said, ‘Make your parents and teachers proud, Son!’ And then they walked off. Sage Shilada could gather that something was wrong. He immediately ran outside the house and called out to the sages. The sages stopped and turned around to look at him. Sage Shilada stopped before them and, summoning unusual courage, said breathlessly, ‘O great sages! You looked sad while blessing my son … Is … is somethingg wrowrong?’ The sages looked at each other with much apprehension and then Sage Mitra said,aid, ‘Shilada,‘Shilad‘Shila however much we wish we just cannot bless your child with a long life.’ Shilada’s face lost all its colour. Dreading whatat was to come, hhe asked the sage in absolute panic, ‘Why? What is going to happen too my son?’ ‘It’s unfortunate, but …,’ said Sage 9aruna,una, trying to Ũnd the right words, ‘your son is not destined to live for long. I’m sorry, Shilada,hilada,ilada, he will die as soon as he turns eight.’ Sage Shilada fell to his knees in despair. He sat ththere transŨ[ed and thought, ‘Why was God doing this to him? What is thehe meaning of a gigift that is given only to be snatched away? Why this deceit, God?’ Tears uninhibitedlynhibitedly raran down Shilada’s cheeks. After a long time, he carried his heavy heart home.ome. BOOKS As soon as Nandiandi saw his father,fa he guessed that something was wrong. ‘What happened, Father?? Tell me, what is it?’ Nandi asked Shilada. Shilada brokeoke down helplesslyhelplhe and narrated his conversation with the two sages. Much to Sage Shilada’sShiladDC surprise, Nandi didn’t cry; he wasn’t scared, wasn’t even sad. In fact, Nandi was smiling. Looking at the questioning eyes of his father, Nandi said, ‘Father, we worship Lord and He alone can decide our fate. You have always told me that He is the most powerful of the gods and He will not let anything happen to us.’ Nandi looked at his father, ong long ago, even before the dawn of time, the dark God, Lord , lay asleep on his snake-bed in Vaikuntha one night. Looking serenely beautiful even in his sleep, LLord Vishnu was dreaming up the world with eyes closed when a most strange thing happened. From his navel sprouted a thousand-petalled lotus with an endless golden stalk and a blue corolla. Sitting inside the lotus in a yogic posture was the God of Creation, Lord . Lord Brahma opened his eyes to the walls of lotus petals.tals.s. He wanted tot get up and climb out of the lotus, but couldn’t. He tried to walk down thehe stalk of the ũower, but it seemed inŨnite. Lord Brahma was trying hard to Ũgure his way out when he heard a voice, ‘3enance, and only penance, will show you the way, Brahma.’hma.’ma. Lord Brahma sat meditating inside thehe lotus for aeons altogether and at last, he found himself at his father, Lord Vishnu’s feet.et. Lord VishnuVishn wasw still asleep, glittering beautifully in a tinge of blue. Lord Brahma lookedoked at the sleepingsleepinsleepi god in great disdain and shook him awake. ‘Who are you? You lie there sleeping awaaway to glory not even heeding to who is visiting you? Don’t you knoww wwho I am?’ LorLoLord Brahma said haughtily. Lord Vishnu was furious,urious, but heh triedBOOKS to be patient. ‘Welcome, my son. I’m happy to see you. What are you so angry about? CCome, sit close to me,’ Lord Vishnu said, patting his bed. ‘How dare you call me youyour son! I’m the God of Creation, I have created everything. And by that logic, I’m your fafather,’ Lord Brahma stared angrily at Lord Vishnu. The dark God smiled.milDCil ‘Brahma, the lotus in which you were born emerged from my navel. But it doesn’t matter, it’s not you but my maaya that’s talking,’ Lord Vishnu said, his voice calm but stern. At this Lord Brahma got deeply enraged. ‘You tell Me, who created the Universe, that I’m blinded by maaya! How dare you?’ Lord Brahma bristled.

18 Hamsa Lord Brahma carried the ũower in his hands and ũew back. Lord Vishnu, in the form of a boar, was still busy digging. Lord Brahma, on reaching the ground, called out to Lord Vishnu. ‘Could you Ũnd the top, Brahma,’ Lord Vishnu asked, sticking his neck out from the burrow. ‘Of course,’ said Lord Brahma. ‘If I can’t who else will! I alsoso havehavha proof of that. See, I have got a ketaki ũower that was at the top of the pillar. I broughtoughtght her withwitwi me to show you … well?’ Lord Brahma looked at the ũower, urging her to speak.eak. ‘Yes, Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma states the truth.uth.h. I was at the top of the pillar,’ the ũower said, her eyes Ũ[ed to the ground. ‘Well, I tried but couldn’t,’ said Lord Vishnushnuu ruefully. ‘So does that mean that you admit thathat I am more popowerful?’ Lord Brahma uttered. CRACK! BOOOOM!!! The earth split wide open beforefore Lord BrahmaBrahmBr could complete, and from it appeared the three-eyed god, Lord Shiva, raginragingg inn anger. ‘S‘‘So, Brahma, you saw the top of the pillar?’ Lord Shiva asked Lord Brahmama in undisgundisundisguisedBOOKSd anger. Lord Brahma trembled. He fell at Lord Vishnu’s feet. ‘Pardon me, Lord, I have committed a grave mistake.. I know I shouldn’tshouldn have lied. Please lord,’ Lord Brahma cried. ‘This pillar iss me BrahBraBrahma. It’s a lingam. It has no beginning and no end. It is the Brahman. And all threeeeDC oof us are forms of the same Brahman. How then does the question of who’s more powerful arise?’ Lord Shiva stared at Lord Brahma, ‘I curse you Brahma, for you’ve lied, that you shall not be worshipped like Lord Vishnu or me,’ Lord Shiva thundered. Lord Brahma fell to the ground, whimpering. ‘And you ketaki,’ Lord Shiva hadn’t Ũnished yet. He looked at ketaki who was shaking vahana 23 Krauncha of Sage Vamadeva’s curse and he resolved to wreak havoc in Sage Parashara’s ashram. He went on a rampage destroying everything that he could sink his teeth into. In order to put an end to the mouse’s menace, all the pupils of Sage Parashara went to little , who was staying in the ashram at that time. Little Ganesha was sitting under a huge tree, emptying a dish full of his favourite modakaskasass — small, pear-shaped, jaggery-Ũlled balls — that his mother, Goddess , had packedacked for hhim. His trunk was twitching in delight when he saw the pupils of Sage Parasharasharaara marching ttowards him. ‘O dear Ganesha, please help us … please save uss … otherwise he shsshall destroy the entire ashram,’ said all the pupils in chorus. ‘What is the matter, friends?’ Ganeshaa said,d, stufŨng a scrumptious-looking modaka into his mouth, ‘Who in this universe hass the courage to destroyde Sage Parashara’s ashram?’ ‘A mooshak, Ganesha … a mooshakshakk,’ said his friends.frief ‘A mooshak!’ Ganesha laughedhed heartily. ‘Yes, Ganesha. You justust don’td know whatw mayhem a mooshak has brought to our well-kept hermitage. Hee is devouridevourdevouring thethBOOKS grains, clothes, books and everything else. Our meditation is disturbedbeded by the consconstaconstant squeaks of this scampering mooshak. And not just that, the mouse also chewed up thet meditation mat of Sage Parashara yesterday!’ said a small dhoti-clad pupil Ũddlingddli with the crown of hair on his otherwise bald head. ‘Don’t you worry,rry,DC mmy friends! I shall teach the pesky little creature a hard lesson,’ saying this Ganesha stood up, his belly sticking out a mile. Just then the mouse darted out from behind a thatch and ran off down the trail. Looking at the mouse, one of the boys in the group screamed, ‘There … there he is, Ganesha.’ Ganesha immediately raced off towards the mouse shouting in glee, ‘Run for your life, vahana 29 In patalaloka, heard the laughter too and it annoyed him no end. ‘Who dare make such a noise under Mahishasura’s rule?’ He thundered. ‘Go! Find out who that is,’ Mahishasura ordered his men. A while later, Mahishasura’s men stood before him trembling in fear. ‘O Lord, it’s a woman. Mounted on a golden lion and carrying deadly weapons in each of her hands, she is a splendour. We just couldn’tt bearbe her radiance. She is extraordinarily beautiful, but terrifying. The sound that we heararr is her laughter,’la they cried. Mahishasura rose from his throne. ‘You are the bravestvestst among the asurasasa and you get scared by the laughter of a mere woman? Shame … suchuchh shame! She wiwill be taught a lesson because all of creation serves me and me alone.’ Mahishasura said aarrogantly and set out to scout for the with his army. As Mahishasura was marching towardsrds the heavens, hhe saw the strangest thing he had ever seen — a Ũerce bright light cominging towards him.h WhenW the light came closer to him, Mahishasura’s heart almost misseded a beat. It was a beautiful woman majestically riding a ferocious lion. The Devi was nowow a short distancedistadist from Mahishasura. She looked at the demon and gave out a terribleble laugh,la h, a laugh as deep as the rumbling of the thunder clouds. ‘Oh, so you are the one. You wantewantwanted to BOOKSteateteach me a lesson, go on, here I am!’ the Devi said. A strange fearr clutched Mahishasura’sMahiMahish heart. He immediately turned to his men and said, ‘What are you staring at, yoyou fools, attack!’ The nodded anand began a Ũerce battle with the Devi. They loosed a tempest of arrows on her but sheeede DCdestroyed des them all in no time. Another wave of Mahishasura’s army rushed at the Devi from every side with ũaming weapons but was trampled by the Devi and Dawon. Slowly but surely, Mahishasura’s army was turning into a heap of ashes. ‘I shall take her on,’ Mahishasura barked and, turning into a buffalo, charged at the Devi. But soon Dawon attacked him and fell him to the ground. Crimson with wrath,

72 Dawon