Chapter 2: 2. GOD'S GIFT
Kingdom of Kadamba (modern Karnataka), Dwapara Yuga
Maharaja Mayuravarma and Maharani Suravarchassa, along with the royal family and ministers, are performing the annual Yaga at the seashore to please the Samudra deva for the favourable winds. As their kingdom largely depends on trade and fishing, the sea god's blessings are important.
As they completed the ritual, a soldier bowed to them and said, "Greetings to Maharaja and Maharani! We've sighted a young man with weird clothes on the shore!"
This alerted the royals, who hurried to the said place. Maharani gasped as she saw a lean young man lying on the sandy beach wearing something they'd never seen before. There were slight scratches on his body and he didn't seem to breathe.
"Maybe he was a foreign trader who met his unfortunate end," the king mused. He ordered a soldier to check if he was alive.
"His pulse is slow, but he's alive Maharaja," reported the soldier.
"Maharaja, I'm getting a premonition that he's a good omen for our kingdom. We should take him to the palace as time is of the essence," suggested the royal priest Shivananda.
The royal couple and ministers agreed with him, as his intuition was always right.
On reaching the palace, they placed the young man in a guest bedroom and called for the royal physician. He arrived, checked his vitals, and declared that he was alive, but his body was weak and prescribed some Ayurvedic medicines along with rest.
"As his body is weak, it'll take 2 to 3 days for him to recover and wake up," he said and bowed to the king and queen.
"Reward the physician properly," ordered the king to his minister.
It's been 2 days since the incident. Queen felt an unknown bond towards the stranger on the bed. It seems like god finally answered her prayers to bless them with a child. The thought of him leaving to his parents struck her heart with a blunt knife.
Seeing his wife laying the weird lad's head in her lap and stroking his hair as a mother would do with her child, he smiled sadly and said, "priye, he'll have to return to his family, you know?"
"I know that swami. But how can I reason this mother's heart? I spent only 2 days with him, but I feel like he's my child. It's inauspicious to speak this way, but I wish he doesn't have any family so he can stay with us," she said.
He sighed. Mahadev has given him everything, a small but prosperous kingdom, good trade with aryavartha and foreign kingdoms such as Geumgwan Gaya, happy and self-sufficient people, a loving wife, and loyal ministry — except an heir.
They did every pooja and prayed for every god and goddess but to no avail. His love acts as if she's content with it, but he can see through her pain. She cares for her nieces and nephews as her own children, but her eyes couldn't hide the disappointment when they left for their parents.
He's afraid her attachment to this boy may break her heart. He couldn't help himself from feeling attached to him. Something about him evoked the dormant fatherly love. The couple looked at each other and at the boy in her lap and prayed for them to become a family.
A servant's arrival brought them out of their reverie.
"Greetings to Maharaja and Maharani. Maharishi Vashistha has arrived and seeks your audience," he said, bowing to them.
"Welcome him with royal dignity. Make sure there's no mistake and discomfort to the great sage," he ordered the servant.
"Yes, maharaja," the servant bowed and left.
"Swami, what could be the reason for the great sage to come here? They don't come with no divine reason," the queen inquired.
"I don't know priye, whatever it is we'll know once we meet him. Make haste, we can't keep him waiting," the king replied, to which she nodded.
They both arrived at the guesthouse where the sage was meditating. A servant announced their arrival. The regal couple touched the rishi's feet for blessings.
Vashistha opened his eyes and blessed, "Mano kaamana prapthirasthu."
"I hope everything is for your liking and there's no discomfort, guruvarya," inquired the king.
"I left the love for material things a long time ago, Mayuravarma. I do not care for such comforts," he replied, for which the king and queen smiled.
"Rishivarya, eminent men like you wouldn't give us pleasure to serve you in our palace for no reason. May we know the reason behind your arrival?" inquired the queen.
"You're right, putri. I came to visit the kaliyugi in your palace," he replied with a smile. "Kaliyugi?" the royal couple gasped.
"Yes, priyashishya. He came from Kali Yuga. His presence can bring a storm into aryavartha. However, the gold should melt on fire to become an ornament. He should go through many difficult times for his happy ending," he said.
"C-could he be our son, rishivarya?" Suravarchssa asked hopefully, with her eyes full of expectations and anxiety.
"Avashya putri, if he accepts you as his parents," he replied with a serene smile.
"Now, shall we see your son?" he asked the eager parents.
"As you wish, guruvarya," replied the king with a trembling voice, unable to hide the joy and excitement.
Ashutosh has finally listened to his prayers and blessed them with a child. Now they'll do their best to make him feel loved and comfortable because it's difficult to be so far away from home, between unknown people and places. The trio entered the lad's room where he was sleeping peacefully.
"Doesn't he look so innocent and cute while sleeping, swami?" whispered Maharani to her husband with a smile.
Maharaja nodded and vowed to himself that he'd do everything in his power to protect that innocence. Vashistha smiled at the happy couple and prayed for their happiness to last forever.
"I'll bless this child so that he becomes literate in every language spoken in aryavartha so that there won't be any language barrier between you," he said as placed his right palm on the young man's forehead.
"It'll take a 1 day for him to gain consciousness as his mind and body need to adjust to this yuga. Do not rush him and remember, it takes a lot of time for him to become your family. Just show him the love and support he needs. Say nothing about him being from Kali Yuga because it'll attract negative attention from evil people," he said.
"Yes, Maharishi. We will love him more than ourselves and do everything to protect him from any harm. Thank you for blessing our son," Mayuravarma replied in an ecstatic voice.
"I've to leave now, as my work here is done. May God bless you and your family with every joy, shishya," blessed the great sage. The couple touched his feet and ordered the servants to plan for his departure.
GLOSSARY
• Maharaja - king
• Maharani - queen
• Elam - ancient Iranian kingdom
• Swami - a woman's way to address her husband
• Priye - beloved (a way for a man to address his lover or wife)
• Rishi - a sage
• Maharishi - a great sage
• Guruvarya - respectful addressing of one's teacher
• Priya shishya - beloved student
• Shishya - student
• Yuga - A Yuga Cycle (a.k.a. chatur yuga, maha yuga, etc.) is a cyclic age (epoch) in Hindu cosmology. Each cycle lasts for 4,320,000 years (12,000 divine years[a]) and repeats four yugas (world ages): Krita (Satya) Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga.
• Dwapara yuga - third out of the four yugas and the time when Mahabharat(Jaya) happens.
• Kali Yuga - fourth and last yuga of the Yuga cycle.
• Aryavartha - an old name of India.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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