Chapter 420 - 388: King Vrishasena Meets His Guru...

(A/N):

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When the begging finally subsided, Devara folded his arms and regarded them thoughtfully.

"You seem to have discovered the seriousness of your actions rather quickly," he observed.

"A short while ago, you were apparently willing to hunt creatures that my kingdom has explicitly protected. Now that you find yourselves surrounded by royal guards, you are all eager to promise that you will never do it again."

The men lowered their heads further, unable to offer a convincing response.

Devara sighed, his expression growing more serious.

"Tell me something. If my guards had not caught you today, would you have stopped hunting those dolphins on your own? Or would you have continued until there were so few left in the river that finding another one became difficult?"

None of them answered immediately.

Their silence was more revealing than their apologies, and Devara’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered it.

"You ask me to forgive you because you are afraid of the consequences," he continued.

"But have any of you considered what those creatures endured when you injured them? They cannot come to my court and complain about your actions. They cannot explain that they were hunted for no necessity, nor can they demand that someone protect them."

"They simply suffer, and if nobody notices, the people responsible carry on with their lives as though nothing has happened."

One of the hunters swallowed nervously before speaking.

"Maharaja, we understand. We truly do. We were wrong to harm them, and we will never repeat it."

"I hope you understand," Devara replied.

"But understanding that an action is wrong after being caught is not the same as recognising that it was wrong before you committed it."

He glanced towards the elderly fisherman who had helped investigate the matter, then returned his attention to the captives.

"I will not decide your punishment merely because you have begged me to spare you, nor will I punish you simply to satisfy the anger of those who brought you here. The evidence must be examined, and each of you will be given an opportunity to explain your role in what happened."

"If you have harmed these animals, you will be held accountable under the law. Your promises may be considered, but they will not erase the consequences of your actions."

The hunters exchanged worried looks.

They had clearly hoped that a display of remorse would be enough to persuade Devara to release them immediately, but his response made it apparent that he would not allow their fear to substitute for a proper investigation.

Still, Devara’s tone remained measured rather than cruel.

"If you are genuinely sorry, then begin by telling the truth. Who among you first decided to hunt the dolphins? Were you acting alone, or did someone pay you to do it? Have you sold any of their remains, and are there others involved who have not yet been caught?"

At the mention of others, one of the men visibly stiffened before quickly lowering his head again.

Devara noticed the movement.

He said nothing at first, merely allowing his gaze to settle upon the man until the hunter began to shift uncomfortably beneath his attention.

"That," Devara said quietly,

"is precisely why I will not dismiss this matter with a simple warning. If you were acting on someone else’s instructions, then your actions may be part of a larger operation."

"And if there are others continuing to hunt these creatures, releasing you without investigating the matter would only leave the dolphins in danger."

The royal guards remained silent, awaiting their king’s next command, while the fishermen watched the prisoners with renewed interest.

Devara straightened and addressed the commander of his escort.

"Take them into custody and ensure that their equipment is preserved as evidence. Arrange for the local authorities to record their statements separately so that we can establish whether their accounts agree."

"I also want the fishermen who provided information to give their testimony. We will not allow intimidation or retaliation against anyone who comes forward."

The commander bowed.

"As you command, Maharaja."

The hunters immediately resumed their pleas, insisting that they would cooperate and begging Devara to remember their promises of reform.

He listened without hostility, but neither did he allow their words to change his decision.

"Cooperate with the investigation,"

he told them as the guards prepared to escort them away.

"Tell the truth, and do not attempt to protect anyone who has been involved in this. If your remorse is genuine, then this is your opportunity to demonstrate it through your actions rather than your words."

With that, Devara turned towards the river, where the dolphins had been swimming earlier.

He hoped the men would prove sincere, but he would not gamble the creatures’ safety on a promise made by frightened prisoners.

Forgiveness was something he could consider once the truth had been established. Protecting the innocent, however, was a responsibility he could not afford to postpone.

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Vrishabhapura, King Vrishasena had decided to visit the gurukul where he had spent some of the most difficult years of his youth.

The journey brought back memories he rarely cared to revisit, particularly the years following his father’s death, when powerful nobles had attempted to seize the throne from a boy they believed too young and inexperienced to defend it.

The struggles that followed had shaped his understanding of kingship, teaching him that authority was something a ruler had to protect relentlessly, lest those who coveted it tear his kingdom apart.

It was also within these grounds that he had learned the principles of governance, the traditions of their ancestors, and the sacred duties expected of a king.

Even after ascending the throne, Vrishasena had continued to respect his guru’s counsel, regarding him as one of the few men whose wisdom deserved his attention.

Now, with the situation surrounding the Ashvamedha horse threatening to escalate into war, he wished to consult the man who had helped shape his beliefs.

As the royal procession approached the gurukul, the students and teachers who noticed the king’s arrival immediately gathered to receive him.

The gurukul stood amidst a peaceful stretch of woodland, its buildings constructed from timber and stone, with open courtyards where students practised their lessons beneath the watchful eyes of their instructors.

The sounds of recitation and the rhythmic striking of wooden training weapons filled the air, continuing even as the royal guards entered the grounds.

Vrishasena dismounted and acknowledged the greetings of the teachers before asking to meet his former guru.

He was soon led towards a shaded pavilion at the edge of the compound, where the elderly acharya sat studying a collection of palm-leaf manuscripts.

The guru raised his eyes when the king entered, and a faint smile appeared upon his face.

"Vrishasena," he greeted warmly.

"It has been some time since you last visited us without sending word beforehand. Has something happened in your kingdom that has brought you here in such haste?"

Vrishasena returned the greeting with the respect he had shown the acharya since childhood.

After taking the seat offered to him, he briefly exchanged the customary pleasantries before allowing his expression to grow serious.

"Something has happened, Gurudeva, and I felt it necessary to inform you personally. The Ashvamedha horse has been stopped."

The guru’s fingers paused above the manuscript.

"Stopped?" he repeated, his brows drawing together.

"By whom?"

"King Devara of Trivenivrata."

For several moments, the acharya remained silent.

Then, as the name registered fully, his expression changed, and the warmth that had accompanied his welcome disappeared.

His face darkened with an unmistakable displeasure, bringing back memories of a ruler whose policies had offended everything he believed a proper kingdom ought to preserve.

"Devara,"

he muttered, the name leaving his lips with evident contempt.

"I should have known that man would eventually interfere with something of this importance."

Vrishasena watched him carefully.

He had expected his guru to be concerned by the news, but the intensity of his reaction suggested that the acharya’s objections to Devara extended far beyond the present dispute.

"You remember him, then?" the king asked.

"How could I forget him?"

the guru replied, setting the manuscript aside.

"His kingdom has become a subject of discussion among teachers and scholars throughout the region, and not because its ruler has shown exceptional devotion to dharma. Rather, it is because he has spent years disregarding the traditions that our ancestors preserved through generations."

"He opens his gurukuls to people without regard for their birth, permits those whom society has assigned other duties to pursue knowledge reserved for established classes, and encourages medical training among people who would once have been denied access to such instruction."

His voice grew increasingly severe as he continued.

"When I first heard of his policies, I assumed they were temporary measures introduced by an inexperienced king who wished to win the affection of his subjects. I expected wiser men around him to correct his mistakes. Instead, his kingdom has continued to prosper, and other rulers have begun imitating him."

"Even some who once agreed with our teachings have started questioning whether the traditions we follow are truly necessary."

"He has encouraged people to believe that birth should not determine the opportunities available to them, as though the order maintained by our ancestors were merely an obstacle to be discarded whenever a king found it inconvenient."

Vrishasena listened without interruption, his own resentment deepening as his guru gave voice to the concerns he had carried for years.

"I invited you to Trivenivrata once, Gurudeva," he reminded him.

"I wanted you to teach the medical arts to those who were being trained there, believing that your knowledge would strengthen their institutions. You refused because you considered his policies contrary to dharma."

"You were not alone in that decision. Many respected teachers refused to participate, certain that the gods would eventually abandon a kingdom that disregarded the established order."

The acharya nodded firmly.

"And yet Devara continues to enjoy prosperity, while his reputation grows with every passing year. His supporters claim that the gods favour him, and there are even stories that Vishnu and Lakshmi themselves treated him as their son during his wedding ceremonies."

"Imagine the arrogance required for a mortal king to allow such tales to circulate without correcting them."

Neither man had any reliable means of determining the truth behind every story that reached their ears, but their existing resentment made the rumours particularly difficult for them to dismiss.

To the guru, Devara’s growing influence appeared to be evidence that established traditions were losing their authority.

To Vrishasena, it was an unwelcome challenge to the principles he had spent his life defending.

The king leaned forward, resting his hands upon his knees.

"Now he has interfered with the Ashvamedha. My horse entered his territory, and instead of allowing it to continue its journey or sending an envoy to discuss the matter, his men restrained it and cut down the banner of Vrishabhapura. He has treated my declaration of sovereignty as though it were an insignificant piece of cloth."

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