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MidReal Story
Swayamvara
Scenario:A Hindu Tale of War, Redemption, and Balanced Love
In the ancient kingdom of Chandrapur, Raja Somnath, his beard aglow like the Milky Way under Chandra’s divine light, was a devotee of graha santhulan—the cosmic balance of planets. His treasury, brimming with moonstones blessed by the moon god, sustained the kingdom’s prosperity. But a catastrophic graha dosha, a rare planetary misalignment, disrupted the divine flow, emptying the coffers. Worse, a rival kingdom, Vayupur, led by the ambitious Raja Vikram, declared war, seeking to exploit Chandrapur’s weakness. In the chaos, Vayupur’s warriors kidnapped Rani Lakshmi, Somnath’s beloved queen and a fierce champion of equality, advocating for women’s rights and the dignity of all, including the forest-dwelling yakshas. Vikram, captivated by Lakshmi’s radiance, forcibly married her, believing her submission would cement his conquest.
Lakshmi, however, remained unbroken, her spirit a beacon of dharma. In Chandrapur, despair loomed, but Guru Vishwanath, a pragmatic sage, proposed a divine solution: a grand swayamvara, a tournament of love, wealth, and valor, to restore balance and rally the kingdom. The richest suitor would wed the humblest maiden, symbolizing unity, while warriors could prove their worth to liberate Lakshmi. Swami Anand, a charismatic priest who summoned peacocks and whispered to parrots, added chaos with cryptic mantras and blessings laced with dubious battle strategies, frustrating Somnath and Vishwanath.
To ensure balance, the swayamvara was designed with care. Representatives from all varnas—brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras—were invited, and a council of women, inspired by Lakshmi’s ideals, oversaw fairness. The Chandra Mani, a radiant orb gifted by Lord Chandra, was placed at the center to reveal true intentions. Meanwhile, in Vayupur, Lakshmi subtly sowed discord among Vikram’s court, teaching women their rights and inspiring yakshas to resist, weakening his rule from within.
The swayamvara was a spectacle of saffron banners, moonlight-woven robes, and clashing swords. Wealthy vaishyas offered gold, artisans presented humble crafts, and warriors fought to prove their valor. The Chandra Mani exposed greed and ambition, its light dimming for the selfish. Amidst the fray, Arjun, a humble sculptor and skilled archer, stood out. Poor in wealth but rich in dharma, he crafted divine idols with love and fought not for glory but to free Lakshmi. His heart shone brightest under the Chandra Mani’s gaze.
News of the swayamvara reached Vayupur, and Lakshmi, disguised as a lowly servant, escaped with yaksha allies, drawn to the Chandra Mani’s call. At the tournament, she revealed herself, her true identity illuminated by the orb’s radiant glow. Vikram, pursuing her, arrived with his army, but the sight of Chandrapur’s unity—warriors, artisans, and women standing together—shook him. Lakshmi, in a gesture of balance, offered Vikram redemption: renounce his conquest and join Chandrapur in peace. Moved by her compassion and Arjun’s selfless valor, Vikram relented, vowing to uphold dharma.
Lakshmi chose Arjun, not as a bride but as a partner in dharma, their bond rooted in mutual respect and love, not coercion. Their union, blessed by the council and Chandra’s light, realigned the grahas, restoring the moonstone flow. To maintain balance, Lakshmi and Arjun redistributed wealth to the poor, granted yakshas and women equal voice in the council, and forged a peace treaty with Vayupur, ensuring mutual prosperity. Raja Somnath, reunited with Lakshmi, embraced this vision, seeing that true wealth lay in harmony, not conquest.
The swayamvara, born of war and desperation, became a testament to santhulan—balancing love, justice, and redemption. The chant of “Jai Shree Ram,” rising unexpectedly yet harmoniously, echoed through Chandrapur, symbolizing unity and righteousness. From the ashes of conflict, Chandrapur and Vayupur flourished, their prosperity rooted in the radiant love and balanced governance of their people, blessed by the gods and guided by eternal dharma.
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Raja Somnath
He is the king of Chandrapur, a kingdom ruled by the principles of justice and equality. He is devoted, compassionate, and determined. His treasury, filled with moonstones blessed by Lord Chandra, ensured his kingdom's prosperity. A catastrophic planetary misalignment depleted the treasury, leaving him vulnerable to a war waged by Raja Vikram of Vayupur. Despite losing his wealth and possibly his life, Somnath remained committed to dharma. His love for Rani Lakshmi kept him strong as he faced defeat and the possibility of sacrificing his throne to save his people.
Arjun
He is a sculptor from Chandrapur with a strong sense of dharma. He is selfless, determined, and kindhearted. Tasked with rescuing Lakshmi from captivity, he fought bravely against Raja Vikram's army. Arjun's heart shone brighter than any treasure when he entered the swayamvara, his true intention being to free Lakshmi and challenge Vikram’s intentions through the Chandra Mani’s test. Accepting Lakshmi as his partner in dharma, he proved himself worthy of her love and respect, helping establish peace and equality in Chandrapur.
Guru Vishwanath
He is a wise priest and advisor to Raja Somnath. He is pragmatic, strategic, and spiritual. Faced with Chandrapur's financial ruin and military defeat, Guru Vishwanath proposed the swayamvara as a last resort to balance the planetary misalignment and restore prosperity. His knowledge of astronomy guided the event's design. Although skeptical at first about Swami Anand's unconventional methods, he ultimately supported the swayamvara’s success in uniting the kingdom against adversity.
When Raja Somnath emerged from his puja room, his beard was aglow like the Milky Way under the light of a full moon.
His treasury was filled with moonstones, and his kingdom prospered because of it.
The moon god had blessed those moonstones, and they were in Somnath’s treasury.
Because of those moonstones, every person in his kingdom lived better than the gods.
But one day, a dosha occurred in the grahas, or planets, and because of that dosha, all of Somnath’s wealth disappeared.
He had no money left to pay his soldiers, so they deserted him.
A war broke out between Chandrapur and Vayupur, and Somnath was defeated.
During the war, Rani Lakshmi was kidnapped by Raja Vikram’s warriors.
Raja Vikram wanted to marry her, but she refused.
He forcibly married her anyway.
Then he took her to his palace in Vayupur and imprisoned her there.
Guru Vishwanath told Somnath that there was only one way to get his wealth back and rescue his queen: a swayamvara.
A swayamvara was a tournament where a woman chose her husband from a group of men who had come to win her hand.
In this case, the woman would be a simple maiden from a poor family who had no money or jewels to bring to her husband.
I found Guru Vishwanath in his ashram, sitting cross-legged on a deerskin in front of the sacred banyan tree.
He was meditating, and his eyes were closed.
I bowed to him with my hands folded together in front of me.
"Guruji," I said.
He opened his eyes and looked at me.
"Ah, my son," he said.
"I have been expecting you. Please sit down."
I sat down next to him, and he placed his hand on my shoulder.
"What is it that you want to ask me?" he asked.
"Guruji," I said, "I have come to ask you about the swayamvara. How will we hold it? Where will we hold it? And how will we make sure that everything goes smoothly?"
Guru Vishwanath nodded thoughtfully.
"These are all good questions," he said.
"The swayamvara will be held in the arena where the tournament is usually held. But first, we must prepare the arena. We must make sure that it is pure and clean."
He picked up a wooden slate and drew a diagram on it with a piece of chalk.
"This is the arena," he said.
"It is a circular space with a large stone in the center. The stone is called the Chandra Mani, or the Moon Jewel. It is a very powerful stone, and it will help us to ensure that everything goes smoothly during the swayamvara." "The Chandra Mani is surrounded by four smaller stones," he continued.
"These stones represent the four varnas, or castes. The varnas are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. Each varna must be represented by a man who will sit on one of these stones during the swayamvara."
He pointed to each of the stones as he spoke.
"The Brahmin will sit on this stone, which faces east. The Kshatriya will sit on this stone, which faces south. The Vaishya will sit on this stone, which faces west. And the Shudra will sit on this stone, which faces north."
I nodded as I listened to him.
"I understand," I said.
"But what about Raja Vikram? He will try to stop us from holding the swayamvara."
Guru Vishwanath smiled.
"Do not worry about Raja Vikram," he said.
Guru Vishwanath smiled gently, his eyes twinkling with a knowing light.
"Raja Vikram's power is great, but the Chandra Mani's power is greater," he replied.
"Once the swayamvara begins, even he must abide by its sacred rules, or face the wrath of the gods."
While we were discussing the logistics of the swayamvara, a figure emerged from the morning mist.
He was a tall, thin man dressed in simple white robes that were stained with ash from his daily fire puja.
He carried a wooden staff in one hand and a small cloth bundle in the other.
As he approached us, he bowed deeply and greeted us with a respectful namaste.
"Pranam, Guruji," he said.
"I am Devdas, a wandering yogi from the northern mountains. I have come to pay my respects to you and to offer my services to your kingdom."
Guru Vishwanath looked at him with kind eyes.
"Welcome, Devdas," he said.
"We are honored by your presence. What can we do for you?"
Devdas smiled humbly.
"I have been traveling through these lands for many years," he said.
"I have seen many things and learned much about the world. Perhaps I can share some of my knowledge with you."
I studied Devdas carefully as he spoke.
His eyes were intense and piercing, and they seemed to bore into my very soul.
There was something unsettling about him, something that made me feel uneasy. "What knowledge do you possess that could help us?" asked Guru Vishwanath.
Devdas leaned forward eagerly.
"I know that Raja Vikram is preparing to attack your kingdom," he said.
"I saw his army gathering near the border. They are planning to invade your land soon."
Guru Vishwanath frowned gravely.
"This is grave news indeed," he said.
"But what can we do to stop them?"
Devdas smiled again, this time with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"I can help you strengthen the protective barrier around the Chandra Mani," he said.
"With my knowledge of ancient mantras and rituals, we can make it even more powerful than before."
I felt a surge of hope at his words, but then I noticed something strange about him.
His voice had taken on an eager tone, almost as if he was excited at the prospect of helping us defend against Raja Vikram's attack. But why would a wandering yogi like him be so interested in our affairs?
And what did he mean by "strengthening" the Chandra Mani's barrier?
Wasn't it already strong enough?
I exchanged a skeptical glance with Guru Vishwanath, who seemed equally unsure about Devdas's intentions.
"We appreciate your offer," I said cautiously.
