The vision gradually faded. The frozen clouds resumed their slow journey across the sky. The winds returned. The celestial horses once again continued their flight.
Yamaraja's form dissolved into countless particles of golden light. His final words lingered in the heavens.
"May Dharma guide every step you take… my younger brother."
Silence returned.
Karna slowly sat once more. His hand rested upon Vijaya. The divine bow answered with a soft, resonant hum, almost as if acknowledging the path that now lay before them.
The chariot gently turned toward the north.
Far beyond the kingdoms of Aryavarta, beyond forests, rivers and busy cities, rose the eternal guardians of Bharatavarsha.
The Himalayas.
Snow-covered peaks pierced the heavens, standing unmoved through ages while empires rose and vanished beneath their quiet watch.
Inside the chariot, Karna closed his eyes. Vijaya rested peacefully across his lap.
Ever since the golden essence had merged with the legendary bow, something within him had changed—not only the weapon, but himself.
He had expected the bow to feel different. Instead, he could scarcely feel it at all. At first the feeling puzzled him. His fingers rested on the smooth surface of Vijaya, yet his awareness never reached toward the bow. It simply… already existed within him.
Like his own heartbeat.
Like his own breath.
Like an arm or a leg.
One never consciously searched for those things. They simply existed as part of oneself.
Only then did Karna fully understand Yamaraja's words.
A Soul Armament.
It was no longer something he carried merely in his soul.
Nor something he merely wielded.
Vijaya had become part of his very soul.
A faint smile touched his face. He gently grasped the bow. Without speaking a mantra, without circulating divine energy, without even consciously willing it, his fingers slowly pulled back the bowstring.
For a brief instant, nothing happened.
Then countless particles of golden light quietly emerged from the surrounding heavens. One by one, they gathered before the drawn string. The particles intertwined, compressed, and solidified.
Within moments, a magnificent celestial arrow had formed entirely on its own. Its shaft shimmered with golden light. Ancient runes flowed along its surface before quietly disappearing again.
Karna looked at it in silence. Not a single drop of divine energy had left his body. Yet the arrow existed.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
"So… the burden is yours now."
The bow answered with a deep, resonant hum. It almost sounded… pleased.
Karna released the string. The celestial arrow dissolved into countless motes of light and scattered into the wind. He closed his eyes once more. The connection between himself and Vijaya grew clearer with every passing moment. He could almost feel the bow breathing alongside him. When his spiritual energy calmed, the bow calmed. When his heart stirred, its divine aura answered in kind.
There was no distinction anymore.
Warrior and weapon had become one.
The journey continued in peaceful silence. Only a few hours passed. The divine horses needed neither rest nor nourishment. Distance itself seemed meaningless before them.
Soon the towering Himalayas filled the horizon. Their snow-covered summits reflected the sunlight so brightly that they seemed fashioned from pure crystal. The air grew colder. The winds grew stronger. Yet the divine chariot continued ascending without effort.
Far above the forests, above the cliffs, above the clouds themselves, it finally reached the sacred peak of Nanda Parvat.
The celestial horses gently descended upon the summit. Karna stepped down.
The moment his feet touched the snow, an icy wind swept across the mountain with tremendous force. Even his crimson robes fluttered violently under its relentless assault.
The summit was completely silent.
No birds.
No beasts.
No signs of human life.
Only endless snow… and one lone figure.
She sat upon a flat stone near the mountain's edge. Clad in simple saffron robes, her long dark hair flowed naturally behind her. Her hands rested upon her lap. Her eyes remained gently closed. Her lips moved almost imperceptibly.
"Om Namo Narayana…
Om Namo Narayana…
Om Namo Narayana…"
The sacred mantra continued without interruption. The howling mountain winds battered her from every direction. Snow gathered upon her shoulders before being carried away again. Yet she never moved—not even slightly.
Karna quietly observed her from a distance. His expression gradually softened.
"So this… is the human Brother Yamaraja spoke of."
He could see that her devotion was different from the sages. It contained no desire, no ambition, no wish for power—only absolute surrender. The mountain itself seemed to breathe together with her chanting.
Karna remained silent for several moments. Then he slowly raised Vijaya. His fingers drew back the bowstring. Once again golden particles gathered from the surrounding heavens. Another celestial arrow quietly formed.
Unlike before, Karna did not infuse even a trace of divine energy into it. Nor did he invoke any Astra. He merely looked toward the endless skies above Dharani.
Then he released the string.
The arrow shot upward like a streak of golden sunlight. It soared high above the summit—higher and higher still. Suddenly it curved. The celestial arrow descended gracefully and reached the space several meters above Dharani. Without striking anything, it began circling her.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Hundreds.
Its speed increased with every rotation until it became nothing more than a brilliant ring of golden light surrounding her. The surrounding air trembled. The violent mountain winds that had battered her moments earlier suddenly changed direction. Every freezing gust struck the spinning ring and was turned away.
Within moments, a transparent celestial barrier formed around Dharani. Inside it there was silence, warmth, and peace. The snow no longer touched her. The freezing winds no longer reached her. Only the gentle sound of her chanting remained.
"Om Namo Narayana…
Om Namo Narayana…
Om Namo Narayana…"
She never opened her eyes. She had not even realized what had happened.
Karna quietly lowered Vijaya. The legendary bow released another soft hum, as if its purpose had been fulfilled. A faint smile appeared on Karna's face. He slowly walked forward, passed effortlessly through the transparent barrier, and entered the peaceful space surrounding the meditating woman.
The difference was immediate. Outside, the mountain winds roared endlessly. Inside, not even the hem of his garments stirred.
Karna stopped several steps before her. Then he slowly knelt upon one knee. Joining both palms together, he respectfully lowered his head.
"Mata Dharani.
My name is Karna.
I am the mortal son of Goddess Sangya and Suryanarayana.
I offer my respectful obeisance."
Only the soft chanting answered him.
"Om Namo Narayana…
Om Namo Narayana…
Om Namo Narayana…"
Karna remained kneeling.
"I ask forgiveness for approaching your sacred place of penance. I have not come to disturb your tapasya. I have only come to seek your help in fulfilling your own destiny."
Still silence.