Shakti: The Feminine Divine (22 page)

Indra did look into Kama’s eyes, but his own had turned opaque with the suddenness of his hatred over what he viewed as the height of treachery. ‘I am your king, and it is well within my right to demand answers. You have not refuted Sachi’s claims and I take it that they are true. Now you will explain to me why you are indulging in disgusting orgies with that
hermaphrodite in the company of your wife and who knows how many more!’

Sachi looked on with satisfaction for having unmasked Kama, while he looked increasingly wretched as his unfailing equanimity slipped away from him.

‘It is not what you think. Please don’t vilify things just because you do not understand them.’

With a meaningful look at Sachi he continued, ‘Contrary to what many think, making babies is not the sole function of sex. It is an opiate for every one of the senses, but not only in the gross physical sense. It can unlock the doors to spiritual enlightenment, simply because it causes one to let go of inhibitions and pre-conditioned beliefs and impulses. Most importantly, it is one of the quickest ways to release energy, and the power thus generated may be utilized to do much good.’

‘Sex can also awaken the Kundalini shakti, which lies coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine,’ Sachi butted in, mock-serious and deadly as the scorpion, ‘inducing it to travel along the susumna nadi, the energy channel within the spine, flowing past the seven chakras. At the base of the spine, genitals and the navel, we have the lower chakras, which house swinish impulses, like a primitive preoccupation with survival, lust and taste for power.

‘After mucking about at these levels, the serpent moves on in its quest for spiritual enlightenment. It stops for elucidation at the anahata, located in the heart, to douse the inflammatory passions with love, before repairing to the throat and the spot between the eyebrows, where love of the self is replaced with something far more pure. The spiritual journey draws to a close as the indwelling shakti crawls over the finish line to the sahasrara at the top of the head, where Shakti and Shiva are
united forever in coitus. And the serpent can join the endless writhing, enabling itself to partake of transcendental unity, which brings with it unlimited bliss.

‘This happy state of affairs can be achieved by the simple act of sexual union. Of course, this surfeit of shagging is not what it seems to us spiritually unaware souls, who dismiss it as shameless and vulgar, but a magical means to do good in the world and rid it of all things evil! My summation may be a tad reductionist, but have I not covered all the bases, Kama?’

Kama did not bother with a reply. He was too furious with her for twisting the little knowledge she had of Vritra’s teaching out of all recognizable context to make a mockery of it.

It was Indra who broke the icy silence. He looked at Kama with the same opaque eyes. ‘My enemies are plentiful, but I have always managed to stay one step ahead of them. That is because I am always prepared for the worst. However, even I did not see this coming—that a trusted friend has long been in cahoots with one who was summoned from the flames to destroy me. One of the most awful things about being who I am is that when I anticipate terrible things, it is almost a given they will come to be, though I want desperately to be mistaken. Yet, when I dare to hope, to believe in the best, I am proved a colossal fool. You are living proof that it is stupid to trust anyone, least of all your friends. For that valuable lesson, if nothing else, you have my gratitude.’

‘Living proof ? Not for long, I hope,’ Sachi interjected meaningfully, unable to conceal her glee.

Indra silenced her with a look before returning his attention to Kama. ‘I ought to kill you where you stand but I won’t. Despite your treachery, I am cognizant of the fact that it was never your intention to betray me. The truth is, you
simply do not have the smarts to be a respectable villain. The ingenuousness and horniness that are your defining traits make you the perfect target for the likes of Vritra, who prey on the unwary to spin their web of deceit.

‘Henceforth, you are banished from Amaravathi! Don’t ever come back; I will not be responsible for your life if you dare to show your face in these parts again. Consider this the biggest act of compassion one can do for another!’

Kama nodded with bitter acquiescence. ‘It will be as you say, my king! But the real reason you forbore from killing me was because you know I have done nothing wrong and you value our friendship as much as I do. Whether you believe it or not, I always have and will continue to be on your side. Therefore, it is in your best interest that I say this—do not attempt to hurt Vritra in any way, after forming erroneous conclusions by listening to the venomous words of toxic individuals. If you choose to disregard me, then you will be made to pay, and it will not be pretty!’

With that Kama whistled for his parrot and flew away, bowing politely to Sachi, while she was choking on her outrage over his temerity. Furious that Indra had once again prevaricated and pulled back when there was so much at stake, she rounded on him. ‘Congratulations, my lord! Your compassion towards that traitor Kama will earn you a reputation comparable to the Goddess at her most benevolent. I suggest you make a present of your vajra to Vritra and bend over so that…’

‘That is enough!’ Indra snarled at her, dwelling lovingly on a series of vivid images that featured him killing her in a number of ways involving a lot of blood and screaming. ‘Why don’t you practise what you preach and pray for my success
with one of your interminable pujas! I am perfectly capable of running my kingdom without your invaluable wisdom. In fact, I was doing it perfectly while you were still a snot-nosed, flat-chested brat, who dreamed of replacing her mother, and Father’s whores, in his bed! You have done enough for the devas, now leave me alone!’

Sachi shrugged off his childish malice with an understanding smile, which she knew would infuriate him. She left him alone to mourn the death of his precious friendship. After all, her dear husband had been right about one thing—she had done enough for that day.

Road to Perdition

I
NDRA ALMOST WISHED
that it was not absolutely imperative for him to kill Vritra and his old friend, Twastha. It was all very well for Kama to advise him, shortly after stabbing him in the back no less, that he ought to leave well enough alone. But it simply wasn’t savvy to ignore danger, even if was merely embryonic. Despite what everyone said, Indra was not arrogant enough to presume that he was right all the time. He had made mistakes, the chief one being that he had made it a habit to bite of the head off his reptilian enemies when he ought to have swallowed them whole, thereby eradicating the possibility that the tail could regenerate and spout new heads. But he was wiser now.

It was fitting that he should be thinking of mistakes just before his appointment with Sage Dadichi, whom Sachi had insisted he meet, as she felt that they would need his help to steer them safely past the impending crisis. Indra had grudgingly acquiesced, but that was as far as he was willing to
go. The wrinkled old sage would have to discuss whatever was on his mind while Indra placed himself under the care of his team of highly trained masseuses.

So it was that the redoubtable sage was shown into Indra’s massage chamber. He was confronted with the sight of Indra’s bare bottom, stretched out on a table carved out of exquisite ebony and ivory, while his attendants took care of every inch of his perfectly sculpted body with fragrant oils. Without turning a hair, Dadichi seated himself on a magnificently carved stool. He was serenely taking in deep breaths of the fragrant incense that wafted down from magnificent pots wrought in gold that hung from silver chains, and from open crystal jars of perfumes placed across the room, when it dawned belatedly on Indra that this was not someone to be toyed with. Even his butt muscles had defied the expert touch of those kneading them and gone into sudden spasms, almost in warning.

Indra had childishly wanted to make the sage feel uncomfortable with the flagrant display of his virility. Instead, it was he who felt small in the venerable Brahmin’s presence. Quickly, he ordered that the sage be ushered to a comfortable chamber and his every need be catered to, while he made himself presentable.

In a short while Indra was seated, looking resplendent in his royal raiment, liberally adorned with precious stones, as befitting a meeting with a visiting dignitary of the highest importance.

He had also been briefed about the sage, who was revered for the performance of the most intense of tapas in honour of Shiva. It was said his bones had been charged with pure ascetic fervour and were tough as adamantine. For some reason, he had sought an audience with Indra and it would never do to
show him disrespect. He had been incredibly lucky that the sage had not cursed him into little bits and pieces after he had so foolishly displayed his bum, slick with unguents, to him.

Indra took a good long look at Dadichi, who was ignoring the sumptuous delicacies that had been placed before him, contentedly sipping some water instead. He did not look wrinkled or old; rather, he had the appearance of a man who would have looked exactly the same a thousand years ago, and in all likelihood would remain unchanged a thousand years hence. The sage was fastidiously neat. His white robes were crisp and clean and his hair was tied up in a neat little knot on top of his head. Everything about him was nondescript and yet, even to the naked eye, it was obvious that he was anything but pedestrian.

Indra humbly sought his blessings. The sage seemed pleased and placed his cup aside to touch Indra’s forehead with his bony fingers and murmur a quick incantation.

Once they were both seated, Dadichi began to speak without further preamble, ‘I have been waiting for a sign, and it was received when you banished Kama from the hallowed city of Amaravathi. That shameless pimp deserved to die, but it has been prophesized that he will meet a fitting end and his banishment was sufficient.’

‘I’m glad you approve,’ Indra replied politely.

‘Not many have recognized it as such, but this time around we face a danger graver than any that has preceded it. The predators that lurk in the darkness make their presence obvious to the trained eye, but disease-bearing germs are easier to miss. They slip into our systems with surreptitious ease, feasting on our innards and brain cells, allowing the rot to spread, hiding in plain sight until the damage is far too extensive to mend.

‘It is the same thing with corrupt ideas, which are planted almost without the knowledge of even the savviest amongst us. And when they grow roots that are too strong to pluck out, the three worlds are subject to a stubborn infestation of all things awful that is likely to end life as we know it for good. Germs are ignored because they are diminutive, and so are ideas. But never forget that if left unchecked, they will gather sufficient momentum to wipe us all out.’

Indra nodded in agreement, although he was more than a little confused. The sage spoke softly but quickly and he was torn between asking him to repeat himself and run the risk of offending him, or giving the wrong answer to a question he had heard incorrectly.

Resolving to concentrate and straining his ears to listen, Indra leaned forward while the sage paused to take a sip of water before resuming, ‘It is Vritrasura and his dangerous cult that I have come to talk to you about. My sources tell me that you are none too pleased with their debauched practices, but there is so much more that you need to know. If we allow this situation to deteriorate further, it will be too late. Tell me, what do you know about this monster of the agate body?’

Indra responded with assurance, ‘Vritra is the child of Twastha’s twisted need to do all things possible to make life unbearable for me. They say that he is an instrument that has been sharpened on my enemy’s hatred to hasten my end. Twastha wanted him to perform penances to better go about the task of ousting me, but Vritra is too busy divesting himself of his clothes and all the trappings of decency to pay heed. In the manner of a ripe pile of dung attracting winged pests, he has gathered around him a group of followers who listen to his incendiary and divisive lectures designed to cause a furore and
participate in all manner of depraved rituals in honour of their wild Goddess.’

Indra paused to take a breath as his outrage mounted. ‘The complex theology and dogma are elaborate covers for them to make a mockery of Vedic tradition. Nobody can excuse me of being an extremist or a religious fanatic, and if it were not for my wife and Guru Brihaspati, I would probably dispense with rites and rituals entirely. Yet, I cannot accept some of the claptrap Vritra seems determined to saddle us with.’

Growing more animated, Indra continued, ‘Vritra has lured many respectable women away from their homes, putting all sorts of ideas into their heads about how they should have a bigger say in ruling my kingdom and fighting my wars, using their stupidity as an excuse to trap them into a glitter-coated, artificially augmented reality of prostitution. Soon the three worlds will be over-ridden by pox-addled whores and their pimps. The idyllic existence uncontaminated by the deadly sins, such as lust, anger, greed, pride, jealousy and ignorance, that we have worked so hard to build, will become an impossible dream. I will be damned if I allow such a thing to happen on my watch. Vritra must die and every one of his followers should be culled to curb the spread of the taint.’

‘I was right to place my faith in you,’ Dadichi remarked with the air of a man who had picked an unlikely but winning stallion. ‘Vritra must die, and though the reasons you have outlined are more than sufficient, there is more. I asked what you know of him and you identified him as Twastha’s son.

‘Before that, in a prior life, he was known as King Chitraketu. He was the ruler of one of those petty little kingdoms, which pimple the surface of Mother Earth and are considered to be vast empires by the inhabitants. Chitraketu
had a thousand wives, but not a single child. Initially, he blamed the young women that he married for being infertile, constantly making new additions to his harem in the hope that at least one among those myriad wombs would prove fruitful. It was not to be. Soon it became obvious that the fault lay entirely with his flaccid member and his subjects believed he was suffering from erectile dysfunction.