TWENTY-THREE
Matali fell quiet and they flew in silence again. Arjuna said, "We are not going back the way we came."
"No, there is another task for you. Look."
He pointed ahead and near the horizon, Arjuna dimly saw an object in the sky that must be another vimana. As they flew nearer, he saw the gleaming thing was no ship of the air, but a golden city. It flew toward them as swiftly as they did toward it.
"Hiranyapuri," said Matali, with no emotion.
"It is splendid!" cried Arjuna.
"Puloma's city of sorcery," the sarathy replied dryly.
"Who is Puloma?"
"The golden witch and the Kaalakeyas are her sons."
"Who are they, Matali?"
"They are Asuras, changelings who take any form they choose. They go where they like, do as they please. They are strong and cruel; and they, too, are protected by Brahma's boon of old to their mother. For, once, Puloma was not an aabhichari but a tapasvin." He lowered his voice. "She is our queen Sachi's mother."
"What have we to do with them?"
"The Kaalakeyas, also, can only be killed by a mortal man. They mean to invade Amravati for their various pleasures and it will not be the first time. Indra wants you to torch them from the sky."
They were quite near the exotic city, which flew along like a huge mirage. Suddenly, bees from a golden hive, a swarm of dark vimanas flew out from the portals of Hiranyapuri and flashed at them. In those sleek battle-ships crouched Puloma's sons.
Some were almost human and even handsome; others had the slavering faces of beasts. Some had just one head, but many had two, three and more, grimacing or grinning in every direction. Some had hands, but others claws; some, Arjuna saw, were winged. Some were serpents coiled in their vimanas and some had lions' faces. Many had just one eye, while others had three and a few, even five, glaring.
Perhaps because they had no natural armor to protect them, all of these were more accomplished warriors than the Nivatakavachas. They hailed Matali and Arjuna in evil voices, some deep, some shrill.
"Devas, you have come back to fight!"
"Weren't you routed the last time, that you dare attack us again?"
"Can you hear us, Indra? You shouldn't have troubled coming here; we were on our way to Amravati."
"Perhaps we can take his head with us!"
Devilish laughter filled the sky. Arjuna could not understand how they cast their voices so far, but there was hardly time to think of that. The Asuras attacked with flaming missiles so Matali's vimana was tossed about like a coracle on a stormy sea. Their ship streaked this way and that; it took all the sarathy's skill to keep them aloft. Often, they vanished before the Asuras, then reappeared in another part of the sky.
But these demons were marksmen and found their target too often. Arjuna raised the Gandiva and the air was thick with weapons.
He soon cried to Matali, "There are too many of them. I cannot fight them all."
The sarathy cried back, "The Paasupata, Arjuna! Use Siva's weapon."
At that moment, darkness fell on the sky and stark terror. It was inside their vimana, as well, filling Arjuna's eyes, his heart. He felt faint, as if cold hands were on his throat, choking him. The Pandava heard a low gasp below him. He saw Matali's panel was dark and guessed the sarathy must have slumped across it in a faint. Arjuna called out to him, but there was no response. He was alone and he did not know how long the vimana would fly itself.
In panic, Arjuna invoked the Paasupata, the final astra. He knew that every time Siva's astra was invoked, it assumed a different guise. By now, a hundred vimanas had flown out from Hiranyapuri. The sky echoed with the roars and howls of a hundred Kaalakeyas. The Paasupatastra filled the vimana with light, like another sun and Arjuna saw the demons' vimanas veer away. Though they had an answer for every astra the Pandava had loosed at them so far, he saw the light of the Paasupata unnerved them.
The rutilance of Siva's astra engulfed Matali, the ship of the sky and Arjuna.
"AUM Namah Sivayah!" Arjuna prayed silently, then shot the arrow that bore the astra from his quivering bow. For a moment, nothing happened and the archer watched his shaft flare out from the little dome in which he sat. Below him, he heard Matali wake with a cry.
"Are you all right, Arjuna?"
The incandescence of the Paasupata had left their vimana and now the astra erupted outside, so the Kaalakeyas' fighting craft were blown about like leaves in a storm of light. Even Hiranyapuri in the distance shook.
Arjuna cried to Matali, "Look, the Paasupata!"
An incredible spectacle unfolded before their eyes. It seemed the sky, their ship, the Asuras, their vimanas and the golden city of the firmament were all transported to another realm, where time did not move. Like a dreamer, Arjuna could only watch. Where Siva's astra went, a hundred new vimanas filled the sky. In them sat shadowy warriors, with matted dreadlocks and rudraksha beads that glowed like the jewels the great nagas wear in their heads. The warriors were fierce-looking and covered in ash like rishis.
Arjuna heard Matali breathe, "Ganas. Sivaganas of the Paasupatastra!"
A legion of vimanas and ganas had appeared in the sky and the rest of the battle was over in a moment. In that moment, the hundred Kaalakeya ships burned and fell away with their demons already dead. Then, the vimanas of the astra vanished.
Silence had fallen everywhere. Hiranyapuri floated some way ahead. A thousand archers appeared at the portals of the golden city, each one with a bow. Roaring so heaven and earth shuddered with that sound, those Asuras shot a thousand astras at the Matali's vimana. Arjuna could not possibly cut all those missiles down. Matali was helpless, too; they couldn't hope to evade the flaming tide in the sky. They could only wait and pray for some intercession.
They did not know the Paasupata was not spent. As the wave of a thousand fires came sweeping at them, an awesome figure materialized in the sky: a vast shadow whose feet were planted on the horizon, whose head, which was big as a world, loomed high above Hiranyapuri. He had jata down to his waist: dreadlocks coiled like cobras. White ash covered his naked body from his face to his feet and great serpents, their forked tongues sliding in and out of their mouths, were his garments. His eyes were crimson suns; his fangs were massive columns. He wore incredible ornaments upon his bare and black chest: pearls like moons, diamonds like stars, topazes like misty planets. He stood between Hiranyapuri and Matali's vimana like a mountain.
No word did that apparition speak; no sound came from him. He yawned open his mouth, deep as the void and the thousand astras disappeared into its darkness.
No one had breathed a word, while Arjuna recounted his adventure. Now he paused, still full of awe as he remembered the Shadow of the Paasupata.
Bheema sat holding Arjuna's hand and his eyes wide. He cried impatiently, "And what happened then? What did the apparition do?"
Arjuna said, "The great shadow glowed for a moment with the astras he had swallowed. A terrible smile lit up his black face. He gave a growl that shook the sky, raised a mountainous hand, plucked golden Hiranyapuri out of the air and swallowed that city as well. All Matali and I heard was an awful scream from a million Asuras' throats, then there was silence."
For a moment, Arjuna was afraid the Spirit of the Paasupata might not be satisfied and turn its attentions to them. As if reading his fear clearly, that Spirit did indeed turn solemnly toward them, but then folded his hands grimly and bowed: because Arjuna was a master of the Paasupata. With that, the dreadful one vanished as suddenly as he had appeared and they were alone in an empty blue sky.
Matali hugged Arjuna again and again, crying, "Your father will be proud of you today! I have fought many battles through the ages of Devaloka, but I never fainted before. This was a great battle, my prince, the Kaalakeyas were worthy antagonists."
The Pandava saw the strangest look in that sarathy's eye: one of reverence. Matali said in a low voice, "Arjuna, none among the Devas, even, is your equal."
Arjuna began to protest, but the little sarathy was already back in his place, flying them home to Amravati.
"I am so proud of you!" cried Bheema, hugging his brother. Yudhishtira asked, "And your father, Indra, was he pleased?"
Indra was waiting for them on the steps of the palace. He came running to the vimana when they landed and embraced Arjuna; there were surely tears in his eyes.
Later, in his sabha, the Deva king said, "You have more than paid your guru-dakshina to me, my son. Yudhishtira is fortunate to have you for his brother: how will Dhritarashtra's princes contain you when the war on earth begins? Now you are invincible not only against men, but the Devas and the Asuras."
Arjuna was embarrassed and bent his head. Indra went on, "When you take the field, Bheeshma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Shakuni, Duryodhana and all his brothers together shall have only a sixteenth part of your prowess. Look what I have for you."
A servant brought a crystal box. Indra opened it, drew out a suit of golden mail and gave it to Arjuna. It was light as the breeze. The Pandava received it in wonder, thinking for a moment that it was an elaborate ornament for a warrior. Indra said, "Not the astras of the Gods can pierce this mail. It is my own kavacha, made before the earth."
He set another crown on his son's head and then gave him ornaments and silks for Draupadi.
When the brothers opened the casket Arjuna had brought from Devaloka, the light of those gifts filled their cave on Badarikasrama. Arjuna said, "I rested another week in Amravati, then Indra called me. 'I know how anxious you are to be back with Panchali and your brothers. Yudhishtira and the others spend every moment waiting for you. I think the time has come for you to go back.'"
There was a feast that night in Indra's halls and Chitrasena's gandharvas and Rambha's apsaras sang and danced until daybreak. The sun rose over Amravati and Indra said quietly to Arjuna, "The pushpaka vimana is waiting to take you where your heart is."
Arjuna bid farewell to all his friends in Amravati. His stay there had been so full of wonder he felt he was about to wake from a dream. Chitrasena embraced him, while Arjuna held back his tears. But the gandharva wept openly. "Why are you mortals afraid to show your feelings? Aren't you sad to be parting from me? Then why are you ashamed to cry?"
Indra blessed Arjuna and said, "I will come to restore you to your brothers."
Matali had brought the vimana to the palace steps again.
"We already knew that you were here, in the Badarikasrama. So here I am," ended Arjuna, radiant to be back.
Yudhishtira rose. He put his arms around his brother and said, "And we are glad you have returned. The wait was becoming intolerable."
Draupadi murmured, "But you must miss the grandeur of your father's kingdom."
Arjuna said, "Devaloka is glorious and so is Amravati. But I belong with all of you and it is here that my heart is content. For me not the wonders of swarga can match this joy."
They sat in silence for a while. Then Yudhishtira said into the deepening dusk, "I feel as if our enemies are already vanquished and we have our kingdom back. But, Arjuna, curiosity has its way with me: can we see the devastras?"
Bheema cried, "Show them to us!"
Nakula and Sahadeva said, "Show us the astras, Arjuna."
Arjuna rose and went into the crisp evening outside, where the mountains were painted in the fluid colors of sunset. Arjuna folded his hands to the sky and began to chant some resonant mantras. The rishis gathered round the Pandavas in awe and Gandhamadana shook below their feet. A sudden darkness obscured the sunset. Above Arjuna, ominous thunder rumbled and gashes of lightning streaked the heavens, though not a cloud was to be seen. A dread fell on the rishis and the Pandavas.
Arjuna's body began to shine, as if lit from within by the fires of the Gods. He stood unmoving, his eyes shut, his hands folded. Draupadi clutched Bheema's hand tightly and even Bheema shivered at the immense disturbance of the elements. Then it seemed that the very sky parted and from beyond, from another mandala, unearthly weapons appeared in that darkness, each one a Deva's.
A thunderbolt fell, blinding, before the immobile Arjuna, a shimmering noose, golden arrows, alive and breathing with the elemental forces that filled them, a trident, a burning spear and a hundred other ayudhas, one after the other, in a refulgent storm. They all waited before the archer who summoned them, for his command; the sky was full of Devas' lustrous shadows, the mountain blazed with light.
The Pandavas stood transfixed, the rishis of the Badarikasrama, too: that hermitage was as bright as day. Then, all at once, the sky was full of vimanas and the winds were brilliant, as a host of Gods appeared in the sky. They were the guardians of the astras; Indra's Devas and Rudra's ganas and with them, brahmarishis seated on clouds, devarishis from Amravati, siddhas, charanas, noble rakshasas and gandharvas. The sky was full of music so sweet it was hard to endure.
A quaint figure draped in a wildflower garland, whose fragrance filled the asrama at Badari, stepped out from thin air before the Pandavas. He plucked lightly on the vina he carried in his hand and a song brimmed on his lips. Arjuna stood like a stone, his palms folded to the astras.
Narada said mildly to Yudhishtira, "Pandava, when an astra is summoned it must have its prey, or it will consume the very earth."
Yudhishtira prostrated himself before Narada. "I did not know how powerful my brother had become."
Narada said gently, "The Devas themselves have come today to calm these weapons, which are their spirits: of fire, light, water, earth and air. The next time Arjuna invokes the weapons of heaven, let it be only in battle."
"My lord, I was anxious. Now I have no doubt that we will win the war against our cousins," said Yudhishtira, still kneeling.
"They are not just your cousins, but ancient spirits of evil. Do not imagine the war will be easy to win," said Narada softly. The wanderer went up to the unmoving Arjuna. Narada laid a hand on his arm and the kshatriya shone brighter than the sky for a moment.
Now, Arjuna chanted some other mantras. One by one, the astras rose into the air, circled the one that had summoned them and flashed away into the depths of the sky. As they disappeared, the vimanas above also vanished, each with a God; then, the other celestials, by whose will, too, an apocalypse had been averted.
Finally, Narada melted away as he came. When the mountain did not blaze any more, they saw night had fallen over the world and a full moon was rising over pale peaks, swathing them in cool silver. Everyone in Badarikasrama, the rishis, the brahmanas, the Pandavas and, most of all, Draupadi heaved a sigh of relief. For a while, it had truly seemed as if the end of the world had come.
Even Bheema was unnerved and stared at his brother Arjuna with new respect in his eyes. Only Arjuna himself was quite calm, as he went back into their cave as if nothing extraordinary had happened.