Their camp was miserable, even in the mild spring of Bhulok. The sun and moon dutifully rose and set each day, and the fine earth was soft under their feet. There was a light drizzle. They no longer wore their sandals. It was too difficult to walk quietly on the forest floor when the wooden footwear crunched leaves and twigs with every step. And when the ground was wet, they struggled to stay upright as the dirt loosened and shifted underneath. After a few days of suppressing yelps of surprise, trying not to crunch leaves too loudly, and hissing at each other, they had decided to abandon the sandals.
Indra, Vayu, Varuna, and Agni had been separated from the rest of the devas. But at least they had each other. They roamed Bhudevi’s lands together, their thoughts on the siblings scattered across the universe.
“I will fix this. I will reopen the gates to Swargalok for us. I will find the way.” Indra scanned the sky again, as if he could find his siblings there. He’d made his promise, but he had no plan. He wasn’t even sure that he believed himself when he’d said it to the other devas, but it was his duty.
He picked at the fire in the center of their camp, the wet wood slumping over into the ashes. He remembered walking in the gardens with his wife. He remembered the sacrifices and offerings, his stomach full of love and food. He missed his bed, filled with the finest feathers sent from Bhulok and scented with rose petals.
At first, he had struggled to sleep, but that was a boon in itself these days! They couldn’t be caught on Hiranyakashipu’s grounds, so they took turns keeping watch. They did not sleep much, but it was the fear that settled the exhaustion into the bones. He considered laying on the tender soil for a moment but thought better of it when he saw the insects crawling through the dirt.
His brothers would return at any moment. Hiranyakashipu was intent on vengeance and had moved the capital of his loka to Bhulok. And the insects were cruel to the skin. Indra wondered which of the three would give first. “Probably the sleep,” he decided, pushing mounds of dirt back and forth with a stick.
“Narayana, Narayana!” Indra looked up to see the heavenly sage dressed in a shining gold dhoti with dark blue trim. Narada was as resplendent as ever. Lord Indra snickered and turned away again. “O King of the Devas,” the devarishi said brightly, “Why are you here and not on your throne in Swargalok?”
“Greetings, Devarishi,” Indra mumbled. He couldn’t bring himself to face the sage now. He fixed his attention on the flickering flames. What did Narada want to hear? That he was right? He was. Narada was always right. After losing Swargalok to Hiranyakashipu, they were forced to roam Bhulok in hiding. Venturing to Pataallok was even riskier than living right under Hiranyakashipu’s gaze. “At least this way I have a chance to win Swargalok back,” Indra thought. He just had to find a way to defeat Hiranyakashipu.
“No deva can kill Hiranyakashipu,” King Indra finally said.
“It is so.” Narada said. “So what will you do now? You are drowning in promises, Indra.” When the king of the gods said nothing, the sage continued. “Say, do you think the gates of heaven will open for you if you make them a promise?”
Lord Indra held his head in his hands, tears filling his eyes. His throat ached. “Why are you here, Devarishi?”
Indra felt the log under him shift as Narada sat beside him. The leaves rustled in the wind; the drizzling rain sizzled as it met their meager fire. Narada smelled like sandalwood and heaven. Indra winced when Narada finally spoke. “You cannot stay here in such despair. What will your brothers think?”
“They’ll think that I lost everything they ever loved because I was a coward.”
“O King, it is true you acted in cowardice.” Narada’s voice was firm but gentle.
“Thank you,” Lord Indra scoffed.
“But you also acted in greed.”
“Devarishi, I’m sitting here alone, covered in spiderwebs and dirt. Is this piteous state not enough of a triumph for you? I’ve admitted I’ve lost everything. What more do you want?”
“I want you to keep your promises,” Narada said.
“My brothers are out scrounging for food, and Agni is too weak to relight this fire should it go out,” Indra said. He snapped a twig and fed the flames. “How shall I keep my promises? If it weren’t for the amrit,” he mumbled, “we would be dead.”
“You vowed to take responsibility for any harm that may come as a result of Hiranyakashipu acquiring his wish.”
“I need to look after my subjects before I can go on missions to save universes. My first priority is to bring us back home.”
“And how will that be done?”
“By dethroning Hiranyakashipu.”
“And that will be accomplished by?”
“Killing him.”
Devarishi Narada nodded. “It’s a shame he acquired that boon. Who could kill him now?”
Lord Indra shook his head. “There’s no point, Narada. I tried talking to Vishnu. He said he would not help us. We have to find a way out of this ourselves.” It was like running around in circles. Devarishi Narada was no help.
They watched the rolling clouds dance along the sky. “All things mature in their own time,” Narada finally said. “The way will be revealed at the right moment.”
“But when will we go back home?” Indra’s voice was a feeble whisper.
“Everyone thinks that a flower’s full beauty is revealed only when it has bloomed. But the flower is beautiful the whole time; it is we who do not see its beauty.” Indra’s shoulders hunched in defeat. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face. He wanted the earth to split and swallow him. Nothing Narada said helped, and nothing made any sense. Indra shuddered as he felt Narada’s hand on his shoulder. He accepted defeat; the tears fell into his lap.
“Indra,” Narada said, “time will pass regardless of if you choose to keep your vows. In the meantime, there is no reason to sit here and steep in your own despair. You have work to do, O King.”
“Devarishi,” said Indra, wiping his tears, “your prophecies are more confusion than kindness.”
Narada laughed. “Then let me say it plainly. I am here to help.” Indra said nothing. “Hiranyakashipu has a child, and he may be your only way back to Swargalok.”
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