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AlexAnder The GreAT in indiA: SunburST upAniShAd

A philosophical epic, 1st edition 2011; ebook

Text by

Richard Marranca

eISBN 978-616-245-054-9

Published by www.bangkokbooks.com

E-mail: info@bangkokbooks.com

Text Copyright© Richard Marranca

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, copied, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publisher.This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to www.bangkokbooks.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.***

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AlexAnder the GreAt in indiA

Quotes

Calanus threw on to the ground a dry and shrunken piece of hide and put his foot on the outer edge: the hide was thus pressed down at one point on the surface, but rose up at others. He walked round the circumference and showed that this was what happened ZKHQHYHU�KH�WURG�RQ�WKH�HGJH��WKHQ�¿QDOO\�KH�SXW�KLV�ZHLJK�RQ�WR�WKH�PLGGOH��ZKHUHXSRQ�WKH�ZKROH�RI�WKH�KLGH�OD\�ÀDW�DQG�VWLOO��The demonstration was intended to show that Alexander should concentrate the weigh of his authority at the centre of his empire and not go wandering around the borders of it. --Plutarch

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Reviews

³:KHQ�,�¿UVW�UHDG�WKH�$OH[DQGHU�LQ�,QGLD�PDQXVFULSW��,�ZDVQ¶W�sure if it was a translation of ancient writings, or something that \RX�UH�LPDJLQHG��:HOO��,�VHH�WKDW�LW¶V�D�ZRQGHUIXO�QRYHO�WKDW�HYRNHV�the Greeks in India, especially the friendship between Alexander and yogi Calanus. I truly enjoyed reading this, and am glad that Light of Consciousness Magazine has already published a few chapters. This is a successful project and I wish you well on this MRXUQH\��$V�\RX�NQRZ��,¶YH�EHHQ�WR�,QGLD�DQG�\RXU�ERRN�FRQJHUV�up many of those wonders.”

-- Dr. Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions – the most widely read comparative religion book ever written, whose 50th anniversary edition was recently released

³7KLV�LV�RQH�RI�WKH�PRVW�LQWHUHVWLQJ�DQG�LQYHQWLYH�ERRNV�,¶YH�read about Alexander. I recommend that you send this to Oliver 6WRQH��WKH�¿OP�GLUHFWRU�´���

--Dr. John Maxwell O’Brien, author of Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy

“I enjoyed the chapters of the Alexander novel that you sent PH��,W¶V�H[RWLF�DQG�SRZHUIXO�´���2OLYHU�6WRQH��¿OP�GLUHFWRU�RI�$OH[DQGHU��:DOO�6WUHHW��+HDYHQ�

& Earth and others.

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AlexAnder the GreAt in indiA

thank you

To my mom and dad (dad passed away last year) for their never-ending help; thanks to the teachers from whom I learned so much about India – James Carse, Nick Lonero, Huston Smith; thanks to Tim Renner for the wide-ranging courses on the ancient world; thanks to Mitchell Leaska (now deceased) for the well-traveled NYU in Greece 1990); thanks to early readers of my novel, in-FOXGLQJ�*XLQHYHUH�6KDZ��$QQD�-DFXV��-RKQ�2¶%ULHQ��P\�P\WK�DQG�humanities classes at Montclair State University, etc.; thanks to Marianne Martin and Light of Consciousness Magazine in Arizona for publishing an early, shortened version of my novel; thanks to Sonia Fishinger, Allan Ashby, Tim McCracken, and Oscar Fishtein (deceased) for their wise literature courses and early encourage-ment with my writing (and John Wheeler for ancient world courses -- now deceased); thanks to people I met in Greece, Turkey, and India who showed me interesting things about Alexander; thanks to DOO�WKH�JUHDW�ZULWHUV��DQFLHQW�DQG�PRGHUQ��ZKR�ZHUH�ERWK�KRUUL¿HG�and inspired by Alexander; and thanks to George and the staff of Bangkok Book House for the excellent presentation of this novel, as well as Dragon Café: An East West Collection (essays) and New York Interviews: First Thoughts (interviews).

www.RichardMarranca.com

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ChapteR 1

Our teacher Dandamis, lean and sharp after 80 years of breath, played dice with a boy to illustrate how one could gamble away a WR\��ZLIH��RU�RQH¶V�NLQJGRP��6XGGHQO\�WKH�GLFH�UROOHG�XS�VWUDQJHO\�

The warm sun glared onto the fragrant meadow where we FRQJUHJDWHG�RXWVLGH�7D[LOD¶V�ZDOOV��$V�XVXDO��RXU�JURXS�PHGLWDWHG�or got into postures, while others conversed and drank tea. Dandamis glanced around with vexed eyes.

Terror. The end. The enemy suddenly poured into Taxila. The world felt like it

ZDV�HQGLQJ��2I�FRXUVH�LW¶V�QRW�DV�LI�ZH�GLGQ¶W�NQRZ�LW�ZDV�FRPLQJ��I stood on my head and watched the invaders from that vantage

point: the world really was upside down. Just like that, as if black magic, they had arrived. I closed my eyes, envisioning my city.

Taxila, a city of small and large wonders, the navel of our empire, extends from the Jhelum to the Indus Rivers. It has sky-climbing temples and forests of mist and tigers. It has gossiping VWUHHWV�DQG�PDUNHWV�¿OOHG�ZLWK�IUXLWV�RI�WKH�HDUWK�DQG�VWUDQJH�LWHPV�brought back by our merchants. The people have virtue, good laws, generosity. They give to the ascetics, those who deepen the PRPHQW�DQG�VHHN�LQ¿QLW\��

7D[LOD¶V�SDODFHV�KDYH�JDUGHQV�LQWHUVSHUVHG�ZLWK�IRXQWDLQV�DQG�statues, peacocks and swans, and its colleges have the leading scholars, to establish wisdom in the young. Its form of Sanskrit is famous for its pure sounds and therefore emulated widely. Our king, Ambi, casts his eyes on new recruits for his harem and army. All day, the women work at beauty, while men play at war. Our army is like the goddess Durga who defeats all demons and darkness. :KDW¶V�LW�OLNH�WR�OLYH�DW�WKH�ZRUOG¶V�FHQWHU"�&RPH�WR�7D[LOD��RU�GLH�without having lived.

***The invader jumped from his horse, a black stallion with a

white patch around its eyes, and motioned for his companions,

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AlexAnder the GreAt in indiA

a tall, arrogant lot. And that horse, like a new bride whose eyes are only for the lover. There was no need for the invader to fear D�VWUD\�DUURZ��+H�KDG�VXUYLYHG�WKH�ELUG�ÀLJKW�RI�FRQWLQHQWV��7KDW�MXJJHUQDXW�ZRXOG�KDYH�NLOOHG�XV�ZLWK�ÀHVK�SLHUFLQJ�MDYHOLQV��

What the foreign king lacked in height was compensated by a husky frame coiled for action. He wore a cavalry hat and scarf and a Persian diadem that sparkled in the sunlight. He looked animated DQG�JULQQHG�DW�XV�OLNH�D�PRQNH\�ZKR¶G�VWROHQ�RXU�IUXLW��,Q�IDFW��KH�had stolen our lives and the very sunlight.

We had angry eyes. Suddenly a few yogis, like crazed wrestlers, stomped on the ground, lofting dirt and confusion. I recall the invader straining his sea blue eyes and inquiring into our display.

³,¶YH�KHDUG�DERXW�\RX�´�VDLG�WKH�IRUHLJQ�NLQJ��DPEOLQJ�WRZDUG�us, “but I thought you were just a rumor, like so much about India.”

³:KDW�EULQJV�\RX�KHUH"´�DVNHG�'DQGDPLV��³<RX¶YH� WUDYHOHG�DFURVV�ODQG�DQG�VHD�WR�UHDFK�XV��1RZ�ZKDW"´

³1RZ�ZKDW"´�+H� WXUQHG�� JODULQJ�� WKHQ� VPLOHG�� ³,�ZRQ¶W� EH�questioned like that from a naked old man. Destiny, if you want to know. I had a longing to visit your rich lands.”

Dandamis circumambulated a treeless area, wringing his arms toward the invaders. “Each man has only so much land as he can VWDQG�RQ��/LNH�XV��\RX¶UH�KXPDQ�EXW�\RX�KDVWHQ�HYHU\ZKHUH��PDNLQJ�WKLV�DQG�WKDW�\RXUV��%XW�VRRQ�\RX¶OO�EH�GHDG�DQG�RZQ�DV�PXFK�ODQG�DV�\RX�QRZ�VWDQG�RQ��6KRXOGQ¶W�\RX�EH�KRPH�ZLWK�\RXU�ZLIH�DQG�FKLOGUHQ�RQ�\RXU�ODS��JXDUGLQJ�KRPH�DQG�NLQJGRP"´

The foreign king looked perplexed. Then he focused on us the way a hunter focuses on his prey.

2K�WKH�JRGV�SOHDVH�VDYH�XV��,�WKRXJKW��,�IHOW�VXUH�KH¶G�PRYH�KLV�H\HV�D�FHUWDLQ�ZD\�RU�SRLQW�D�¿QJHU��DQG�WKRVH�LQYLQFLEOH�MDYHOLQV�would poke through our skin like a knife into ghee. Cold silence, a meditation before death. Despite all my years of life and stillness, I feared death. I felt ashamed. Something of my life wanted to H[LVW�RQ�HDUWK��QRZ��LQ�WKH�ÀHVK�RI�PH��VRPHWKLQJ�ZDV�XQ¿QLVKHG��But I knew the gods had something more in store for me, that I

8

ZRXOGQ¶W�GLH�\HW��:KDW�ZDV�LW"+H�JORZHUHG��UXGHO\�VWDULQJ�DW�XV��³:RZ��WKDW¶V�EROG��7KHUH¶V�

something good in your words, like this crazy habit of going around LQ�\RXU�ÀHVK��7KH�KLJK�ERUQ�PDQ�VSHDNV�KLV�PLQG��GRHVQ¶W�ZRUU\�DERXW�WKH�RSLQLRQV�RI�RWKHUV��,�JXHVV�\RX�GRQ¶W�IHDU�GHDWK"�7KDW¶V�what makes a good soldier, or philosopher. But you should be moderate.” His voice softened as if we were children. “Have you QHYHU�WKRXJKW�RI�WKDW"´

³0RGHUDWLRQ"´³'R�,�KDYH�DQ�DFFHQW"´�VDLG�WKH�IRUHLJQ�NLQJ��He leaped up on his horse and charmed it into raising its head. ³,W¶V�RXU�ODQG�´�,�\HOOHG�RXW��,� GLGQ¶W� NQRZ�ZKHUH�P\� FRXUDJH� FDPH� IURP� ��� SHUKDSV� WKH�

gods. The invader looked at us disdainfully and whispered to his RI¿FHUV��:H�VWRRG�DQG�ZDLWHG��+H�PRYHG�WZR�¿QJHUV�XS�DQG�GRZQ�his forehead, to mimic the white stripes on mine.

³5HDOL]H�,�FDQ�EH�\RXU�IULHQG�RU�HQHP\�´�KH�VDLG��³,¶OO�DVN�P\�VHHU�DERXW�\RXU�IDWH�DQG�LI�LW¶V�EDG��WKHQ�\RX�KDYH�D�SUREOHP��+H¶V�always seeing something.”

Stuck in our own footprints, we all stared at each other. 0\�PLQG�ÀXWWHUHG�OLNH�EXWWHUÀLHV��,�ZDLWHG�ZLWK�P\�FKHVW�RXW�

– “stab me in the heart, demon cowards,” I muttered. “King Ambi should have fought you.”

This was it – death. As they decided on how to kill us, we prepared ourselves.

I knew little about these invaders, but had heard they believe in fate and destiny. The fates, the weavers of destiny, even transcend the grasp of the gods. Fate and freewill play themselves on the world stage, but those bitch-goddesses have the upper hand. A merchant of Persian-Jewish ancestry had told me the story of Oedipus, who married his mother and killed his father at the crossroads, just as the Oracle had foretold.

&DQ�DQ\RQH�HVFDSH�KLV�NDUPD"�

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AlexAnder the GreAt in indiA

:H¶UH� SXSSHWV� RI� JUHDWHU� IRUFHV� WKDW� FUHDWH� JHQHUDWLRQV� RI�KXPDQV�FXOPLQDWLQJ�LQ�RXU�H[LVWHQFH��\HW�ZH¶UH�VLPSO\�RQH�OD\HU��of numberless layers, stretching back to the shadows of chaos, even before the gods. Life is based on karma, the baggage of now and ORQJ�DJR��/LNH�GHVHUW�ÀRZHUV��OLIH�LV�ÀHHWLQJ��DQG�WKDW¶V�D�EHDXWLIXO�WKLQJ��:KR�FRXOG�OLYH�LQ�WKLV�VDPH�VNLQ�IRUHYHU"�

Excuse my digressions. Suddenly this crazed stallion of a king, whom they called

Alexander the Great, galloped off, followed by his companions. We felt relieved. Yet I could see the world was changing and that ZH¶G�QRW�OLYH�PXFK�ORQJHU�EHKLQG�FOD\�ZDOOV��,�VXSSRVH�WKDW�WR�EH�modern is to know how to separate past from present, to be two people at once. Still I knew the yogis would spread wisdom: in that way the conquerors become conquered.

He knew he was dealing with an advanced group of beings and, DORQJ�ZLWK�D�ÀRFN�RI�VPDUW�FURZV��KH�UHWXUQHG��

³,�PHDQ�QR�KDUP�WR�\RX��<RX�WKLQN�,�FUXVK�\RX"´�$OH[DQGHU�asked, circling once, then twice, the stallion rearing upon its hind OHJV��³EXW�\RX�GR�LW�WR�\RXU�RZQ�SHRSOH��,¶YH�QRW�FRQTXHUHG�\RXU�SHRSOH��,¶YH�FRQTXHUHG�\RX��<RXU�SHRSOH�ZLOO�JODGO\�IROORZ�PH��DV�WKH\¶YH�IROORZHG�\RX��RQO\�,¶OO�EULQJ�WZR�YLVLRQV��LQVWHDG�RI�RQH�´

I realized I had been thinking what Alexander was saying. The yogis covered their eyes. They had had enough of this juggernaut.

“Look at magisterial Bucephalus, my horse,” said Alexander. ³/LNH�D�FHQWDXU��ZH�PRYH�DV�RQH�EHLQJ��,¶YH�EURXJKW�KLP�JORU\��IURP�*UHHFH�WR�,QGLD��QDPLQJ�FLWLHV�DIWHU�KLP��<RX¶OO�DFFHSW�PH�ZLWK�DGPLUDWLRQ�DQG�UHÀHFWHG�JORU\��+RO\�RQHV����,�WKRXJKW�\RXU�LQWHUHVWV�DUH�RI�WKH�KLJKHU�UHDOP��DP�,�QRW�FRUUHFW"�:K\�GR�\RX�PHGGOH�LQ�SROLWLFV"�6WD\�DZD\�IURP�SROLWLFV��RU�\RX¶OO�GHVWUR\�ERWK�religion and politics.”

³,W¶V� RXU� GXW\� WR� VSHDN�´� ,� VDLG�� ³:H�GRQ¶W� XQGHUVWDQG�\RXU�presence.”

“Philosophers conquer ignorance, kings conquer kingdoms,” replied the usurper.

10

The other yogis cast cutting glances at me. They considered it to be pollution: too much worldliness in that Alexander.

,�ORRNHG�EHKLQG�KLP�DQG�KLV�EOXH�H\HG�RI¿FHUV��7KHUH�ZDV�DQ�KLVWRULDQ�ZULWLQJ�GRZQ�WKH�NLQJ¶V�ZRUGV��1RZ�WKDW�,�WKLQN�RI�LW��VRPHRQH�ZDV�DOZD\V�ZULWLQJ�GRZQ�KLV�ZRUGV��7KHUH�DUH�RI¿FLDO�KLVWRULHV�RI�$OH[DQGHU�DQG�WKHUH¶V�PLQH��7KH�RI¿FLDO�UHDOP�LV�IRU�mask-wearers; the truth realm is for seekers.

Saraswati, the goddess of many things, inspire me. Read on. Find the bottomless source, the mind of the mind.

Improve your karma.