Week 7 Story: The Bond of a Brother

There once lived a maharaja who had five sons. The youngest son was the favorite of his father and saw to the daily affairs of the kingdom as the maharaja advanced in age. The four older brothers, who were usually humble and benevolent, were envious of their younger brother's higher rank and plotted to overthrow him. One day, the eldest brother had a wicked idea and gathered his three brothers to tell them of his plan. 

"Why don't we invite our youngest brother on a hunting trip into the vast, uncharted forests at the edge of the kingdom? Once deep inside the forest, we will pretend to have spotted a rare beast and encourage our brother to fall behind us in case the prey escapes our arrows. Once we are out of his view, we will sneak away and leave him to get lost in the wilderness."

The other brothers agreed heartily with the eldest brother's scheme and began preparations for the hunting trip. When the time came, the four brothers asked for an audience with their younger brother and invited him to join their hunt into the forests at the kingdom's edge. The favored son, eager to please his brothers, quickly accepted the invitation and a date for their departure was set.

Right before the five brothers were set to depart, the maharaja called his youngest son into his chambers for a private farewell. After embracing his son tightly to his frail chest, he imparted this wisdom to the young prince:

"Beware your brothers, I sense malicious intentions behind their kind words. They are wise and know that the forests at the edge of my kingdom are a dangerous place. Nothing is as it seems."

The son nodded and took his father's warning to heart as he emerged from the maharaja's chamber and joined his brothers. After a day's journey, the five brothers reached the beginning of the uncharted forest and made camp for the evening. Before retiring for the evening, the brothers sat around a roaring campfire and told stories to each other. Remembering how they often did this as children, three of the brothers lost their animosity towards their younger brother and now wished to abandon the oldest brother's plan. Once the oldest brother went to bed, the three brothers approached their younger brother, told him of the secret plot against him, and begged for his forgiveness. 

The youngest brother still loved his brothers and forgave them for their lapse in judgement. He gathered his brothers and shared with them a plan to rescue their oldest brother from his wicked actions.

"Tomorrow, when our brother tries to sneak away and lose me within the forest, follow him as if you are still angry with me. Then, sneak away from him and make your way to me. Our father warned me that this forest hides many secrets, perhaps our brother will encounter something that reminds him of his true nature."

The brothers agreed to the plan and retired for the evening. In the morning, the five brothers awoke and prepared for the day's hunt. The princes entered the forest, and soon the oldest brother enacted his plan. He feigned catching a glimpse of a magnificent creature and left his youngest brother behind. The three brothers then snuck away from the oldest brother, and he discovered himself completely alone. The oldest prince cursed the betrayal of the three brothers and swore that he would have his vengeance.

The oldest brother continued his grumbling tirade as he traipsed through the dense forest. Suddenly, the prince stumbled into a lush clearing, verdant grass ringed a deep, blue lake. The prince stood in awe of the clearing's beauty before stooping to drink from the cool water. As he brought the water to his mouth, a voice boomed through the clearing, "Stop! Do not drink from the pool until you have answered my question." The oldest brother ignored the voice, drank the water in his palm, and immediately fell into a stupor.

The younger brothers, who had been following their brother at a distance, burst through the clearing and saw their brother's crumpled form. As they searched the clearing for the source of the prince's demise, the voice again boomed throughout the clearing, "If you wish to save your brother, do not touch the water before you and answer my two questions." The four brothers stepped away from the water and awaited the questions from the mysterious voice. The voice began again,

"What is the greatest betrayal?"

The three brothers stepped forward and solemnly stated: "The betrayal of a brother."

"Indeed. And what is the greatest strength?"

The youngest brother stepped forward, looked at his older brothers, and said "The bond of a brother."

In an instant, the oldest brother was restored to his former state. His anger vanished as he realized the trust he had betrayed through his wicked actions. He knelt in front of his youngest brother and begged for his forgiveness. The younger brother forgave him, and the princes went home, their bond as brothers now unbreakable after such a trial.

(Beauchamp Falls, Wikimedia Commons This scene reminds me of the verdant clearing.)

Author's Note: Just like last week's story, this one is very loosely based on scenes from The Mahabharata. I began thinking of this story when I read about Bhima and Arjuna's rescue of Duryodhana. I wondered what would have happened if Duryodhana had regretted his past wickedness because the family he was feuding with came to rescue him. I also wanted to tie in the water that killed those who did not obey the voice emanating from the lake. In the end, my retelling is very different from anything in The Mahabharata, so I added five brothers as a nod to the Pandava brothers. Overall, it is a look into the unbreakable bond of siblings; one that survives distance, time, and anger.

Bibliography: The Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan