Immortals of Meluha

‘The second is when people cannot make the transition they want to improve their lives for
reasons beyond their control. Say there is an exceptional warrior who loses his hand-eye
coordination due to a disease. He is still a fighter, but not extraordinary any more. The odds are
that he will be frustrated about what he perceives as injustice meted out to him. He is likely to
blame his doctor, or even society at large. Many such discontented people can become a
threat to society as a whole.’
Shiva frowned. He didn’t like the logic. But he also knew that one of the main reasons the
Pakratis had rejected the peace offer by his uncle years ago was because their diseased and
old chief was desperate to live up to his initial reputation of being an exceptional warrior who
could have defeated the Gunas.
‘Their combined rage can lead to unrest, even violence,’ said the Pandit. ‘Lord Ram sensed
that. And that is why the concept of Vikarma came into being. If you make a person believe that
his misfortune in this birth is due to his sins in his previous birth, he will resign himself to his fate
and not vent his fury on society at large.’
‘But I disagree that ostracising the vikarma can work. It would lead to more suppressed
anger.’
‘But they are not ostracised. Their living is subsidised by the government. They can still
interact with family members. They are allowed to gain personal excellence in their chosen
fields, wherever possible. They can also fight to protect themselves. What they can’t do is ever
be in a position to influence others. And this system has worked for one thousand years. Do
you know how common rebellion was in India before Lord Ram created this empire? And most
of the times, the rebellions were not led by farsighted men who thought they would create a
better way of life for the common man. They were led by men discontented with their lot in life.
People very much like the vikarma. And these rebellions usually caused chaos and decades
went by before order was restored.’
‘So are you saying that anyone who is frustrated with life should simply resign himself to
being a vikarma,’ said Shiva.
‘Why?’
‘For the larger good of society’
Shiva was aghast. He could not believe what he was hearing. He deeply disliked the
arguments being presented to him. ‘I am sorry, but I think this system is completely unfair. I
have heard that almost one twentieth of the people in Meluha are vikarma. Are you going to
keep so many people as outcast forever? This system needs to change.’
‘You can change it. You are the Neelkanth. But remember, no system is absolutely perfect.
In Lord Ram’s time, a lady called Manthara triggered a series of events which led to the loss of
millions of lives. She had suffered terribly due to her physical deformities. And then, fate put her
in a position of influence over a powerful queen and thus over the entire kingdom. Therefore,
the karma of one maladjusted victim of fate led to the mass destruction that followed. Would it
not have been better for everybody if this person had been declared a vikarma? There are no
easy answers. Having said that, maybe you are right. Maybe there are so many vikarma now
that it can lead to a tipping point, tumble society into chaos. Do I have the solution to this
problem? No. Maybe you could find it.’
Shiva turned his face away. He believed in his heart that the vikarma system was unfair.
‘Are you concerned about all the vikarma, O Neelkanth?’ asked the Pandit. ‘Or just one in
particular?’