Chapter 143 - The Curse Of Vani

"In the days of yore, when Inna and Soma were brothers and used to rise and set together" began the faint voice.  Plagued by hunger and bitter cold Charan saw two tiny lights, one bright and warm and the other pale and cold appeared in the dark grotto. They chased each other like two colts or canines playing in the meadow. Charana's hollowed eyes blinked as he rose his face from his knobby knees. 

"All hearts were as white as snowflakes, with no blemish of lie and vices. Oh! How happy they were!"  Envy dripped from the feeble voice as it went on. "They had nothing on them --no shinny clothes, no tempting jewels, no grand palace. But they had all for themself--rivers of nectar, fruits of life, caves of Mona, melodies of birds, lullabies of winds--everything was theirs.-from luscious forests to sky-soaring mountains. The son of Mazia could go anywhere, for all land was theirs. "

Bewildered Charana saw naked people-men, women, and children alike, laughing, eating ripe and juicy fruits dropped by trees. They drank water from the musical rivers. Animals were playing with them as equals. The gloomy and freezing grotto dissolved into a warm orchard. Charana did hear the divine songs of colorful birds. And in the evening when people started to sleep in their cozy caves, the wind sang a lullaby, humming them to sweet sleep, making even Charana drowsy.

"They called this age Krita (perfect one), for everything was virgin then. The six enemies of humankind had yet to find any allies. The minds of Manu's scions were free just like asvas, which used to race with the wind. Insatiable Vāsanā (desires) hadn't enslaved their sanities yet. Oh! how miserable the life of all sins was!. " 

A gust of wind swept Charana's sunken cheeks. He inhaled the morning breeze pregnant with the scent of laughing flowers and tempting ripe fruits. The warm golden sunshine basked him, making him sleepy.

A golden fawn came. Its eyes had no fear. The epitome of innocence licked suta's face. 

"Time passed as it always did. The world was now two eons old, but its innocence was still the same. The wind still used to sing the cradlesong. It had yet to learn how to howl and raise storms. The sky was serene. With loud laughter, and flashing their rows of blue teeth, the dark palls used to shower the land and swaying trees. They had yet to learn how to drown villages and bring deluge  ." 

Charan forgot where he was, and what was happening around him. He lost into the feeble voice, as it went on describing the beauty of the world. 

"Slowly, the pristine minds of men began to gather dust, the same dust that conceals the beauty of a pearl. The caves of Mona, which had sheltered them for eons, slowly became dungeons for mankind. The wind, despite its best effort, couldn't lull the progenies of Manu to sleep. Many of them walked out of their age-old homes and began to roam in all directions. And this was the beginning of their fall. Alas! How clueless they were! They had allied with their enemies. " 

Scenes flashed around befuddled Charana. He saw the arduous journey of mankind from a nomad to builders of villages and towns.  The trees that had sheltered them and fed humans for eons were cut down or burned to ashes. The fawn that licked Charana's face got captured and was slaughtered for a feast. The white asvas, which used to race with the wind, was also collared by Venu, the king of all humans. Venu abandoned the ways of his great ancestor Manu and indulged himself in all kinds of sins. He forced females to sleep with him against their will. He built a grand castle for himself and himself only. The free animals were enslaved and forced to work for mankind. 

The screams and howls of innocents echoed into the humming wind, but Venu didn't stop till one day when mother nature got angry. The vile acts of humans enraged the most forgiving. The clouds refused to rain down. The winds began to howl. Mazia refused to grow plants, herbs, and trees for mankind. The river dried up.  Soon the whole world was nothing but a purgatory with nothing to eat and drink. 

It was then the pious sons of Inna, who were still living in the caves, came out. They wept for the deeds of their brethren.

Lomas, the eldest among them, cried out with grief " Venu shouldn't have been born. "

And it was then something occurred. Something that was the beginning of many things, and the end of an age. 

The stormy wind stilled as if stunned by what Lomas had uttered. The sky shuddered. For the first time lightning thundered.

The parched earth split apart and before the bewildered-eyed of men, Venu disappeared leaving nothing behind, not even his ashes. 

Appalled by the strange occurrence, they, men and animals alike, fled in all directions. 

When everything calmed down, the pious humans gathered again under the ancient Bodhi tree, pondering what had caused the incident. And it was then, they heard an akashavani (message from heaven). 

"O pious sons of Manu! Orators of Truth, it was not an accident. It was the power of your voice that has never uttered any false word."

Saying this the heaven turned silent. Lomas, the chief of them, stood up as he heard screams and wails of women in the distance. A large storm of dust was coming their way. 

In the absence of Venu, the ruler, evil beings, who had sold their mind to the six foes of humanity,  began to pillage villages.

Lomas and his few pious brothers couldn't believe their eyes. 

Sorrow darkened their bright souls. They tried to talk to their fallen brothers, but bandits, whose senses long had been enslaved by the vices,  scoffed and began to whip them as well. 

It was then Lomas, only directions were whose robes, remembered what the akashavani had said. His truthful voice boomed out again,

"When Urash (sun), the father of all, will bid goodbye to Prachi (east), a man will emerge from earth. He will know what should be done with all of you."

And the man did emerge as soon as the sun set in the west. His mighty arms tore apart the breast of Mazia. Exalted among all men, he had a bow in his hand and a quiver full of arrows was tied on his back. Brahma must have sculpted him in his leisure, for the man's face could put even Urasha to shame. 

Lomas named him, Prithu.

Prithu slew all the demons. He then gathered every living being and declared himself as king. 

He divided mankind into four varnas (groups)-dwiza, virohis, vanik, and suka.

Prithu set codes for every being, these codes later came to be known as the Old Ways. 

Once again everything turned right. However, the scar that Venu had left never went. From many wives of Venu, a boy was born. Lomas, who was now dwiza, named him Tapas. And Tapas he did.

(Note: Tapas:  a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices)

The boy left his mother at the age of five and went into the dense forest of Nabhi. After an intense Tapas, he soon gained the power of truth speech. One day, he was sitting beside a river, humming the hymns in praise of Inna, the father of all. It was then a maiden, whose waist was lithe like a serpent, whose voice was the song of a cuckoo, approach him. 

Tapas, who was in his prime, fell in love with the enchanting eyes of the maiden. He expressed his wish to take the lass as his wife. 

But the Old Ways didn't allow dwizas to be married. Of course, Tapas could always abandon his varna, but he didn't.  Instead, he cursed Prithu to be such a tyrant, forcing his will on others. 

As Tapas, the most pious man among dwiza, had never uttered a false word. Prithu, the son of the earth, vanished just like he had appeared in the world. 

This enraged other dwizas, they began to curse each other.  Anger had colluded their minds. 

Mazia again witnessed a massacre, however, no blood was shed this time. 

Lomas, who was old now, wailed again. He prayed to the goddess of speech, and Vani came. 

Pearl-like tears rolled down his soft cheeks, as she saw the mayhem caused by her sons. Rage burst out of his red lips, 

"O mindless! you killed your pious king. I cursed you. Your tongues will be nothing but pieces of meat from now on. Your name will bear the burden of your sins, so will your fruits." 

The divine words stripped all dwizas of their powers. And thus Mazia got  Nameless. 

Tapas refused to give in. He married the lass and left the first kingdom of men. 

With the help of his extraordinary wisdom, he discovered new ways to wield power.. He named them, spells.