"Journey to Kailash is in itself a profound experience, Vatsa," Narad said, his voice taking on a solemn, reflective tone. "Let us go."
This time, Narad led Angat not through a radiant portal, but onto the Celestial Stairs leading back to Earth. The descent was strikingly different from their glorious ascent. The brilliant, star-strewn vistas were now subdued, the ethereal music of the spheres faded to a distant whisper. The grandeur was replaced by a profound, echoing silence.
Angat, his soul now attuned to the nuances of this cosmic path, felt the shift deeply. "Prabhu Ji," he began, his voice hushed in the quiet, "when we ascended to Brahmalok, it was all light and wonder. We saw different Lokas. But now... these stairs are so silent. It feels... emptier."
Narad smiled, a look of deep approval in his eyes. "That is also an interesting observation, Vatsa. You are learning to perceive more than just the spectacle."
He gestured to the vast, receding view. "You see, all souls, all beings, fix their gaze upwards, filled with expectations for the future, for higher realms. But they rarely think to look backwards with grace. To reflect on their humble beginnings often brings not humility, but a sense of shame or a desire to distance themselves. This... this gives birth to ego, to arrogance. And if not arrogance, then a cold indifference toward their past selves. This journey back to Earth, Vatsa, is not a demotion. It is a journey of self-reflection, a necessary grounding of the soul."
Narad closed his eyes for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was a melodic chant, imbued with the weight of ancient wisdom:
"विनम्रता यस्य भूषणं, ज्ञानं यस्य बलं सदा
स सेव्यते सुरैः सर्वैः, किं तस्यास्ते महीतले
He then opened his eyes and translated, his gaze holding Angat's. " 'One whose ornament is humility, and whose constant strength is knowledge; he is served by all the gods ,,, what does he lack on this Earth?'
This, Vatsa, is the truth you must carry. Arrogance builds walls between you and the divine. Humility builds bridges
Angat was enveloped by the silent weight of this lesson. Even the simple act of coming and going from the highest heaven was imbued with a teaching, a reminder to remain connected to one's roots ."
As they stepped back onto the earthly plane, Angat found himself once again floating above the skies of the very place he had died. The landscape below was familiar, yet the weather was unexpectedly cloudy for a non-monsoon season, the sky a dull, oppressive grey.
A bitter snort escaped Angat before he could stop it. "Hmph. I see Indradev still hasn't corrected the weather here." The memory of his unjust death, tied to this very negligence, bubbled up like a fresh wound.
"Vatsa." Narad's voice was firm, yet not unkind. "I must remind you to always guard your tongue and your heart towards the divine. Even minor deities command resources and prestige. An ill-considered word, a seed of resentment, can make your upcoming journey as a karmic agent fraught with unforeseen difficulties. You must learn to master your emotions, not be mastered by them."
"But... but... I was just..." Angat's protest died in his throat as he saw the serious look on Narad's face. He sighed, the fight draining out of him. "Alright. I'm sorry, Narad Ji."
"I know you are angry," Narad said, his tone softening into one of deep understanding. "And your anger at Indradev's negligence is not entirely unjust. But you must understand, the Maha Kaliyug is not merely corrupting souls. It is a systemic decay. It affects everything ,, every process, every system, from the highest celestial office to the most fundamental law of nature. It is a tide of entropy that makes errors and mistakes not just possible, but prevalent. To be solely, furiously angry at Indradev is to misunderstand the scale of the affliction we all face."
He placed a comforting hand on Angat's shoulder. "Your feeling is human, Vatsa. But your response must be divine. We are going to Kailash not to complain, but to contribute. To be part of the solution. Remember that."
Chastened but wiser, Angat nodded, his gaze turning from the gloomy sky below to the path ahead.
"So, Vatsa," Narad began, his tone shifting to something lighter, almost conversational. "As we walk the earthly path to Kailash, tell me, have you ever truly visited Bharat? Not as a hurried tourist, but with a seeking heart?"
Angat replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Ahh, no, Prabhu Ji. Just the usual school trips and college tours. Some museums, the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, India Gate... the standard fare."
"I see," Narad said, a knowing look in his eyes. "And your mother never insisted on visiting a temple, a dham? Never felt the pull of a river said to wash away sin?"
"Ugh, yes, she did," Angat admitted, a pang of guilt touching his soul. "But I always had an excuse. A school project, pending files... something."
Narad looked at him with such profound pity it was almost overwhelming ,,, the look one might give a lost lamb, bleating in a field, utterly devoid of the knowledge of the shepherd. "Hmmm... So much of the divine, right at your doorstep, and you sprinted past it with your eyes closed. It is alright, Vatsa. Your eyes are open now. Let me give you a brief tour, not of monuments, but of meaning."
He gestured, and the landscape below them seemed to blur and shift, not with the cold precision of a hologram, but with the warm, flowing quality of a memory.
"Our journey mirrors the soul's own," Narad explained. "We start in the South, the root. We might pause at Lepakshi , where the earth remembers the sacrifice of Jatayu , who gave his life for Dharma. You can still feel the echo of Shiva's fierce, protective energy there."
The scene shifted, flowing northward. "Then to Kanchi , where the Goddess herself performed penance. To feel the cosmic feminine power before we ascend to the masculine peak of Kailash is essential ,,, a balance your world has forgotten."
A mischievous twinkle returned to Narad's eye. "And of course, Tirupati. I am... rather personally connected to that story. Let's just say I played a small part in the Lord's decision to reside there. It is a place that reminds us that even Gods undertake great journeys for the sake of their devotees."
They moved faster now, crossing rivers and plains. "Sri Kalahasti , where the wind itself whispers mantras around the ling... Prayagraj , at the sacred Sangam, where three rivers meet to wash a soul clean of its heaviest karmic residue. You feel lighter already, don't you?"
Angat realized he did. The lingering bitterness about Indradev seemed to loosen its grip.
"Then, Varanasi," Narad's voice dropped to a reverent whisper. "The city of light, where Shiva whispers the secret of liberation into the ears of the dying. It is the heart of it all, Vatsa. The truth of life and death, burning eternally at the ManikarnikaGhat ."
The land began to rise into mighty peaks. "Haridwar , Rishikesh ... the gateway to the Himalaya . Here, the air changes. The chatter of the world falls away, replaced by the ancient chants of sages. And then, the final earthly abodes of Shiva: Kedarnath , raw and powerful, and Badrinath ..."
Narad smiled a personal, fond smile. "A place I am rather fond of. I meditated here once, seeking the source of divine music. The silence here taught me more than any scripture."
Finally, he pointed towards the impossibly majestic, snow-clad peak that now dominated the horizon, reflected in a lake of breathtaking blue. "And there, Vatsa, lies Lake Manasarovar , created from the mind of Lord Brahma himself. A single dip in its waters can dissolve the karma of lifetimes. And beyond it... your new beginning. The abode of lord Shiv and maa parvati themself. Mount Kailash."
Narad placed a hand on Angat's shoulder, the brief tour concluded. "You see, the journey is not just a path through space, but a progression through the soul's own landscape ,,, from sacrifice and devotion, to purification, to knowledge, and finally, to liberation. You skipped all the steps in your first life, Vatsa. This time, you will live them."
With his soul now brimming with awe and a newfound sense of purpose, Angat looked toward the sacred mountain, ready to walk the path he had been meant to tread.
(- * -)SNEAK PEEK AT VOLUME 2
The mountain lion's attack wasn't just chance , it was the Kali Yug testing its potential vessel, the corruption seeking to claim what was already broken.
"MANASSS! RUNNN!" Arjun's voice was a guttural, final command that shattered Manas's paralysis.
He didn't think , he moved. His body, wracked with injuries he'd forgotten, carried him toward the car in a desperate sprint. Fifty meters felt like crossing continents. His mind held only one image: the gun in the dashboard.
As claws the size of his fingers tore into his back, he didn't feel the pain ,,, only the cold metal of the door handle. He tumbled into the car, fingers scrambling, finding the gun.
Click.
The safety was on.
The lion was already turning, its roar vibrating through the metal frame. This wasn't just an animal ,,, this was destiny testing him. And for the first time since his life had collapsed, Manas was ready to fight back.
(End of Sneak Peek).