Chapter 15 Karma

"Use the Sudarshana Chakra on the Asura legions!" Indra declared solemnly.

As soon as the words left his lips, a look of hesitation crossed Vishnu's visage. His eyes swept over the vast army of Asuras, and he appeared troubled by the decision, letting out a long sigh.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Vishnu questioned. How could he justify the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Asuras without hesitation?

"This is not extreme at all!" Indra replied, shaking his head. "As soldiers, they are not at fault, but they serve Hiranyaksha in his tyranny, acting out of greed. They are nothing more than warriors who cannot uphold Dharma!"

He continued, "Moreover, Hiranyaksha can overpower many Devas on his own. If these Asuras are eliminated, he might retreat and regroup!"

At that moment, the Devas began to understand. Enlightenment sparked among them, and they rallied in support.

"Yes, it would be magnificent if we could rid ourselves of these Asuras!" Surya exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Indeed! Then Svarga will be secure! The Bhuloka will bask in peace!" Varuna chimed in, nodding eagerly.

"What a brilliant plan! Truly worthy of the King of Svarga!" Vayu added, his voice rising in excitement.

It all made sense. These Asuras were not nearly as powerful as Hiranyaksha. Some were not much different from the Devas, while many others were on the same level as the Gandharva.

If Vishnu were to take action now and eliminate the Asura armies, it would render Hiranyaksha's boon and threat meaningless.

Upon hearing this, Vishnu lowered his head, contemplating the idea with a thoughtful expression. This argument truly made sense! He had never held much affection for the Asuras; after all, they were descendants of Brahma and not his followers. However, as he considered their plight, his heart began to stir.

Yet, he quickly realized that this was not the course of action he should take. The current was the first Yuga, Satya yuga at the dawn of creation, a time when all living beings were flourishing across the Triloka, teeming with vitality and competition.

The Satya Yuga would last for 1,728,000 years! If he were to eliminate most of the Asuras, their karmic birthright would disrupt the world's balance, causing it to leap from the Perfect Era, effectively skipping a crucial period of growth from childhood to maturity.

The karmic repercussions could be so severe that even Shiva might personally intervene to stop him. He couldn't allow that to happen! Vishnu contemplated his thoughts and shook his head immediately.

Indra couldn't help but feel disappointed at this response. He wanted to see a river of blood!

In the Mahabharata, the era of satya yuga had long since passed. Vishnu took the avatar of Krishna, igniting the war between the Pandavas and the Kuru tribe. A staggering 2.7 million soldiers gathered in the plains of Kuru, ready to slaughter one another in the Battle of Kurukshetra.

At that time, Krishna had urged Arjuna to engage in battle, declaring that those who did not uphold dharma must be eliminated.

Kill, kill!

As a result, the two sides clashed, blood spilling across the Kuru fields.

"!!!" Rishi Shukracharya couldn't help but gasp.

Indra was truly ruthless! Both the Devas and the Asuras were sons of Kashyapa Rishi, yet here was Indra, insisting that Vishnu eliminate most of the Asuras. The notion was not only extreme but also potentially disastrous.

How terrifying!

"Teacher, what should we do now?" Vajrananga, an Asura and also a son of Kashyapa, turned to Rishi Shukracharya beside him.

They were belligerent but not foolish! With one of the Trimurti aligned against them, if Vishnu truly followed through, wouldn't it spell their doom?

Shukracharya's eyes darkened slightly as he contemplated Hiranyaksha's fury. At that moment, Hiranyaksha was seething with anger, glaring at Vishnu as if ready to attack.

If we act now, it could spell disaster if Vishnu discovers the weakness granted by Brahma's boon on Hiranyaksha, Shukracharya thought to himself.

Taking a step forward, he flew to Hiranyaksha's side and addressed Vishnu. "I propose a temporary truce to churn the Kshira Sagara and restore the powers of both the Devas and the Asuras," he declared.

As soon as he spoke, Hiranyaksha's eyes widened in dissatisfaction, fixing an intense stare on Rishi Shukracharya. Shukracharya met his gaze with a cold, unyielding expression, as hard as ice.

Hiranyaksha narrowed his eyes, snorted disdainfully, and turned away, falling silent.

"Agreed!" Vishnu replied with a slight nod. A golden light emanated from his body before vanishing.

Rishi Shukracharya sighed in relief. He had genuinely feared that Vishnu might take matters into his own hands. Vishnu was known as the slayer of Asuras, having vanquished not just a few, but eight hundred of them. The animosity between him and Vishnu stemmed from the time Vishnu had used the Sudarshana Chakra to eliminate his Asura kin.

Now, Shukracharya shifted his gaze to the Devas. The Devas were completely unaccustomed to the cold, hard expression on Shukracharya's face.

The Suryadev turned his head, staring at the huge white waves of the Kshira Sagara. Agnidev, glanced nervously from side to side, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Vayudev, regarded Rishi Shukracharya with a cautious demeanor, while Varunadev, lowered his head in a daze.

Indra observed Shukracharya with curiosity. If he remembered correctly, in the future, Rishi Shukracharya would perform penance to Lord Shiva and acquire the Sanjeevani mantra to resurrect the Asuras, thereby confronting the immortal Devas with Amrita. Later on, despite any failures Asura Kings faced, Shukracharya would guide a new wave of attacks against the Devas.

This old man is quite formidable and will never give up! Indra mused. In comparison, Rishi Brihaspati, the mentor to the Devas, seemed to lack the same resolution in dealing with Asuras. Ironically, both Rishis shared a strong bond, considering each other good friends.

As Rishi Shukracharya and Indra locked eyes, their gazes met in the void for a brief moment. Finally, Shukracharya shifted his focus to Rishi Brihaspati. He snorted disdainfully, withdrawing his gaze, and turned to Hiranyaksha.

"Indra, the King of Svarga, is not easy to deal with right now. You'd better be cautious," he warned.

Hiranyaksha sneered confidently. "Rest assured! My boon is invincible. Not even the weapons of Trimuti, let alone the King of Svarga, can lay a finger on me." His tone dripped with arrogance.

Snort!

Hearing this, Rishi Shukracharya let out a cold snort. "You are far too arrogant, and sooner or later, you will fall to their hands!" With that, Rishi Shukracharya chose not to say more; his priority was to protect the remaining Asuras. With Vishnu now involved as his avatar Kurma was carrying the Mandara mountain, enshrining Goddess Lakshmi in Patala Loka out of question! It was better to seize the Amrita while they still had the chance.

As he contemplated this, a massive wave suddenly surged from the Kshira Sagara. Giant wings darkened the sky as a golden-winged eagle swept across the waters. Many Gandharva and the legion of Devas perched on the back of the magnificent creature, wielding divine spears and bows, exchanging glances with one another from a distance.

"The legions of Devas are finally here!" Indra observed the divine host, but his heart remained uneasy.

Even after churning countless treasures from the Kshira Sagara, a fierce battle still loomed between the Asuras and the Devas—a dangerous prospect indeed. And that wasn't even the worst of it! A terrifying poison was sure to be released from the depths of the Kshira Sagara.

Halahala!

"I must be careful!" Indra thought.

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Sanjeevani Mantra is a powerful and sacred mantra in Hinduism believed to possess the ability to restore life and vitality. The word "Sanjeevani" comes from the Sanskrit root "Sanjeev," which means "to revive" or "to restore life.

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