That is the month of Ashada. Mid day. The fiery and invincible Sun. showering the sparks of fire in the sky. The entire nature is getting hotter and hotter under the impact of the scorching Sun.
Under the fierce sun, a great man with brightness akin to the Sun, with forehead broad and looking like a synonym of divine light was walking towards Pataliputra.
In his neck one finds a shining garland of beads of prayer. Lines of ash on his forehead . Pendants swinging from his ears. A sacred thread on his chest. A great book in his right hand. A small pigtail at the back of his head and a red mark in between his eyebrows. His intellect and foresightedness are piercing through his gaze.
That eminent man sat for a while under a banyan tree on the banks of a lake on the outskirts of the city. He wanted to get relief from his tiredness. In the far appears the city of Pataliputra, a feast to his eyes. Many thought waves passed through his heart. His guru’s message at Takshasila has been reverberating in his ears. Alexander had been on his victorious expedition. Indian kings were surrendering to him for disunity or fear or favour or greed. Gradually , the Greeks had been conquering one kingdom after another. He had to stop this invasion and rejuvenate Indian culture on the verge of ruin and disappearance and establish Vaidika dharma. He had to help establish a mighty empire in keeping with his genius and political acumen. Patlaiputra eminently suited the bill. He had to establish Magadha empire as the mighty one. How far the city and the Nanda kinds would help in his endeavour! He promise his teacher that he would do two things- the founding of a great empire and the protection of the Hindu dharma. So far he had neither rest nor peace. Could a lone man endowed with intellect and political acumen do great acts without patronage of a king?
He rose from his ruminations , took his bath in the lake , wore white clothes. He entered the city resounding with drums and tunes.
That was the birth day of Dahnananda. The royal street were decorated. Colourful ribbons of gems had been glittering . Flag were flying on the tops of the building. He reached the heart of the city. Wherever he saw, he came across feasts, merry making, crowds and opulence. For him, hunger added to his tiredness from journey. He slowly went into the royal palace and entered the dining hall fearlessly.
By that time serving in the dining hall had been over. Leaves were arranged in lines. In the middle, there were eight golden leaves and one silver leaf opposite to it. The Brahmin went without hesitation and sat before the silver leaf. The royal kin looked at the form of the stranger and insulted him saying, “ This seat was meant for Vedic scholar and royal Purohit and not for a common Brahmins. Get up and sit in that corner.” The Brahmin sat there as if he didn’t hear anything.
Meanwhile Nandakings, along with royal teacher entered the dining hall. The king got enraged on seeing a stranger sitting before the silver leaf. “Who are you? Where do you come from? Don’t you know that only a genius well-versed in all sastras is eligible to sit there? Commoners like you have no eligibility to sit ther.Get up,” he said rudely. His word hit the Brahmin like arrows . To him who had already been injured by the words of the relatives of the king felt the royal rejection as an insult added to it . he replied loudly, “ Yes. We are eligible to sit here! We’ re also Vedic scholars well-versed in various sastras. This Chanakya, trained in Takshasila university deserved at least this much respect.”
Chanakya’s solemn voice surprised the king and his men. The Nandas became angry and Dhanananda held Chanakya by his pig-tail and dragged him down from his seat. He had him evicted from the dining hall by his servants by force. Chanakya turned angry and said, ‘ Oh. nasty Nanda! Evil kith and kin o f the king! Your sins have ripened. Your arrogance became intolerable and your adharma turned excessive. Your insult of a Brahmin about to take his meal would not go unpaid. You are enemies of the people and the world. Your time has come. What I have been hearing about you proved true. I’ll smash your arrogance and your dynasty as you are unfit for governance. Your forefathers won’t have anyone to make offerings on their death anniversaries. This is my pledge! I ‘ll tie up my pigtail again after fulfilling my great pledge. Till then, it will spew out poison like the serpent of time, this is Chanakyas pledge. No taking it back.”
Chanakya went out in great anger. All the Brahmins who had been sitting there also rose and left the dining hall soiled by an insult to a Brahmin. The Nanda kings remained wordless.
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