‘PUNARBHAVA’ — THE RISE OF THE LEGEND OF PANINI — THE YOGI WARRIOR
He was suspended in an empty, endless space. The dark engulfed him like water surrounds someone in the depths of an ocean. He tried to move his limbs but failed — his body was frozen, chained to the darkness by an unknown force. He tried to understand where he was but even his inner eye proved inadequate in measuring the immense void. He stopped struggling and eased his mind, not knowing what to do or prepare for next.
Something approached him from within the darkness and he became aware of a strong, invisible presence around him. Tentacles of an alien conscience probed the edges of his mind.
Without offering any resistance, he promptly cleared his mind of all thoughts.
“Ah, so you can close your mind to my probing!” a thundering voice boomed in his mind. “Nonetheless, I have no interest in you, Human! Since you have disturbed my sleep, tell me why you seek me with such fervor, and then I shall let you go.”
“I need your help, O Mighty One! You are my last hope,” he pleaded.
“You have been misled,” the voice scoffed. “I am not concerned with the happenings of the three worlds! I am just a humble servant of my Lord and I only follow his command. You should pray to him.”
“It is in the Lord’s name that I seek you. You are the epitome of compassion. How can you refuse a true seeker? Please give me a chance to prove that I am worthy of your help!”
As if to prove his point, his palm lit up — the familiar inscription of a small lotus flower burning bright in the middle and shining Chakras — the circles on all his five fingertips.
There was a brief pause. Then, the voice echoed again. “No mortal has ever ventured here. The fact that you have reached my abode is in itself a miracle! I will give you a chance to explain your predicament, but I can’t promise you anything.”
The presence faded away and before he could react, a small but bright speck of light appeared within the void. Another speck appeared beside it, and together they formed a line of light between them.
All of a sudden, many rays of light started piercing the dark. With a jerk, he was drawn further inside the void. Within no time, he attained dizzying speed as the lights increased in intensity, shooting at him from all directions.
His surroundings were becoming brighter and brighter when a massive bolt of golden light exploded and passed straight through him.
His body convulsed with pain — but he bore it silently, expertly steadying his breathing and numbing his senses.
The darkness disappeared, and he went flying over a vast sea of golden fire. Given his speed, he must have traveled a great distance when the force finally dwindled, and he landed softly on a firm surface.
This time the presence of the alien conscience was much more palpable than before.
He, the Yogi warrior, stood there — calm, collected, and self-assured. His feet set apart, his lithe body arched backward, and his eyes devoid of any anxiety or fear.
A giant eye — a moist glassy ball, with a black pupil the size of a large tree, appeared.
The eye moved, and he realized that he had been traversing over the physical form of the deity all along. The divine being was simply too large to comprehend through the human eye.
He bowed low in reverence to the enigmatic creature. The voice came again, gentler now, “Narrate your story to me, and in the end, I shall decide your fate.
He obeyed and sat down in Padmasana — the lotus position.
“O, great soul! This story is of a young man’s extraordinary journey into the realm of Gods. It all began on the highest battlefield on earth, located amidst the snow-capped Himalayas…
You will be happy to know that the Kindle edition of ‘Punarbhava — A Hero Reborn’ is now available internationally on the Amazon Kindle. It will come in paperback and hardcover edition from the next month.
