In contrast to his predecessor, Maharaja Ranasura II is an example of how simplicity is not in itself better.
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Tale Of Hindustan Retold: Gupta Twice-Born
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Looks like Ranasura got a bit of "instant karma" there. The very stress that provoked him to harm others ultimately brought about his end.
A wise man and a dull man..quite a contrast of characters. It would seem Lord Ganesha, or the RNG, decided fit to take away an auspicious easy personal union between Bengal and the Mleccha kingdom
Hello and welcome! Would you like to elaborate on the suspicious part, perhaps the plot for the death of Ramagupta and the carriage driver?
I have to say, the wise gurus of India are doing a tremendous job both by being expert physicians and wise counselors...sometimes it seems as if their attributes are divine. But a dull man and an untutored naive appeaser, could not keep up with everyone, you cannot please everyone in the end... sadly though for Ranasura II if he did please his teacher , he would have followed divine will and reduced his stress. But alas.
Well then, let us see what Ballalsen will do
Hymns of the Universal Rulers – Samrats Chakravartins
I. Samrat Ballalsen ‘the Cruel’ of Bengal
I. Samrat Ballalsen ‘the Cruel’ of Bengal
Oh glory unto us for an Avatar of the Trimurti descended to our earth, the first Samrat Chakravartin after centuries of strife and chaos. He was embodied into the mortal coil of Ballalsen Gupta, known as ‘Cruel’ for his swift observance of justice. Even in his childhood years, inspired by his father Ranasura II, the judgment he would pass was most severe and the full extent of the law was applied to all criminals.
But despite his good intentions and belief in Lord Brahma, he of the four faces, the curse was ever present. The ambitions of his father swirled into his mind and armed his hand to do the most unvirtuous act of time: the slaying of kin and family. The pretext was given when one of his kinsmen from the kingdom of his great-uncle arrived in Laksmanavati
“There is no greater branch in Gupta than the one which stemmed from Ranasura ‘the Wise’. There is no wealthier branch in Gupta than the one which stemmed from Maharani Yajnavati”
The courtiers of the Kingdom of Gupta were most displeased with the avarice of his speech. The young Maharaja Ballalsen wrote a formal complaint to his great-uncle to correct the misdoing of their kinsman. Indeed, Maharaja Parikshitnayaran apologized but words were not enough for Ballalsen.
“As a good gardener does, the ill branch shall be cut from the root. Only the branches from my tree and my betrothed wife will be adjoined and strengthen the grove”
Thus the act of kinslaying stigmatized Ballalsen, he who murdered Rajkumari Asima and Rajkumar Hajo even in his infant years. Maharaja Parikshitnayaran wept for their death but knew that the blight of Lord Ganesha was to blame. The Guptas were bondservants to their fate. They only prayed that one day the curse would be complete and darkness unveiled from their circle of karma. But as a good son in law, Maharaja Ballalsen named his firstborn son Parikshitnarayan and with the laws of succession, should his great uncle close his eyes, then the new Maharani would be his wife Ratnadevi.
Chained to destiny, Maharaja Ballalsen, after years of contemplation and performance of necessary rites, gained the favor of Lord Brahma and unleashed the subjugation of Orissa, owned by his relative Purushottama II. He was granted a divine weapon for the destruction of his enemy: the trumpets of doom. Yet with Lord Ganesha’s intervention, the weapon was folly and only by the mortal arms, victory was won.
The Orissans could not defend their homeland against the onslaught of the Guptas. Even Ashoka’s Chosen, the holy order of the Buddhists, failed to aid their fellow in faith against the Mahajara’s advance. Raj Purushottama II was subjugated and his kingdom lost. But he schemed with vassals of the Guptas to regain his throne back, unsuccessfully. He was jailed and as was the custom in Bengal, he was duly sacrificed to Kali, his domain split between his underage children. Her appease for blood was sated and she granted Ballalsen the boon to terrorize his enemies with her demeanor.
The years would pass and serenity reigned. As sovereign of Bihar, Bengal, Gondwana and Orissa the sages agreed that his power was indisputable and he was eligible to perform the aśvamedhá, the vedic ritual of horse sacrifice. Indeed, none contested his power and by divine right, Ballalsen Gupta was proclaimed as the Samrat Chakravartin of Bengal, the Universal Ruler. Blessed be his name!
When news spread in Hindustan that a distant descendant of the Guptas emerged again as the Universal Lord, many flocked to his court for the Samrat to press their rightful claims and vow their allegiance to him. Samrat Ballalsen, after conquering the East and the North, aimed to become the ruler of all the four directions: only the West and the South stood between his ambitions.
So it was that he became the benefactor of Indrayuhda , the pretender of Kosala and Narendra, pretender of Rajputana. Indeed, only a few petty kingdoms remained for him to be also the unquestioned ruler of all Rajastan and hold sway to the direction of the West.
Lord Brahma blessed Samrat Ballalsen for his devotion. Lady Kali blessed Samrat Ballalsen for his human offerings and his zeal. But the mortal flesh is inescapable: his aspiration to provide perfect justice throughout his empire would cost him his life, passing the mandate to his firstborn Parikshitnayaran, educated with the best of Brahmans
As the funeral pyre lit in the sky and Samrat Ballalsen went to the upper kingdom of Heaven to join the gods, already the intricacies of the Gupta court conspired, the marriage bonds which the Samrat had placed to appease the maharajas having ceased their effect. Could Parikshitnayaran retain the creation of his father and continue the Gupta emergence? Or would Lord Ganesha fill the minds of the petty maharajas to break free, as their goal of attaining their title was accomplished?
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All hail the Samrat Chakravartin!
Ballalsen has laid a strong foundation for an empire with universal aspirations. Will it be enough to allow his son Parikshitnayaran to become the sole ruler of all Hindustan in his lifetime, I wonder?
Ballalsen has laid a strong foundation for an empire with universal aspirations. Will it be enough to allow his son Parikshitnayaran to become the sole ruler of all Hindustan in his lifetime, I wonder?
With the knowledge of the betrayed Ganesha and the vedic ritual, the stability of the newly re-established Gupta Empire is sure to attract many ambitious courtiers like moths to a flame. But ambitious men rarely sate their desires and perhaps this is what is hinted at the message of succession
What a way to die......
Perfect justice is divine, he should have striven for a more earthly approach and delegate the pig settlement to lower judges. Perhaps our next emperor is more mundane to his approaches?
Hymns of the Universal Rulers – Samrats Chakravartins
II. Samrat Parikshitnayaran ‘the Fat’
A. The Great Conquest of Rajastan – The Crown Jewel of the Samrat – Betrayal by the beneficiaries
II. Samrat Parikshitnayaran ‘the Fat’
A. The Great Conquest of Rajastan – The Crown Jewel of the Samrat – Betrayal by the beneficiaries
Verily, you may ask, how can a Universal Ruler be given the epithet ‘the Fat’? History is not always kind to rulers, great they may have been, especially if in the minds of the people a characteristic of theirs strikes out from their rest.
Samrat Parikshitnayaran is no different: the son of the first Samrat of Bengal, he would be known more for his envious, prideful nature of mastering the Vedas than his khsatriya achievements. Indeed, the local tales say how he finally made peace with Lord Ganesha, after passing a trial of his own health against the obstacle remover.
But come, let me tell you how he conquered vast Rajastan and at his feet bowed the Sindh, Punjabi , Gujarati and Hindustani folk of India.
When his father Ballalsen ascended to Heaven, a war was already raging in the Gupta domain. For his father had declared his assistance to his vassal Narendra the new Maharaja of Rajputana for his right upon the crown of Malwa. It was no extraordinary feat for the forces of the Samrat: the ambitious Narendra gained another title and to the Samrat owed his eternal gratitude. But the true jewel of the conquest was the subservants of Maharaja Narendra who followed him.
Indeed, the Raja of Ajmer and Maru was the rightful Maharaja once upon a time of Sindh, the very land which the Hindus river passes and was occupied by the mleccha Bedouin invaders. A worthy conquest, Samrat Parikshitnayaran armed the fine horses and elephants of the Gupta Empire and descended upon the filthy defilers of the sacred Hindus River.
Alarmed by the Gupta ascendance, the Sultan of Sindh had banded with Muslims and Dharmans alike against the Samrat. After all, a man declaring himself ruler of all directions could not be considered a pacifist on all accounts. But even the mustered armies of the Bedouins, the horsemen from the North and those treacherous of India who did not prostrate to the Universal Ruler all scattered and perished by denying destiny. Crushed by the elephants, trampled by the horses, struck by a thousand arrows as if Arjuna shot his mighty bow, the Maharaja of Sindh now was a Hindu and a trusted servant of the Samrat.
The same fate was reserved for the Maharaja of Punjab, Hargobind Son of the Vinyakas. Instructed by Lord Ganesha, he did not bow to the Samrat, saying that the four directions of the wind will all come to blow away the haughty Emperor. Little did he know, little did he believe when the thousands of men stormed his castles and wrecked death and despair. To his seat was placed Tej Bhan Sangharid, a dynasty which played an ambiguous role in the Empire.
The Brahman sages agreed: it was time yet again for the aśvamedhá, the vedic ritual of horse sacrifice. In all Rajastan none contested his power and the sky rained lotus flowers as the crown of Rajastan was added to the imperial diadem. Glory everlasting to Samrat Parikshitnayaran! All but the Jain Gujarati Chandwa bowed to the Gupta dynast. However they too would be subjugated in the years that came.
Envy though always finds place in the hearts of men. Disillusioned by the prospect of being servants to the Universal Lord, there were many who clamored for reform. Even the gods in Heaven held council and did not rule in absolutism, such was only reserved for the lowly kingdoms of the third plane of existence, the rākṣasas and asuras and such beings.
At dagger point, Samrat Parikshitnayaran agreed to reduce his authority and advisors were added to his small council. His mother, the Maharani Ratnadevi the Wise of Kamarupa clutched her heart and died from sadness, for her son shamed in coercion. A deviant tale even went as far as to nickname him ‘the Fat’ as a result of his fear when facing the enraged Rajas. Tragic irony though, at long last, the Mleccha Assamese Kingdom north of Bengal passed to the proper Gupta domain.
However soon ,normality returned to be yet again struck by bizarre news: miners excavated a perfect diamond, perhaps a tear of Indra which fell from the sky! The Samrat immediately placed it as his crown jewel, magnificence and brilliance reigning in his court. Alas, it soon came to be that the diamond was not of Indra but of Kubera, the god of wealth, who despised the Samrat for his unjust theft of his mineral domain. He cursed the Samrat and his mind was blinded and fogged with pride. Soon, the Samrat passed a series of illnesses, leading even to the most feared disease of all.
Parikshitnayaran secluded himself in prayer and meditation. Only the gods could save him from his trouble. Vain, foolish humanity! He remembered his grandfather, Ranasura II and his folly, he recalled Ranasura ‘the Wise’ and his slights. Outside of the cave he chose to meditate, the rain of the monsoons raged and he heard ululating shadow men calling for him and his soul. It would end here… the dharma of the khastriya only by half complete and the vicious circle of reborn imminent.
He cried with the strength of his lungs
“Ganesha! Lord Ganesha! Mercy! Mercy!”
In a strike of lightning the elephant-god appeared, smiling sardonically at the Gupta progeny.
“You ask my help and call me your patron god. Will you forsake me as your ancestors? Will the other gods once again brag how a human became rogue when he had all he desired?”
The Samrat shook his head, his bare soul open for Lord Ganesha to determine truth or false
“Then I shall call off the karmic curse, your family debt paid in full. Now, worship me and praise my name to acquire my benefits. I shall come to you in human form and aid you… remember your promise…”
With that, the storm stopped, the shadow men disappeared. He felt more knowledgeable, more in tune with the Brahman. He returned to his palace and he could see that people saw him in new light, albeit they feared him more than before, for reason he could not fathom. All it mattered was that he settled the score with Lord Ganesha and the karma of the Gupta was cleansed. Soon, a sage by the name Jayanarayan appeared and practicing holy Ayurveda, he removed the feared disease from the Samrat!
Samrat Parikshitnayaran struggled for his life, for his wound to heal. He had lost his hand but it was a price he wished to pay. Better days though came and soon. The Samrat had reached his forty third year and had not married, honoring his betrothal to a Princess of the Pallava Kingdom to the South. Her name was Atittapitâri and her life would further shape the destiny of the Gupta Empire. She would first bore two sons, the future Samrat Raghudev and the brilliant general Hemant Sen, victor of many battles.
With the future of the Empire secure, the Samrat bestowed imperial favor upon one of the many courtiers of his assembly. His name was Hakka Ratta, pretender to Telingana, a realm to the South ruled by an underage Maharaja. The armies of the Universal Lord swept away the token forces of the young king, who in the meantime was replaced by another claimant-usurper and in his place, the beneficiary Hakka was enthroned.
Alas, the feeling of gratitude was washed away, as a man descends into the Ganges to wash his sins. The moment the armies of the Samrat were immobilized after their victory over Telingana, greedy Rajas and Maharajas demanded more rights for their estates and first to claim them was no other than Tej Bhan Sangharid, the very man the Samrat installed in his seat! But this time, Lord Ganesha was by his side. He threw the papers at the upstarts and vowed that Kali would drink their blood in time.
So the Civil War to increase Council power erupted in the Gupta Empire, shattering it in two pieces. Divine right and mortal desires, all would clash in equal battles of the magnitude of Mahabharata. The North, East and West would tremble by the earthquake of the marching armies, the cries of pain and agony of the defeated. Who though would emerge victorious from the dust of the battlefield?
The richer the feast, the greater the numbers of the flies that circle it. At least the Samrat is showing a mettle worthy of his caste this time around.
Quite the war machine you seem to have against your neighbors and enemies by those sweeping and decisive victories by your forces! Like the Mughals, unite by way of the sword! Then reap the riches of the Subcontinent!
Well they are...I mean... they have some voting rights, is it not the Universal Lord's right to decide who to declare war, who to imprison and so forth? I was surprised that Maharaja Tej Bhan of all people would go into the effort for it really..
This time the battlefield would decide their complaints. Next time they could have asked elective succession if there were concessions!
It is the only way to fulfill the dharma- virtue of the warrior caste - that and the indian subjugation casus belli came very handy indeed to further cement power (although once you become Emperor, the good-willing claimants are very useful in the union of the subcontinent!)
As I am still recovering from a severe case of flu, it may take a while for an update, thank you all for the interest and I hope you enjoy the tale
Hymns of the Universal Rulers – Samrats Chakravartins
II. Samrat Parikshitnayaran ‘the Fat’
B. Crushed Defiance to the Samrat – The Gupta Empire expands to the South- Rise of the Crusader Kings
II. Samrat Parikshitnayaran ‘the Fat’
B. Crushed Defiance to the Samrat – The Gupta Empire expands to the South- Rise of the Crusader Kings
For many nights the merchant entertained and was entertained by the feasting of the lord. The climate had considerably improved ever since the bishop and his followers decided to abstain from the tales of Hindustan, yet there were those that said he would not so easily let down his guard and abandon his flock to the persuasive silver tongue of the Hindu merchant.
For the moment, the audience expected to see how the Universal Ruler of Bengal and Rajastan would deal with his ungrateful vassals, those who banded together to pressure for more power inside his domain. The lord tilted his head with interest, for a story ,although imaginary, about the management of subjects is always an interesting lesson.
Thus the merchant continued his storytelling , another night well won with the weaving of literature
The fiftieth decade had descended upon the Samrat the day the declaration of defiance came by an assembly of petty maharajas and representative of those was no other than the Maharaja of Punjab, he who was the most benefited of all. The Samrat’s beard had become snowy but his temper was not lost at all : rumors circulated in the Empire that by night the Samrat was actually a rākṣasa, a devilish being who fed on human flesh. His lost hand made him even more frightful and his swift, cruel punishment a reason for his vassals to be fearful of him.
“Mount the horses and the elephants! Fill the quivers with arrows and sharpen your battle axes! You will bring me Tej Bhan Sangharid and his lackeys in chains!”
Many battles were fought; the most famous of them being at the desert of Reni, near Sarasvati where seven thousand traitors lost their lives while only nine hundred men of the Samrat perished. At Mulashthana near Kafirkot, the Maharaja Pritampal of Ayudha, a foul traitor, let his final breath and the rebel armies routed in disarray.
Thus the civil war ended and in a parade of chains, the scheming maharajas were brought in the Gupta capital, ready to receive their due punishment.
“Look pious Brahmins, mighty Khsastriyas and resourceful Vaishyas! Look those who below their station threatened their Samrat Chakhravartin , the lord of Earth with demands full of air! By my call let justice prevail! Glory to Ganesha who brought obstacles to my rivals and clear path to my chariots!”
The chained maharajas bowed their heads, except for one. He cried out in pride
“Not so fast Parikshitnayaran! You are eager to let the axe fall but it will not be upon my head: you owe me a favor to pass your silly laws and now I call upon your pardon. It would be adharma to decline my righteous request!”
Bhagadatta Gupta, the supreme commander of the expedition and nephew of the Samrat tilted his head. What was this upstart talking about?
The Samrat sighed and shook his head. The Maharaja of Orissa knew even before his fate that he could take advantage of the favor owed and secure his escape from punishment. With a nod, Parikshitnayaran had the Maharaja unchained and escorted to house custody.
It was fortunate that heads did not roll on that fateful day. As it was custom, Maharaja Ballalsen of Kamarupa, the Assamese Gupta kinsman, was released with pardon due to his blood relation. The Maharaja of Ayuhda, the child of the late Pritampal, was revoked of his title and it was bestowed upon a kinsman of his who showed signs of loyalty and content with his position. The final judgment was passed on none other than Tej Bhan, who was paraded in the streets naked and slurred by all.
“Enjoy your new clothes Tej Bhan! You will walk stark naked until Punjab, to remember your avarice!”
Of course, Samrat Parikshitnayaran did not forget Rajabhanja of Orissa. It was one day that the people of the Gupta Empire celebrated Kali Puja, the most important night of the feast. It dawned to the Samrat that a splendid sacrifice should be offered: a human one.
“Bring me Rajabhanja from his home!” he said. He clapped his hands and his servants brought the home guarded Maharaja before his liege.
“You called for me, my Samrat?” said Rajabhanja in fake servitude.
Before he could finish his sentence, he was bound and dragged before the idol of Kali, with him screaming in terror and agony
“This is adharma! You owed me a favor!”
The Samrat then turned to his crooked vassal
“You exhausted it when you asked for pardon at the parade of prisoners. Now, before a Goddess, there is no better dharma than to sacrifice you here!”
The victory over his rebellious vassals spelled the implementation of the absolute power of the Samrat to such a degree that more of his laws came to surface. Many of his subjects became perplexed with the ‘Hole in the Wall’ act and tried with few protests to abide by the will of their universal lord. Such was life in Hindustan at the times of Samrat Parikshitnayaran.
With no one to contest the Samrat, Parikshitnayaran deemed himself fit to become lord of the Southern direction. Maharastra and Andhra fell to his forces, the first kingdom granted to a suitable claimant and Andhra rewarded to his firstborn son Raghudev, who became a claimant when the Emperor’s wife Atittapitâri Pallava died at the age of thirty nine. The prospect of uniting the subcontinent was becoming closer and closer to realization.
Extend of the Gupta Empire at 950 A.D.
By passing merchants, the people of the Gupta Empire came to know of another way of war: in the Occident, oppressed by the Moslem infidel who once occupied the holy Hindus river, their head Brahman called for a battle to free their lands and reclaim their birthplace. It was the year the Crusades were born, and as you well know my audience, the plains of Aquitania became the host of many fights and battles.
As time eventually runs out, the Samrat Chakravartin Parikshitnayaran Gupta lived at the age of seventy eight, one of the oldest Samrat’s in Hindustani history. His role in the chronicles was ever ambiguous but people know him better as ‘the Fat’. Maddened by the Crown Jewel? Salvaged by Lord Ganesha? Whatever it may be, his envious nature ushered him to expand wherever his eyes set their sight upon and enabled the Guptas to retain their imperial identity.
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Well, one thing is certain: Parikshitnayaran Will certainly be remembered as quite a colorful character. Canny enough to unite most of a continent under his domain, yet in his last year's he descended into grandiose madness and heinous blood rites.
I suppose his peace with Lord Ganesha removed the final restrictions he potentially may have had and released his uninhibited inner desires (see the crazy laws, absolute power and circumvention of favors). Which of course he will pay in with karma and his offspring potentially one day.
Indeed, if only for reaching 78 years of life, he was a legend!
Hymns of the Universal Rulers- Samrat Chakravartins
III. The Universal Ruler of all India: Samrat Chakravartin Raghudev Gupta
III. The Universal Ruler of all India: Samrat Chakravartin Raghudev Gupta
Snake Sacrifice of Maharaja Janamejaya in the Epic of Mahabharata
“Another splendid oration, another tale well done! How evident is the contrast between the invocation of divine origin from the imperial rulers and their human character, a god-emperor of the humans who was cured by a superior deity but driven by human faults to insane laws and cruel punishment of dissidents. Imagine if we here in Europe could sacrifice our prisoners to the…”
The lord coughed intensely on purpose. The bishop had just returned from his weekly absence, a smug smile covered his face and on his hand was a tightly sealed scroll, its content perhaps the source of his sardonic smile.
“ Ah, our exotic guests are still here. Good, good! I have news that I will share tomorrow with all of you… very grave, very important news” he said.
The plump merchant and his entourage looked each other with worry. Truth be told, they had overextended their stay and while their story was captivating due to its oriental nature, it would seem that they risked far more in the company of their hosts than if they travelled the merchant road.
“Sadly, dear priest, we will not be here to receive them. Tonight will be our final night here in your and your lord’s domain, as we have stayed too long under your great hospitality. It will be hard for us to get used to our traders reality, as we have almost become accustomed to your lordly ways!” said the merchant.
A sound of disappointment was heard from the audience. For every night, the exotic merchant and his assistants brought mirth and enjoyment through the wild stories from Hindustan, of a family who hundreds of years had lost everything and had become vassals to a foreign lord, who then became the ultimate rulers of the mysterious Indian subcontinent.
The bishop seemed genuinely surprised. He shrugged his arms, looking both at the merchant then at his scroll, contemplating on the new situation which was created.
“A shame that your stories will end so soon. But it was expected to be as such, according to the sketches you have shown; only a few realms stand defiant to the Gupta mantle.” said the lord in response
The merchant chuckled but did not reply. If only the tale of Hindustan ended with the union of the subcontinent, he thought inside him!
“I ask for your attention, for tonight until dawn, you shall hear the tale of Raghudev Gupta, the Universal Ruler of all India!”
When Samrat Chakravartin Parikshitnayaran Gupta ascended to Heaven (for it is Hindu tradition that all men ascend to the upper realms but then if they are wicked are downcast to the lower realms of the demons), to the imperial Gupta throne arose his firstborn son Raghudev Gupta, Maharaja of Andhra, a kingdom to the south of the Indian subcontinent. Due to his conquest as a claimant and the expulsion of the child Pallava Rajkumar, he would forever too, like Maharaja Ramagupta before him, carry the stigma of the ‘Usurper’ throughout his reign.
While Bengali at birth, Raghudev and his wife spend an enormous amount of time away from the imperial Gupta capital and had moved their court in the capital of Andhra. Through time and years, he became acquainted with the Telugu language and customs, slowly forgetting his heritage and especially the dark customs to Lady Kali, the Black Mother. Soon enough, he declared to his subjects in one of the festivals to celebrate Diwali that he was now a Telugu Samrat and decreed that his newfound culture would be equal in the Gupta Empire.
The news were not welcomed with the acceptance that Raghudev expected. The Telugu belonged to the Dravidian culture, residents of the Deccan Plateau. On the contrary, the Hindustanti, Bengali and other such cultures belonged to the Indo-Aryan group, the majority of the lords both of Rajastan and the Bengal Empire. It was unheard of that the Samrat of Bengal and Rajastan would be a Telugu, a Dravidian and not an Indo- Aryan.
The lords rose in protest.
“If we are to accept you as our Samrat and rightful liege lord, and your horses to pass uncontested in our realms, deposit now the absolute power which your father held and terrorized us with the menace of Lady Kali!” said Maharaja Govinda, one of the leaders of the protest.
The Samrat was a patient man. He knew that with time and with the right maneuvers, the maharajas would be brought back into the fold and they would reconsider their words. He solemnly nodded in agreement, with the disapproval of his Samrajni, who perceived this event as the emasculation of her husband
Nevertheless she did bare him a son, the Yuvraj (crown prince-heir apparent) of the Gupta Empire, by the name of Devanayaka. Yuvraj Devanayaka was directly influenced by his father’s education and played a crucial role for what Hindustan is even in our days.
Fate however would have it that Samrat Raghudev and Samrajni Suvrata would part their ways, for she was ultimately unfaithful and it was a miracle by Shiva that he did not contract the infamous Lover’s Pox. A maid confessed to the Samrat that Suvrata was not who she appeared to be and revealed the name of her lover, some minor Thakur in his domain. Immediately he expelled her and spend his time only with concubines, women who relied entirely on his approval for them to retain their position. Later in his life, he did remarry and fortunately suffered no further marital crisis.
Contemplating on his marital failure, Raghudev focused further in the religious aspect of life, imitating the austerities of his ancestors and hoping to invoke the reward of a celestial deity, maybe even Shiva himself, his patron deity.
In a secluded cave, many images and philosophical questions arose. Who are we? How do we stand in this world? In what manner do we perceive the divine?
He remembered one of his subjects by the name of Yagana Taghlibid, a follower of the Sunni Islam. Each day he would pray five times with direction to Mecca, one of their holy cities and perform the same austerities as Raghudev did to receive divine favor. Maybe in the end, he thought, we are more alike than we are different….
Then Raghudev recalled how, instead of seeking divine support, he sought to forget his troubles by drinking beverages and how stigmatized he became by his kinsman, the Maharaja of Bihar. A shameful display by a man who claimed to be the Universal Ruler.
“No more!” he said openly. “I resolve to be a better man!”
When he finished his sentence, he looked outside. He came upon a marvelous display: the sky was raining flowers, devas in particular from the clouds began their work and hailed the name of Raghudev in congratulations of his spiritual success. Then Lord Shiva descended from Heaven and granted a boon to his devotee for his success
“Grant me Lord Shiva one wish alone: I wish to become Samrat Chakravartin of all India! Let all lords bow before the Gupta dynasty forevermore!”
Lord Shiva nodded in compliance. The wheels of fate were set in motion.
“Gather the armies of Bengal and Rajastan under the banner of the Gupta. We march against the Maharaja of Rashtrakuta, the most powerful lord in the Deccan Plain. Soon enough, the Deccan Empire shall be Gupta!”
As Raghudev was an acclaimed skilled tactician and of course of the khastriya caste, he mounted his chariot personally and headed for the domain of Jagadhekamalla V Rashtrakuta. The rivers, mountains, jungles and plains all whispered that the end of the Maharaja was nigh.
To his aid banded those few maharajas who did not kneel to the Gupta family. It was a fight in vain.
For in only three years and after several key battles, Jagadhekamalla V Rashtrakuta was stripped off his titles and became a sole Thakur of Taradavadi, refusing haughtily to acknowledge the superiority of Raghudev Gupta.
Raghudev promised to press his foot upon his adversary’s head when the time came and Lord Shiva’s boon was complete.
“Who is the next powerful lord in the Deccan, who still refuses to acknowledge me as the Universal Lord of Bharatavarṣa - India?” Raghudev asked his teachers and brahmins.
“Maharaja Pulakesi the Wise of Tamilakam, your Majesty” they replied in unison.
“Tamilakam?! Why… my second born son, who bears my own name, was born by a princess of their family…a shame the poor woman perished, she would have been a better wife than the indescribable Suvrata!”
“Go then, against all odds! My son shall be a Maharaja in his own right, I will not let the throne fall to some unknown pretender outside my grasp!”
Exhausted by internal strife, Maharaja Pulakesi showed minimum resistance, exchanging his throne for his life and safety. He surrendered willingly and the new Maharaja of Tamilakam was named Raghudev Gupta, son of Raghudev, barely of proper age.
With the conquest of Tamilakam, it was obvious to all that Raghudev Gupta, Samrat Chakravartin of Bengal and Rajastan was now rightful ruler of the Deccan supremely. The proper rites were conducted and behold, the Guptas almost controlled the Southern Direction entirely. Sweet success like the juice of the mango fruit.
“Only now the Kingdom of Lambakanna is outside the grasp of the Gupta and of course the haughty Jagadhekamalla V Rashtrakuta. A woman holds sway in Lanka and a kinsman of hers is in our court, hoping to your favor to install him as the ruler of the realm.” advised the brahmins.
“But beware of the Kingdom of Lanka: for in the ancient times, it was the seat of Ravana, the demon lord. Hanuman himself jumped across the sea to Lanka in order to help Rama in his quest. Perhaps we should not take lightly this conquest…”
The fears of the teachers were fortunately unfounded: in the one and only battle between the Gupta Empire and the Kingdom of Lanka, the Maharani was caught and captured, ceding her kingdom to the Gupta claimant. Raghudev Gupta had an earnest discussion with Maharani Kumaradata during her captivity and was surprised with the advances of her island: he immediately proposed a law to enable the Notable Status of Women and limit differences by gender to a minimum. With marginal support, the Gupta Empire recognized women with a significant degree of respect and status, a position which was only dreamed of in the rest of the world.
You ask then about the fate of haughty Jagadhekamalla V Rashtrakuta, one before the last obstacle from achieving the highest honor and a status of deity among humans for Raghudev?
Unfortunately Raghudev did not manage to humiliate him as he had promised: for in an accident, the Thakur lost his life as a carriage fell without control in a ravine and killed him, with his underage son inheriting his realm and claims. Then like flies the claimants gathered around the Samrat and in a few months, the last Hindu demesne outside Gupta control fell to his hands.
“Only one last obstacle remain, hallowed Samrat, and your place amongst the devas is secured: go now to the gates of Hindu Kush and declare Holy War for Gandhara from the Shah of Khiva. Liberate the lands from the Sunni invader and all the land of Bharatavarṣa - India- is yours and the Guptas!”
Hearing the news of the Hindu Invasion, the Shah of Khiva mobilized his defenses and called to his banner not only his fellow Muslim lords, but also the horse riders of the steppes, who had become alarmed by the expansion of Raghudev. Yet they were far away to effectively aid the Shah and before long, the armies of Raghudev were besieging Kabul. Frightened by the enemy assembly, the Shah surrendered the territory; after all, to him it was nothing more than some poor provinces across the mountains.
But for Samrat Raghudev it was the nectar of the gods. It was his ascension to the highest planes of deity.
“I thank thee Lord Shiva for your grace and your boon. There can be no greater glory for a khastriya and to my person, to bear the highest of honors and achieve my place as the god-emperor of the men of India. Brahmins! Prepare the aśvamedhá, the horse sacrifice! Let the best stallion from my stables travel all across India and when it reaches here in my court, uncontested, I shall shower you and the guests with the greatest of laurels, gold, wealth and knowledge! Come, do not delay and put to shame any previous Samrat who claimed to bear the title bestowed to us the Guptas!”
Whatever was written in the Mahabharata, as of how Yudhisthira became Samrat with the same ritual, would pale in comparison with what Raghudev organized for his glory. Even representatives of other religions attended such as Muslims and Christians, especially from the troubled Abyssinia which lost daily their lands to the Sultan of Egypt. What great splendor! What great prestige!
In the end, as Bharata before him, the Indian Subcontinent which was once called Bharatavarṣa , now knew itself with one name: Guptavarṣa, the country of Gupta
What then became of the legendary emperor of the men of India? As he was a restless spirit, he funded a grand scale work to observe the stars and supposedly came upon a major discovery. Yet he tore the work apart, claiming it was the work of the Vinyakas, harbinger of terrible deeds.
Eventually, the daily management of the vast empire of India caused him severe stress and the persistence of the teachers to adhere to the Arthaśāstra , the ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, with its exhaustive schedule on how a ruler should program his tasks led him depleted and drained of life-force.
Raghudev Gupta, the Emperor who united all of India into a single entity ascended to Heaven with the devas and Lord Shiva arriving to lift him to the ethereal plains. Many lamented his passing, for he was a ruler without one of the single vices and some who claimed cruelty, it could only be justified in the ways an Emperor should act. Not a single man rebelled against his rule.
He was succeeded by Yuvraj Devanayaka Gupta, the very person to which now known as Hindustan owes its name existence.
When the merchant finished his tale, after many hours of description and presentation of many more details, you involuntary look outside the window of the castle. It is dawn break and never before have you not felt the passing of time so intensely. A sense of sadness feels you and the court as today the merchant would make his leave, never to return again and the tale of Hindustan coming to a halt. You cherish those few last moments before he and his caravan prepare their goods to continue their journey.
The lord claps in applause and so do some of the courtiers. The bishop remains icily expressionless. Then he rises and leaves without a word.
After the bishop left however, an event takes place which gives you perhaps hope that today is not the final goodbye to the epics of Hindustan…
