The Paneri Kingdom

There lived a king named Trilok Shah who ruled the kingdom of Paneri. He was a benevolent and virtuous personality who through his noble deeds had won the reverence of the people. The subjects considered him as a divine personality and duly adhered to his decisions and plans. Besides being a Kshatriya he was also interested in religious activities. His wife Rukmini bore a child who was christened Bharatha. Following the birth of his son, the king was on cloud nine. He organized a feast to see to it that everyone filled their stomach to their heart's content. He made up his mind that his son would replace him when he matures. The King continued to pursue his pious activities along with the able administration of the kingdom. One day he set out for a forest along with some of his courtiers for leisure purposes. He just shot an arrow at a tree but to his surprise, a snake which was climbing down the tree took the blow. His heart wrenched in agony looking at the sorry state of the snake. The snake cursed the king, "Oh, arrogant king! I did not harm you but you killed me when I was about to reach my wife and children. You will have to bear the brunt of your mistake. I curse your wife to die with immediate effect and you will endure the separation of your son before meeting a horrible death."

The curse hit the king like a thunderbolt but before he could beg for forgiveness, the soul of the snake had already vanished.

The King returned to his kingdom grief-stricken. He didn't kill the snake deliberately but the tragic time hurled a curse if materialised would turn his life tragic. His face bereft of glow reflected his fear of the curse. Out of nowhere, he heard the inexorable cries of his wife. To his utter dismay, she had been bitten by a poisonous snake. He couldn't save his wife who became the victim of the curse. He blamed himself for the tragedy that befell his wife. Trilok Shah had lost his cravings to rule the kingdom which spread fear amongst people. His courtiers somehow persuaded him to forget the curse and remarry. He married a woman named Ragini. In due course of time, she gave birth to Raman. The King had almost forgotten about the curse and reverted to his former state which brought back normalcy in the kingdom. Years went by and his son Bharatha was mature enough to take over the reins of the kingdom. Ragini held a grudge against Bharatha and at any cost did not wish to let him ascend the throne at the expense of her son Raman. The queen asked the king to accord her the fulfilment of her wish. The King who was in a joyous mood sweater to fulfil her wishes completely oblivious to the tsunami which was coming by.

"I want my son Raman to ascend the throne. Bharatha lost his mother in his early childhood and is a bad one for the betterment of the Paneri kingdom. You have to banish Bharatha to the wilderness forever. If you refuse to accord me this wish, I will hang myself to death."

Ragini's words assaulted him like a relentless tsunami. He slumped on his seat with tears swelling. He pleaded with his wife to reconsider her request but to no avail. Bharatha was informed about his exile and he accepted it politely. The King wailed in grief at the hard separation from his dear son. The curse of the snake reappeared back to haunt him. Upon his departure, Raman was coordinated as the new king of Paneri. Raman was the exact opposite of his elder brother Bharatha. He never cared for the interest of the people, all it mattered for him was his own pleasure at the expense of others' sorrow.

"I am deeply saddened by the rule of your son Raman. Your vanity has spelt a disaster for Paneri. Your scheming has led to the creation of a rift between our family. If your son doesn't mend his ways, I will not show any mercy upon him."

The king's words ignited anger in the queen. She expected her husband to extol the virtues of her son but what he was doing otherwise. She schemed with her tyrant son to put an end to the king's fate. They concocted poison in the juice glass which they ing drunk. The King spew blood out of his mouth and the curse that was given by the snake yet again materialized not just to haunt him but to put an end to his life. The Paneri mouthed the tragic loss of their beloved king. The current king Raman and his mother shed crocodile tears but were delighted as they now had full ownership to take whatever decision they wanted. Raman was now on a people killing spree and nothing seemed to stop his tyranny. Folks who disagreed with his decision or raised voice against him was punished gravely for their courage. His barbarism altogether reached a high level wherein he would with one swipe cut off the head of innocent people and drink their blood. His wicked mother continued to support his tyranny which seemed unstoppable.

Bharatha who had set out for a forest had been involved in a hard penance sitting under a tree. Lord Krishna was appeased by his meditation and materialized before him. Bharatha's face gleamed in ecstasy as he was seeing the supreme God in person. He paid obeisance to the ultimate truth who was spreading his effulgence around. Bharatha came to know the sorry state of affairs in Paneri thanks to the evil rule of his younger brother Raman. Grief overwhelmed his heart upon knowing the pathetic state of the people of Paneri.

"Oh, Lord! My heart crumbles at the heinous way in which my people are killed."

Lord Krishna replied, "You are a Kshatriya and you must fight against the enemy to serve justice. You deserve to be the king of Paneri, not that evil Raman. You were banished to the wilderness as part of the curse and with your father no more, it is now your duty to restore balance in your beloved state. You have to renew the noble traditions in line with your illustrious ancestors."

"I vouch to put an end to this menace. I will not let my people get suffocated by these tyrant rulers. I just need your blessings," he prostrated before Lord Krishna.

A powerful ring of beams circled at? Bharatha before it disappeared into his body. Bharatha now set out to restore pride in Paneri. When he reached Paneri, pandemonium was in place. The same state which was known for pious deeds had now turned into a battlefield where a plethora of people are massacred for no fault of theirs. Tutored by his evil mother, Raman had lost all his control over the mind. He was astounded to see his foe Bharatha emerging out of a battleground.

"How dare you come back to my kingdom, you banished loser?"

"Since you raked up my past, I would love to show you how will be banished from my kingdom?"

"You think you alone can handle my army," he roared.

Raman was bewildered when the people of Paneri picked up the logs and stood behind their leader Bharatha. An immense fight ensued between the two parties and Raman was no match to the Bharatha who had been blessed by Lord Krishna. Raman and his mother lost the battle and we're banished forever from the kingdom of Paneri. Bharatha was coordinated as the new king and he followed the footsteps of his father to serve the interest of the people. Everyone asked under his glory.