The Legend of Rishyasringa & the Vibhandak Line- Part 2

The last rays of the sun were shimmering on the lake- the twinkling of the water creating a grand display of nature’s magic. In any other place, this time of the day is accompanied by the chirping of birds, returning home after a hectic day. However, the forest was astonishingly silent- as if someone had deliberately turned the volume down. Birds were flying, hurriedly, heads down, as if under the watch of an admiral. 

Vibhandak was completing his daily ritual. After 2 hours of meditation, 108 chants of the Mahamrityunjaya mantra (a verse from the Rig Veda, addressing “the Three-eyed One” ), and glaring at the clouds (the land of Indra) for as long as his eyes could go on, without blinking. Ritual completed, Vibhandak walked briskly to the only thing that gave him happiness- the innocent “deer horned” Rishyasringa, his son. Blissfully aware of any distractions since birth, Rishyasringa was gradually surpassing even Vibhandak in terms of ascetic powers. He knew that Rishyasringa will be waiting, sacrificial fire lit, dinner ready and his face peering from the window of their cottage. He was in for a surprise today.

The first noticeable thing was the missing face of his son- which struck Vibhandak as odd. He found that the sacrificial fire had not been lit, and Rishyasringa was staring, unblinking, at the floor. Curious, Vibhandak went and stood behind his son, wondering what he was looking at. At first, he couldn’t see anything, but then he saw what his son was looking at- two earthen cups of water, one having red marks on its edge. Two cups, he wondered, and then placed his hand on his son’s forehead. Rishyasringa seemed to wake up from a deep slumber- eyes still fixed towards the red mark, he asked how his father was. 

Vibhandaka said to his son, "What happened Rishya? The fire is not lit, the dinner is not ready and you seem lost? What is it that worries you?

Rishyasringa replied, "I need to go.”

Vibhandak- “Where”

Rishyasringa-“ for the past few days, I have had a visitor in our cottage. I somehow feel a connection with this life form- which is surprising as I never knew such a life form existed! Initially, I had my restrictions, but after every visit, I started looking forward to these visits. Those lotus-shaped brown eyes, slender neck, and that beautiful aroma left me wanting more, every time. The voice was soft-a cross between the birds singing and the sound of light rain falling. I don’t know why- but I want to be with that visitor, talk, listen, just be lost at that moment. I need to go father, I know my life’s purpose now!”

Vibhandaka was alarmed. Not wanting to talk about “Women”, he tried to explain to his son that the visitor was probably a “rakshas”- mythical creatures who try to sabotage yogis and rishis. Or worse, this could be another attempt from his old foe, Indra, who would be using his unscrupulous tactics to break Rishyasringa’s quest for knowledge (and the power which comes with it). He forbade his son to have any contact with these rakshas and asked him to go back to his meditation. “Remember your purpose Rishya- a man who deviates from his purpose, has no meaning in life. I have created you, cared for you, given you a purpose in life. You need to follow that purpose. I made one mistake in life, and I still repent it, will do so till the end of my days. You will never make a mistake, you will be better than me! The path, way of life I have set for you will guide you- and for centuries to come, will be a guiding force for any man wanting to achieve immortality! Stay behind the “Vibhandak line”, and see yourself in communion with the One.”  

Rishyasringa did not respond- like a hundred times before, he knew what his father will say. He knew, that father always knew what was good for him- but this time, just this time, he wanted to prove father wrong. Quietly, he bowed his head and went about finishing the chores. He could sense father’s eyes on the back of his neck-but not wanting another confrontation, he hurried outside to get water from the nearby well.  While pulling the bucket from inside the well, his thoughts lingered back to the “rakshas”. He had a vision, of the life form standing on one side, him on the other, and his father’s code, in the form of an actual line, separating the two. He knew he wanted to cross the “Vibhandak Line” but was afraid of the consequences. As the bucket reached his hand, Rishyasringa knew what he had to do.

Many years later, a similar situation presented itself to another. A princess, exiled in the Dandaka forest- was torn between “Dharam” (duty) and “Vachan” (promise). Her husband and brother in law had gone out for a hunt. The brother in law had asked her to stay inside, and not to come out under any circumstance. For good measure, he had used his arrow to draw a border around their cottage, asking his sister in law to not cross this border. He had called this the “Lakshman Rekha”.     

 

Rishyasringa & Vibhandak will return in Part 3: The Conclusion.