. Today, we have proved a point to these people of foreign origin. We have made a statement with our actions. They now know that they are welcome to stay in our land, enjoy the prosperity and be treated as one of us. Instead, over the years they have seized our lands, plundered our wealth, killed our people, attacked our women and proclaimed themselves as lords. Every time that has happened, the brave men of our soil have shown such barbarians their rightful place.’
The man with the amber coloured eyes was also dressed in a soldier’s uniform though it did not fit him well. He stared unblinkingly at the king even as he slowly edged forward through the thick crowd. It was difficult to do this without arousing suspicion but this man was a master of his craft. Head held high, Samudra cleared his throat, ‘These savages, I could never comprehend their intention. I fail to understand why these people want to conquer Aryavrat. The Kushanas originate from remote corners of Macedonia. Though their power has been drastically reduced, we still need to be vigilant because their intentions are not good. The Sakas come from the north of the Hindukush, from wild places we have not heard of. What are these people doing here? Why are they relentlessly trying to subjugate us? With each conquest of ours, we will teach them a lesson. The Sakas and Kushanas cannot hope to enslave us. This is our motherland!’ he thundered. The audience cheered with the roar of a sea during a thunderstorm.
The man with the amber coloured eyes had gradually closed in towards the king. With every step, he felt the tension of trying to come up with a decision. Was he trying to get a closer look at the height and build of his target, or would he just execute his mission in a suicidal spur of the moment move? His heart throbbed, his hands trembled. This was a more recent change; he used to have steady hands, he had focus and a calm which he had mastered for his work. Failure had made him the bundle of nerves he was today. Also, this was the first time he was seeing the great king, the protagonist of the heroic tales he had heard as a child from the head monk of his monastery. The great one’s presence in front of him was overwhelming and surprisingly intimidating.
‘If they travel here for trade or as refugees due to natural calamities, we will welcome them with open arms. We have done that throughout history. However, if these savage clans have other intentions – to harm our women and children after stepping into our holy land of Aryavrat with their blood drenched feet – we will chop off their feet with our axes!’ The army cheered louder, the sound rising to a deafening roar. Samudra raised his battle-axe in the air. The man with the amber eyes was now very close to the rock where Samudra stood. His mind told him that if he attempted something now, he had half a chance before the army shred him to pieces. His heart believed that there would be no opportunity like this. Engrossed in his dilemma, he took small steps forward at a time. This was his moment, everyone was ecstatic and security would be lax. All of a sudden……
(Chapter cut short since there were plot spoilers ahead. More information and reviews on Amazon India website)
Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta
He had a towering presence and it befitted his status of being the most powerful man in the whole of Aryavrat. True to the meaning of his name, the sea, he was master of the endless seas and the vast expanses of land he controlled. Battle axe held high, the king stood on a rock the size of a war elephant. In front of him, the audience of soldiers were assembled on a large expanse of flat grassland dotted with numerous army tents. The king took off the metal mask from his face, something he wore in every battle along with his body armour. The mask made him look ruthless. Without it, he was an ageing man with sharp features, greying hair, vibrant skin and a benevolent expression. After seven days of battle, the soldiers were exhausted. On any other day, they would have collapsed from fatigue but today the rush of blood came from their victory, and they gathered to hear the victory speech from their beloved king.
Hidden in the sea of men, two amber coloured eyes were transfixed on the king, closely observing him, his every move and gesture. All eyes were filled with admiration but these eyes were contemplating something. Planning something really sinister.
King Samudragupta, or Samrat Samudra as he was lovingly called by his people, started speaking in his rich baritone, ‘Yodha-jan Abhinandanam! Today you will all sleep with the satisfaction of having served your motherland well and so will I. I feel blessed because I hail from this land, a land so rich in culture, spirituality and traditions. It is my wish to be born here again and again in every birth. I know that each one of you feels the same. The native people of Aryavrat and subjects of our kingdom Magadha, have a large, compassionate heart but that should not be taken for granted. Today, we have proved a point to these people of foreign origin. We have made a statement with our actions. They now know that they are welcome to stay in our land, enjoy the prosperity and be treated as one of us. Instead, over the years they have seized our lands, plundered our wealth, killed our people, attacked our women and proclaimed themselves as lords. Every time that has happened, the brave men of our soil have shown such barbarians their rightful place.’
The man with the amber coloured eyes was also dressed in a soldier’s uniform though it did not fit him well. He stared unblinkingly at the king even as he slowly edged forward through the thick crowd. It was difficult to do this without arousing suspicion but this man was a master of his craft. Head held high, Samudra cleared his throat, ‘These savages, I could never comprehend their intention. I fail to understand why these people want to conquer Aryavrat. The Kushanas originate from remote corners of Macedonia. Though their power has been drastically reduced, we still need to be vigilant because their intentions are not good. The Sakas come from the north of the Hindukush, from wild places we have not heard of. What are these people doing here? Why are they relentlessly trying to subjugate us? With each conquest of ours, we will teach them a lesson. The Sakas and Kushanas cannot hope to enslave us. This is our motherland!’ he thundered. The audience cheered with the roar of a sea during a thunderstorm.
The man with the amber coloured eyes had gradually closed in towards the king. With every step, he felt the tension of trying to come up with a decision. Was he trying to get a closer look at the height and build of his target, or would he just execute his mission in a suicidal spur of the moment move? His heart throbbed, his hands trembled. This was a more recent change; he used to have steady hands, he had focus and a calm which he had mastered for his work. Failure had made him the bundle of nerves he was today. Also, this was the first time he was seeing the great king, the protagonist of the heroic tales he had heard as a child from the head monk of his monastery. The great one’s presence in front of him was overwhelming and surprisingly intimidating.
‘If they travel here for trade or as refugees due to natural calamities, we will welcome them with open arms. We have done that throughout history. However, if these savage clans have other intentions – to harm our women and children after stepping into our holy land of Aryavrat with their blood drenched feet – we will chop off their feet with our axes!’ The army cheered louder, the sound rising to a deafening roar. Samudra raised his battle-axe in the air. The man with the amber eyes was now very close to the rock where Samudra stood. His mind told him that if he attempted something now, he had half a chance before the army shred him to pieces. His heart believed that there would be no opportunity like this. Engrossed in his dilemma, he took small steps forward at a time. This was his moment, everyone was ecstatic and security would be lax. All of a sudden……
(Chapter cut short since there were plot spoilers ahead. More information and reviews on Amazon India website)
Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta
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