Chakravarti: The Dream of Empire

Narada inspires the Rajasuya

The celestial sage Narada visits Yudhishthira's magnificent court and, through descriptions of his father Pandu's place in heaven, plants the seed of a fateful ambition, the Rajasuya yajna that will establish Yudhishthira as Chakravarti, sovereign of the world, but at a terrible cost.

The Celestial Wanderer

In the splendor of the Maya Sabha, where light danced through crystal pillars and jeweled floors reflected infinite skies, a visitor arrived who traveled between worlds as easily as men walk between rooms. Narada, the divine sage, appeared in the court of Yudhishthira, his veena in hand, his hair wild with cosmic winds, his eyes holding the knowledge of all three realms.

Narada was no ordinary sage. He was the messenger between gods and mortals, the wanderer who witnessed everything and reported to all. Where he went, change followed. The gods themselves watched his movements with interest, for Narada's arrival often heralded turning points in the cosmic order.

"Welcome, O divine one," Yudhishthira said, rising from his throne to receive the sage. "What brings you to our humble court?"

Narada smiled, a smile that held secrets within secrets. "Humble?" he said, gazing at the impossible architecture surrounding them. "O king, I have seen the sabhas of Indra in Amaravati, of Yama in his realm of the dead, of Varuna beneath the waters, of Kubera in the mountains. Your court rivals them all."

Questions of a King

Yudhishthira, ever thoughtful, saw an opportunity in the sage's presence. Here was one who had witnessed all of existence, who better to advise a king on governance?

"Tell me, O sage," Yudhishthira asked, "what makes a righteous king? How should I rule my people?"

Narada's response came as a series of penetrating questions, thirty-two questions that probed every aspect of kingship: