‘You
will not use this weapon, ever!’ Drona told Ashwattaman fiercely.
Ashwattaman looked shocked as his father looking almost desperately
at him. ‘Even when there is danger to your life, you are not to
use this weapon!’ Ashwattaman almost took a step back afraid of
the look on his father’s face.
You
are not meant to have a virtuous life! The words that his
father had just uttered a few minutes back kept coming back.
Ashwattaman was unable to hear anything that his father said after
that. Pushing his father away, Ashwattaman ran away from the
hermitage. He wanted to be as far away from the house as possible. He
did not want to come back….At all..
Ashwattaman
roamed around in despair. His travels brought him to an unexpected
place – Dwaraka, home of Krishna, the Dark Lord. He stayed there
for a few days trying to forget all that his father had told him. But
he could’nt…
So
one day Ashwattaman went to Krishna, when Krishna was all alone.
‘Greetings,
Ashwa…’ Krishna started as Ashwattaman interrupted him.
‘I
have the Brahmashira weapon with me!’ Ashwattaman announced it in a
manner which he might have announced the end of the world.
Krishna
for his part was shocked. He blinked as he looked at Ashwattaman.
‘Your father taught you how to use that weapon?’ Krishna asked
incredulously.
Ashwattaman
nodded his head haughtily. ‘Yes! The weapon which my father
obtained from Sage Agastya after performing the strongest penance,
now also belongs to me!’ Krishna looked at Ashwattaman as he
continued. ‘I will trade it with you….I want your Sudarshana
chakra, instead of it!’
Krishna
looked at Ashwattaman for a long second not saying anything. He
finally nodded his head. ‘If you can wield it, it is yours!’
Ashwattaman looked surprised as Krishna continued. ‘And I do not
wish anything in return for it!’
Krishna
pointed behind him and there in the centre of the hall, Ashwattaman
saw the magnificent chakra – the discus having a 1000 spokes and
made of iron.
Ashwattaman
went forward and almost carelessly tried to lift the chakra with his
left hand. The weapon would not budge. Surprised Ashwattaman caught
the chakra with both his hands and tried to pull it….The weapon did
not move an inch. Ashwattaman tried and tried and in the end gasping
and panting, he gave up in defeat. The weapon remained where it was.
Gasping
and sweating, Ashwattaman turned to Krishna who was looking at him
with a very strange expression. ‘Arjuna – the Pandava, who is
dear to me than my life, he has never asked me for my chakra!
Pradhyumna – mine and Rukmini’s son – the son whom I had after
12 years of penance, he has never asked me for my discus! None of my
sons have ever asked me for this weapon!’ Krishna shook his head
looking at Ashwattaman. ‘Why did you want the chakra?’
Ashwattaman
looked at Krishna with anger. ‘You are an unrivalled warrior! After
I got the Sudarshana Chakra from you, I would have fought you with
it! I would have defeated you in battle! With the chakra I would
become invincible!’ Ashwattaman said in cold anger as Krishna
realized that Ashwattaman was nursing a wound far too deep to be
understood….There was no level to which the man would stoop to and
Krishna realized that Ashwattaman with his new found knowledge was
unstable and dangerous....
Whow ... how thrilling! THANKS! Don't let us wait too long for the continuation ..
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