Revival Of The Asuras

“What?!” Indra exclaimed in a shrill tone.

“Yes Devraj”, replied Shiva.

“Shumbh and Nishumbh had received boons from Brahma according to which no deity; demon or Man could kill them. So now, what is left? Only a woman! It was intelligent of the demons to get such a specific boon, as no woman is tough enough to battle men, right dear?” Shiva mocked Parvati. Parvati has always been brainwashed into believing men are superior to women. Shiva didn’t believe that.

Parvati simply nodded, and walked out of the scene.

Think what you may Parvati, I will change your mindset, I promise.

Shiva sighed, watching Parvati leave without saying much.

XXX

Shumbh and his simpleton brother Nishumbh were joined by all the asuras in pataal, their faces lit by the satisfactory light of victory.

Pataal was filled by the victorious cries of the asuras. It was after almost a century they had routed the gods, after the great Mahabali. They remembered the odds their now-dead monarch had fought to clinch a clear victory over the devas.

But the devas did not give in. Along with Vishnu, Indra hatched a plan against the honest Mahabali. In the Ashwamedha Yagna hosted by Mahabali, Vishnu in his Vamana avatar asked for three footsteps of land, which Mahabali agreed to donate. But to the asuras’ astonishment, Vamana had grown up to a full stature of a giant, and covered the earth and the heavens by two steps, thus seizing the hard-earned property of Mahabali. Seeing no empty space to land his foot on, Vamana thrust Mahabali deep into the earth, ending his life.

Once everything which once belonged to Mahabali was possessed by the gods, the kingdom which Mahabali built using his blood and sweat began to crumble. Women, irrespective of their age, were gang-raped. They were beaten upon showing a slight hint of protest. Children and men were cruelly murdered.

Then came Shumbh, who along with his simpleton brother Nishumbh, who declared themselves as the next Mahabali, and instilled a sense of nationalism in the asuras, guiding them towards successive, glorious success.

However, the asuras’ trip down memory lane came to an abrupt end, after Shumbh, the first asura after Mahabali to rout the devas, arose on the announcement platform.

“My dear asuras, today it gives me pleasure to see that my fellow brothers happy,” said Shumbh.

The asuras gave way uproar. The asura children chanted Shumbh’s name loudly.

“But is it enough?” asked Shumbh, referring to their victory in the recently-concluded war.

“YES!”

“NO!”

The crowd got confused. Yet they were afraid to express their confusion.

“Years ago, our mothers were raped by the devas. Our brothers and fathers were massacred. We were forced to see and hear the shrieks of the dying. The great kingdom of Mahabali crumbled before our eyes. Is one victory over the devas equivalent to the injustice done with us?”

“NO!” the crowd said in an angry monotone.

“Who’s in with me to fight for justice?”

“WE ARE!”

“CHAND!!’’

Shumbh called out for Chand, the military general of the army of the demons.

“Wage a war and kill the gods. I can find no other person better than you to bring me Indra’s severed head. The vengeance of the entire asura clan is on your shoulders. Take Mund along with you if you require, but please don’t fail me.”

Mund was the deputy general of the asuras, equally mighty in brawn and brains. If Shumbh had the military might, it was Mund who made war strategies, some which led the asuras into glorious victories. It was nearly impossible to impede this pair in any battle.

“O King, the devas have retreated to Mount Kailash. The army shall march to Kailash this very moment,” Chand declared.

The asura mob cheered on.

Indra, let’s see who saves you and your puny gods now.

Shumbh, pleased with the news, stroked his beard.

XXX

“But Shiva, you do not understand!”

Lord Shiva was joined by Lord Vishnu, after all the gods had left.

“Parvati thinks that men are superior to women, like all the humans on earth believe. After all, she is also a human.” Vishnu continued.

“I’m well aware of that, Vishnu. Parvati has to destroy Shumbh-Nishumbh. For we were the only ones who orchestrated Parvati receiving a vision of Kali.”

“Then why aren’t you supporting Parvati on her quest of becoming Kali?”

“Have you seen an archer aiming an arrow, Vishnu?”asked Shiva.

“Parvati is our arrow against evil. For an arrow to reach its destination, the archer needs to remain behind it. And Parvati is our arrow against evil” Shiva said, loading an arrow against the margin of the bow-string of his bow.

“Not only that, an archer always needs to be tough, or else the final outcome may not be desirable,” Shiva continued after pausing for a while. He left the bow-string, and the arrow gracefully slit through the air, before vanishing into an invisible point in the horizon.

Vishnu immediately understood what Shiva meant. He simply smiled, and left for Vaikuntha.

XXX

It was afternoon. The troupe of gods had taken shelter in a cave at the foot of Mount Kailash, however in a state of alarm, for the demons might surely lay an attack on Mount Kailash. Even if war was prohibited in Kailash, the bloodthirsty asuras could not be trusted.

Suddenly, Indra heard an unusual faint sound. Was it a war bugle? He dismissed his thought, thinking that the wind was playing with some trees.

The bountiful Manasarovar lay in front of him. The sun rays fell on the lake and created an illusion of a thousand stars glittering in the lake. Yet he could see something move amongst the stationary reflections

The reflection of an asura!

A noise similar to the first one reached Indra’s ears.

His worst fears had been confirmed.

“QUICK! TAKE UP WAR FORMATIONS! THE ASURAS HAVE DECLARED WAR,” yelped Indra

...to be continued.