Madra

"Surrender, Dyutimat!" The King of Trigarta held his sword on his opponent's chin.

King Dyutimat found himself on the verge of confirmed defeat. His weary eyes once hovered over the battlefield. Both his brothers were severely wounded, lying on ground. Most of the alive Madra soldiers had lost at least one of their limbs, unable to continue fighting. Their yells were deafening.

Sighing, the Lord of Madra took his eyes off. That sight of his family and loyal soldiers was unbearable. But he knew that he had to continue as long as he could.

"I am still alive and able to fight, King Chitravarma." Dyutimat firmly uttered, clutching his bow.

"Madra will not give up as long as I am standing!" He picked up arrows from his quiver. "Get back to your chariot! Let's see the end of this!"

"As you wish," Chitravarma smirked.

The battle began again. Dyutimat fought at his best to save his land from being swayed away. But the Trigarta King was unconquerable today. The Lord of Madra lost his charioteer, his horses died. Dyutimat jumped down his motionless chariot with sword in hand. Clanging of their weapons were the only sound for the next few whiles, before Chitravarma's sword pierced Dyutimat's chest, almost close to the heart.

"Mata MahaLakshmi! Save your Madra!" Was Dyutimat's last cry before he fell unconscious. With him fell the flag of Madra, that had the image of Devi Lakshmi, the Ishta Devi of this kingdom, on it.

Trigarta had won.

***

Dyutimat's vision was still blurred when he opened his eyes. But he sensed a soft support under his injured head. It could not be the ground.

"How are you feeling now, Maharaj?"

Dyutimat looked up. It was a small girl smiling at him. His head was resting on her lap and her soft palm was caressing his chest. To his surprise, Dyutimat did not feel any pain in his body. The little girl's touch seemed magically soothing. Wherever her little palm touched him, the wounds had been cured.

As if someone has absorbed all his pain!

"Who are you, Putri?" Dyutimat's hand reached out to the girl, patting her cheek.

She smiled again. "You called me Putri. So let that be my identity, Pita!"

Her sweet smile and loving words melted Dyutimat's heart. He lifted himself to a sitting position to behold her well and caress her head.

How dearly his childless heart wished to have such a daughter!

"If you are feeling well, then go home now, Pita!" She softly said, seeing Dyutimat rising. "Everyone is waiting for you."

"But child, my brothers and my people, all are severely wounded." Dyutimat heaved a sigh. "How can I return leaving them in this condition?"

The girl giggled playfully. Her melodious laughter poured nectar to the King's ears. 

"Who is wounded? Look around once, Pita!" Her eyes sparkled in amusement.

Dyutimat turned to the battle ground. He could not believe his own eyes. All the soldiers had risen to their feet. They did not seem to have any pain left in their bodies anymore.

Just like him!

Dyutimat saw both his brothers approaching him, smiling.

Just a while ago they all were lying unconscious on ground! Who cured their wounds so soon?

"Let's return home, brother!" Shalya patted Dyutimat. "This was not the last battle ever. We shall definitely win the next!"

"Jyeshtha, how are you now?"

Shalya looked perplexed.

"I don't know, Dyutimat, but it seems that someone has cast a healing spell over here." Shalya said, "Not just on us but on the entire battlefield. Look there! Our injured soldiers have stood up."

"It must be her!" Dyutimat exclaimed.

"Who?" Vrihatsena wondered.

"The one who cured me." Dyutimat's eyes searched everywhere for the girl.

"Where did she go?"

Then he heard that playful laughter again. This time, it seemed to come from the eastern side of the sky, the abode of Surya Deva.

"Putri, where did you go? Who are you?" Dyutimat called out, sensing that it was indeed her voice coming from the Surya loka.

A melodious female voice replied, "You will see me again when it's time! Go home, Lord of Madra! Don't lose hope! Victory will come to you soon!"

***

Surya loka

The younger Ashwini Kumar was amused to see the childlike grin on his consort's face, adding to her divine beauty.

"Why this sudden visit to Madra, Devi?" He enquired with a smile.

"Devi Lakshmi called me, Natha." Usha said. "Madra people, her dear devotees, have fallen sick after a war with Trigarta. I went to help them out."

"That I know, Devi." Dasra nodded. "But is this the only reason behind this playful smile on your lips?" He smiled a meaningful smile, cupping her face within his palms.

His loving caress made Usha's cheeks turn crimson, mirroring the beauty of eastern sky that she herself adorned at each dawn.

"What is in your mind, Usha?" Dasra asked again, enjoying his blushing wife's lovely face.

"Dyutimat is a nice person, Natha. And you know that Devi Lakshmi has wanted me as her sister." Usha turned her head towards earth, looking at Madra palace with reverence, where Princess Lakshmana, the incarnation of Lakshmi, was playing around. "See, she is waiting for me!"

"I knew it!" Dasra beamed. "You want to take two different forms for the two of us!"

Usha smiled. "Can I ever hide my heart's wish from you two, Swami? You know, my other form has been destined to take birth in Chedi, for Nasatya. And for you, I have chosen to take birth in Madra. As Dyutimat's daughter."

"That will make us cousins, Devi!" Dasra reminded.

"I know. Being cousins will bring us close from childhood!" Usha rested her head on his chest. "We shall meet soon!"

"I will be waiting!" He whispered into her ear.

***

Madra, Chaitra Shukla Tritiya

Another battle against Trigarta, another fresh effort to score victory. But Dyutimat's mind was not in the battlefield as he eagerly awaited the news of his childbirth.

What an irony of life! After so many years he was finally going to be a father, and yet destiny did not allow him to enjoy the moment with his family right now!

"Hail the Lord of Madra! Maharaj, Mata Lakshmi has blessed you with a baby girl!"

Dyutimat exhaled in relief. His hand reached out to his heavy necklace to reward the messanger who brought the news to him.

"How is Maharani?"

"Both Maharani and the Princess are well. Rajkumari carries auspicious marks on her feet. The Rajpurohit says that her birth is a blessing for Madra!"

"You go. I'll return after sunset." The King waved to the messanger. He had to focus on the battle right now.

To his surprise, Madra army seemed unconquerable out of sudden. As if someone had filled all of them with a divine energy! Trigarta could not stand long. King Chitravarma soon gave up in front of Dyutimat.

Victory finally came to Madra, after months of continuous loses from their rival kingdom!

"Maharaj, Rajkumari has brought victory to us!" Remarked the royal priest as soon as the victorious King returned the palace. "She cannot be an ordinary soul!"

"True, Aacharya! She is Mata VijayaLakshmi's blessing herself!" Dyutimat mused, taking the baby in his arms. "Vijaya she is! Vijaya, the victory personified!"

The baby giggled, reminding her father of that mysterious healer girl. The Madra palace decked up in celebration of their long awaited victory, hailing Princess Vijaya with all their heart. Only Vrihatsena noticed that his daughter Lakshmana left her mother's lap and crawled towards the newborn.

"Welcome to the earth, Devi Usha!" MahaLakshmi smiled within her mind.

Ashwini priyaa swarupinim Usha vyadhi nivarinim
Namami Madra raajasutaam Sahadeva sanginim

[I bow to Devi Usha, the darling of Ashwini Kumaras, the destroyer of all diseases. I bow to the Princess of Madra, the consort of Sahadeva.]
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Author's note:

1. Princess Lakshmana was one of Krishna's Ashtabharya, and an incarnation of Devi Lakshmi. Vijaya was her cousin sister.

2. Devi Usha is common wife of both Ashwini Kumaras, Nasatya and Dasra. She is the Goddess of medical sciences, the divine healer.

3. Devi Lakshmi was Ishta Devi of Madra kingdom. Even their flag had her image on it, as mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Credit of finding the verse of Devi Usha being Vijaya goes to PadmaVaasati and PandavaPriyaa