VEDIC VOWS - BOOK 1 THE MOHINI

Chapter - 5 DHUMKETU FALLS

"Samvartaka is seen, after a lapse of 108 years, in the evening after the sun has set in the west. It occupies one-third of the sky, with a thin dreadful copper coloured spear-like head, ejecting a jet of smoke. For years equal to the muhūrtas of its stay, kings fight among themselves. Whichever star it covers with its smoke, the countries associated with those stars are troubled."

"The precursors of Dhūmaketu are, earthquake, dullness of fire, dust veils, exchange of heat and cold (seasons), and very harsh wind. Dhūmaketu having no fixed colour, shape, location and time, appears on the trees, towns, mountains, houses, flags, chariots, elephants, camels, men, bedstead and vessels of the losing countries and their kings." - Parasara's Samhita

"Like the stellar wheel rotating (repeating) in the sky, the comet-wheel also repeats in the sky. At the end of 1000 years, at the end of the comet strand, two comets Dhūma and Samvartaka appear together." - Vrddha Garga

124 BCE, 2nd Bhadrapada, Koteswara capital city of Audumbaras.

Vishpala drove her horse to its limit; she looked like hell! Continuous travel with very few hours of sleep, left her tired. Her cloth now had tears due to travel through forests and obscure paths. The horse was lathering at its mouth, it had served her well, but she could not afford to be considerate even though she rode it to death.

Three months was the time she asked; she was late, delayed by floods, quakes and drought. It was already 2nd of Bhadrapada, and her time was over by mid Shravana; Sunanda would not wait. It was her idea to visit the astrologer, so that she may stall the queen from trying to attack an unknown component. They would not fare well in such a match when you have zero knowledge about your opponent.

For the first time in her life vishpala was scared. The floods that had made her late, also revealed to her the truth about that thing, she was so frightened thinking about the presence of that thing, amidst the children and sunanda; she was so close... she tried to go even faster by whipping the horse, the horse collapsed and she was thrown from the saddle only to land face down on the rocky paved path. Blood flowed freely from her face where a sharp pebble had gouged in her cheek deep enough to scar, but then what was another scar in an already ruined face?

Vishpala picked herself up and checked her legs and arms, she was not incapacitated, she could see the walls of the fort illuminated by fire lamps; she glanced at the night sky to register time; ..... and dhumketu fell! Vishpala's breath stopped for a second, as her heart spiked painfully and her face transformed to utmost horror. She ran.

There was a good reason for her fear and flight. Dhumketu always portends to death of a royal and not an easy death.

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Dear readers,

Sorry for the delay and very late update. Shifting from one country to another with 2 kids is a hassle.

· Parasara's Samhita and Vrddha Garga are real texts of ancient India with a compilation of different comets that were observed of a period of centuries by astrologers.

· The belief that the presence of a falling star or comets portended disaster for kingdoms and royals, was common, because it influenced the weather resulting in natural disaster, bringing about economic repercussions especially during asteroid showers.

· Raiyapura, the birth kingdom of Sunanda, is true in its location and the fact that, it was under the influence of the neighbouring Sunga Empire, but its name is fictional, as I was unable to unearth its name during that period. Likewise Audumbaras really was there with its capital koteswara.