Chapter 22 The Curse of Puloman

Vishnu smiled faintly. "Kaustubha Mani!" he declared, his voice calm yet authoritative.

"The Lotus-hued ruby is the most magnificent Ratnam in all creation, a symbol of wisdom, holiness, prosperity, and boundless vastness."

As Vishnu spoke, the Kaustubha mani radiated an ethereal brilliance from his chest. Its light shone like the meeting of the bright moon and the first rays of dawn as if offering silent prayers to the glory of the Lord. Hanging resplendently on Vishnu's chest, the gem seemed alive with divine energy.

Hiranyaksha snorted angrily, his head turning aside in frustration.

"What bad luck!" he muttered bitterly to himself. 'Why did everything of worth always fall into the hands of the Trimurti?'

Hiranyaksha's irritation was palpable, and the other Asuras stood silently, unwilling to provoke his wrath. After a tense moment, Hiranyaksha frowned and glanced at the group behind him. His expression darkened as he asked sharply, "Where is Puloman? Why is he missing?"

Both Vajranga and Viprachitti exchanged uncertain glances and shook their heads.

"We haven't seen him for a while my King," Viprachitti replied.

Just then, Puloman stepped forward from among the crowd of Asuras, flying toward Hiranyaksha with an uneasy smile on his face. "I'm here, King!" he announced hastily. "Some of the Asuras at the rear were struggling, so I went back to assist them."

Hiranyaksha's sharp gaze shifted to Puloman, noticing the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. His frown deepened as he let out a cold snort.

"Lazy fool!" he barked. "Sweating just from churning one mountain when amrita is right around the corner? Go back and train harder!"

Puloman lowered his head, bowing respectfully as Hiranyaksha dismissed him and turned his focus back to the Devas of Svarga.

As Hiranyaksha's attention shifted, Puloman sighed in relief, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. However, his narrowed eyes glinted with malice as he glanced at the Devas.

"Indra..." Puloman hissed under his breath, gritting his teeth in silent fury.

The curse of Shukracharya still echoed in Puloman's ears. At the time, his mind had gone completely blank, and he couldn't even recall how he managed to return to the Asura army.

Meanwhile, the Devas and Asuras continued churning the Kshira Sagara with unwavering effort. Puloman stood at a distance, his sharp eyes fixed on Indra, observing him in secret.

To be honest, Puloman wasn't impressed. Apart from the moment when Indra pulled Vasuki's tail with brute force, the King of Svarga seemed to throw himself into the task with reckless abandon, lacking any semblance of strategic thought.

"Just a foolish brute!" Puloman thought, a sly grin creeping onto his face as he shook his head in disdain.

"Indra, you rely solely on brute strength," he muttered to himself. "You don't even know how to conserve your energy for defense. That's all there is to you!"

Puloman's lips curled into a cunning smile. "Ha! Once I become the King of the Asuras, I'll lead an attack on Svarga, destroy your arrogance, and kill you, Indra! Then the curse will never come to pass!"

He chuckled darkly at the thought, stroking his curly beard with an air of pride, basking in what he believed was his superior wisdom and strategic brilliance.

"Teacher," Puloman murmured under his breath, "I will never let your curse come true."

...

...

"If my calculations are correct, Uchchaihshravas should emerge soon! My penance is only fifty years away from completion!" Indra silently counted the time in his mind.

With the continued churning of the Kshira Sagara, the next treasure to appear should be Uchchaihshravas, the magnificent white horse. Beyond that, the remaining items from the Milky Sea included the horse king, Kalpavriksha, Halahala, and finally, Amrit.

Of all these, Indra's interest was solely fixated on Amrit.

"Vishnu would never allow the Amrit to fall into the hands of the Asuras," Indra mused. "In that case, I'd be better off retreating to avoid any risk of exposure to Halahala."

Indra weighed his options carefully. Vishnu had always been a reliable ally to the Devas, and it was through his efforts that they could claim Amrita, the divine nectar of immortality. With that comforting thought, Indra made up his mind to step back.

Just as he was about to retreat, a voice interrupted him. "Indra, where are you going?" Suryadev tilted his head, his expression curious.

Indra coughed, trying to mask his intention. "Ahem! Ahem! While churning the Kshira Sagara, I noticed Vayu blowing fiercely at Vasuki's tail. Some of the Gandharvas couldn't keep their grip and were thrown off. They were struggling to follow the rhythm, so I thought I'd go help them!"

He straightened up, his tone growing more confident as he spoke. "Yes, exactly that!"

Surya raised an eyebrow, his surprise was evident. "For that reason?"

Turning to glance at the group of Gandharvas behind them, Suryadev noticed that some were indeed injured, their efforts hampered by the chaotic gusts stirred by Vasuki's tail. It seemed Indra's excuse held some truth.

They had never paid attention to such matters before!

"King?!" Soma the moon deva gaped in confusion and shock, unable to contain his astonishment.

Having only just returned, Soma's consciousness was frozen in the moment he had vanished from Svarga. He had no idea what had transpired among the Devas during his absence. Why had their arrogant king and big brother changed so much?

What happened? How many years have passed? What did I miss?

As Soma tried to process his confusion, Brihaspati stepped forward, his pace slow and deliberate.

With a calm smile and a look of approval, Brihaspati turned to Indra and spoke with quiet admiration: "Then let the Ashwini twins accompany you. They are the Devas of medicine and can tend to the injured Gandharvas behind us."

"Great idea! I'll summon them!" Suryadev offered enthusiastically.

"The more hands, the better!" Indra agreed, nodding quickly.

Deep down, Indra was just looking for an excuse to step out of the fray. He hadn't thought too deeply about it, but now he had an opportunity to divert attention.

The Ashwini Kumaras often referred to as the 'Horsemen' forever young, handsome, and athletic, were named Nasatya and Dasra. These twin Devas were the sons of Surya, embodying the brilliance of Dawn, medicine, health, as well as healing sciences.

In no time, two strikingly handsome young men approached Indra, their eyes gleaming with reverence. They clasped their hands together, bowed low, and greeted him respectfully: "Pranam to the benevolent King of Svarga! Only you could think of the warriors' plight!"

Indra: "…"

For a moment, Indra was speechless, caught off guard by their heartfelt praise.

Clearing his throat, Indra straightened his posture, raised his hand to his heart with practiced authority, and said to the twins, "This is simply the duty of the King of Svarga. Now, let's move on!"

Hearing their words of admiration, the Ashwini Kumaras followed Indra with even greater respect. Their devotion and awe only grew as they walked toward the injured Gandharvas.

"The King of Svarga is truly compassionate!"

Rishi Brihaspati observed the scene from a distance, his heart stirred with emotion. Taking out his sacred book, he resumed writing:

"The compassionate King of Svarga, Indra, dispatched the Ashwini Kumaras, the celestial healers, to tend to the injured Gandharvas, offering both medicine and solace..."

...

Soon, both sides were ready once more. The Devas and Asuras assembled at their respective ends of the great serpent Vasuki, resuming the monumental task of churning the Kshira Sagara.

"Asura warriors!" Hiranyaksha bellowed, his voice resonating with fierce determination.

"Let the Devas witness your strength! The treasures of the Kshira Sagara belong to us—the true rulers of the Triloka! We are the rightful heirs to all its riches!"

Raising his fist in defiance, he declared, "I swear by my title as King of the Asuras, the next treasure will be ours!"

Though brimming with arrogance, Hiranyaksha understood the stakes. Having lost the last two treasures to the Devas, he knew morale among his ranks had to be restored. If not, the burden of reclaiming the glory might rest solely on his shoulders.

His rousing words ignited a fire within the Asuras. Their eyes blazed with renewed Vigor, their voices rising in unison.

"Ours!"

"Ours!"

They roared with conviction, their collective fervor shaking the very heavens.

...

The roar of the Asuras echoed through the air, a thunderous chorus of power and determination that sent tremors through the atmosphere. Their energy and unity were undeniable.

From afar, Indra observed the scene with a sigh. He couldn't help but admire their sheer might and discipline. "These Asuras are truly formidable," he muttered to himself.

In stark contrast, his side presented an entirely different picture.

"O Merciful King of Svarga, I dedicate my very being to you!" a Gandharva warrior declared fervently, kneeling before Indra. His eyes brimmed with tears, a mixture of reverence, gratitude, and awe shining in his gaze.

Before Indra could respond, the Gandharva lowered his head to touch Indra's feet with his hands, placing them against his forehead in a gesture of deep devotion.

The act seemed to trigger a ripple effect. One by one, other Gandharvas surged forward, crowding around Indra to perform the same ritual.

Flustered, Indra bent to help the first Gandharva to his feet, but the steady stream of followers showed no sign of abating. Hundreds, thousands of Gandharvas pressed closer, all eager to demonstrate their devotion.

By this point, Indra couldn't help but think wryly, at this rate, I might just complete an ascetic's penance for standing on one leg.

"Enough, enough! This is what a King of Svarga must do!" Indra said, waving his hands. "Now, focus—back to churning the Kshira Sagara!"

The Gandharvas retreated reluctantly, and the grand task resumed.

Boom!

The Mandara Mountain spun ceaselessly, its massive form churning the ocean below. Fiery embers erupted from its surface, as molten rocks fell like meteorites into the swirling waters. The intense heat from the mountain seared the skies, igniting flames that blazed across the horizon.

For thirty long years, the effort continued without pause. Slowly, the waters of the Kshira Sagara thickened, taking on the consistency of honey, their rich texture glowing under the divine light.

And then, suddenly—

Swish!

A beam of radiant white light burst from the ocean's depths, shooting skyward in a dazzling arc.

"There!"

The cry echoed through the air, and both Devas and Asuras immediately turned their gaze toward the spectacle. But before anyone could react, another burst of blinding brilliance erupted from the ocean.

Swish!

"No! There aren't just one, but two treasures!"

A wave of excitement and confusion swept through the crowd. What treasures awaited them this time?

---

Ratnam translates to "jewel" or "gem." In a metaphorical sense, "Ratnam" can also mean something or someone that is highly precious, valuable, or admired.

 ---

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