Chapter 13: Hiranyakashipu’s Vara

Meanwhile, Brahma is confused as to what of HK. Obviously his demands will be something that Devathas cannot digest. But if he does not give vara, he is unworthy to be God. He is in a dilemma.

Narada continues to entertain Kayadu, knowing well, the effect it will have on the baby. He narrates the story of Dhruv. He, then, chants the best ever words that give much happiness: ‘Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Namaha’. The words go through the womb and to the baby.

Indra still wants to tapas-bhang HK. He asks bro Suryadev (God of Sun) to heaten HK. Suryadev warns him about flooding of Himalayas. Much worse if no tapas-bhang, says Indra. So Suryadev tries to heaten HK.

Once again Shukracharya’s mysterious mist saves HK. Suryadev retreats after repeats, defeated. Indra goes to Brahma to request him not to give HK an all-powerful vara. Brahma, himself worried, says he will try his best, but still he is bound to give a vow.

Lakshmi is all tensed about this story. She asks Vishnu why such a thrilling complicated story? What's the motive? Vishnu says that he wants to prove to the world that no one is good or bad by birth. A son need not be like a father. A deity's son if he does bad, then he is not a deva, he is an asura. Lakshmi asks wouldnt it have been easier if HK's son was born in the family of gods (Indra and Co). Vishnu says that would be a normal story. A good story writer need to make the story extraordinary and unique and innovative! Lakshmi is much impressed with the advent of Narada and wonders what happens to the story of Vishnu-hating HK and Vishnu-loving son. She asks Vishnu of the outcome. ‘That’s the punch’ says Vishnu and continues to mystify the happenings and the end. But he tells that one part of the story is HK's tapas and the other is his son who will create history.

The apex of HK’s tapas has reached. So Brahma comes before him and promises a vow. HK asks for no death. Brahma says it is not in his hand, for its Shiva's department. Anything else. So HK asks for no death with following conditions:
1. inside or outside the house
2. in morning or evening
3. by man or animal
4. on earth or sky
5. by weapons.

Brahma thus is, by virtue of promise, caught. So he grants the vara.

HK is happy, because its all equivalent to no death. Lakshmi is distressed. Vishnu is not. He says, no man can ever live forever. No death to only 2 people: One, Vishnu Himself and Two, Death Itself. He also tells her about the oncoming fascinations of a Great Son to a Horrible Father, the amount of punishments one has to undergo for committing crimes (Indra) and the acceptance of the throne without corresponding Good Works and other words of wisdom. He also tells that the amount of punishment varies with amount of crime. More the crime, more the punishment. What Indra did was not good, kidnapping a pregnant woman, trying to kill an unborn child, etc. An intelligent man is one who thinks about consequences before doing the action. 

Chapter 12: Narada provides refuge to Kayadu

Narada meets Indra midway. Both Lakshmi and Vishnu are extremely unhappy about Indra kidnapping a pregnant woman, and degrade it. Indra is told that, and that he is no different from Hiranyaaksha who did the similar thing to Mother Earth. Being a Devatha, this was not expected from him. If all his doings were to be praise-worthy of Vishnu and to save Vishnu, it had exactly the opposite effect and Vishnu can take care of himself

Indra sees light. He is sorry, He releases Kayadu. But she has nowhere to go, as Devathas have taken over the Asuraloka now. So Narada offers his place for her until the time of delivery. Both go there. She is much relieved, especially with care and comfort given by Narada and the healthy food, esp for the baby.

Lakshmi is tremendously happy over the services provided by Narada to Kayadu. Even Vishnu praises him. But then, Says Vishnu, Narada knows the importance of atmosphere around a pregnant lady and its overbearing effects on the baby inside the womb. Vishnu also says that anyone who loves Nature & is attuned with Nature, will naturally get the 'common-sense' on how to treat pregnant women. Narada is a perfectionist in this case.

Chapter 11: Indra kidnaps Kayadu

The love of brother makes Hiranyakashipu (HK) even more angrier against Vishnu. At his brother’s funeral, he resolves to take revenge against Vishnu, come what may. So he orders his senapathi (troops) that no one should pray Vishnu, no one should say Vishnu, and thus it must be the end of all Vishnu-based proceedings.

HK’s mom advises against HK’s doings. She reminds him that Hiranyaaksh abducted a woman and what can expect from someone who can abduct women other than death. HK says abduction is the culture of asuras. A culture that abducts never survives, says mom. It is due to their strength that they abduct. If they like something, they will abduct. Mom correctly points out that the strength should be to protect women, not abduct. HK refuses to agree, he is too proud of his strength. Mom suggests that whatever happened to HK's bro will happen to HK too if he continues in same vein.

HK resolves to wipe out Vishnu's name from entire Earth. No one should pray Vishnu, everyone should pray HK. Shukracharya backs him up. Although apologetic because he cannot bring back Hiranyaaksha’s life with the help of Sanjeevini mantra because Vishnu himself had killed him, he informs HK that Vishnu is very clever, and extremely difficult to beat. So he informs HK that to beat Vishnu, he must gain all the powers that Shukracharya possesses and more. Shukracharya was unsuccessful in beating Devathas because now they had amruth, but now to defeat Vishnu, HK should be so well-equipped that it will be almost like Chakravyooha to be successful. So he tells HK to perform tapas. Not to Vishnu, because, he is not in favour, not to Shiva because Shukracharya had already got the extreme power from him, but to Brahma to attain the Power and ask him for a vara (vow) that Shukracharya asked.

HK agrees and sets out. His wife Kayadu is sad because the timing is bad because she is expecting her first child and the father not to be in the asuraloka (place of asuras (rakshas, devils)) is a sad thing indeed when the time of delivery came. But HK is adamant and leaves asuraloka and starts tapas to Brahma, bestowing the Senapathi (chieftain) to look after the Queen and still-you-are-doing-wrong-saying mother.

Meanwhile, all attempts are made to ensure that no one prays Vishnu and all pray HK. Devotees who are adamant are killed. Lakshmi is concerned and asks, quite rightly, what is Vishnu waiting for. Time, he says. Let HK brim with crimes. But he overlooks the fact that innocent people are killed in the process of his waiting, for no reason of theirs, but, as the saying foes, Truth prevails at the end, and not in the middle, where all wrong things tend to excel, where innocent people indeed die and Vishnu just looks on, while Lakshmi is just concerned.

Indra wants to return the favour to Vishnu, who had helped them to get amruth. So he devises a plan to stop the tapas of HK. What happened when the same thing was done to Shukracharya is pointed out, but he waves it away.

Meanwhile, HK is performing ‘ghor’ (tremendous) tapas. A person with ill thoughts in mind and God in lips. Such people shall always exist, but it is the ‘truth that prevails’, is hinted. Penance means to suffer for a motive. It is the means of upliftment of oneself. It is a means to connect to God. It is the deed to chastise and purify the mind. It is a means to pray and offer gratitude to God. But if the motive of penance is to harm others, then it is an insult to penance. If HK is doing tapas as a revenge to Vishnu, what will be the fruit of it.

Indra tries again to ‘tapas-bhang’ HK, so that HK does not get all-pervading power. So he takes Agni Dev (God of Fire) with him. But their (Indra and Agni’s) efforts are nullified as Shukracharya’s foresight helps him to devise suitable defenses. Repeated tries from I & A foul them. So they abort when things start backfiring. Shukracharya can always protect his disciples.

Unfazed, Indra devises a plan to kill Kayadu and hence the now-to-be-born-obviously-bad-HK’s son. Also, until HK’s return and hence, war, Indra And Co (devathas) wage war against Asuras and take hold of that property.

Lakshmi is concerned as to the plans of Indra. Indra is killing innocent people and HK's army is killing innocent devotees of Vishnu. Both are doing wrong - and innocent people are being killed everywhere. So she asks Vishnu to pitch in and stop this massacre. Vishnu soothes her saying that she will take care of the unborn child, and this child itself will stop the terror atrocities in HK's kingdom. Hints are given that HK will have a son who would chant Vishnu’s name for 24 hours, which is the exact opposite of what HK wanted.

Attempts are made to kill Kayadu and her womb for it holds the bad omen of HK (HK’s future generation). But an anonymous (obviously Vishnu’s) hand stops the arrows midway. Repeated efforts yield same results. Then arrows start backfiring. Hence mission aborted.

Indra is puzzled. So he aborts killing Kayadu. Instead he thinks of kidnapping her in her agony state. He fights through the defenses of HK’s fort, as well as kills HK’s senapathi. Against her wishes, Kayadu is taken away by Indra, so that she could be jailed and her son might not rule the world like HK.

Chapter 10: Avatar # 3: Varaha Avatar

Hiranyaaksha and Hiranyakashipu are born. The 2 are brothers-in-command. They are powerful, strong and natural winners. They don’t look upto anyone and hate everybody except for grave respect for each other. With such confidence, they think they can control the world and become dictators.

Chaos erupts everywhere as the H bros unleash deathly power and Nazi regimish schemes. There is blood and fire all around. H bros are exultant. Hiranyaaksha kidnaps Mother Earth (whatever that means!) and takes her to Paatal loka for obvious reasons. So she wails and prays. Vishnu is the Hearer of all wails, as well as the Healer. So he transforms into Avatar No 3: Varaha Avatar (Pig) and goes to the Paatal Loka – a place full of dirt and as unhygienic as possible. Hence the pig. And the pig saves the Mother Earth by carrying her in its extended nostrils.

Chapter 9: Future at a glance

Four children of Brahma [Sankadik, Sat, Sanathan, Sthonam] visit the abode of God. But dwarpaalaks (Gate-keepers) Jaya and Vijaya stop them, saying Vishnu was taking rest. However much the children ask for entry, they are refused. They are devotees and they wish to see Vishnu. But they are refused again and again. The children become angry, and give ‘shaapa’ (curse) to the 2 to become Rakshasas!

The gate-keepers are stunned. Commotion brings Vishnu to the scene. Gatekeepers complain that they were just doing their duty. But Vishnu had heard it all.

He says they deserve the curse, because they were overdoing their duty - misusing their power and being proud of it. They thought they were bigger than the 4 children-sages. No one can keep devotees away from him, and gatekeepers were exercising non-existent and out-of-boundary powers. This was a crime. Hence, there has to be a punishment. So he rejects the withdrawal of the curse, instead asks the 4 children the details of the curse, meaning, the duration, the forms and their eventual end.

Thus say the 4 children: Jaya and Vijaya have to be Rakshas for 3 births. And in each birth, Vishnu should kill them.
1) In the I birth, the 2 will be born as Hiranyaaksha and HiranyaKashipu (death by Varaha avatar and Narasimha avatar respectively)
2) In the II birth, the 2 will be born as Kumbhakarna and Ravana (death by Rama avatar)
3) In the III birth, the 2 will be born as Kansa and Shishupaala (death by Krishna avatar)

After this, they will attain salvation.

Jaya and Vijaya, although baffled, accept the curse as a way of punishment to their wrong deed. With that, the 4 children move off and Vishnu looks on to the Future with interest.

Chapter 8: Mohini Avatar

So manthan continues. Out comes from Ratnakar (ocean), Ratna (jewelry), Kamadhenu (magical cow), kalpavruksha, etc. Then finally the Amruth. Both D&D are exultant. One of the Daanavs (Swarabhanu) becomes very greedy and takes the pot and runs away with it.

Devathas are devastated. ‘Sankata bandaaga Venkata ramana.’ They approach Vishnu, who says its impossible to let Daanavs rule the world. If it is so, the whole point and the ‘Romanchan’ of life will be destroyed. So he accepts to help. He says it is his responsibility to get the elixir to devas.

He transforms himself into Mohini. As Mohini, he enters the court of Daanavs who are yet to drink the amruth. Her walk, her smile, her hair, her eyes, are stuck in Daanav’s eyes and each one praise her while amruth is sidelined. She says she is here to praise the strong Daanavs for obtaining the amruth and beating the Devathas.

Daanavs are overjoyed. They ask her to dance. She does and thereby wins everyone’s heart. She is then asked to provide amruth from her own hands. She says that Devathas are to be invited to show that Daanavs are great. Daanavs uphold dignity and justice. After inhibitions, Kaalakethu agrees and Daanavs invite Devathas.

In the name of ‘athithi satkar’ (serving guests first), Mohini asks Kaalakethu that she supply amruth to the guests in his court ie Devathas. Unsuspectingly, he agrees and Mohini provides amruth to all Devathas.

Swarbhanu Daanav suspecting foul play transforms into a Devatha and joins the Devatha queue. Unsuspecting Mohini also provides him the amruth. But Chandradev devatha reveals the secret and Mohini transforms back into Vishnu in anger. Vishnu leaves the Vishnu chakra and it cuts Swarbhanu into 2 pieces.

Since Swarbhanu was killed by Vishnu himself, even amruth could not save his life. There is absolutely nothing that can stop Vishnu’s guillotine, not even Sanjeevini Mantra. Swarbhanu was cut into 2 pieces : head and body. They became the Rahu and Kethu, and since it was the God of Moon, Chandradev, who revealed Swarbhanu’s magical act, Rahu and Kethu became the enemies of Chandradev, or the Moon.

Daanavs are stunned that Mohini was Vishnu. Dreading it, Kaalakethu sees that the pot filled with amruth was indeed empty. All amruth to Devathas. Kaalakethu seethes with rage and rushes to Vishnu to kill him. But Vishnu has his ways of escaping. In the end, Kaalakethu and Co know that they have been cheated and once again, truly defeated.

[This shows that even Vishnu had to cheat to get his job done. But the fact remains that this act was done to avoid giving power (and thereby to stop the now-already-present) to the ‘Cheaters’ => a thorn can remove a thorn concept]

Shukracharya was outrageous. He points out that people who are caught in the web of a woman’s charm and beauty cannot achieve anything in life. They are bound to be failures. The ‘object of desire’ is the road to disaster.

An implicit end of kaalakethu, harshal and thereby the story of Daanavs. But then, it is not ‘The End’…

Chapter 7: Swayamvara

Samudra manthan resumes. After repeated churning, out comes Lakshmi, as beautiful as ever. But she is just recognised as a ‘Woman’. Kaalkethu describes her lips, her eyes, her face, her temple, her hair, her walk in positive adjectives and encourages desire in himself. He asks Indra that she has to be his. Indra says he is Devathi, apt for a Devatha. So he rejects.

Kaalakethu and Co again walk-out, saying, they will have a war to determine who must have the woman. Both the parties thus stop the manthan and go to battlefield to win the woman.

Lakshmi is anxious on not finding Vishnu. Her soul shouts for him, her eyes search for him, every fibre of her body needs him. So Vishnu arrives. An enthralling and passionate combining of Vishnu and Lakshmi, but Vishnu, mystery in his eyes, tells Lakshmi, that now that she has come out sea, she is the daughter of the God of Oceans (sagar-putri) and hence she has to meet the creator of oceans, Brahma, to determine her future and leaves her all alone.

So Lakshmi approaches Brahma and informs her of her need of Vishnu and the wasteful battle of Daanavs and Devathas. Brahma says ‘What rubbish’ and approaches the battlefield. He stops the just-about-to-start war and tells Devathas and Daanavs about the principles and protocols w.r.t. a woman. He informs them of the right that a woman has and she should not be considered as an object, a non-living, over which one could have possession.

So, he starts a new process called ‘Swayamvara’ in which a woman gets the absolute right, a veto, over the man of her choice and selects him and him alone, and not vice versa.

Harshal praises Kaalakethu that he is strong and hence she will choose him only and Kaalakethu’s eyes lit up, but predictably, its having visions of impossibility.

Lakshmi is worried. Narada appears. He tells that her smile is the thing that brings back life into many creatures and now that smile itself is missing. What seems to be the problem? She replies:” In the forthcoming swayamvara, all devathas and daanavs are invited, but not her Narayan. And how can she choose anyone else except him?”

So she requests Narada to ask Narayan to attend the Swayamvara. Narada says he might just say so, but since Narayan is not invited…

Swayamvara. No sign of Vishnu. Only Daanavs and Devathas. Sagarputi is still tense. She awaits. Brahma, the coordinator, announces the start of the first Swayamvara ever – a policy, a function in which the woman has the right to choose her man. A new was thus made.

Still as tense as ever, Sagarputri makes her way across the courtyard, rejecting all and simultaneously having an eye over the door for a miracle entry of Vishnu. But no. She rejects all but one, Kaalakethu, because he is the last one around. And since he is the only one left, she has no choice. She is petrified. She delays while her mind is terrified.

Sure enough, enters Vishnu. Lakshmi is overjoyed and over the moon. She is totally attracted to him. Her happiness knows no bounds. Tears flood, and she runs to him and chooses him as her man. Devathas are impressed. The milan of Lakshmi and Vishnu, thus, is historic, as Vishnu had promised. As exciting as frightening and as thrilly as it could be.

Daanavs are totally depressed. And approach Shukracharya for aborting the manthan again. But Shukracharya advises otherwise since he wants the elixir himself. 

Chapter 6: Neelkant

Aroma of amruth. That is what the initial perception is. But then the truth dawns. It is the Kaalkoot poison. Chaos ensues. Everybody (daanavs, devathas, maanavs) start running for their lives, trying to go as far away as possible from the spreading aroma.

Daanavs go to Shukracharya and asks for aborting the ‘Samudra manthan’ operation. Shukracharya ays ‘no fear’ as he can give back life to them, even if they die, and wonders what of Devathas.

Devathas approach Vishnu and complain: ‘What the hell is going on?’ Vishnu pacifies them that if obtaining amruth is easy enough, then whats its significance? ‘The thrill (romanchana) of life is to play hide and seek with Death. Risks have to be taken.’ Gives the example of how both a baby and a mother have to undergo almost-death in the 9 month process and the actual delivery, at which the whole world smiles. So, getting amruth is not easy. (The availability of Vishnu in the human form especially when he is upholding the mandar mountain as a koorma is based on the fact that Vishnu can take up more than one form at any point of time).

Indra asks how come the poison in the ocean. Vishnu informs that it is due to Man, who always deposits waste into the all-consuming ocean. When the waste is put into water, over a period of time, it becomes poison - obviously. If only Man stops polluting oceans, there would be no more poisons!

Then, Brahma, too, approaches Vishnu and asks for the safety of his creations (the maanavs) what with the Kaalkoot poison being what it is. Vishnu and Co are perplexed. Finally they decide to visit the 3rd board member, with the assurance that he will solve the current crisis.

Lord Shiva is enchanted upon seeing both Brahma and Vishnu, as well as Devathas. He welcomes them suitably. Pleasantries exchanged, the problem in question is raised. Shiva says ‘No Fear’. All go down to ocean. Shiva inhales all the poisonous kaalkoot and drinks the stuff too and throws the empty pot away.

Vishnu is all praise to Shiva for saving the world. He respects him and calls him ‘Neelkant’ (blue throat) for stopping the poison from reaching his heart by making it stop at the throat (which hence becomes blue). Vishnu heaps accolades to Shiva mentioning that even Shiva, traditionally the Destroyer, can protect lives by consuming a seriously destroying thing such as poison itself. And for such a great effort, Vishnu bows down to Shiva. Brahma, too, is thankful, for, for daanavs, there is Shukracharya, for devathas, there is Vishnu, but for maanavs, he is responsible and only Shiva could have saved them.

Still, Shiva explains the necessity of poison. Where there is amruth, there has to be poison. So, the poison cannot be eliminated completely, but its effect can be reduced, seeing to it that, it does not touch one’s heart, by stopping it at the throat itself (To become like Shiva, one has to drink poison (sacrifices must be done to help others) [Real life eg: Poisonous elements cannot be disposed (foul-mouthed people, etc) but their effects can be reduced (ignoring their expletives, etc)]. Explicitly Shiva explains that by not allowing oneself to hear negative stuff, one can save one's own heart from getting poisoned. And by not allowing negative stuff to enter one's mind, one can have a pure character. Vishnu is once again appreciation personified. But he condemns those who pollute the shresht-thing like ‘water’, by throwing unwanted things into it, which finally transforms into poison, affecting organisms inside water. All said and done, the board members return back.

Indra goes to Shukracharya and says that Kaalkoot poison is stopped. Shukracharya concurs that only Shiva could have done it. Indra asks him to send his troops back so that operation can resume. They are reluctant, but Shukracharya knows the significance of amruth, so he says ‘Off you go!’ Also orders Swarnabhanu to keep an eye on the operation, as earlier.