Kartikeya and His Battle with the Soul Stealer by Usha Narayanan

Author:Usha Narayanan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789353052010
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2018-07-20T16:00:00+00:00

Taraka’s son Asurendra carried the news of his father’s death to Mahendrapuri, Surapadma’s capital. ‘A young boy who they say is Shiva’s son, Skanda, has killed my valorous father. I rushed back from my uncle Simhamukha’s capital but was too late to help him,’ he said, weeping bitterly. ‘Our commander, Krauncha, the scourge of rishis, was pierced through by the lad’s spear. The dead asuras are so numerous that their bodies still wait to be burned.’

Sura, more powerful and savage than Taraka, laughed out loud, slapping his thighs with glee. ‘My brother is playing a jest, I see, but not a very good one!’ he laughed. ‘Tell him I was not taken in even for a moment! How can I believe that invincible Taraka has been killed by a young boy? Stop this nonsense and tell me about my brother’s latest exploits. Which kings has he killed? Which new kingdoms has he seized?’

‘I wish I could say that all this is just a joke, my emperor,’ replied Asurendra. ‘I wish I could tell you that my father still sits on his throne like a mountain, indestructible and eternal . . . But my arms embraced him for the last time a little while ago and this hand lit his sandalwood pyre. My eyes saw the flames lick his mighty arms and head. Alas, my powerful father has succumbed to his fate. Did he not seek to be killed by Shiva’s son, one who was not born from Parvati’s womb?’

Sura was dumbstruck, finally realizing that the news was no joke. He did not care to find out about the killer yet. Grief struck him like a tidal wave and a torrent of incoherent words spilled from his mouth: ‘O, my brother, my brother! Sinner that I am, I was not there to save you. Beloved Taraka, your laugh scattered the elephants guarding the eight directions. Your prowess reduced Vishnu’s chakra to nothingness. O brother, if I could have died instead of you!’ he wailed.

Slowly his grief changed into an incendiary rage that threatened to burn the universe. He ordered the temples still remaining to be razed. He summoned his commanders to assemble their men in preparation for war. ‘I will destroy the heavens, cut off the heads of the gods! And this boy, who had the temerity to kill my brother—I will place him on a rack and torture him until he curses the day he was born!’ he thundered.

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