Pralāya Yajña : The Jewel of Gajasāhrya

1| The birth of HastinaManikyaa

"I'm abdicating the throne to live in exile with my wives for the rest of our lives".

Ever since Pandu had forsaken his position as the King of Kuru Empire due to the curse placed on him by a wounded sage to die should he become intimate with any women, he had embraced a life as an ascetic in the mountainous forest of Shatāshrīngā.

His elder brother, Dhritarashtra, had been recently coronated as the King of Hastinapur. Left with no heirs due to a horrific curse he encountered in a hunting expedition, he and his wives lived a life of solitude among the other sages in Shatāshrīngā.

This was his penance for the crime of killing a Brahmin and his wife when they were intimate in the forms of a deer.

He closed his eyes with a sigh and was about to resume his meditation when he heard his chief consort call out for him.

"Arya", Kunti came rushing towards him with a joyful glint in her eyes. Pandu reminisced the time when Kunti and his second wife, Madrī, were decked in rich robes of silk and jewellery, were now reduced to wearing the plain saffron attire and strings of Rudraksh beads befitting an ascetic's wife.

"What's the matter, Kunti"? The former royal questioned as he forced a smile.

"Arya, it must have slipped my mind but I know of a way to beget a child", she answered excitedly with the beam in her eyes brightening at every word.

Pandu raised an expectant eyebrow. "And what might that be, Priye"?

Kunti took a seat next to her husband as she unfurled the solution to their dilemma. "When I was a child, the sage Durvasā visited my kingdom and I was put in charge of his welfare. After his stay, he blessed me for my services with a boon that could permit me to call upon any of the Devās for a demigod. In that manner we can finally have children of our own and hence, the Kuru dynasty can have its heir".

The gleam in Pritha's eyes were shared by her husband as he heard news. His heart leapt with joy at her words and was almost tempted to hug her when he was reminded of his bane.

"This is a marvellous news, Kunti! You must immediately call upon a god for his offspring"! He exclaimed.

Kunti nodded vigorously and asked, "But, which Devā should I call upon, Arya"?

Pandu pondered upon the question. His brother's wife had still not birthed a child for the dynasty, hence the responsibility for the throne's heir falls upon him. A perfect heir for the crown and a numerous gods to choose from.

After a pregnant pause he decided, "Call upon the god of death, Yamraj".

Kunti was befuddled. The god of death? Did she hear him correctly?

"B-But why him, Arya? Why the death god out of all"?

"Because apart from being the god of death, he's also the god of justice, that is Dharmā. And a demigod son of Dharmā would be the perfect Crown Prince for our kingdom. He would be the most righteous King in this country", Pandu explained patiently with hidden mirth.

"You're right, my lord. How can I forgot such an important detail! I shall immediately call upon Yamraj", Kunti agreed and recalled the mantra given by the sage Durvasā. Pandu moved from her perimeter to allow her to perform the mantra when the sky darkened and thundered violently.

Kunti's eyes snapped open at the frightening disturbance to see a resplendent deity clad in a magnificent red saree and various gold saree with numerous arms holding weapons and a ...child.

Kunti quickly took a glance at her husband only to see him equally transfixed at the form before them as her. She looked back at the deity with an awestruck expression who stared back at her with her sharp eyes.