5103 BCE:
“Can you make the mark, eyes closed?” Eleven year old Sudarshan looked at his brother – twin, but nothing like him. Bowstring drawn, his grip on the bow tense, Bhadra’s eyes were fixed on the target he was practicing with. The target hung at least fifty paces away. Sudarshan had meant for it to prick, but took great care to not sound that way.
“You don’t think I can do it? I am so insulted right now,” said Bhadra, withdrawing his mounted arrow. “But today you will learn to not underestimate your elder brother’s capabilities.”
“Oh cut it!” sneered Sudarshan. “You are barely half a ghatika older than me. If you really are that good, take a shot instead of bickering with me.”
Bhadra smirked, “You think you are so smart, trying to instigate me. Now, you watch.” He closed his eyes, pulled an arrow out of the quiver tied to his waist and right thigh, and mounted it on the bow. He drew the arrow, and set aim, all without looking.
“So far off the mark,” Sudarshan jeered.
“Shut up, Sudarshan!” Bhadra felt the gentle breeze on his forearm, and recalibrated his aim. Sudarshan fell silent in awe. He knew Bhadra would make the mark. He turned to the old fig tree at the edge of the forest on which they had tied the wooden target board. Sudarshan exclaimed, “Bhadra! No, there’s a squirrel on the target.”
“I will shoot the entire quiver into your mouth if you so much as breathe loudly again,” said Bhadra, annoyed at his fraternal twin. He took a deep breath, and like a good marksman, let the bowstring loose between heartbeats, sending the arrow in an arc towards the tree. His eyes opened to horror, as imminent death approached the unassuming squirrel.
Just a few feet before the arrow could cause havoc, to Bhadra’s delight, a lean form rose in the air, performing a somersault mid-air with a wooden shield, while deflecting the arrow with his sword. Bhadra remembered to breathe again, only after the squirrel scurried down the tree and disappeared into the wilderness. Eyes still fixed on the shield, he saw a knife dart across from the corner of his eye, which Raghav gladly let the shield take for him. Janya emerged into sight with another knife, and Bhadra was brought back to reality, terror finally setting in again. “You just got both of us in trouble, Sudarshan,” he cursed.
“Speak for yourself,” Sudarshan let out a mischievous smile, and ran before Bhadra could strangle him. They both raced to the tree, and though Bhadra was caught off-guard, he managed to catch up.
“He tricked me into shooting, Anna,” Bhadra complained to Raghav.
“Stop making things up”, Sudarshan took defense. “I only asked if you could shoot. And I even told you not to shoot. You never listen. Don’t pin the blame on me now.” Sudarshan’s confidence returned as Janya rested a hand on his shoulder.
“You staged this,” Bhadra clenched his fists, and would have reached for Sudarshan’s face, if not for Raghav’s hand on his shoulder.
“Eleven years, and not a single day these two don’t lock horns. How they were together all those months in the same womb, I’ll never understand.” Janya shook his head, half-tired of their bickering, and half-amused all the same.
“Alright, you two,” Raghav interjected. “Let it go. I’m not going to scold either of you.” He turned to Bhadra, “We practice blindfolded archery to improve our muscle memory, arm stability, and heighten our senses to wind-speed. And in a controlled environment. Not out in the open like this. Father keeps telling us not to shoot without the target in sight. Every single time we venture out. A loss of life is never a single loss. It affects everyone that life has touched. Even if it were a squirrel.”
“I’m sorry, Anna,” Bhadra said with remorse.
“Sudarshan,” Janya squeezed his shoulder, pulling him back. “Situations can go south in a matter of moments. A challenge can turn into a cause for regret real quick. The tongue is as lethal a weapon as the ax. Using it everywhere makes it blunt. We must learn to use it with restraint.”
“I’m sorry too,” Sudarshan shut his eyes in embarrassment, facing Janya.
5101 BCE:
After their daily classes in geography and polity, they headed back towards their chambers. The dining chambers were en route, and when they heard a familiar laugh, all the four brothers stopped dead in their tracks. Looking at each other, confirming what they all surmised, they shrieked with their half-cracked teenage voices, “Akka!” and swung open the doors to the dining chambers.
Shanta, the elder sister to all the boys, was paying a surprise visit. For the boys, it was, after all, a festival today. Their sister was home. “You’re having quite the growth spurt,” she said, ruffling Bhadra’s hair. “How are you, Akka? We missed you,” said thirteen year old Raghav, the ever-so polite boy. She was so used to him being the responsible elder brother of the lot, that she couldn’t convince herself that he was just a day older than the rest. “I missed you all too. Now, come back changed so that we all can have lunch. I’m famished.”
“See?” Bhadra flicked Sudarshan’s earlobe. “I told you I had a good feeling when I woke up. Akka is here.”
“Alright, alright. No need to get violent over that.” Sudarshan retorted in annoyance. Janya’s hand met with his face in defeat, and he led the twins out of the dining chambers and kept them apart till they reached their own chambers. When Sudarshan, Janya and Raghav were changed, Bhadra was still in the bath. “You go on ahead. I’ll be right behind,” was all he said. They made their way to the dining chambers again, to see five plantain leaves laid out in a semi-circle of sorts. Their sister sat down in the middle, eager to absorb stories from all sides. Raghav and Janya took their places flanking her. Sudarshan plotted for a few moments before taking a seat next to Raghav. When Shanta asked for Bhadra, Sudarshan replied, with an air of indifference, “He’s probably fretting over a pimple. Puberty hasn’t been kind to my…” His voice trailed off as he noticed a shadow cast over him. He silently cursed himself.
Bhadra only said “Move”, but Sudarshan knew exactly what that meant. He orchestrated it after all. “Why should I? There’s a perfectly nice, perhaps bigger leaf waiting for you beside Janya. Sit there.” Sudarshan was deriving joy out of it. Janya rolled his eyes, but Sudarshan wouldn’t budge. Raghav let out half a smile, realizing Sudarshan’s motive.
“Don’t turn my gears. I always sit next to Anna.” Bhadra stood firm. “Move.”
This time, Sudarshan decided to look into Bhadra’s eyes. “You should have come with us if you wanted a different leaf. I came to the dining chamber before you did. I get to choose.”
“And I came into the world before you did. Does that mean a single thing to you?” Bhadra did not wait for an answer. “Now, move.”
“What if I don’t? Will you wrestle me for it?” Sudarshan was not backing down this time.
“Don’t tempt me,” Bhadra stiffened. And then looked at his sister. “Akka, ask him to sit there.”
Shanta was full of smiles watching the conversation unfold. She was pulled back into a different time. “Bhadra, you haven’t changed at all,” she said. Bhadra sheepishly relaxed his posture, but was perplexed at his sister’s expression. She went on to explain. “Amma and I still remember the day you were born. The midwives and the chief practitioner were monitoring the fetal positions and Sudarshan would have been due first. But as we waited, circumstances changed enough for you to be delivered first. As though, you were in some hurry.”
“Desperate to get away from this menace, maybe.” Bhadra shot a look at Sudarshan. “That is what we jokingly assumed,” Shanta continued. “But then, after you were out, and let out your first cry, you wouldn’t stop. The midwives, chief-practitioner, and father could not pacify you. It took a while before the midwives began working on delivering Sudarshan.”
“Thank the heavens, I was still not out. I would have gone deaf a lot sooner otherwise,” Sudarshan sighed. Janya, listening intently, asked, “What happened to Bhadra then? Why was he crying?”
“None of us knew what to do. Then came mighty Manthara, stomping her stick and shaking the earth. Taking Bhadra in one experienced hand, she walked till Amma’s room and laid him in the crib with Raghav. And like a stage actor taking cue, he turned quiet. And dozed off before Sudarshan arrived. And since then, he wouldn’t leave Raghav’s side.” Bhadra grinned sheepishly, fully well knowing what would happen next.
“My dear Sudarshan, your twin brother will not rest till he gets his place next to Raghav. So once again, please spare our ears and let him be,” Shanta rejoiced telling the boys this story. “You’re a teenager, Bhadra,” Sudarshan said as he got up. “Stop crying at least now.” Having thoroughly enjoyed tormenting Bhadra, he ran to Janya’s side. Bhadra sat down by his elder brother’s side, beaming with pride.
5099 BCE:
“In today’s lesson,” The teacher looked at his students, eager to find out what they were about to learn. “We will learn about regency – governance in the absence of a king.” Sudarshan was a little let down. His strength was always the sciences. He took a special interest in military engineering. Fortifying the castle, building warships, improving artillery – these were topics he could ramble on endlessly. His father was especially proud when he brought to the court a design for concealed canons in the hull of their trade ships – often hijacked by river pirates and dacoits – with a self-actuating counterweight that accurately absorbed the recoil.
Bhadra was brought into the world with a whole other purpose. A beast of a warrior that never shied away from the frontline, even as a fifteen year old, Bhadra’s one glance, and the soldiers would rally beside him, with arms at his command. His fierce loyalty to Raghav, mirrored every soldier’s loyalty to the crown. The soldiers would be proud to call Raghav their king when he would be crowned, but Bhadra was one of their own since the day he was born.
Janya was a strategist beyond measure. A grandmaster at the game of Chaduranga, no one understood how an opponent thought, better than him. While the majority believed the Mantri to be the most powerful piece of the game, he held the Ashwa – a representation of cavalry – as the true supreme. And rightly so; his maternal grandfather Ashwapati was the king of Kekaya – the land of fine horses. One of the strongest rulers in the subcontinent, Ashwapati taught the intricacies of governance and nation building to Janya, over their favorite pastime activity – playing Chaduranga.
Raghav struck a balance between being a fierce warrior and a gentle leader, often so effortlessly, he inspired awe in onlookers. Ambidextrous with the sword, and sharpshooter with the bow, no one was a match – be it close combat, or fighting with an advantage. With all of that, also came an able administrator. From a very young age, he would band his brothers to both the court and outside the privileged walls of the palace with equal passion. Administration demanded focusing on trees without losing sight of the forest, and Raghav was a natural at that.
“When do you think a regency is invoked?” The teacher asked, looking at Sudarshan, who was at a loss for words. Then it clicked. In Magadha, he had seen a prince younger than him be proclaimed king, but his paternal uncle (and war-general) was declared regent till his formal education was complete. “When the kingdom is left with a very young crown prince yet to complete education but the king has passed this realm.” He sighed with relief that his job was done.
“Good answer, Sudarshan. When the nation lacks a king, but a successor who cannot yet assume the crown, is still in line, it necessitates a regent till the successor is ready. Often, a regent is someone within the court, with administrative and governing prowess and experience. Commonly, the military chief is chosen as a regent, often by a council of the allied kingdoms. But regency comes with its own challenges. Can you think of what those are?” The teacher now looked to the other brothers.
“Regency establishes two entities to be protected by us.” Bhadra’s military mind pitched in. “It is a security challenge to devote resources to protect the regent and the crown at once. The crown prince could be away for education, or in absentia. There is always a risk of kidnapping for ransom, leverage, revenge or any other cause. An extreme possibility is murder, to render the kingdom without a successor, or a worthy regent. Security, intelligence, quick response forces, all end up working double duty. Military resources thinning out inevitably invites war.” The teacher smiled, when Raghav added, “Challenges of regency are often centered around the successor and the regent. The psyche of the citizens is often underlooked. It builds up a lack of confidence and trust when the governance is focused on the aristocracy and not the citizens. Devoting resources to strengthening military would also burn a hole through the royal treasury even in times of peace, impeding infrastructure development and economic growth.”
“Very good. You are thinking in the right direction.” The teacher looked at Janya, who was in deep thought, expecting more participation. “Like for any problem, regency is a good solution, until it isn’t. To make this effective, regency must come with its own share of polity, and an ironclad implementation. Do you have suggestions on how we could go about it?”
Janya had been quiet so far. “The regent and the vassals must be bound by law to protect the true successor. An able court can be sufficient to thwart a civil war or prevent the regent from turning into a dictator.” He waited a moment before continuing. “But, security threats, if not internal, could arise from enemy kingdoms too. An attack on the successor or the regent must be dealt with severity, and all allied-kingdoms must be bound by law to join hands with the regent if war breaks out. For vassals and allies to support us, the clauses of our treaties must deem an attack on one of us as an attack on all of us.” Sudarshan was in awe at how far ahead Janya thought. Janya continued, “When our powers are allied, the military resources, and subsequently the economic resources are not exhausted. But these guidelines enforce safety within the boundaries of the alliances. A successor may also venture into territory we have no military control over. In that case, trade treaties and sanctions, spy networks, sleeping agents, and inter-state embassies can establish our presence and indirect control across the world, bringing information to the throne, and provide our successor with access to help and security wherever they go.”
“And that would mean our foreign policy must be drafted in detail with these aspects at the backs of our mind. Well said, Janya,” The teacher beamed with pride. There was no doubt his boys would soon be ready to lead a kingdom all on their own. “Which brings us to your assignment for this week. In the royal library, you will find a section with copies of our foreign policies and amnesty treaties. Your assignment is to read between the lines, and bring out how many of the clauses could favor us, even when it may seem to be merely for legality.”
“Yes, Guru Vasistha!” jumped all the boys.
5097 BCE:
“It will be glorious!” Bhadra roared as he pushed open the heavy ebony doors to the common room of the boys. Janya was lost in the arrangement of the pawns on the board of Chaduranga, and did not pay heed to Bhadra at all. Raghav, engrossed in inspection reports of a dam built over Sarayu, was thinking over the agriculture minister’s quips in the court last week over lack of subsidy funds due to spending it over repeated repairs of the dam. Sudarshan, in the far corner of the room, was meddling with a wooden drafter, a tool he had built to draw parallel lines across the parchment. He would use it to visualize his designs on parchment.
“Lunch is ready already?” Sudarshan shot a condescendingly curious look at Bhadra.
“No, you idiot!” Bhadra bellowed. “You will never guess who is in the court, talking to father.” Sudarshan was in no mood to play games. “Who?” He asked.
“Sage Kaushika!” Bhadra was filled to the brim with excitement. Raghav’s head went up as soon as the name was uttered. The familiarity of that name resounded in the room, till Janya lifted his head up from the board.
“Guru Vasistha’s greatest nemesis?”, he wanted to confirm.
“The one and only,” Bhadra proclaimed. “Imagine the face off!” Just then, a royal messenger came running to the door of the princes’ common room. The court had summoned Raghav. Bhadra’s gears started running wild. If they were being summoned to pay respects to the sage, why call only Raghav? There was more to this than met the eye.
Raghav did not bat an eye. He simply stood up and followed the guard back to the court. Raghav took a turn out of sight, and it only took Bhadra a mere glance before Janya and Sudarshan were at the door with him. They kept their distance, but reached the court nevertheless, and fell in rank behind Raghav, at a corner by the throne, in a full court.
“But Guru Kaushika! Look at him. My boy is just seventeen!” Nemi regally sat at his throne, but he was practically groveling, with his hands folded in a Namaste. That is when Bhadra first caught a glimpse of the sage. He stood in the center of the court, donning a thick beard, a naked torso, clad in a dhoti, bare-footed, arms outstretched – like he was asking for alms. But Janya knew at once – he was more king than any king ever was. And he was here to command, not pray for favors. Kaushika did not budge. Nemi took a different approach. “I offer my entire army at your service. If that is not enough, I will personally oversee the rituals and protect the hermitage from intruders. But, please – please spare my child.”
“King Nemi!” Kaushika broke his silence. “I plead to your mighty empire only one mercy – your Raghav. And if it is his safety you fear, I assure you this. Your Raghav will return to you, stronger than this universe, in body and spirit. But if you cannot give me your boy, I bear no disdain. For the world will know how strong a king trained by the great Vasistha really is.” Nemi turned to look at Vasistha with apologetic eyes. But Vasistha knew better than Kaushika’s attempt to vilify his ego. He gave Nemi a convincing nod. “Alright, Guru Kaushika,” Nemi finally gave in. “Raghav shall come with you. But I have one request. Allow me to accompany my boy. I shall not interfere, but allow me to be there for my son.”
Kaushika shook his head. “King Nemi!” He roared again with the same intensity. “I ask of you, your son Raghav. He is all I need. I pray for this favor from you.” Kaushika was not praying. And this was not a favor. Polity and diplomacy was an art,Vasistha had taught the boys. The throne, the royal attire, the jewels of Nemi, contrasted the dhoti, the chanting beads, the unkempt sage Kaushika. Their appearance was northing of short of ironic to the status quo the court witnessed. Sensing their father’s helplessness, Janya decided to make an attempt himself, his brains racked through every law in the land that could ensure Raghav’s safety, but Bhadra was ahead of them. Sudarshan feared Bhadra would assault the sage, but he was at Kaushika’s feet. “Guru Kaushika, our Guru Vasistha fondly recalls his memories with you.” He reverently touched the ground before the sage. “I came running to meet you when we heard you graced your presence. Guru Vasistha’s teachings of you makes you our Guru too.” Kaushika’s stoic face broke into a smile. This boy was more brains than people assumed he was brawn.
“And as your student,” Bhadra continued. “I request you to allow me to learn what you would teach Anna.” There was murmur all across the court. The sage had refused the king. What use was another teenage boy?
But the entire throne room fell silent when Kaushika touched Bhadra’s head, and nodded, looking at Nemi. He then turned to Vasistha, “You have taught him well, old friend.” Vasistha smiled, before instructing Nemi. “Prepare the boys for the long road ahead, King Nemi. For once they return with the blessings of Kaushika, the sun shall never set on your empire!”
The next eight praharas passed in silence as Sudarshan had no retorts to offer to Bhadra. Janya was doing everything in his power to convince their father to issue orders to a platoon of special service commandos for shadowing Raghav and Bhadra. When he took the idea to his father, Guru Vasistha intervened and advised against it. As long as Kaushika was with them, no harm would come to the boys – he had said. Guru Vasistha had also taken Janya aside, and convinced him that Sudarshan and him being by Nemi’s side was the biggest help he could offer.
In the common room, as Raghav was about to leave, Bhadra carried a light backpack with inventory. Kaushika advised him and Raghav to carry weapons, but no shields and protective armor. Between the armory and the common room, Sudarshan managed to switch out almost every standard-make weapon in Bhadra’s arsenal with his improved designs. “The hilt of the blade has a lever concealed. Push it like this,” he demonstrated. A small blade sprung out from underneath the hilt. “The blade is laced with poison. Use it in close combat only. Don’t cut vegetables, or yourself with it, stupid boy.” Bhadra quietly took the longsword from Sudarshan and pushed it into the scabbard on his back. “I am walking away from the realest threat ever,” Bhadra playfully strangled his twin brother. “What in this universe is more menacing than you?”
“Come back in one piece,” Sudarshan released himself from Bhadra’s grip. “I can’t handle two of you. And take care of Anna.”
“Yes sir!” Bhadra saluted. Janya, who was speaking with Raghav about the affairs of the palace in his absence, chimed in. “It was better when they fought! They are way too sappy in reality.” All of them burst into laughter, and formed a tight embrace – one last time before their lives would change forever.