Face to Face with Nanda after a Decade
Katyayanji informed Chanakya that king would grant interview to the new 'Snataks' and give them scholarships.
When Chanakya arrived the royal court with Katyayan ji on the appointed day, he grew nostalgic while passing through the same veethis and the raj path where he used to roam about quite freely a decade ago.
He had been to the royal court once duing his earlier stay, on the occasion of vasantotsav.
He saw Rakshas occupying the seat of Mahamatya Shaktar, who looked dazzled and careless like his king Nanda.
While the new graduates were being presented before the king, ------- the ceremony was disrupted by the arrival of a messenger from Panchanadpradesh.
Bowing before the king the messenger said: "Your Majesty! The arrogant Parvateswar has rejected your proposal for the marriage of your daughter, princess kalyani with his son."
Nanda drunken and with slurring voice blurted "Why? Did he give any reason."
When the messenger kept quite the king's voice again boomed "Answer my question!"
"He said that he would not let his son marry a girl of low parentage."
Suddenly, the viciousness of the king surface on his face and spoke "That hoodlum had the temerity to say this, to refuse this offer from the mighty Magadh!"
Accosting his prime minister he ordered "Mahamatya! We must teach that mountain mouse a lesson. What do you suggest?"
Rakshas, a man of arts, never favoured wars and invasions. He was cursing himself for allowing the messenger to come into the open court and give this response, hurting Nanda's most vulnerable sensitivity. He was busy in rehearsing the play staged on vasantotsava and that made him arrive late at the court. But he was a pastmaster in evading issues. He said: "Maharaj! We may discuss it in our cabinet meeting later. But I think first we should grant scholarships to these new graduates."
"Without testing their Knowledge! No…….. Katyayan, you must test their knowledge!"
"Maharaj! They have all come from recognized and renowned institutions. Some of them are from Takshila," Katyayan replied.
All this while Chanakya kept quite but he found Rakshas looking at him closely. 'I think he recognized me.'
Looking at Rakshas, Chanakya remindedof Suvas and the memory of Suvas, his whole childhood….. his father, his another painful memories flashed through his mind!
But Chanakya controlled his emotions and listening carefully what Nanda was saying.
"From Takshila also! Good! I think those who are coming from that area must be knowing the conditions prevailing in the Panchanadpradesh, which is quite close to Takshila. Katyayan ……. Who are they? Let me ask them myself."
Dhananand Insults and Chanakya takes Partigya
Though Katyayan wanted Chanakya not to be singled out from the batch but Rakshas exposed Chanakya by saying: "Come here Vishnu! I have recognized you. Tell our king about the conditions of Panchanadpradesh."
The king asked: "How do you know him Mahamatya?"
"Maharaj! I know him very well. He is the son of Chanaky…. Your good self might remember the stubborn Brahman!"
"Yes ………. I do remember well that beastly fellow!" the king admitted.
Chanakya couldn't just tolerate ti. He came forward and declared: "A Brahman can't be beastly for he makes man out of a beast. He is eve kind and considerate. He looks after everyone's welfare, he guides kings and rulers and therefore he can't be beastly. Beasts are those who gibbet a noble Brahman's head on the banyan tree."
Nanda grew furious at this allusion to the old gory episode. He thundered, all of a sudden
Ok so here are the dialogues of Nanda and Chanakya in hindi: hope u will like this J
"Chup kar o dusht brahman! Tera itna dussahas ki tu Hamare arthat Magadhpati Dhananand ke samaksh khade hokar aisa kutark kare! Hum aise paapi ko ek bhooti kaudi tak nahin de sakte! Shama aur Sahayata toh door ki baat hai!"
Katyayan was signaling Chanakya to be quite and quit but he couldn't.
His pent up vengeance burst forth like the gushing lava from a Volcano and spoke in anger:"dhitkaar hai aisi sahayata par... ye soch kar ahemkaar mat karo ki hum Brahman tumhare diye huye tukdon par palte hain... Hum Brahman hain.. Brahman…. koi parjeevi nahin... aur ek brahman sahi aur galat ke beech ka antar bahut achchi tarah samajhta hai."
The last remark made the king blow up. He stood up and ordered thunderingly: "Sainikon! Is dusht Brahman ki shikha pakad kar le jaao aur ise kalkothri mein band kar do! Aur shaam hothi hi isse mriytudand diya jaaye"
Two gaurds came rushing at Chanakya and tried to hold him by the crown hair, the only bunch of hair, his 'Shika'.
The Chanakya roared: "Yaad rakhna Dhananand! Mein Vishnugupt Chanakya aaj ee shikha khol ke pratigya loonga ki jab thak mein thuje Magadh ki sinhasan se hata nahin loonga aur uspar aisi vyakthi ko bitha deta jo Magadh ke saath saath Akahand bharath ka sapna dekhe, tab tak mein apni shikha nahi bandhunga. Ye meri pratigya hai!"
Swetha
Anupamaa
