God of War

Danger in Anga

Thanks to Karnathegreat for the lovely suggestions

Danavlok

"Impossible," screamed Diti. "How can those mere mortals nullify the weapons we gave to Kaustav and Priyamvada?"

Valdeva said, "Pitamahi, this is the greatest defeat I have ever faced. We have the God of War imprisoned here. His blessings and weapons are with us. Kaustav brought those devputras and our strongest allies like Bhagdutta and Shishupal. Yet everything was in vain."

Vahudeva added, "Our spies reported that Gandhari's sons possess strange powers: unnatural strength, strong barriers, and the ability to harness the powers of the five elements, animals, and plants. How can normal humans have such great powers?"

Diti responded, "Only one can answer us now, Dev Vasusen."

They all went to Vasusen's palace where he was meditating.

Diti said, "Pranam Pravu... we have a complaint."

Dev Vasusen opened his eyes, "Tell me, Diti, what can I do for you?"

Diti asked, "Pravu, you gave us blessings to win all wars. Why did we face defeat when we attacked Anga?"

Dev Vasusen replied, "Diti, you asked for my blessings to conquer Swarg. But for attacking Anga, you did not seek my blessings. So why blame me for the defeat?"

Valdeva inquired, "Then who gave those humans those special weapons? How did the sons of Dhritarashtra acquire such powerful weapons?"

Dev Vasusen said, "I did not give any weapons to the sons of Dhritarashtra. I trained them to evoke their inner powers but did not donate any weapons."

The danavas were surprised, as Dev Vasusen never lied. If he did not give them those strange weapons or powers, then which God did? Was it Vishnu or Shiva? When they asked, Dev Vasusen replied that no Gods gave any weapons to the sons of Dhritarashtra. This confused the Danavas further. Vahudeva then asked, "Gurudev, how are we supposed to conquer Anga?"

Dev Vasusen said, "I taught you everything about diplomacy and warfare. Use your brain." Saying this, he returned to meditation.

The Danava royals returned to their palace to strategize. Diti asked, "What shall we do now?"

Vahudeva suggested, "Bhrata, remember Gurudev's story about hot rice? If you put your hand in the middle, you will burn yourself. But if you start eating from the sides, the rice will cool, and you can finish the entire plate."

Valdeva agreed, "You are right, brother. Anga and Dwarka are the main powerhouses of Aryavarta. To defeat them, we must isolate them completely. Let's start with their allies."

The following day, the Danavas began their assault on neighboring kingdoms. Although Anga and Dwarka dispatched troops for assistance, they had to protect their own realms as well. The Danavas wreaked havoc across Aryavarta, demolishing temples, halting religious rituals, and tormenting women, children, and elders. Witnessing the devastation, the Devas went to Kailash to seek Mahadev's help.

Indra implored, "Mahadev, please intervene. The Danavas are ravaging everything and tormenting the innocent. We are powerless against them. How long will this chaos continue?"

Mahadev replied, "Devas, this is the consequence of karmic retribution. You did not prevent your former king from committing adharm with a sati. A sati's curse can disrupt the cosmic balance. Your father's greed and ego interfered with Dev Vasusen and Niyati's union, shattering the cycle of destiny. This is the result."

Devi Parvati added, "We cannot assist you, Devas. Even though we recognize the wrongs, we are powerless. We cannot disregard another God's boon."

Agnidev inquired, "Then what will happen, Prabhu? The Danavas have weakened us. They have halted all yagnas, depriving us of our strength. How can we protect the innocents?"