She was scared and afraid
As she moved to his tune
A life-changing fate
With a child coming soon
[Pawn moves out]
And Vyasa, he was named,
With powers so bright
In the haze of the future
He would save her dynasty one night.
[Rook takes pawn]
When the king came calling,
Entranced by her otherworldly charm.
She put forth her demands,
While remaining deceptively warm.
[Knight moves forward]
And Devavrata the prince
chose to forsake for his father
His throne, his birthright,
WIthout fuss or bother.
[Knight jumps twice]
She bore Shanthanu two sons
To propagate the royal line
Her first was killed
She did not cry, did not pine.
[Position the bishop]
Her son was weak, could not fight
So Bhishma she sent
To capture the Kasi princesses
And dutifully, he went.
[The Queen delivers the final blow]
As her second son died
Without children of his own,
She commanded Vyasa, her child
To impregnate those widows forlorn.
[Check.]
With 105 great-grandchildren romping about,
She took her leave from the palace, the kingdom, the world.
How could she know that these children themselves
Would wreak havoc on the dynasty as it burned?
[Checkmate.]
Credits: Vyasa Mahabharatha (Translation by Ganguli)
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The Women Who Rolled The Dice
Historische RomaneThe Mahabharata is a tale as old as time. One that has been retold over and over, through families, generations, and dynasties. Countless retellings have described the heroics of the Pandavas, the cruelty of the Kauravas, the dastardly deeds of Shak...
