Sivakamiyin Sabadham (The Bikshu’s Love) by Kalki Krishnamurthy

Author:Kalki Krishnamurthy [Krishnamurthy, Kalki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781630033798
Published: 2014-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

30. “Whither Sivakami?”

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Aayanar had been very upset ever since he had returned to his old sculpted house. His right leg which was fractured when he fell down the mountain was a source of extreme pain and untold misery. His heart was weighed down with indescribable sorrow on account of Sivakami’s loss. When Aayanar and Sivakami had rushed from Mandapapattu to Kanchi in the palanquin sent by the Chakravarthy, they had asked Aayanar’s sister to follow them at a leisurely pace in a bullock cart. That lady had taken with her important household objects, Rathi and Sugar and reached the forest house before Aayanar. Her reaching early helped Aayanar survive.

Aayanar’s sister conscientiously nursed and tended to Aayanar and saved his life. But the one question she often posed had the effect of rubbing salt into Aayanar’s wounds and hurt Aayanar deeply. That question was, “Where is Sivakami?” Aayanar, in an attempt to stop her from asking the question which caused him immense sorrow, was often evasive in his replies. As Sivakami’s athai was unable to comprehend any of Aayanar’s responses, she continued to ask the question.

As if this was not enough, Rathi and Sugar often came and stood close to Aayanar with their heads raised and asked the same question silently. Aayanar used to chide them harshly and chase them away. These days, Sugabrahma Rishi hardly raised his voice. Whenever he did, his voice seemed to enquire, “Where is Sivakami?”

It seemed as though the surrounding forest was in great turmoil. From time to time, one could hear people crying and screaming as they ran. War cries could be heard from near and far. At night, one could see fire and dense smoke. At times there was unusual calm among the birds of the forest. At other times, thousands of birds shrieked in unison.

One day there were indications of a major combat occurring somewhere very close by. The din of trumpets, soldiers raising slogans of victory, the sounds of human and horse movement and the clashing of weapons were heard incessantly. In the evening, a few soldiers who had sustained severe injuries entered Aayanar’s house and pleaded for water. When Aayanar realized that they were Pallava soldiers, he welcomed them from where he was lying down, asked them to sit down and then asked his sister to bring water for them. Then he asked them where and how they had been injured. Those soldiers exclaimed, “Don’t you know anything?”

Aayanar pointed to his fractured leg. Observing his injured leg and the damaged statues that lay around, the soldiers asked, “Aiyyo! Did the Chalukya demons enter this house too and perpetrate such atrocities?” Then one of the soldiers related in detail what had happened from the time Pulikesi had left Kanchi to the fearsome battle that had been fought in Manimangalam that day. The summary of it is as follows: As soon as Pulikesi had left the Kanchi Fort, he divided his army into smaller forces and commanded them to set the

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