As Shahaji remained away from home it fell upon Jijabai to bring up her younger son Shivaji. The elder son Shambaji was with her husband. The presence of Vittoji was a great support. He had grown very fond of his grandson. The more he saw of little Shiva the more he became convinced that the boy was blessed with Lord Shiva’s power.
Jijabai and Vittoji saw Shivaji grow up. They watched him make gurgling sounds, leave the cradle, crawl on floors and learn to stand on his feet. And then he was running around saying intelligible things and playing around with his friends.
Dada Kond Dev inspired Shivaji to play war games. Raiding castles and defending were his favourites. He mostly liked to lead the attack group. Battling was in his blood. His playing of war games gave immense joy and hope to Jijabai, Vittoji and Dada Kond Dev. Dada taught Shivaji fencing, archery, use of spears, daggers and battle planning.
During those early seven years of life Shivaji never saw his father except for a few days when he was infant. Thus, the mother, the grand father and Dada Kond Dev were boy Shiva’s three guiding spirits.
The mother, Jijabai was the boy’s real teacher. She told him about India’s rich past, culture, sagas of all the brave heroes of the mythological stories and religious tales. She also revealed how Hindu religion and culture was being desecrated by foreign invaders. It was impressed upon the boy that their future lay in his becoming a great warrior and he was born to liberate his land from the aliens and redeem Hinduism.
Reunion of the family
Meanwhile, Shahaji was doing well with his elder son Shambaji in Bangalore. They had won many battles together and earned fame. Shahaji had married again. His second wife, Tukabai had born him a son. Life was never so peaceful and kind. He invited Jijabai and seven year old Shiva to join him at Bangalore and live with him. For the first time the entire family was together.
Shahaji took a close look at his younger son Shiva. Shiva was very aggressive, creative, intelligent and ambitious. Shahaji liked it. He took him on military expeditions to give him a feeling of the real war. Even in the battle grounds little Shiva didn’t fail to impress his father. Shahaji was now certain that his Shiva had all that which was required to realise all their dreams.
He became so enthusiastic about his younger son, Shiva that he decided to take him to Bijapur to show the emperor what an asset he had got in his Shiva.
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