Kalki possessed me!

A continuation of my post Kalki rises again

I recently discovered Kalki's works in Tamizh on the web and quite like Pavithra's translation, it has kept me mesmerised. This is the third or fourth time I am reading Sivagamiyin Sabadham and it gives me indescribable pleasure to read it in Tamizh in a place far far from the Tamizh speaking populace (all thanks to web).

Its like watching a Rajni movie with bits of papers flying, the front two rows dancing, loud calls of 'thalaiva', incessant whistling et al, just like back home, in a foreign country. Maybe it is just nostalgia, but I would hate to put it in one word.

I was thoroughly impressed by Pavithra's glorious re-telling and felt an urge to try translating. I knew for sure it wasn't going to be easy... but I just had to try. And I did.

It was the long weekend but I wasn't going anywhere, was reading a boring book and didn't watch any 'Indian' movies as I usually do. Needed a creative outlet for my restlessness. Spent a couple of hours on the computer and Voila... my first translation. Perhaps my only one. Believe me, it was tough and more importantly 'time consuming'. I doubt if my endeavour matches up to Pavithra's but it gave me immense satisfaction.

Chapter – 23
Who was defeated?

Sivagami hardly caught a wink of sleep that night. She kept contemplating on the wisdom of Gundodharan’s speech. She felt ashamed that she had fully believed Naganandhi's slandering of Kumara Chakravarthy. Her bosom heaved with anger. She badly wanted to quiz Naganandhi Adigal on his baseless allegations and a desire to scorn him suffused her heart.

Amid such ruminations, the thought that she had disobeyed Mamallar’s desire, an order unto her and left the forest cottage caused unending anxiety. Would he be angry, she wondered. Sivagami assured herself that Mamallar would consider it no grave error and that he would readily forgive her. A million thoughts flashed thus but owing to her surmounting weariness, she succumbed to the lure of sleep and nodded off.

Hardly had she dozed; when a great commotion broke out, with a loud shriek jolting her out of her slumber. It took Sivagami a minute to realise that it was Gundodharan who was howling. And then she heard the sound of hooves, of someone rushing away in a horse.

Sivagami woke up Aayanar, who was happily snoring oblivious to the hullabaloo. The two anxious people went outside to investigate and found Gundodharan still hollering. He, on seeing his master cried out, “Oh! My master! The Bikshu has stolen my horse”

Aayanar tried consoling him. “The horse wasn’t yours in the first place, my son!”, he said.

Gundodharan, still in a frenzy, shrieked, “Right! Naganandhi did steal my horse, Why did he have to also throw a deadly snake at me?”

Aayanar was piqued and demanded, “What did happen?” for which Gundodharan replied thus. The bikshu, stealthily strode to the entrance, unfettered the horse and mounted it. Gundodharan, who by chance had woken up that instant, ran towards the horse, holding it by its reins. The Bikshu, then threw something at him from a bag that he carried. When, Gundodharan realised that the something was a venomous cobra, he let out a shriek and jumped away, giving way for the Bikshu to ride away.

Gundodharan’s narrative did not convince either Aayanar or Sivagami. They thought that he must have had a nightmare and was blabbering.

Gundodharan, however proclaimed, “Master, I cannot stay away from my beloved horse. I shall somehow redeem it” and darted in the direction the rider had left in.

Five days passed since Aayanar and Sivagami arrived at the Viharam of Ashokapuram and for the first three days no distinct event happened. Sivagami had a hard time trying to while time. Aayanar had a tougher time. But they had made this journey with the Bikshu and he couldn’t even decide where to proceed without the Bikshu’s consul. The news Gundodharan had shared with them, made Sivagami lose all interest in journeying any further. The thought, “Why not just return to Kanchi?” kept lingering in her mind.

On the fourth night since they arrived in Ashokapuram some astonishing events happened. As dusk approached, what appeared to be incessant thunder resonated far far away in the horizon. On closer scrutiny, the drone seemed to become louder and soon it sounded like an ocean in rage. It felt like the ocean, once far was soon approaching closer to them. Suddenly the noise increased and reverberated like the scampering of a thousand people

Aayanar and Sivagami rushed to the entrance to investigate what this was about. The Chidambaram road was visible through a gap in the trees and the sight of several people running chaotically became discernible. In the midst of the bedlam, a huge elephant with a richly adorned saddle could be seen walking hurriedly. Eight or so horsemen surrounded it. These men seemed to be armed with different weapons. People carrying the long flag staff were seen scurrying among the group. The flag was tattered badly. After that group, a steady traffic of people in groups of ten or fifty kept hurrying all night long through the road.

Sometimes, a few of them, Sivagami observed went around the Ashoka sthambam and took the road near the ruined Buddhist shrine.

Sivagami questioned he father on the strange scene and Aayanar explained, “Looks like there was a battle nearby, my child. And seems a party was defeated in the battle. Only losers run away like this”.

Sivagami at once pointed, “Father! The enemies must have been defeated. Those running away didn’t look like Pallava soldiers, did they?”

“What do we know, my child! Can hardly see in this darkness. Mamallar has lead the army and it is my desire and belief as well that victory is his”, replied Aayanar.

All the commotion ceased before daylight. By dawn there was no sound of hurrying footsteps or the general bedlam that prevailed during the night. Sivagami stood by the entrance surveying the road, hoping for someone to pass and she wanted to stop them and enquire about the events of yesternight. It must have been a jaamam since dawn when the silence was shattered and the hooves of rushing horses could be heard.

Soon the horses became visible and my God! How many horses were they! Ten, fifty, a hundred or perhaps thousand. Mounted on every horse was a soldier, armed with the sword and spear, seated with undiminished fervour. On a majestic black horse in the middle of the cavalry rode a soldier carrying the flag staff bearing the insignia of the bull. Sivagami’s heart leapt with elation. It was, as she had hoped, the enemies who were vanquished and she decided that the Pallava army was chasing the retreating forces of the foe.

Two riders on their horses followed by a speeding chariot appeared in sight, minutes after the cavalry unit passed. And wonder of wonders, the horses and the chariot turned off the road and approached the Ashoka Sthambam and the Buddha Viharam, where at the very moment Sivagami stood. Maybe they wanted to take a short cut through the Viharam and catch up with the cavalry.

Aah! Who rides the first horse? Did her eyes betray her? Sivagami’s heart almost stopped. Yes! It was Mamalla Narasimha Pallavar riding on it. Sivagami’s eyes, catching sight of her beloved on horseback all of a sudden, for no reason welled with tears. The emotions flooding her entire being and some indescribable coyness made her want to rush indoors and she set her foot to turn.

That very instant, the sound of a loud “Aaa” and the thud of halting horse could be heard. Sivagami turned her head back towards the road.

Mamallar’s piercing eyes sliced through Sivagami’s heart. That look expressed overwhelming surprise and joy, infinite love and anger.

The look lingered for no more than a moment and in a flash, the rider sped in his horse like the wind. Commander Paranjyothi, despite seeing Sivagami sped too, without stopping.

Realising that the chariot must be driven by Kannabiran, Sivagami stood by the pillars of the viharam and signalled the chariot to stop. Kannabiran, held his reins tight and skidded to a halt.