THE BATTLE OF VATHAPI BOOK 2 - VARAHA’S VENGEANCE

  

Author: Arun Krishnan

Publisher: HarperCollins India

Genre: Mythology & History

Book buy link: @Amazon

Dr. Arun Krishnan, the author of this book titled ‘Varaha’s Vengeance’ is a polyglot who has studied and lived in different cities across the world and settled now in Bangalore.  He can be reached through his Twitter @ArunKrishnan_ and Instragram @authorarunkrishnan.

“The Battle of Vathapi Book 2 – VARAHA’S VENGEANCE” is his second work of fiction.

 In this book the author vividly describes about how the Pallava Emperor Mamalla Narasimha -the great gained his sovereignty by defeating the Chalukya king Pulikesi.  

Narasimhavarman I, also known as Narasimha Pallava, was a prominent ruler of the Pallava dynasty in South India during the 7th century CE. He defeated Pulakeshin II, the powerful Chalukya king, in the Battle of Vatapi in 642 CE. This victory marked a significant turning point in South Indian history, leading to the decline of Chalukya power and the expansion of Pallava influence in the region.

 

“An enemy’s enemy is a friend and all that” is from page 22 of this book-

उद्विजेत च मैत्रीयं शत्रूनुद्विजयेन च। अयुद्धानि च संयुक्तं तेन तेनान्यदूरतः॥

"Make peace with those who are upset and join forces with those who are fighting enemies. Through these means, one can defeat those enemies who are further away."

This verse emphasizes the importance of making peace with discontented parties and forming alliances with those who share common enemies. It suggests that by leveraging conflicts and alliances wisely, one can effectively deal with distant adversaries. This aligns with the concept of "an enemy's enemy is a friend" as it highlights the strategic value of exploiting the enmity between adversaries for one's advantage.

The concept of leveraging the enmity between adversaries for strategic advantage is consistent with the principles of diplomacy and statecraft.

Next the author emphasized the virtues of cooperation, understanding, and empathy among rulers and leaders. These texts often portray conflicts arising from internal discord and the detrimental effects they have on society.

These lines are from Page 25 where

“This is not the time for recriminations or for fighting amongst ourselves. I know that you are all facing pressures in your respective kingdoms, as am I, in mine”.

We can draw parallels with the teachings found in the Arthashastra and Mahabharata contain numerous dialogues regarding the importance of unity, cooperation, and diplomacy in times of adversity.

In Page 40-

“This is fate of a woman.  Listen to her father when young, then listen to her lover or husband.  I can’t decide for myself ever, I suppose”.

This phrase reflects a historical societal perspective prevalent in certain ancient Indian texts and cultural norms, where women were often considered to have subordinate roles and limited autonomy compared to men. "न स्त्री स्वातन्त्रमर्हति" (na strī svātantryamarhati) means "A woman does not deserve independence."

In traditional Indian society, women were expected to adhere to societal norms and were often subject to patriarchal control.

 The author should note that the Rishi is Agasthya not Vasishtha.  (Please refer AGNI PURANA, chapter 7) This is in reference to the lines in page 54 of the book- “When the brothers had tried this with the great Rishi Vasishtha, he had eaten the proffered meal and then killed Vathapi by promptly digesting him”.  

In Page 93 of the book, the phrases advocate for a mind-set of coexistence, conservation, and respect for the natural world, recognizing the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of preserving ecosystems for future generations.

 I quote -“Drove it off?  Not killed”.  “Why should I kill it?  The forest is its home”. This shows the recognition of the tiger's intrinsic value and right to inhabit its native environment. It reflects a broader ethos of ecological stewardship and biodiversity conservation, where humans are encouraged to live in harmony with wildlife rather than dominating or eradicating it. 

 "प्रमाणं कुर्वीत" (Pramāṇaṁ kurvīta) means "Let them establish the evidence."  It reflects the principles of verification and evidence-based decision-making, which are essential in governance and leadership.

This can be found in page 100, “You can always send some scouts out along the road and check if I am correct or not.  In the worst case, I will be proven to be a liar and you can send me to the dungeons”.

 The Chapters 13& 17 mainly deals about different warfare activities thoroughly.  Karivalan and Senthan the main captains in the Pallava army defeated Pandya’s army. Both of them involved with the purpose of doing what was dear to their king Narasimha. 

 This description can remind the readers that in Sanskrit, Mahakavi Bhasa described the battle that “AnyonyaSastraVinipata……” means in great battles wherein the bodies of soldiers, horses, elephants and chariots are shattered by weapons hurled each other.

In this battle Karivalan felt elated because the opportunity to display his maximum valour has come.  Karivalan defeated Pandya’s army but Chaminda was defeated by Tribhuvana’s army.  In these chapters one can feel the spirit of the valour of soldiers.    In this context, the same idea echoes the phrase from Bhagavad gita “Hato Vaa Praapsyasi Svargam” means if one slain in battle, there is no loss but only gain because he goes to heroic divine abode i.e heaven.  If victorious, he gets fame, wealth and country.  Both victory and death while fighting face to face in the battle field, are praise worthy and are held in great esteem by the people.

In the 19^th chapter, the author highlighted through Sadaiyan’s idea “I know what we can do.  Why don’t we destroy their catapults?” (Page 177) that on those days even a thief knew the policy of state crafts.

The effective loveable anecdotes related with Elango and Indu; and Muthuvel and Thamarai makes the reader to feel the aesthetic pleasures. 

Though the author described the enchanting romantic phrases, he had never failed to display the courage of patriotism of the character Indu through the words of Somanna the Prime Minister of Gangas that “Our land is indeed blessed that she has given birth to daughters like her”.

 The author nicely picturised the event in which the Commander Narasimha of Gangas and his team though killed Annamalai of Thagadur, they have not celebrated the death of Annamalai.

 Finally we can understand that Narasimha Pallava, defeated Pulakeshin II, the Chalukya king, through strategic military manoeuvres and decisive tactics. He likely employed a combination of superior military strategy, skilled leadership, and possibly alliances with other regional powers Thagadur, Gangas and Banas to gain the upper hand in the Battle of Vatapi.

Though exact details of the battle and Narasimhavarman's strategies are not extensively documented, but his victory over Pulakeshin II contributed to the decline of the Chalukya dynasty and strengthened the position of the Pallavas in South India.

 Soulful life experience of eminent South Indian soldiers who faced tough times and how they managed the crisis were eminently described in this book.

 Thus, the author has narrated this great story with available documents along with his marvellous descriptive skill and made the readers to visualize the ancient India and enjoy the historic essence.

(This blogpost is a part of Blogchatter's  book review program)

(If you like to read the review of the book -1 of The Battle of Vathapi, Just click here)