An explanation of Ashura-oh and Taishakuten’s bargain

One of the most interesting characters in Rg Veda is Ashura’s father, Ashura-oh, the former ruler of the Ashura clan. Now deceased, he can be partly credited for the way things turned out for his son and for the rest of the Ashura clan.

During Tentei’s (the former Emperor) reign, he committed a very grave crime (incest) and since he was an Emperor, his wrongdoing had very grave consequences, not just for himself but also for the entire realm. Ashura-oh had some prophetic powers and had very disturbing visions of the future. He turned to Kuyo, the stargazer for help and she told him that destiny or fate couldn’t be changed.

According to Kuyo (and Ashura-oh’s visions) Tentei was going to be overthrown and killed during the war that was to be led by Taishakuten. Ashura-oh, the god of war would also be defeated and killed by Taishakuten. Moreover, the most upsetting thing for Ashura-oh was that his son would become the "true" Ashura and would destroy everything.

At that time Taishakuten was just an upstart who was starting to make waves in the capital because of his abilities as a warrior. Also, he had a thing for Ashura-oh.

Resigned to the fact that he was fated to die in the next war, Ashura-oh made a bargain with Tai. If Taishakuten would agree to stop Ashura from destroying the world, Ashura-oh would give Tai what he wanted the most (which was Ashura-oh^_^).

We know what happened next: Tai killed off the entire Ashura clan, including his lover Ashura-oh, and usurped the throne.

Why did Ashura-oh make this bargain with Tai?

It seems that the most important thing to him was not himself but the continuation of his line.

Probably he felt he had no choice but to entrust the task to Tai, who (according to Kuyo's prophecy) was sure to survive. After all, would he really be able to kill his own flesh and blood if he were the one who survived? His infamous bargain with Tai seems very cold-blooded and calculating but he was in despair and tormented by his visions of complete destruction.

Was he just using Tai to achieve his ends? I don’t think so. I mean, who had his back to the wall here, Tai or Ashura-oh? Their futures were at the opposite ends of a seesaw. Tai’s fortunes were destined to rise while Ashura-oh was destined to die.

Who was taking advantage of whom?

Tai obviously wanted Ashura-oh and remained faithful to his bargain long after his lover had died. This clearly shows that he had very strong feelings for Ashura-oh.

Ashura-oh’s feelings, on the other hand, are not nearly so clear. Was he even the one who proposed the bargain? When Ashura-oh asked Tai what he thought of destiny Tai replied that he would do anything to get what he wants the most. Then Ashura-oh asked him what he wanted the most and Tai said "You". Doesn’t this show that it was really Tai who proposed a bargain: give me what I want and I’ll do anything for you?

At this point, it is obvious from the expression on Ashura-oh’s face when Tai said "You" that he was shocked at Tai’s proposition. However, later when he is talking about the future to Tai, he seems more relaxed. No doubt he felt better about facing the future with Tai’s promise of help.

Whether or not he developed any feelings for Tai is anybody’s guess. It is obvious to me, however, that the bargain was not at all a cold-blooded decision but an act of desperation by a man who knew how grim the future would be for his family.