Triveni Journal

1927 | 11,233,916 words

Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....

Adoration of Beauty

Veluri Sivarama Sastri  (Translated from the original in Telugu by K. S. Janaki Ramaiah)

ADORATION OF BEAUTY
(Short story)

VELURI SIVARAMA SASTRI
(Translated from the original in Telugu by K. S. Janaki Ramiah)

I

Those were the days when great empires still flourished. That was a period when Buddhism was still on its ascent. Akalankadeva, who was blessed with a son late in life, experienced in full measure, the joy that the stay over a kingdom could give.

Vijayavarma, with his multifaced talent, was equal to ten sons, as he grew up. In mischief, he seemed to have a thousand hands like Kartaviryarjuna. In pursuit of studies he was the very incarnation of Brahma, the repository of learning. In music, he was more than a celestial singer. In horse-riding, he was a Kinnara.

Akalankadeva was overwhelmed with joy to have a son like Vijayavarma. But he concealed his joy in his heart and at no time did he give expression to it outwardly. His Queen Jaya could not understand his idea. So she was a little vexed.

Vijayavarma could get from his father anything, for the mere asking of it, however difficult it might be to secure it. His palace was an exhibition venue. But there, he was the only visitor.

Jasmine creepers and roses grew in his garden. His orchard yielded fruits of many varieties. He tried to open the buds by blowing breath into them. But they would not respond as if they were angry with him for such an unnatural experiment. On such occasions he would turn pensive.

With the shells that Vijayavarma had gathered, one could build a mansion. So people called him the “Shell-Prince.” Vijayavarma was fond of clothes of every hue. If, on a day, he bought tbem in hundreds, nest day he would buy them in thousands. Anything that was beautiful had to fall into his hands. “Kings are fond of fresh beauties”–so goes an adage.

II

Vijayavarma came of age. The royal priest pronounced that it was the right time for the prince to enter Gurukula for studies. Akalankadeva said to Jaya: “The priest has ordered that our boy should be put to school. Though he will be away fromus for a short period, by the learning that he acquires, he will be nearer to us.” But the queen remarked curtly: “What! Is this the measure of affection that you have cherished in your heart for your son? Could you not put it off by at least a year more?”

This conversation reached the ears of the palace priest, through the maid-servants. Generally, such news brought by those women, though cogent, turns pungent in palaces. The priest revised his opinion accordingly. When he next met the king, he suggested to him with folded-hands, “OMonarch! Vijayavarma can wait for some more time to start his schooling. Besides, the stars at present are not propitious to him. So the proposal may be put off to a later date.”

A ray of smile shone on the lips of the king. Vijayavarma came to know of the opinion of his parents about his studies. One fine morning, without informing anyone, he approached the junior Guru of the Gurukula and spoke thus: “I, Vijayavarma, am prostrating before you Guruji.” (Vijayavarmoham abhivaadaye)

He did so with due reverence. The teacher with great wonder blessed him thus: “May you prosper with long life.” (Ayushman edhi Vijayavarman)

The Guru was astonished because the prince was not pretending illness. He was not biding in the houses of palace officials and servants. He did not become a fugitive. In those days, no prince usually entered Gurukula without creating such scenes of reluctance.

The parents came to know of his decision. They were sore; they were glad. Moreover they sent munificent donations to the hermitage.

The junior professor in the Gurukula explained to the prince the rules, as well as the code of conduct, to be followed strictly and meticulously by the inmates of the hermitage.

Vijayavarma gave up meat, he abandoned horse-riding, forgot his routine of being attended upon by maid-servants, did not think of his mother’s fondlings; and put an end to his playful attitude.

Other students in the Gurukula found his strict adherence to the rules, very inconvenient to them. They were angry with him. But in the progress-record maintained, there was no black mark against the name of Vijayavarma.

Teachers had to come prepared to the class to teach him, irrespective of the subjects they taught. The servants who return­ed to the king from the Ashrama reported thus: “Mighty monarch! Now the Gurukula deserves that name in the truest sense.” The maid-servants likewise gave a brilliant report about Vijaya­varma to the queen. “A prince is a prince, wherever he be. He cannot be otherwise, O gracious queen! He did not even smell the eatables sent by you. He relishes learning and discipline more than food and comforts. The “Shell-Prince” now has turned a “Scholar-Prince.” Learning must be very beautiful and attractive to him. Otherwise how can the prince become fully engrossed in it?

III

It is in the nature of some people to experience the latent beauty in a thing and enjoy it from a distance, without destroying it, It is in the nature of some persons to relinquish a thing of exquisite beauty and experience the joy got from such an act. Some others acquire a beautiful thing and enjoy it, by using it for themselves.

Some persons feel glad by seeing God in a blossoming bud. Others pluck a flower and worship God with it. Some others decorate their hair or their beds with it and feel the joy.

Who does not like “a thing of beauty, which is a joy forever?” as a poet put it.

In fact, the entire universe is pacing fast towards “That” exquisitely beautiful Entity.

In Vijayavarma’s palace could be seen curios from sea-shells to precious stones and from fence-flowers to decorative flowers carved on stones and wood.

One day he went to the gymnasium. There he saw a sword with horrid beauty dangling on one of the walls. From there, he went to an exhibition hall. There an idol of a damsel, in a love-lorn mood, attracted him. He observed it keenly for a long time. Then he paced his steps to a museum. There a rare gold coin caught his eye. Another day, he visited the cottage of the palace-scribe, Sushena. The door had been thrown open. He saw no one in the cottage. There on the wall opposite the main door a betel-nut-sheath was seen by him. It was shining like a silk garment. Palm-leaves strewn on the floor, looked like silver sheets. He came out and looked around. Nature and the surroundings appealed to his aesthetic mind and roused his curiosity.

IV

In course of time, an unusual calm arose among the inmates of the Gurukula on a certain day. “I spun a sacred thread, (Yagnopavita) which was so thin and fine, that it could be kept in a groundnut. I made it with the idea of offering it to our Guru. It is lost” cried a student. He began to examine the necks and shoulders of his friends. The garment of another student disappeared. He began to check the belongings of the Ashram-mates. Another fellow woke up at midnight and yelled, “Thief! Thief! All others joined him in his uproar.

Such tumult could be seen among the teachers also. “The Book of Devotional Aphorisms” (Bhakti Sutras) of a teacher was lost.

It was an off-day for the pupils.

In the Gurukula no student had any box. Things began to disappear. So the students installed a ghost on the empty throne.

“I came out at midnight. I saw a ghost flying towards your cottage. Did you not see it?  A boy asked Vijayavarma. On the same night Nayagupta lost his birch-tree-leaves (Bhurja Patra).

Thus the ghost had its undetected and unchecked stay over the Gurukula.

On that free day all the disciples held a meeting under a banyan tree. They were in different groups.

“I say, the ghost is a mere myth; a misnomer. The thief is none but our Devasarma” said one.

“No, no. I find Nayagupta always searching the bags of all. He is the thief and none else” said the other.

“Cannot be. He is terribly afraid of ghosts. Consequently, he does not enjoy sound steep at nights. His fear is that he would be carried away by some ghost, if he slept,” interrupted a third pupil.

“Never, never. Not he. I suspect Devadas, because un­necessarily he steps into every cottage quite often. I am quite sure he is the culprit,” another boy assured in an assuming tone.

Vijayavarma listened to all those aspersions, and remarked, “You do not know–none of you – the real fact. If the property is somewhere, the doubt is elsewhere. That is not right.”

Slowly a fear-worm entered the brain of Vijayavarma. It began to buzz the question, “What is theft?” A man tries to possess a thing that he desires to have. All have a right to use the fruits of the forest. If the forest belongs to a king, any person who takes fruits from it will be branded as a thief.

A certain king defeats another king and occupies his kingdom. That will be looked upon as an act of valour. Man and woman attract each other and come together. Then it is love. Every day, every minute, individuals will be stealing the five elements of Nature. It is divine debt.

But in the act of thieving, if one is not caught, he is a monarch; if caught, he is a thief.

Thinking thus, Vijayavarma accompanied a Sramana called Sarvasama. The Sramana began his class, with his exposition of the day’s lesson. All the pupils sat right in front of him, like pure pearls. Sarvasama was not only a religious teacher, but also a professor of economics.

One student asked, “Sir, what is meant by theft?” “Theft is possessing others’ property without either their knowledge or permission. This is a general definition” said the Acharya.

“How docs it belong to him?” asked Viiayavarma.
“I am wearing this garment. So it is mine.”
“What is it made of?”
“Of cotton yarn.”
“Where does the cotton come from?”
“From the cotton plant.”
“The cotton plant?”
“From the earth.”
“To whom does the earth belong?”
“To the king.”
“How did he come to possess it?”
“He conquered it.”
“Withwhat?”
“With the help of his army and the strength of his arms.”
“Then, Sir, the king–is he not a thief?”

Before the Sramana could reply, a ripple of laughter rolled among the pupils.

The concept of beauty, active in Vijayavarma, turned into a sort of agony.

Sarvasama continued to say, “Who says he is not a thief? But such a master-thief is necessary to save people from the tyranny of a thousand thieves. Ifthis can be had by other means or through other agencies, there is no necessity for a king. In such a case, the king becomes a superfluous authority.

This answer pricked the conscience of Vijayavarma. He simply raised his head and gazed at the setting sun.

“Devasarma, Nayagupta and Devadas are suspended from classes. This order should be given effect to through me. This is the order of our junior professor” said Sarvasama to Vijayavarma. Vijayavarma’s eye-corner grew wet. He said to Sarvasama, “Please inform our professor that the culprit would be in my cottage tomorrow morning.” His assurance tickled the curiosity of Sarvasama.

Vijayavarma walked hither and thither, as if possessed by a ghost. Day time appeared to him as an interrogating authority. Slowly the moon, like a thief, began to peep from behind the clouds. The moonlight in that serene atmosphere appeared like unto a mad ghost.

Vijayavarma went to have a nap. He fell into a dream, while rolling on the bed that night. Then he saw a different world before him.

That world was a big tunnel, From it rose a dhoti and spoke thus: “A man by name Balaki spun me into yarn first on a spinning wheel. Then, I got a gross body, on the loom of a Harijan called Kolagaya. Balaki rid me of dirt, dyed me in red colour, as that of oleander. He was using me like a flower. After his bath, I was spread on a rod for drying. Then you stole me. You put me in a dungeon. There I had neither air nor light. Rats made holes in my stomach. I was thrown in dust. Now I am alive with a subtle body.”

While it was continuing its narrative oration thus, a palm-leaf got up and interrupted the dhoti’s speech and said, “All the while, you are talking of your own distress. Remember, you are not our representative. Will you put an end to your, uncalled for eloquence?”

Admonishing the dhoti so vehementy, the palm-leaf turned to the prince and said, “O prince! you brought me to your palace along with the betel-pouch and the iron stylus. We were dumped in a dark room with your other acquisitions.”

Even before it could finish his complaint, the spoon in a drinking glass made a rattling noise. The devotional Aphorisms snubbed all the others and approached the prince. It cursed him saying, “Learning will not smile on you forever.” Then the stylus pushed the book aside and threatened the prince thus: “Can you recognise me prince? If you do not, return me to my master. I’ll fly through your throat like a dart.” So saying it flew at him like a missile.

In the meanwhile the Professor along with the inmates of the Gurukula made his appearance at the gate of Vijayavarma’s cottage. He peeped in. By then the dream-world of Vijayavarma had become dissipated.

The crows cawed on a nearby peepal tree. Vijayavarma felt startled.

The sun adorned the firmament with his golden rays. Seeing Nayagupta pacing slowly towards the hut, Balaki remarked, “O, I expected you to stand in front of Vijayavarma’s hut with folded hands.”

“I also thought likewise. I did not see you there” quipped Nayagupta.

“O! Devasarma! I thought I would see you in front of this hut earlier. But you are coming now,” wondered one of the disciples.

In the meanwhile, Devadas joined them. “Somehow every­thing seems to be moving upside down to-day” remarked Balaki· He pushed Devadas to the midst of Nayagupta, Devasarma and others.

Kulapati, the Junior Professor, and other teachers and V.I. Ps assembled near the hut. The door of Vijayavarma’s hut remained closed. All stood in silence in front of it.

Vijayavarma opened the door of the cottage. All the persons assembled there looked into his hut again. There blossomed a ray of curiosity on the face of every person standing there. But no one was seen in the cottage.

Vijayavarma came out, opening his hitherto closed door. He extended a hearty welcome to all. They entered his hut and took their seats inside.

“Where is the thief?” interrogated the Junior Professor, Vijayavarma stood erect and replied. “No one is the thief in this world except the king. Sir, I am the thief.” That was an emphatic confession. After his reply, he produced before all of them, the things he had stolen.

He bowed to all assembled there in his cottage and asked, “Guruji, what is the punishment I deserve? Venerable Acharya, please announce the punishment.”

The Kulapati with a smile on his lips said, “To bind you to the kingdom, as a Crown-prince. That is the punishment.”

Sarvasama, the group of disciples, the team of teachers with one voice spontaneously said, “A fine decision. So be it. Tathastu.”

Vijayavarma understood in a new light, what the doctrine of Beauty and Aesthetics meant. Hence, since then, the Adoration of Beauty practised by Vijayavarma, acquired a new dimension, and a new meaning and a new message in his life.

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