"It's Rishi Durvasa again!" Indra's heart nearly stopped.
The last time that revered Rishi had arrived in Amarāvati, the grand capital of Svarga, he had reduced the Devas to beggars over a minor slight. Now, his furious roar thundered across Svargaloka, shaking the very foundations of Mount Meru, the celestial axis of the universe. If his wrath had already reached such heights, what kind of curse would he unleash this time?
Indra sucked in a sharp breath, his mind racing through all thirty-six strategies of escape.
"It's better to take advantage of the situation."
The conclusion was obvious. If he couldn't afford to face Durvasa, why not leave before trouble arrived? Clapping his hands, Indra withdrew his divine radiance, dimming the golden glow around him. He needed to disappear quickly.
"Kailāsa?" Indra mused. "No, I've visited far too many times. It's a fine place for respite, certainly, although the resounding echoes of Mahādeva's Ḍamaru often shake the very skies. Besides, it feels a little different from Satyaloka, the realm of Brahmā. Perhaps this time, Bhūloka, the mortal world, would offer a more intriguing retreat."
A knowing smirk curved his lips.
"The human realm. Perfect."
If he stayed among mortals, he could take a well-deserved break and, at the same time, immerse himself in the illusions of Māyā as described in the Vedas. It would be an enlightening experience, no doubt.
Besides, if he recalled correctly, the classic stories always followed the same pattern. Whenever a powerful ascetic descended to the mortal world, beautiful women would be drawn to him, offering shelter and service.
"Maybe a mortal beauty will be captivated by my ascetic charm, sheltering me from the winds and rains."
The thought pleased him immensely. Yes, this was a foolproof plan.
Just as he was about to slip away, a streak of golden light tore across the sky and descended swiftly. Indra squinted against the brilliance. A silhouette emerged from the glow.
Garuda.
Indra recognized him immediately.
"Pranāma, Indra!" Garuda folded his hands in greeting, his tone unusually urgent. "Rishi Durvasa is at the gates of the King of Svarga's temple. Surya, Agni, and Vāyu are already there. King of Svarga, what are your orders?"
Indra stiffened. "They're all stuck there?"
This was bad. If Durvasa had come only for him, he could have slipped away, hidden in some village, and at worst, endured a curse for a few centuries.
But now, an entire assembly of Devas was trapped under Durvasa's wrath.
"What a mess."
There was no escaping this. If he abandoned them now, it would be a disaster.
With a long sigh, Indra ran a hand through his hair.
"Seems like I'll have to go face Rishi Durvasa once again."
His gaze flickered back to Garuda. "But tell me, why are you here?"
For ages, Garuda had kept his distance from Indra, avoiding unnecessary entanglements. And now, at all times, he had come running to him?
Indra raised an eyebrow. "That's a first."
Garuda's expression darkened. "Rishi Durvasa's curses are too powerful. If he unleashes his wrath again, my elder brother Aruṇa might be caught in the storm. I can't let that happen."
There was a trace of fear in his voice.
Aruṇa, the charioteer of Surya, played a crucial role in guiding the celestial chariot. If Durvasa issued another curse like the last one, one that stripped the Devas of their divine radiance, Aruṇa would be in grave danger.
"Indra, we need to act before it's too late."
Indra let out a slow breath and rubbed his forehead. "No helping it, then. Let's go see what this is about."
Garuda gave a slight nod, then unfurled his mighty wings and shot into the sky.
Indra, his form now bathed in a radiant white glow, adjusted his simple yet regal garments and soared upward, divine energy crackling around him.
Boom. Boom.
The two streaked through the heavens like meteors, piercing the clouds in an instant. Within moments, they descended before the Temple of the King of Svarga, their arrival marked by golden light touching the earth.
The Devas turned, their gazes locking onto the descending figures. For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Then, gasps of relief rippled through the gathered crowd.
"The King of Svarga!"
"Indra has arrived!"
Murmurs spread like wildfire. Faces that had been filled with unease now lit up with hope, and several Devas quickly moved toward Indra's side.
Among the gathered sages, many clasped their hands in greeting, their voices ringing in unison.
"Pranāma Indradev!"
"Pranāma Devraja!"
Indra remained silent. His sharp, star-like gaze was fixed on the figure standing at the heart of the commotion, a sage whose robes billowed and whose presence crackled with fury.
Rishi Durvasa.
A name that evoked both reverence and dread. He was a seer whose penance burned hotter than the midday sun, and whose wrath could unmake fortunes and bring kingdoms to ruin. Even the elements feared him. Lightning halted mid-air, the wind held its breath, and the very earth beneath Svarga tightened its grip.
His voice shattered the stillness. "Indra! You, King of Svarga, stand before me, yet these statues of Adharmic beings remain upright within these sacred halls!"
The force of his words rolled through the assembly like a wave, rattling the temple pillars. The Devas shifted uneasily. Some bowed their heads, while others exchanged nervous glances, uncertain of their king's response.
Indra did not move. His golden eyes showed not the slightest hesitation.
"And?" His voice was crisp and unimpressed.
Durvasa's expression twisted. His breath grew heavy, and his ascetic frame trembled, not from weakness, but from the sheer intensity of the fire that burned within him.
"You insolent!"
A golden radiance flared in his hand.
Indra's eyes caught it instantly. A kamaṇḍalu.
The sacred vessel held the waters of the Ganges, both blessed and feared. One curse whispered into those waters could unravel entire realms, strip Devas of their brilliance, and doom dynasties beyond redemption.
"I shall curse you!" Durvasa roared, his fingers beginning to dip toward the shimmering surface.
Boom.
Before he could complete the act, an unyielding grip seized his wrist.
The gathered Devas gasped. The temple itself seemed to freeze.
Indra's fingers held him firm, as unshaken and solid as iron. His eyes, cold and brilliant like the Vajra, met Durvasa's blazing gaze without the slightest flicker.
His voice rang out, steady and absolute, like the rhythm of cosmic law.
"Enough."
With a single motion, Indra cast Durvasa's arm aside. The force was powerful, yet precise and measured. A tense silence followed, and the weight of the moment pressed down on every soul present.
The Devas could hardly believe their eyes. Indra had just defied Rishi Durvasa.
To stand against a sage of such terrible power was unheard of. The onlookers stared in disbelief, their gazes darting between the King of Svarga and the raging ascetic.
Indra remained composed. His voice, calm and edged with authority, echoed through the temple.
"You wish to curse me. Then answer this: what kind of line of dharma have I crossed?"
His question sliced through the tension like a blade. For the first time since his arrival, Rishi Durvasa faltered.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Thunder rumbled through the skies, echoing with divine fury.
"You dare to defile Svarga with these vile Asura statues?"
Rishi Durvasa, his tattered robes rising with divine energy, stood trembling in rage. His breathing was labored. His gaze remained locked on Indra, as though he were staring at a murderer who had taken his kin.
Indra gave a soft chuckle. It was low and deliberate. Though neither loud nor mocking, the sound scraped against Durvasa's pride like a whetstone dragging across tempered steel.
Then, with deliberate ease, he turned.
His golden gaze flickered with something unreadable as he strode toward the three towering statues. With a single, fluid motion, he lifted his hand and gestured toward them.
"Familiar, aren't they?" His voice carried effortlessly through the temple, calm yet edged with authority. "Hiranyaksha. Hiranyakashipu. Hayagriva. You call them sinners, enemies of Dharma."
His fingers trailed lazily over the cold stone as he continued.
"Hiranyaksha, blinded by arrogance, believed brute strength could bend the cosmos to his will."
"Hiranyakashipu, faithless and tyrannical, was a fool who thought devotion could be erased by fear."
"Hayagriva, cunning and insatiable in his thirst for knowledge, was so consumed by ambition that he dared to hoard the Vedas themselves."
He let his hand fall back to his side before turning to face the sage once more. His smirk deepened.
"Do you know why I placed them here?"
Durvasa's lips pressed into a hard line. His silence betrayed his anger.
Indra's eyes gleamed. "These are not trophies, Rishi. They are reminders, warnings, a lesson for the Devas. A glimpse into what becomes of those who let their vices consume them."
Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, he tilted his head and added with a thoughtful tone, "But perhaps you have a point. Three statues might be excessive."
A quiet stillness fell over the hall.
Indra then clapped his hands together, his voice laced with amusement. "Let us remove two of them. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, perhaps. And in their place..."
He took a step forward, his gaze sharp and unwavering like the Vajra itself.
"We shall carve a statue of you, Rishi Durvasa. Would that not be far more fitting?"
His words, spoken with the lightness of jest, struck like divine thunder.
Durvasa's rage exploded like a storm. "You!"
His body trembled with fury, breath coming in sharp bursts. The air around him crackled with pressure as his wrath pressed down upon the temple.
"You dare compare me to those wicked Asuras? You would place my name beside theirs?"
His hand shot forward, trembling with barely restrained power, pointing straight at Indra as if to strike him down where he stood.
Indra?
He merely smiled. A knowing, serene expression settled on his face, as if he were calmly observing a storm he had summoned with his own words.
"And if I am?"
Their gazes clashed. An invisible force rippled between them. The temple shook. The heavens, for a moment, held their breath.
Then Indra spoke again. His voice was smooth like river stone and unyielding like the mountains.
"All beings carry light and shadow within them, Rishi."
There was no mockery in his tone now. Only unwavering truth.
"Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu defied Dharma, yes. But even they had virtues, too. Strength, conviction, and the will to carve their path. In some ways," Indra continued, his gaze darkening, "Hiranyaksha did not seek war for pleasure. He fought for his people, for his kind. Hiranyakashipu did not wish to destroy without purpose. He wanted to create a world where his Asura kin would never bow to anyone, not even to the Devas."
Silence fell. The gathered Devas barely dared to breathe.
A storm was coming.
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