He had stopped paying attention to Vishwamitra after Menaka’s return and had taken the threats she had passed on as words spoken in anger. But now it seemed he had underestimated the mortal, for he had managed to transport another human to Swarg with just his own powers!
He would figure out how he managed to do it later but for now he had to teach this filthy human a lesson. He locked eyes with the king and said with barely concealed malice, ‘How dare you step onto the sacred soil of my home?’
Seething with anger, he glared down at the old king and said, ‘Your mentor may have managed to transport you to the gates of Amravati but he won’t be able to facilitate your entry, for you are a thrice-sinned man whom even his own kulguru forsook in the end. I admire his effort that has caught me unawares but all his brilliance is a waste, for you shall not be allowed to stay here a moment longer.’
Immediately two of Indra’s guards rushed at Satyavrat in order to apprehend the intruder but to their surprise they were repelled by his protective shield. Their brains registered their failed attempt, yet they rushed again to grab the intruder but to no avail.
Indra was shocked by what he saw; his celestial guards were being repelled by a human? This was unheard of!
He ordered his troops to use their blasters but all that firepower could not so much as cause a dent on the shield that now glimmered and reflected Shakra’s own bewildered expression. The leader of demigods could not believe that an energy shield created by a mere human was fending off laser blasts and cursed himself for letting his attention deviate from Vishwamitra.
He knew he could not let the humans gain this victory, else he would become the laughing stock of Swarg. He ordered his guards to step away and pointed his vajra at the human, using all its powers to toss him off Swarg.
His efforts started showing results and Satyavrat began to rise in the air. Shakra’s face contorted with the exertion and he snarled at the king, ‘I may not be allowed to wipe your puny frame off the face of this planet but can definitely push you off its surface. Shameless intruder, be prepared to be punished for trespassing as I throw you back to Earth. Your energy shield may have protected you from my weapons but let’s see whether it can also protect you from the impact of crashing into your own planet!’
For the first time since emerging from the tunnel, the king felt really afraid for his life. He had been relieved that the shield had sheltered him from the laser shots but now it seemed even that wouldn’t help. With a swishing sound he was flung out of Swarg and thrown into oblivion.
Adhyaye 36
Vishwamitra had followed the king’s progress using his mystical powers and, as Shakra pushed him off his domain, the rishi rose to break his fall.
Raising his arms towards the skies, he began chanting mantras that would halt Satyavrat’s descent. Invoking verses that could halt the motion of even bigger planets, he hoped they would work on the king’s comparatively tiny frame and prevent him from crashing to his death.
He could now discern the approaching form of the king and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his efforts being rewarded as the small projectile seemed to hover and come to an abrupt stop in the vast murkiness of space. He magnified his vision and was comforted to find the king alive and safe, still protected by the energy shield, though he was turned upside down. He had been falling head first for a while and all the blood had pooled in his head, turning his face red. He seemed to be shouting Vishwamitra’s name though it wouldn’t help since sound did not carry in vacuum.
Vishwamitra immediately established a mental connect with the distraught king and said, ‘Do not worry! You have taken refuge with me and I shall not let you fall down to death.’
Satyavrat’s expression seemed to change on hearing the rishi’s voice and he seemed to get a grip on himself. Vishwamitra fumed at the disrespect shown to his protégé just because he was a human and therefore deemed unworthy of even stepping on the soil of heaven.
Turning the king upright, he spoke to Indra using his powers of telepathy, ‘O arrogant son of Aditi, you have tried to thwart my penance and even succeeded in disrupting my efforts once but today, the man who stands in front of you is much stronger than the one you defeated earlier! How dare you show such disrespect to a king who deserves to be in heaven by your own rules?’
Indra watched in angry disbelief as the descent of the Manav he had thrown out of Swarg stalled. He gnashed his teeth and replied in an equally threatening tone, ‘O insolent human, who are you to question what I do in my kingdom? Whether this human deserves to reach heaven or hell shall be decided by Yamraj after his death, not by you.’
He knew his logic was right so he pressed on, ‘How dare you both try to breach the sanctity of Swarg? I shall never let you or him break into my palace, you ungracious human. Do not forget that I possess the power to turn you and this ant into ash in a flash, just as my soldiers had turned your men into dust once!’
The moment he was reminded of the humiliation he had faced, a steely determination came over Vishwamitra’s mind and he said, ‘If that is the course you wish to take, be prepared for the consequences, O arrogant Deva. This man is destined for Swarg and I am sure even you have sufficient powers to be aware of this as well. You reject him now only because he refuses to pander to your whims like your courtiers and fan your ego to gain your favour.
‘The Srishti Karta has not barred humans from travelling to other lokas, yet you and your minions guard Swarg as if it is your own ancestral property. To shatter your pride and show you what a mere human can achieve, I shall create a new heaven to rival your own this very instant!’
Shakra smirked at this statement and passed it off as a bluff. Surely this human could not have gathered so much power that he could create a completely new planet. Even he, Indra, could not do this, for this was a feat that could be achieved only by the Srishti Karta!
Within moments, however, his opinion changed as he watched with unblinking eyes a new star system beginning to emerge where that blasted Trishanku was hanging in the sky. What took zillions of solar years to form was taking shape right in front of him, within minutes!
A giant nebula emerged in the vast emptiness of space and quickly divided into a dense central mass and a peripheral portion that slowly began revolving around the nucleus. The central portion began turning into a non-compressible core that would form the seed for the germination of a star. The surrounding clumps of gas spread near its equatorial plane, forming a disc even as the core started to burst into life by fusing smaller molecules into larger ones. Interstellar dust began to aggregate in the disc, giving rise to small planet-like bodies that gradually gained mass and absorbed all floating debris into themselves.
Shakra watched in disbelief as an entire solar system was formed in front of his eyes within a muhurat! He could not believe that Vishwamitra was going to prove him wrong right in front of his very eyes.
In his panic, the only solution that came to his mind was to take help from the Creator since only he could stop this madman from disturbing the equilibrium of the universe.
By the time Brahma appeared at the scene, Vishwamitra’s planets were done and he was busy populating them with different species of life. His eight eyes watched the new planetary system in amazement, appreciating the way Vishwamitra had taken care of every factor.
There were three planets in the new solar system, all habitable owing to a proper distance from the sun, and each had land as well as oceans to support all forms of life. The third planet was enveloped by a thick atmosphere that could even support large avian beings and, for all practical purposes, this seemed the primary focus of his attention. The Srishti Karta was both baffled and impressed at this prodigious feat for he himself had required guidance to begin the process of creation.
Even as the two divine beings watched, one in admiration, the other in dismay, three more star systems had come up, each with their own planets. Life was emerging in its varied hues with humanoids developing from prim
ates and their precursors. Eons of evolutionary process was being fast-forwarded to give rise to a kingdom for Vishwamitra’s disciple!
The Srishti Karta smiled inwardly at India’s discomfort in the face of this phenomenal display of power; he knew the leader of gods had not acted properly.
He took a deep breath and motioned for Indra to stay calm.
It was time for him to intervene.
Adhyaye 37
Vishwamitra was thrilled!
It was true that he had assembled as many metaphysical powers as any human could and was the master of twenty-three siddhis, yet he had never imagined the extent to which he could modify his environment using them.
So engrossed was he in his endeavour that he failed to notice the blast of blue light that emerged right in front of him. It wasn’t until the Srishti Karta addressed him that he realized he was in the presence of the Creator Himself.
‘Vishwarath,’ Brahma dev said in a voice that was like the booming of thunder.
The hermit-king paused in the middle of creating the royal palace and, bowing to the Creator, exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe I have been blessed with the presence of the Srishti Karta Himself! Many salutations to you, Lord Hiranyagarbha!’
Brahma’s six eyes critically appraised the human who had managed to rival his own work so beautifully. He raised the front right arm in blessing and said in the same thundering voice, ‘This is indeed a remarkable feat you have accomplished, O Manav.
‘Never before in the history of this universe has a descendant of Manu managed to accomplish such an extraordinary feat.
You have achieved what even the finest architects of the Devas and Asurs cannot dream of and for good reason, for such an exercise can upset the critical balance of the entire universe!’
Thinking that the Creator was unhappy with his actions, Vishwamitra fell down on his knees and said with emotion, ‘Forgive me, World Father, if I have offended you in any way, for this display of creativity was not meant as an affront to You but as a lesson in humility to the arrogant Devas. I am but a servant of the Supreme Brahman and not even worth a grain of dust on your holy feet!’
Brahma smiled and said, ‘I wasn’t unhappy when you managed to extract the Gayatri Mantra from the very heart of Surya, earning the sobriquet of Vishwamitra, and I am certainly not unhappy with your remarkable achievement today. Rather, it fills my heart with great pride that one of my own creations has managed to surpass even me in creativity.’
Vishwamitra was surprised; this was the first time in his long career that he had been praised by anyone for breaking the rules that had been set for him!
The Srishti Karta continued with his praise, overwhelming him with emotion, ‘You have shown the world that a human, however small or insignificant he may seem, retains within his heart the power to break the limitations of his physical form. From this point onwards, anything created synthetically, cloned from something that exists naturally, shall be called “Vishwamitra’s Srishti” in your honour.’
‘However,’ Brahma dev continued, ‘if any creature tries to duplicate my own creation, it can lead to a breakdown of the system and result in a state where there are no rules and, instead of the regulations I have set, each person’s will stands paramount. The balance between fate and free-will is a delicate one and I do not wish for that to be upset so radically.’
Vishwamitra’s heart skipped a beat. Was the Srishti Karta going to demolish his creation? He would be well within his rights to do that, for such a creation could be dangerous for Swarg and the Devas who were related to him by family ties!
But Brahma sensed his thoughts and said, ‘Your human thoughts are amusing to sift through. The tiniest of living organisms in this vast universe is related to me the same way the Devas ruling them are. There is a reason why it is known as the Brahmaand! To ensure such a feat is not repeated, I shall have to put a stop to your efforts. But the planetary systems you have created shall not be destroyed and shall keep functioning outside the purview of Shakra and other Devas.’
The hermit-king could not believe his ears as the thundering voice continued to speak, ‘The parallel heavens you have created shall continue to be inhabited by the life forms you have populated them with. Satyavrat shall be their master, living there in his own mortal body that shall forever be protected by the self-sustaining shield you have covered it with.’
Vishwamitra glanced towards where Satyavrat had been hanging and saw the shield glowing with the radiance of a star. The right face of Brahma followed his gaze and his raised hand gestured in the air, taking the hanging human into the palace created for him. This magnanimous signal put the stamp of approval on Vishwamitra’s creation and he knew no one would dare touch it again.
Brahma’s central face looked kindly at him and said, ‘Your astounding achievement shall be remembered for all eternity by the residents of Earth and these new solar systems shall remain visible in the southern hemisphere as the Crux. They will serve the purpose of guiding humans just like the North Star and Big Dipper do for those living in the northern hemisphere.
‘Furthermore, since you have acted on the conviction that every creature deserves to achieve the highest of platforms in this universe, I hereby declare that no living being shall be barred from the higher lokas on the mere whim of a higher being. For your efforts, which have great ramifications for all of mankind, I confer on you the title of Maharishi.’
Vishwamitra barely managed to control the tears that were stinging at the corner of his eyes. This was more than what he had ever hoped for. He silently blessed Satyavrat for becoming the means for avenging his earlier humiliation and bringing him this breakthrough.
He had won the battle against the Devas and had shown them their correct place in the hierarchy of things. From now on, no man would consider himself inferior to a Deva just because he or she was born on Earth and would be capable of achieving the highest honours if he just put his heart into it.
Adhyaye 38
Indra returned to Swarg with a heavy heart. To be defeated by a human!
The fact that the same human had been subjected to humiliation by his forces earlier did not seem to matter. He had acted then in the interests of safeguarding his resources and in his mind it was a completely justified act.
Besides, the episode with Menaka had not just hurt Vishwamitra but Shakra himself for, after returning from Earth, the Apsara had requested that she be permanently relieved from her duties. The task had taken too much out of her and he had let her go with a heavy heart. He pitied her condition but knew it had been a necessary sacrifice to safeguard the happiness of Swarg for a human could never be allowed to rule the heavens.
As he thought about the events that had transpired, he admitted to himself that the Srishti Karta had acted quite impartially.
Shakra recognized greatness when he saw it. Vishwamitra’s accomplishment was nothing short of a coup and he deserved to have a heaven for himself but who knew whether that would satiate his ambition or further drive him towards claiming sovereignty over Swarg as well?
He knew this subject would have to be debated with all parties involved and summoned a meeting of the council of thirty-three Devas.
The Trayastrimsa Council, as it was called, consisted of the twelve Adityas that included Shakra himself and his younger brothers Ansh, Aryaman, Bhag, Daksh, Mitra, Pushan, Savitra, Surya, Vishwakarma, Vaman, Varun; eight Vasus or the elemental gods comprising Agni, Antariksh, Apa, Chandra, Dhara, Dyaus, Nakshatra, Vayu; and eleven Rudras who were the three-eyed fierce manifestations of Lord Shiva.
The two remaining positions had earlier belonged to Prajapati Brahma and Shri Hari Vishnu but it was difficult to get them to join, hence the Ashwins, the twin sons of Surya, had been added to the council. The usual protocol was for them to have a meeting and, convey their conclusion to the Srishti Karta for approval and in case he gave his nod, the proposal would go for Shri Hari Vishnu’s consideration. Not that Shakra wanted this to go to the high
est level for deliberation, for he could never be sure which way Shri Hari Vishnu’s vote would swing as the lord was fair to a fault!
No doubt His Avatars had saved the Devas many a times from the atrocities committed by Asurs, yet he had also supported the latter in some instances and had a soft corner for the Manavs. No, they would have to figure this out themselves, making sure their future actions remained below the radar.
The council met in the hexagonal court where the Adityas were led by Shakra while Chandra led the Vasus. The Rudras were represented by Shambhu who was considered the closest to Lord Shiva and whatever he said held a lot of weight.
Addressing the gathering, Shakra opened the proceedings, ‘Dear congregation, it is with a thoughtful heart that I address you today. Recent events must have come to your notice as well and by now perhaps the entire sentient universe knows of the creation of four more star systems by no more than a human!’
There were murmurs and nods of assent and he continued, ‘What you may not know, however, is that these stars and their planetary systems have been ordained to forever remain out of the purview of the thirty-three gods.’
The assembly broke into an uproar at this. How could that be? Weren’t the Devas supposed to be overlords of all that existed above Earth?
Shakra let them build up their anger and when he felt they were ready, he spoke his next words, ‘The question we have to ask ourselves is: Should we let that happen?’
Cries of denial rose from all sections and Shakra nodded in satisfaction. He needed to fuel their indignation and use it to his advantage, for he needed their help to teach a lesson to the human in such a way that no one could implicate him in the future.
He raised a hand to silence them and said, ‘But we are bound by the diktat given by the Srishti Karta; how can we go against Pra-pitamah’s orders?’
Vishwamitra Page 17