Week #9 Story: Devavrata's Oath
Week #9 Story: Devavrata's Oath
It was a dark and eerie night out. There is a young Devavrata out in the forest, as distraught as ever. He is so preoccupied and so anxious that the hairs on the back of his neck are standing up. He has just pledged his solemn vow to never marry or have children.
He walks back into town with a heavy heart. There, he finds his father Shantanu and tells him of the terrible oath that he just swore.
"My son!" cried Shantanu. "How could you do this? This was not what I wanted from you at all!"
Devavrata was taken aback at that comment, "but I did this for you, Father! You should be happy! I just gave up my life for you!" Anger melted his ice-cold tears into drops of fire.
Shantanu sensed his son's anger, and took a step back. "Look, I appreciate the concern, and I know that your mother, Ganga, and I have not been together for a long time. I know that that cannot be easy on you, my child. But I will be fine if I don't ever find another companion. Even if I cannot court Satyavati, I will be fine in life."
"IT'S JUST A LITTLE TOO LATE FOR FINE, DONTCHA THINK, DAD?" Devavrata screamed. Anger and frustration built up in his body, and the screaming was admittedly cathartic. Devavrata could not believe that his father didn't seem to truly appreciate his sacrifice. "I wish you would have told me this sooner. Maybe I could still have a life then," Devavrata muttered.
Devavrata's words stung, but deep down, Shantanu knew that there was some truth to them. "My son, I appreciate the sacrifice that you made for me. What can I do for you in return, Devavrata?"
For Devavrata, hearing his name felt like a knife go through his chest. "Please don't call me that again. That name doesn't match my identity... but... I don't know what does." There was a subtle note of defeat in the young man's voice.
Shantanu thought for a moment and then spoke, "What about Bhishma? After all, you undertook a fierce and loyal vow for me and I will never forget your deed."
Bhishma uttered his new name a few times, and it seemed to stick. He looked up to his father, and smiled. Not a happy smile, but a smile of acceptance.
Author's Notes:
This story takes inspiration for the PDE Mahabharata, available here. I thought that this scene was particularly complex, especially with the emotions and the father/son relationship. I really wanted to play into that here. I'm not really sure about Devavrata's age, but I tend to imagine a 16-17 year old male. Someone with enough understanding to process what it means to never marry and never have kids but not wise enough yet to understand the ramifications in the future. I hope that you enjoy my interpretation!
Wow, Chris.... I loved the way you retold this part of the story! The part when Devavrata screamed "IT'S JUST A LITTLE TOO LATE FOR FINE, DONTCHA THINK, DAD?" made me laugh out loud. I had never really thought before about how Devavrata was probably feeling after having made the terrible vow. The way I imagined this playing out is that Shantanu was in so much despair and nearly dying because of his love for Satyavati that Devavrata did not even hesitate to make the vow. Your version suggests that Shantanu may not have actually been that helpless without Satyavati, which is a really cool perspective! It gives more attention to Devavrata's emotions after having made the vow, and the anger he might feel after realizing that it may not have even been necessary. Great story!
ReplyDeleteHey, Anusha!
DeleteThanks so much for the feedback! I'm really glad that you enjoyed my interpretation!
Cheers,
Chris
Hey Chris,
ReplyDeleteThis was a really great story and I really enjoyed the way you retold this. The format and the way you retold it was very interesting but I really like that it's different. I would agree that Devavrata was probably around 17 or so years old and is actually important to point out. I like how you explained your reasoning for stating this in the author's notes, it explains his lack and or amount of knowledge on those subjects. Another thing, the count down you have featured is really cool, what kind of recital is it? Great job on this story, keep up the great work!
Hey, Wesley!
DeleteThanks for the feedback! I'm glad that you enjoyed my take on it! :)
I'm a senior music performance major, so I'm giving a solo tuba performance in November! I'll probably post livestream info on a blog here if anybody's interested in catching some good music!
Cheers,
Chris