THE CURSE OF BRAHMA

by Jagmohan Bhanver

  Leaving behind a confused Mandki, Narada hastened to return to Brahma. He had obtained what the Mahadev had instructed Brahma to get.

  He Is on His Way

  hargava sighed as he heard the Dark Lord tell him about Kansa. ‘I know I should be happy that Kansa is lending the final shape to our plans. I wonder why it is then that I feel no joy in this.’

  Amartya Kalyanesu gave him a sad smile. ‘Perhaps because you are a good man, Bhargava. People like you don’t derive any personal joy from destroying a noble man’s soul, and the carnage that comes along with the death of that spirit.’

  ‘And you? Are you happy?’ Bhargava questioned.

  ‘My happiness or the lack of it is not significant. This is not a personal war against Brahma or Indra or even the devas. Maybe it was when I started off.’ Amartya paused, wondering how to explain himself. ‘I realized later that what Brahma did to me was because he felt he had the power to do it and get away with it. He did not just destroy a brahmarishi the day he unjustly punished me. He was making a point that anyone with power could do whatever they wanted, to anyone they wanted to. And he is one of the three supreme gods. If a god is allowed to get away with this, can you begin to imagine what other people would do with that kind of power?’

  Amartya’s question hung in air as Bhargava tried to understand what he had just said. His thoughts were no different from Amartya, even though his motives might have been so. But there was a question that had been bothering him, and he knew if he didn’t ask Amartya now, he might never be able to ask him again.

  ‘Why blame Brahma alone? Wasn’t Indra equally to blame for what Brahma did to you?’

  At the mention of Indra’s name, Amartya’s body visibly stiffened and Bhargava feared he had gone too far. They hadn’t discussed this in the last two hundred years. After Bhargava had taken Amartya away from the hell of Tamastamah Prabha, he had made discreet enquiries through his trusted sources in Swarglok and he had found that Indra had been the one primarily responsible for Amartya’s fate. He had shared it with Amartya and the brahmarishi had listened quietly. At the end of it, he had told Bhargava he did not want to discuss Indra’s role in the matter, ever again. But it was right after that discussion that Amartya had started making his plan of joining forces from Pataal Lok and Mrityulok to launch a full-scale war on Swarglok. Amartya had never said it in so many words, but Bhargava knew that it wasn’t just Brahma who was the target; Amartya intended to teach Indra and his devas a lesson too. And that suited Bhargava because Indra had been the one to ruthlessly kill his mother.

  Amartya read Bhargava’s thoughts. ‘Yes, Indra definitely influenced Brahma’s actions. But Brahma alone was responsible for what he did. Both of them will have to answer for their deeds.’

  ‘Then why launch a war on all of Swarglok? Why not just teach Indra and Brahma a lesson?’ This was the one aspect of their plan that had always baffled Bhargava, even though he had done everything in his power to help Amartya.

  Amartya sighed. Even Bhargava with all his knowledge showed limitations at times. ‘Brahma hurt me, Bhargava; and Indra caused you grievous injury. But if that was the only reason we were fighting them, we would be no better than any other person who sought to avenge themselves on their antagonist.’

  Bhargava shook his head. ‘I still don’t understand,’ he said.

  Amartya decided to elaborate. ‘This war is not just about Indra and Brahma, or what they did to you and me. This is about the extent of rot and corruption that has set inside every corner of the celestial world. Swarglok today abounds with every kind of rogue. The devas are drunk with power and under Indra’s command, they have lost all sense of purpose. The Mahadev is too busy with his penance to castigate them. And Lord Vishnu has shut himself in Svetadvipa, refusing to meet anyone. The other brahmarishis, angered at the behavior of the devas have left Swarglok and gone far away. Brahma, the God who embodies a storehouse of knowledge within himself, is unable to control his senses and his rage and allows the devas to manipulate him, as Indra did in my case.’

  Amartya took a deep breath to calm himself, ‘Do you have any idea how many people’s lives have been wrecked by these same devas who were supposed to be their protectors? If the decay and vices they have caused are not stopped today, they will do the same thing with Swarglok and Mrityulok what the asuras did with Pataal Lok several thousand years ago. No Bhargava—make no mistake—this war is not about you or me. This war is about all those people who have been betrayed by their gods; those same gods who have not lifted a finger to stop the devas from their vile actions. You and I are going to force the gods to step in and do something about it. That is the only reason this war is being fought. And if it means that noble men like Kansa have to be sacrificed at the altar of this revolution, then it will be so.’

  Bhargava looked at the animated face of Amartya Kalyanesu, and he wondered how he had ever thought that this man—this brahmarishi—could ever wage a war against Swarglok merely for his own revenge.

  One thing bothered him though. ‘What about your promise to the asura council that you will infuse them with the power of Brahman? Won’t they misuse the potent force it wields?’ he queried.

  Amartya laughed. ‘It is impossible to infuse a person with the force of Brahman within whom the dark forces of Aghasamarthan already exist. The two forces are contrary in nature. No one who willfully wields Aghasamarthan can ever absorb the pure energy of Brahman.’

  Bhargava was puzzled. ‘Then why did you tell the council that you would teach them to use Brahman energy?’

  ‘One of the things Brahma taught me well was that you deal with people in the same currency that they understand. The asura council and King Vrushaparva would never have allowed you to train the assassins on their land unless they knew there was something in it for them. And what could have been a more powerful attraction than being able to wield the force of Brahman.’

  Bhargava couldn’t help admiring Amartya’s astuteness. He had understood the psyche of the asura king and his council members to perfection. ‘But what about these asura assassins we are training? Aren’t we adding to the rot the devas have already accumulated in the world?

  Amartya Kalyanesu smiled at the man who had befriended him during the most difficult part of his life. When he spoke his voice was gentle. ‘Each of the asura assassins is doing what their destiny wills them to do Bhargava. They have set the wheels of fate in motion but they will all die, like Ghora and Ugra already have. Some of them will die for money and some for the sake of the great men who trained them. But all of them will find salvation at the end of the road.’

  ‘And Jarasandha! What about him? You made a commitment to him that you will make him lord of Mrityulok for all the help he is extending to us in our plan?’ Bhargava queried, his face betraying his sadness at the fate that awaited the men who had trained under the mighty Ugra.

  ‘Jarasandha will never be lord of Mrityulok. He will gain victory over a large part of the mortal world. But his end will come through the same man who will give Kansa his salvation.’

  Bhargava’s face went pale. ‘Who is this man who will be able to destroy warriors such as Kansa and Jarasandha?’

  Amartya looked at his friend, but his mind was elsewhere, hovering over a land called Svetadvipa where he knew the slayer of evil would originate.

  ’I don’t know his name yet. The universe is silent on that as of now. But I do know that he is on his way.’

  Krishna! Krishna! Krishna!

  he gazed at the mountain in front of her. Try as she might, she couldn’t stretch her head far back enough to see the top. It seemed that only the base of the mountain was visible to the eye. It rose so high that the greater part of the mountain was enveloped in dense stretches of fog. No one knew how far up it went, and there weren’t too many people who had ever reached the top of Kailas, the abode of the God of Gods; of Shiva—the destroyer of evil and the most feared God in all the three worlds.

  The beautiful
maiden had braved the steep climbs of Kailas only once before in her life. But that time she had Brahma as her companion. His mere presence had been enough to ease her tired limbs as she scaled the mountain. Today, however, she was alone, and though she was a goddess herself, the treacherous terrain of Kailas was testing the limits of even her endurance. And it wasn’t just that. Every now and then, she would feel some presence around her. It was as if something was trying to throttle her as she slept or in an unguarded moment. But then, these feelings and sensations would go away almost immediately and she would feel safe and calm. She shook her head frequently in an attempt to clear her mind of these feelings. She put down the sensations to an overactive imagination. But somehow, she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

  Bhoomi Devi—the keeper of earth and the mortal world—sighed as she told herself to trudge on. She knew that in a few days the dusty and dry terrain would give way to expose the true beauty of Kailas and reveal the mountain to her in its full glory. On the fourth day of her travel, just as the hour of noon was approaching, Bhoomi Devi came to a point where there were four different paths to choose from. Each path took you to the top of Kailas from a different side of the mountain. Each side was made up of a singular material. The north was made of crystal; the east of ruby; the south face of the mountain was pure gold and the western front was made of lapis lazuli. The whole mountain of Kailas itself was located at the heart of six mountain ranges, symbolizing a lotus.

  Bhoomi Devi paused to consider which of the four routes she should take. The lapis lazuli pathway on the western front fascinated her but the last time she had been to the mountain, Brahma had taken her through the south side, and that route had been fast and unhindered. While she was tempted to experiment with a different path today, her pragmatic side favoured taking the old route, especially since she was in a hurry and needed to meet Shiva urgently. I can’t afford to waste time, she thought to herself. If the gods don’t help me soon, the demons will destroy the mortal world. Her breath quickened as she considered this, and she hastened her steps in the direction of Shiva’s abode on the peak of Mount Kailas.

  Shiva was in deep meditation when Bhoomi Devi reached the summit. Even though his eyes were closed, his cosmic vision saw everything. He knew why a senior goddess like Bhoomi Devi had personally travelled all the way from Mrityulok to meet him. He also knew what she wanted from him. It’s a pity I won’t be able to help her though, he thought with a sigh, still in meditation.

  Bhoomi Devi waited patiently for Shiva to come out of his meditative state. She knew it could take days or even weeks before this happened, but disturbing Shiva in meditation could invite his wrath. That was the last thing she wanted to do at this moment. She knew that sometimes supreme gods like Shiva could decide to communicate telepathically with other gods or demi-gods. They could do this while still in meditation. I wish he would communicate with me now, thought Bhoomi Devi, trying to suppress her anxiety. They never use telepathy when you want them to, She couldn’t help thinking sardonically.

  Her mind had not even completed the thought when she felt a sudden jolt; it was as if something had entered her mind, unbidden, a force quantum times stronger than her own. ‘So, we never use telepathy when you want, is that right?’ growled Shiva. Bhoomi Devi jumped at the sound of his voice. It was as if Shiva was speaking from inside her head. She looked at his face; He was still meditating and his face was inscrutable. Oh Lord, he is using cosmic telepathy, she suddenly realized.

  Cosmic telepathy was a rare power wielded by the three supreme gods and the brahmarishis. While basic telepathy allowed communication between two people, through the transmission of information from one person to another without using any sensory channels or physical interaction, cosmic telepathy went much beyond that. Using cosmic telepathy, the supreme gods could read and control the minds of life forms on multiple planets at once. They could transmit and receive information from multiple planets, while also creating illusions and controlling emotions of the same scale.

  Bhoomi Devi felt rather than heard Shiva laughing inside her head. It was his typical deep-throated and clear laughter. ‘My Lord, this is not fair. You should have warned me you were entering my mind,’ she said, a little upset with Shiva. The laughter died down as quickly as it had started, and Shiva spoke to her in a kind tone. ‘Forgive me, dear, I get carried away with this cosmic telepathy thing sometimes. Tell me what I can do for you.’

  She couldn’t help smiling. It was impossible to stay upset with Shiva. Even though Vishnu was generally considered to be the charmer, she personally found Shiva’s rustic charm more appealing. She never mentioned this to anyone, though. She knew Shiva’s wife, Parvati, would kill her if she caught her admiring her husband, even from a distance. Suppressing a smile, Bhoomi Devi forced herself to return to the matter at hand.

  ‘Lord, since you are using cosmic telepathy, you would already know why I am here,’ Bhoomi Devi said softly.

  ‘I do, goddess, I do.’ Shiva sounded thoughtful.

  ‘Then will you help?’ Bhoomi Devi’s voice was pleading.

  ‘I am not the one who will help you, Bhoomi Devi. Your saviour is elsewhere.’ Shiva’s cryptic answer confused her even more.

  ‘Who?’ Bhoomi Devi started to say as the voice of Shiva in her mind interrupted her.

  ‘You need to go to Svetadvipa. Reach there as soon as you can. Brahma is already waiting for you there.’

  ‘Brahma? But he doesn’t like to leave his abode in Brahmlok for any reason whatsoever. How has he gone to Svetadvipa?’ Bhoomi Devi was genuinely taken aback.

  ‘The situation demands his presence there,’ Shiva said. ‘You should know how serious it is. After all, that’s why you came to me, didn’t you?’

  ‘Y-yes, My Lord, I did. But I came to you for your help. Why are you sending me to Svetadvipa and why did you say you can’t help in this situation?’

  ‘Patience, goddess. So many questions!’ Shiva admonished her gently. ‘As the keeper of the earth, you came to me because you felt that the force of evil has become stronger than that of good and it threatens to destroy Mrityulok. But it is not I who will destroy that evil. In this case, it will be done through Vishnu. And he is currently at his celestial abode at Svetadvipa.’

  Bhoomi Devi nodded as she began to understand somewhat. What Shiva said was logical. Though Shiva had destroyed forces of evil on numerous occasions, it was a fact that whenever Mrityulok had been threatened by dark forces, Vishnu had come to the rescue and decimated the evil. She remembered an occasion several ages back when the demon Hiranyaksha had abducted her and taken her to the Netherworld. It had been Vishnu who had come to her rescue and saved her then.

  She understood now why she had to go to Svetadvipa. But she still wasn’t clear why Brahma was also there. Shiva read her thoughts through and continued, ‘You are aware that any god, demi-god or mortal can go up to Brahmlok and see Brahma when they face a problem in their world. And all those who can bear to climb the formidable Kailas are welcome to my humble abode, too. But it is different when it comes to seeing Vishnu.’

  ‘Why, My Lord? What’s different about meeting Vishnu?’

  ‘Vishnu has confined himself to his island at Svetadvipa for the past several years now. He hasn’t been too happy with the way things have been here.’

  ‘That still doesn’t explain why Brahma is going to Svetadvipa,’ Bhoomi Devi said, puzzled.

  ‘There are two reasons for that. The first is that he is carrying something I had instructed Narada to get from Mrityulok. Vishnu is going to need it if he has to help you.’

  ‘And the second reason?’ Bhoomi Devi asked, her curiosity piqued.

  Shiva sighed. He had been hoping he wouldn’t have to explain that. But Bhoomi Devi was too smart to fool. ‘Brahma is there at Svetadvipa to use his force to cleanse that place of all evil. You may not be aware but the dark forces know of your coming to us for help. And they have sent some of their potent energies to try
and harm you. You probably didn’t see them because they were invisible but they followed you all the way to my abode. If Parvati hadn’t been around you, they would have likely tried to attack you on the way here.’

  ‘Parvati? She was there with me on the way uphill?’ Bhoomi Devi said in a stunned tone. And then it struck her. She remembered the feeling of being strangulated at times when she was resting or sleeping on the way to Kailas. That must have been the dark energies at work, trying to throttle me. And then she recalled how these feelings would suddenly disappear and be replaced with sensations of calmness. Ah, that would have been Parvati. She would have scared away the dark ones and used her own positive potency to calm me. Bhoomi Devi mentally thanked Parvati for her help.

  ‘My Lord, if the dark energies followed me to Kailas, won’t they also come after me on the way to Svetadvipa?’ Bhoomi Devi’s voice was shaky as she asked the question.

  ‘They will, goddess,’ answered Shiva’s voice inside her head.

  ‘Then who will protect me on the way to Svetadvipa? Who will ensure I reach there safely?’

  There was a long silence, making her think that the Mahadev had gone into deep meditation and was no longer tuned into her mind. But then she heard him, and his words left her both, secure and terrified at the same time.

  ‘Have no fear. I will come with you to Svetadvipa!’ Shiva’s words seemed to echo in her head. There could be no bigger comfort than knowing that Shiva himself was escorting her to her destination. The same thing also scared her out of her wits because she knew that Shiva would only come along if the dark forces had unleashed their most potent and deadly energies against her. She wondered what would happen to her when Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu or Parvati were no longer there to protect her.

  In that instant, she saw Shiva’s eyes open and before she knew it she was being whisked away in a cocoon fuelled by his vital force. She couldn’t see Shiva around but she could feel his presence and as the cocoon flew away from Kailas, she saw looming in the distance, the milky waters of Svetadvipa, home to one who some considered the greatest god of all—the all-seeing Vishnu.