HARIHARESHWARI 14 : CHANDRA CHAYAYAM SINGHASANAM

CHAPTER 7

Shantanu kept staring at the young man, as the latter using his sharp arrows, had stemmed the flow of the river Ganga. On witnessing this wonderful and superhuman feat of checking the roaring river's course with arrows, the king was astounded.

'Yadi mera putra mere paas hota, toh woh bhi itna hi bada hota.' Shantanu thought. He had seen his son only once, at the time of birth. Therefore, despite being wise, he did not have sufficient recollection to recognize his own child.

But the youth was indeed his son, famous by the name of Gangadatt, Devavrat and Gangeya, skilled in the usage of all weapons.

But just as Devavrat saw his father, he created a delusion through his powers and instantly disappeared. When King Shantanu witnessed this, his suspected that the youth might be his own son.

"Ganga, use mere samaksh prakat karo." He said firmly.

And suddenly Ganga appeared in a supremely beautiful form and showed him the ornamented young man, holding him by the right hand. Though he had known her before, Shantanu failed to recognize her at first, since it had been 36 years.

"Rajan," She smiled softly and said, "Yeh humara aathva putra hai. Ab yeh aapke sanrakshan mei rahega. Devavrath ne Ved aur Vedang ka gyaan swayam Vasisth se liya hai. Aur dhanurved ka gyaan, Jamdagneya se. Yeh sabhi prakar ke yudh-kala mei nipurn hai, aur sarvashresht Dhanurdhar hai. Ran-bhoomi mei yeh Indra ke samaan hai. Devta aur Asur, dono iski vandana karte hai. Shaashtra aur Nitigyaan mei yeh Brihaspati ke samaan hai. Ise dharm aur arth, sabhi ka purn gyaan hai."

Listening to this, Shantanu looked at Devavrat who cupped his hands in reverence and knelt down in front of his father.

"Pranaam, Pitashree. Mai aapki sewa ke liye tatpar hu." Devavrath said.

Shantanu smiled delightedly, he held his son by his shoulders and made him rise. The aged king embraced his son, holding him close to his heart.

And thus accepting his son, Shantanu brought Devavrat to the capital city of Nagasaharya, making him sit beside him on his grand chariot.

Gangeya gazed around the bustling streets of the capital city. The sights, sounds, and aromatic scents overwhelmed his senses as he eagerly absorbed every detail of the vibrant metropolis. Tall, majestic buildings lined the roads, their intricate designs and towering pillars spreading a sense of grandeur and power.

Finally, they reached the heart of the city, the illustrious palace. It stretched out before them, an expanse of immaculate stone, adorned with glistening fountains and meticulously manicured gardens. All around, servants and courtiers moved gracefully, adorned in vibrant garments.

But what captured Devavrat's attention was the colossal statue standing at the center of the courtyard.

Standing majestically, and depicting a fearsome warrior lady, her face embodying strength, wisdom, and beauty.

As the chariot halted, Shantanu and Devavrat climbed down, but the latter's gaze remained stuck at the grand statue, standing with all its glory in the centre of the palace courtyard.

Devavrat then saw that beneath the statue, positioned on an elevated stage, lay an ancient looking sword. Covered in a tantalizing blanket of vermilion powder, it dazzled under the sunlight.

"Pitashree, yeh kaun hai ?" He couldn't help but ask.

Shantanu looked at the statue, a proud sigh escaped his lips, "Devi Rameshwari."

"Ramsuta Rameshwari ?" Devavrat asked astonished.

"Ha. Brahmarishi Vasisth ne toh tumhe inke baare mei bataya hi hoga na." Shantanu went up towards the statue, Devavrat followed behind.

The king joined his hands in reverence and bowed his head, his son followed what he did, and offered respects.

"Gurudev Vasisth aksar inke baare mei batate the. Adwitiya yoddha thi yeh. Koi inhe parajit nahi kar sakta tha. Pita ke Ashwamedh yagya ke liye inhone sampurn prithvi, keval ek varsh mei jeet liya." Devavrat said.

Shantanu nodded as he smiled softly, "Inhone Kuruo par bhi Vijay praapt ki thi. Tab ke Maharaj inke haatho mrityu pana chaahte the."

"Mata kehti thi ki bhale inhone Kuruo ko parajit kiya, parantu apne shaurya ke karan, humare liye yeh sadev pujniya." Devavrat said.

"Satyavachan." Shantanu said, he took a step forward to the elevated stage, where the sword was kept, he gently caressed it's sheath, adorned with glorious symbols, with reverence before looking back at his son.

"Yeh unhi Ramsuta Rameshwari ki talwar hai. Jo unhone hum Kuruo ko di thi." He said.

A surprised gasp escaped Devavrat's lips, "Devi Rameshwari ki talwar yaha khule mei kyu hai ? Yadi chori ho gayi toh ?"

Shantanu chuckled, "Yahi toh baat hai, putra. Iss talwar ko koi bhi yoddha aise hi nahi utha sakta."

"Tatparya ?" Devavrat asked.

"Hum Kuruo mei yeh manyata hai ki yeh talwar keval wahi utha sakta hai, jo dharmgyaaniyo mei sarvashresht ho. Aur jo bhi iss talwar ko utha leta hai, woh awashya iss sampurn prithvi ka Chakravarti Samrat banta hai." Shantanu said.

"Toh kya yeh talwar aapne bhi uthayi hai ?" Devavrat asked.

"Yauvan mei humse yeh talwar uthi thi, parantu keval kuch hi kshano ke liye. Iss liye toh humare swargiya Pitashree, Pratipa ne hume Hastinapur ka Maharaj nyukt kiya tha." Shantanu said, gazing at the sky remembering the days of his youth.

He then looked back at Devavrat, and gestured him to try and pick the sword. Driven by a mix of curiosity and ambition, the son of Ganga stepped forward.

Devavrat tentatively reached out his hands, his eyes filled with determination. His gaze met his father's expectant gaze, silently urging him forward.

With a surge of energy, Devavrat grasped the sheath and pulled. However, the sword remained stubbornly rooted to the stage, almost mocking his attempts.

A frown appeared on the face of Shantanu, seeing that the sword didn't even budge an inch.

Undeterred, Devavrat summoned every ounce of his strength, pushing against the resistance with all his might. His muscles strained and his brow furrowed in concentration.

Shantanu held his breath, as he saw the ancient sword move ever so slightly, ray of hope overtook him. Every vein of Devavrat's arms started to protrude, a painful groan left his lips, beads of sweat fell from his forehead. And then unable to persevere further, Gangeya let go of the sword, panting heavily.

A frown appeared on the face of Shantanu as he wondered, 'Mere putra mei sabhi yogyataye hai, toh yeh talwar utha kyu nahi paya ?'

"Kadachit mai sajj nahi hu abhi." Devavrat said catching his breath.

"H-Ho sakta hai." Shantanu nodded, though unsure.

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A/N

Inhe Dharm ka gyaan toh hai.... Lekin inka logic bahut questionable hai *Coughs* 🌝

I swear, jawani mei Pitamah ke karm aur vachan dekh vishwas uth jayega... Budhape tak thoda character development hota hai so that's good-
Warna bahut sus deeds hai inke-💀

Yes.... Sus.... Detailed analysis karne par pata chala ki Pitamah is the most sus character of Mahabharat-💀