THREADS OF FATE ~

A Divine Encounter

The road to **Puri** was long and exhausting, but **Vasudev** and **Rajguru** pressed on, driven by the urgency of **Maa Kali’s** command. As they approached the sacred city, the air around them seemed to change, as though they were stepping into a realm closer to the divine. The scent of the sea mingled with the distant sounds of temple bells, and pilgrims, wrapped in devotion, thronged the streets leading to the famous **Jagannath Temple**.

Vasudev had always been a devoted **Shakta**, worshipping **Maa Kali** with unwavering faith, but as he stood at the gates of **Puri**, something deep within him stirred. For the first time, he felt a sense of disconnection, as though the divine presence he had always felt with **Maa Kali** was somehow distant, yet at the same time, all around him.

He gazed at the towering temple, his heart pounding in his chest. The image of **Lord Jagannath**, the form of **Vishnu** worshipped by millions, filled his mind. He had always been taught that the paths of Shaktas and Vaishnavas were distinct, their practices different, their deities separate. But now, as he stood before the temple dedicated to **Jagannath**, he felt an inexplicable pull, as if he was standing on the threshold of something far greater than any division.

“**Rishibar**, I feel…” Vasudev hesitated, his voice thick with emotion. “I feel as though I am far from the divine, as though I do not belong here. Yet at the same time, I cannot deny the power of this place.”

Rajguru, walking beside him, looked at him with calm, knowing eyes. “**Maharaj**, the divine is beyond form. Whether it is **Kali** or **Jagannath**, they are but different manifestations of the same truth. The distance you feel is not between you and the divine, but between the illusion of separateness you have held in your heart.”

Vasudev clenched his fists, his breathing growing labored. “But I am a **Shakta**. How can I feel this pull toward **Jagannath**? How can I, a devotee of **Kali**, feel this connection to the god of the Vaishnavas?”

Rajguru smiled softly, placing a reassuring hand on Vasudev’s shoulder. “In the journey of the soul, Maharaj, distinctions between forms melt away. **Kali**, **Krishna**, **Jagannath**—they are all one. The divine is not bound by the names or forms we give them. What you are feeling is the truth that lies beyond these differences.”

Vasudev’s eyes widened as Rajguru’s words began to sink in. He had always believed in the supremacy of **Maa Kali**, but now, as he stood before the great temple of **Jagannath**, he could no longer deny the strange familiarity he felt. It was as though the same power he had worshipped all his life through **Kali** now called to him in the form of **Jagannath**.

“I feel… torn,” Vasudev admitted, his voice shaking. “As though the path I have followed is crumbling beneath me.”

Rajguru’s gaze remained steady. “Perhaps, Maharaj, it is not the path that is crumbling, but the walls that separate one path from another. You are not forsaking **Kali** by feeling this connection. Rather, you are understanding her in a deeper way—through the eyes of another form of the divine.”

Vasudev closed his eyes, trying to process the overwhelming emotions surging within him. He had come to **Puri** seeking **Gaurhari**’s guidance, but now, standing in the shadow of **Jagannath’s** temple, he realized his journey was not merely about seeking a sage’s wisdom. It was about understanding his own soul, his own relationship with the divine.

He suddenly felt an intense urge to rush into the temple, to stand before **Jagannath**, not as a Shakta or a Vaishnava, but as a seeker of the truth. He had to know—was the divine truly one? Was there no division between **Kali** and **Krishna**? He had to feel it for himself.

Without warning, Vasudev sprinted toward the temple, leaving Rajguru momentarily surprised. His heart raced as he pushed past the crowds of pilgrims, his mind spinning. **Maa Kali** had sent him here, but why? What was he meant to learn in this sacred city dedicated to **Jagannath**?