Rani Samyukta

Samyukta was the daughter of the king of Kananj. She was the most beautiful princess in India. Prithivi Raja was the king of Delhi. He wanted to marry her. He knew that it would not be easy to marry her because her father was his enemy. He always liked to do what was not easy to do. Therefore, he decided to try. First, he sought out her old nurse. She was living not far from the place. He touched her feet with his fore head and asked her advice. The old woman loved prithivi Raja very dearly. So she promised to help him.

\"Give me\", she said \"that picture of yours which the great painter at Delhi has painted on ivory in green and gold. I will tell you when I came again from my journey\". The old nurse went a long journey and reached the gate of the palace of Kananj. She expressed her desire to see the queen. Now it happened that moment, the queen wanted a new waiting woman for the princess. So the old woman was asked to look after the house hold work. Samyuktha had a true heart. As the old woman brushed her hair or sat with her on the roof on the still, hot nights, she told her the tales of Prithivi Raja and of his love for Samyukta. She showed Samyukta his picture painted on ivory in green and gold. As she looked on his face, her heart desired to meet the king who loved her.

Presently the king of Kananj said, \"It is time for the \"Swayamvara\", that is the choosing of her husband by the princess. He sent his messengers to all parts of India to call the princes of India to the great choosing. However, he sent no message to his enemy Prithivi Raja, the king of Delhi. Nevertheless the king of Delhi came to the choosing. Prithivi Raja and his friend came to the swayamvara disguised as minstrels.

The courtyard of the palace was gay and ready for the \"Swayamvara\" Garlands of roses and jasmine were hung from the pillars. The king and the Queen sat on golden throne on a marble balcony. The thrones of the princes, who sought the hand of Samyukta, were just below the balcony.

The princes were dressed in jewels and clothes of gold. Each prince had his men at arms and heralds. The musicians sat on the watchtower at the gate. PrithiviRaja, the great prince, sat with the musicians.

When the bugles sounded, Samyukta came from the inner courtyard. She wore a sari that flowed about her like golden water. There were golden anklets on her feet and golden bracelets on her arms. Her eyes were on the ground as she walked. She held lightly the garland of fresh jasmine. She would place the garland on the neck of the prince whom she would choose to be her husband.

When she reached the outer courtyard, she raised her eyes and saw a wooden figure of Prithivi Raja standing in the place of the king\'s doorkeeper. She knew well that her father had done this thing to hurt Prithivi Raja, the true knight of her heart. Her choice was made now proudly she walked one prince after another. She passed on silently. She remembered the great tales of Prithivi Raja told by the heralds.

There was but one prince left. He was sitting near the door keeper. All were anxious to know what she would do. The king and the queen leaned out of their marble balcony. All the crowd watched her breathlessly. To their surprise, Samyukta also rejected the last prince. She turned to the wooden image of PrithiviRaja who had no invitation to the great choosing and placed the garland on its neck. She had indeed kept the garland for her true knight alone.

The king and all princes rose in wrath. There was a clash of steel. For this insult, Samyukta would now be bound in chains and sent to the deepest dungeon of the place. But love was quicker than wrath. PrithiviRaja who was disguised as minstrel mounted on the king\'s swiftest electronic cigarettes charger, which was at samyukta\'s side. He stooped and lifted her to his saddle and rode away to the gates of Delhi.

Posted by Parvathi Sivanadyan

Posted Date 13.10.2014