Surya's horses thundered across the void, its hooves striking the darkness like the beating of a celestial heart. It surged forward, unstoppable, carrying its riders through the endless expanse until finally, Svarga came into view.
As the sun horse and its riders neared their destination, the Gandharva warriors stationed in Svarga were already poised for action, having anticipated their arrival. The Devas had prepared thoroughly, ensuring their forces were ready for anything—from a full-scale attack to a sudden shift in tactics.
This was the moment—the moment to enter Brahma Loka.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Vayu, ever the swiftest and most vocal, shouted with such force that his voice rang out across the entire Svarga.
At his command, the Gandharva army moved with precision, mounting their sacred chariots with ease. Light ropes descended from the chariots, latching onto the palaces below and lifting them slowly into the sky, like threads of divinity pulling the structures upward.
"As expected of my elite warriors from Svarga!" Agni said, a hint of pride in his voice as he observed the growing procession of divine chariots and ships.
However, there was a problem. The ranks of the Gandharvas were swelling rapidly, and with each passing moment, the sacred chariots became more and more packed, like overfilled vessels ready to burst. The process was agonizingly slow, each chariot barely able to lift off the ground.
"If only I had more of Vishvakarma's sacred chariots," Agni muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in frustration. "But he still hasn't fixed the Vimanas from last time. This delay is unacceptable."
Impatience gnawed at him as he watched the army struggle to ascend, the chariots rising at a sluggish pace.
"How long will this take?" he thought bitterly.
Without further hesitation, Agni let out a fiery sigh, his body ablaze with radiant flames. He swung a rope of red fire into the air, gripped it tightly, and soared upward with a burst of speed, leaving the slow-moving chariots behind. They had no time to waste. Hayagriva and his forces were still pursuing them, and the stakes were too high for delay.
"Om Brahmaye Namah!" Agni shouted, his voice carrying through the air.
"Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah!" echoed the other Devas, their voices rising in unison as they too prepared for what lay ahead. The final push toward Brahma Loka had begun.
…
The praises continued to flow endlessly, a soft white light slowly enveloping the Devas with each reverent utterance, wrapping them in a shimmering aura of divinity.
"Don't even think about running away!"
At last, Hayagriva broke through the gates of Svarga, his roar echoing through the heavens. His eyes fixed on the distant Devas, glowing in the white light, and his anger flared like a blazing inferno.
Ho ho ho!
His deep blue mane whipped around him, sending sharp, hunting winds scattering in every direction. His powerful presence surged upward, the ground beneath him trembling with his ferocity. With a thunderous roar, he tore through the thick clouds, his immense strength clearing a path.
The air itself seemed to buckle under his force, the white light rippling as his body shot forward, a streak of deep blue cutting through the atmosphere. A battle axe materialized in his hand, raised high above his head, and with a divine slash, he struck downward.
Boom!
The roar of impact shattered the heavens, the sea of clouds churning, and the sky itself quaking in response. Hayagriva paused, shaking off the violent gusts of wind, eyes scanning the battlefield. But before him, nothing.
"Disappeared?"
He growled, frustration creeping into his voice. "You managed to outrun me? And now you've all vanished into thin air?" His eyes narrowed as suspicion crept into his thoughts.
"Where did you go?!"
He was certain they hadn't fled far. Could they have been rescued by the Protector of the World, Vishnu himself? He frowned, his gaze sweeping across the vast, empty expanse of Svarga. The Devas, Gandharavas, and Apsaras are so numerous that, have disappeared without a trace. Were they really retreating to Brahma Loka? Could they have made it there already?
The last time they'd encountered the Devas in Brahma Loka, they were prepared, ruthless, and determined. But now? Now, a massive group of Devas had fled, millions strong. Brahma surely would not accept them all.
Hayagriva clenched his jaw. "Could it be Vishnu? Why has the trimurti has intervened so soon?"
The weight of his thoughts was broken by the sudden arrival of his brothers, Madhu and Kaitambha.
Boom! Boom!
The brothers landed beside him, their powerful presence darkening the skies.
"The Devas have been defeated," Madhu said, his voice low but firm. "They're probably being sheltered by Vishnu right now. There's no one left to guard Brahma Loka. We should strike now and steal the Vedas!"
"Yes! Let's take advantage of this!" Kaitambha added, eager for action.
Hayagriva grinned darkly. "Agreed. Let's go. Brahma Loka awaits."
Madhu and Kaitambha nodded, clapping their hands together in unison. In an instant, their bodies spun at blinding speeds, their power surging like a storm, twisting the very air around them into a dark whirlwind. They shot upward, their goal clear—breaking through the skies to seize what was rightfully theirs.
But just as they neared the threshold of their ascent, something unexpected happened.
Their momentum faltered.
The force they had summoned twisted and cracked around them, and their efforts to break through the space ahead faltered. Something was resisting them.
This time, they were not as successful as before.
Stab! Stab!
Above Svarga, streaks of white light flashed as the very fabric of space had exploded. A dazzling burst of light filled the sky, blinding in its brilliance.
Madhu and Kaitambha plummeted, gasping for breath as they struggled to regain their composure.
"Can't get in?" Madhu wheezed, his voice strained with disbelief.
"I can't enter Brahma Loka either!" Kaitambha growled, his frustration building.
Hayagriva's blue mane whipped in the turbulent winds as his eyes widened in shock. His horse's head snapped around in fury, and he swung his massive battle axe through the air, an angry roar escaping his throat.
"Brahma must have been vigilant from the last time and sealed the Loka!" he bellowed. "It wasn't sealed the last time we came!"
Hayagriva's brow furrowed deeply, a sense of annoyance creeping in. His sharp gaze darted across the sky, scanning the vast emptiness of Svarga. The King of Svarga wasn't here, and the Brahma Loka was sealed off.
"Could Indra have anticipated our scheme?" Hayagriva muttered to himself. "Did he guess I would come to seize the Vedas and prepare to lock them down? Clever... but not clever enough."
His horse face darkened as he realized the scope of the situation.
"That's it!" Hayagriva's voice rose with a grim realization. "Only now will Surya have a say in Svarga. The King of Svarga was wise, but his mistake was leaving behind such weaklings. I—" He paused, a smirk curling on his lips, "I am the superior one. The Svarga Realm belongs to me now."
The Asura's lips curled upward into a proud grin as he surveyed his companions.
"What should we do now?" Madhu asked, his frustration evident as he glared at Hayagriva.
"Not so fast!" Hayagriva waved dismissively. "I still have a plan."
He narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and commanding. "Since we can't enter, we'll make Brahma come to us. You two will perform the harshest penance imaginable. Sever your own arms and throw them into the Yajna fire. Brahma will have no choice but to appear after a few decades, at most."
Madhu and Kaitambha exchanged uneasy glances, their faces contorted in disbelief.
"Does Hayagriva think we're fools?" Madhu muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"No! Absolutely not!" Kaitambha protested loudly, stepping back. "We can grow our arms back, but that would be far too painful!"
Madhu nodded in agreement, his voice heated. "We're not doing that!"
Hayagriva's gaze hardened as he watched the two asuras with frustration. He knew it would be difficult to persuade them—most asuras wouldn't be able to endure the suffering of such a penance. The physical toll would quickly weaken their divine bodies if they failed to nourish themselves during the process.
But more importantly, Hayagriva didn't trust the two. They were idiots, far too astute at critical moments, after al,l they were born from Vishnu's essence.
"Fine," he said with a sigh, though his eyes gleamed with malice. "Then we'll take our time. Right now, we have no choice but to rely on you."
He took a deep breath, his voice lowering to a more conspiratorial tone. "This is all part of our grand plan. Once we capture the Vedas, the end of the trimurti will be upon us. We'll be the masters of a new world."
Hayagriva's words carried a weight of certainty, his mind already racing with the possibilities of the power they would soon command. The plan was far from over—it had only just begun.
…
Brahma Loka
"Brahma dev, we've lost Svarga again!" Surya exclaimed, his hands clasped in frustration as he lifted his head to meet Lord Brahma's gaze.
The Devas stood nearby, their faces downcast, their spirits crushed. They looked like children fleeing from a furious neighbor's rooster—defeated and downtrodden.
Brahma blinked slowly, rolling his eyes as he surveyed the group of broken Devas. His mind wandered back to the earlier struggle between the Devas and Asuras.
Such a pity, he thought, his heart heavy with helplessness.
Hayagriva had challenged Surya to win half of Svarga, doing so with fair and just means. The King of Svarga wasn't even present, so Hayagriva's victory, though inconvenient, adhered to the rules. Still, something about that dice felt off.
Brahma opened his mouth, a sigh escaping him as he looked at the defeated Devas. "Perhaps we should seek the guidance of Vishnu. He might have a solution for this."
The room fell into silence before Vayu, ever the practical one, raised his head, confusion written on his face. "But how do we get to him?"
Brahma's lips curved into a slight, knowing smile. "Go directly through the Kshira Sagara. Hayagriva can't catch up with you, let alone any other Asuras."
The Devas blinked, shocked by the unexpected suggestion. Directly to the Vaikuntha? It sounded rash and irresponsible, yet... it made sense.
They were well-acquainted with the route, having traveled it countless times before. Could the Asuras move faster than them? Unlikely.
"It makes sense!" Varuna nodded enthusiastically. "I'm not sure if my mount has completed his penance, but if it has, we can get there quickly!"
"Yes, that's true!" Agni chimed in. "Once they've completed their penance, let's ask the Lord Vishnu for a blessing that'll make them faster than the Asuras!"
The Devas, hearts lifting slightly, began to gather their things. Without a second thought, they set off, determined to pay their respects and seek assistance from Vishnu, the Protector of the World.
Their steps were lighter now, their spirits a little less heavy, as they made their way toward the one being they hoped would have the answer they so desperately needed.
---
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