The Unthought Chronicles

Bow Down

They both sat down and relaxed. Their work was done for now. They just had to wait out a few hours before the forest was completely burnt to ashes. It was indeed a sight to behold. Acres of thick and dense trees glowing orange in the evening sky. The indestructible Khandava forest was finally up in flames and burning away.

"That seemed like an easy task, eh!", Partha exclaimed, wiping a drop of sweat off his brow.

"We did make short work of it, yes. Thanks to your Gandiva."

Partha took offence to that statement from his cousin. He tried his best to hide the irritation on his face. He gave a reluctant nod and looked at his bow - the celestial Gandiva, a marvel from the Gods themselves. There are very few bows in the planet that can match this one in terms of strength and beauty. The limbs of Gandiva was made of pure gold, and it stood at a staggering 6 feet. The arched limbs were delicately crafted to give a sense of power to the wielder. There were intricate swan-shaped carvings on both upper and lower limbs. The tip of the bow had a lotus designed to give recoil balance to the wielder. Right now, the golden limbs reflected the forest fire so wonderfully, that it looked like the bow was on fire. Truly, it was one of the finest creations by the creator Brahma himself. And it needed a warrior of Partha's stature to wield it.

But not to Partha. Many have tried to compete with him, but none could come even remotely close to him. He is the best archer in the entire Aryavrata. Or so he thought!

Keshav understood that the statement didn't go well with his cousin. "My dear Partha, what I meant was that this daunting task would not have been accomplished merely with your skills alone. A good workman is made not just with his skills, but his tools as well."

Partha made no efforts to hide his anger anymore. He asked, "Cousin, do you mean to say that anyone with the Gandiva could have done what I just did?"

Keshav smiled. He loved Partha as much as his own brother Balabhadra. The only flaw that he saw with Partha was his superfluous ego. And Keshav had to deflate it.

"Yes, cousin. That's what I mean to say. Anyone with the Gandiva can be as good as you are, don't you think?" Keshav said with a gentle smile on his face.

Partha was furious. He could control his anger no longer. He stood up with the Gandiva on one hand and shouted, "Find me one person who will be willing to challenge me to a duel, let me see if you can find anybody."

Keshav stood up and said in his usual calm demeanor, "You are looking at him."

Partha was flabbergasted at the sudden turn of events. "You..? A cowherd from nowhere wants to challenge me to a duel? I'm Partha - son of the king of gods, Indra. By Acharya Drona's own admission, I'm the best archer to have ever been under his tutelage. How long do you think a no-gooder like you can last against me? Why, do you even have a bow to fight?" Saying this, Partha twanged the strings of Gandiva. The air was filled with a vibration. Birds flocked all over the place. The animals which escaped the burning forest stood their ground, unsure of what's happening. There was confusion all around. Partha gave a snicker, trying to intimidate his opponent even before the duel began.

Keshav responded, "Yes, cousin. I have a bow."

He walked up to his chariot, lifted his seat and took out a package. Keshava's bow was neatly wrapped, as if he never intended to use it, ever. He slowly unpacked it, showing no sense of urgency. It was smaller than the Gandiva, but the limbs were thicker. Partha's jaw dropped when he saw the unpacked bow. It was pristine white as if it was made out of milk. The handle was made of a white metal which Partha had never seen before. Snake figurines were carved on both the limbs of the bow which made it look like the wielder was holding a giant white snake. The strings too were as white as the bow itself. Partha recognized it the moment he saw it.

"Is.. is that.. the.. Sh.. Sharanga?", he asked reluctantly. If Gandiva was wielded by the mightiest of mortals, the Sharanga was said to be created for the God himself. It was a story of legend that Vishnu's Sharanga easily outmatched Rudra and his Pinaka during the duel of the gods.

"It is, Partha. Still don't believe it?", Keshav teased and twanged the strings gently. Partha felt the ground shake. There was a loud hum in the air. It was as if a thousand clouds thundered at once. Partha lost his balance and held onto the neighboring rock for support. The forest animals ran helter-skelter. It seemed like Keshav made all the objects around him to vibrate in unison with the strings of his bow.

Finally, it stopped. Partha walked up to his cousin, tears welling up in his eyes. "How did you come by this bow of Lord Vishnu?"

Keshav smiled and replied, "It was mine to begin with, and I'll keep it with me until the day I feel the need to give it to someone "

Partha fell down on Keshav's feet and said, "Forgive me, O Keshava! I was blinded by my pride to believe that there's no one better than me. I failed to see that my companion is none other than the Sharanga-baani himself. Please forgive me!

But I do not understand one thing. You are so powerful, then why did you make me go through so much when you could have done it at the blink of an eye?"

Keshav held Partha by his shoulders and helped him stand up. "My dear Partha, please do not fall on my feet, for here I'm not a God. I'm your cousin, your dear friend and a companion, that's all. Your life has a moral duty to fulfil your karmic debt, and it is my task to help you achieve it. To put it in a way you understand, you are the workman who needs to complete his task. You already possess the skills. I am the tool that you can use. Without you, I am useless."

Partha wiped his tears, and he could see more clearly now. His vision and his mind, both were not clouded anymore. His ego was shattered. He found a new purpose in life. In a good way, he felt invincible. He felt he can achieve anything in life, as long as he has one person in his life forever.

The grow-up man standing in front of him with a child-like smile. The man for whom he can walk into any war. The man who is his closest confidante.

The man whom his brothers fondly call Krishna.