King of Devas

There were two Yamunas at the scene—one an imposter. Surya looked puzzled, Svarbhanu was flustered, and Soma's jaw dropped in shock. Yamuna stood frozen in confusion, while Yama frowned deeply.

Indra's expression hardened.

Inside the temple, the Devas were paralyzed with shock, their faces a mix of bewilderment and unease. Their gazes darted around the room, colliding like sparks in a charged atmosphere. The tension was palpable, an invisible flame of conflict igniting between them.

Indra's sharp eyes narrowed at the Yamuna near the amrita.

Moments earlier, he had been standing guard outside the temple, vigilant for any signs of Asuras sneaking in. To his surprise, he had spotted Yamuna lingering hesitantly near the temple's entrance. The noble King of the Devas, unwilling to see a goddess so unsure, had approached to console her.

But then it happened—another Yamuna appeared, identical in every way.

Indra's attention snapped to the jar of Amrita in Soma's hands suspicion flaring in his mind.

The other Devas followed his gaze, their eyes locking onto the sacred jar. A grim realization struck them all simultaneously: one of the Yamunas was an imposter.

For a moment, who is the real devi ceased to matter. The Amrita—divine nectar granting immortality—was paramount.

Soma instinctively turned, clutching the jar protectively. "Amrita!" he gasped.

Indra acted in an instant, streaking forward like a bolt of lightning. His singular focus was the Amrita.

Svarbhanu, abandoning any pretense of innocence, let out a guttural laugh. If he could consume the amrita, he would ascend to immortality. His body swelled grotesquely, his Maya illusion shattered to reveal his true form—an Asura with seven arms and a serpent's tail.

With one hand, Svarbhanu seized Surya, effortlessly pulling him aside. Another hand shoved Soma away, while a third reached for the Amrita.

By then, Indra had closed the distance, lightning crackling in his palm as he prepared to strike.

Svarbhanu's fingers clamped around the jar, and with a triumphant roar, he tilted it back, letting the divine nectar flow into his mouth. In a final act of brute force, one of his massive hands formed a fist and drove it into Indra's chest.

The blow landed squarely against the Sahasrakavacha, Indra's thousand-layered armor.

Snap!

A soft yet ominous sound echoed through the temple.

Meanwhile, the Amrita coursed through Svarbhanu's neck, filling his mind with euphoria and his body with invincibility.

"Hahahaha!" Svarbhanu bellowed, his laughter echoing like thunder. "I have consumed the Amrita! I am now immortal, the first Asura to achieve immortality! There's nothing you can do to stop me now, hahahaha!"

His triumphant laughter filled the air, a chilling sound that resonated with his unrestrained glee.

Svarbhanu couldn't resist spreading his seven powerful arms wide, eager to display his might and intelligence.

Bang! As he rolled his shoulders in a grand gesture, a soft, ominous sound echoed.

Svarbhanu froze, confusion flickering across his face.

He glanced down and felt a chill. His pupils shrank as he took in the horrifying sight before him.

The arm that had touched the King of Svarga was withering before his eyes. Darkness seeped into it, shriveling and rotting the flesh until it turned black and sloughed off his body, collapsing to the ground as a pile of decayed mush.

A faint blue light flickered from the arm, spreading rapidly across his body. It surged over his torso in an instant, racing toward his remaining limbs, neck, and head.

"Oh~" Surya's expression twisted in horror and disgust. He shook Svarbhanu's hand off him as if it burned.

Beside him, Soma recoiled in shock and immediately turned to flee.

"Ahhhhhh!" Svarbhanu's disembodied head let out a blood-curdling scream as the corruption spread.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In mere moments, three more of his arms blackened, withered, and crumbled to ashes on the ground.

Bang! The jar of Amrita slipped from his grasp, landing heavily on Svarbhanu's massive tail.

The nectar spilled, and the divine energy of immortality coursed into his tail. At the same time, the poison of Halahala—the deadly venom of the cosmos—swept over his body. A violent clash ensued within him, the Amrita's power halting the spread of the Halahala, restraining it to his head and the base of his tail.

Indra, ever swift, darted forward and snatched the jar of Amrita. He cradled it protectively in his arms and turned back toward Svarbhanu with a confident gleam in his eyes.

Svarbhanu was left with only his head and tail intact. His head floated in mid-air, shrieking in agony, while his slender tail thrashed wildly, striking the temple floor in chaos.

But the Devas' eyes were not on Svarbhanu. They all stared at Indra, their expressions a mixture of shock and horror.

"It's not my fault! He did it to himself!" Indra exclaimed, raising his hands in mock innocence.

Still, the gravity of the situation loomed. This was no ordinary affliction. It was the poison of the death itself—Halahala.

With a wave of his hand, Indra absorbed the Halahala, now sublimated into a toxic mist, into his divine armor. The remnants of Svarbhanu's decayed, mud-like body were instantly obliterated.

He then extended his hand, and lightning transformed into a crackling rope. It shot out with a sharp crack, binding Svarbhanu's head and tail securely.

"What should we do now?" Surya asked, his voice heavy with concern. "This Asura drank the Amrita. Even reduced to just a head and tail, he cannot die."

Surya frowned, his gaze sweeping over the grotesque remnants of Svarbhanu.

Soma's expression was stiff and brooding, his face shadowed with gloom. Just moments ago, he had been entranced by Maya, only to discover her true form as an Asura.

"He must be a spy sent by the Asuras from Patalaloka! Detain him in Svarga's prison and interrogate him properly!" Soma said with a bitter edge of disgust.

"That makes sense," Surya agreed after a moment of thought. "Devas, what do you think?"

Indra remained silent, deep in contemplation. He weighed the decision before him: should Svarbhanu be handed over to Vishnu?

The legend lingered in his mind. Svarbhanu had once been caught drinking the Amrita by Surya and Soma. They reported him to Mohini on the spot. In response, Mohini had wielded the Sudarshana Chakra, severing Svarbhanu's neck. Yet, because Svarbhanu had already consumed the Amrita, he could not die. His head became Rahu, and his body became Ketu—two of the Navagraha.

The Navagraha are Nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth: the Sun, Moon, planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and the two nodes of the Moon. Rahu and Ketu were the remaining two nodes of the Moon.

"If we imprison him, who knows what could happen?" Indra thought. "What if he begins penance while in prison and grows stronger?"

No, it would be wiser to entrust him to Lord Vishnu.

Indra reasoned that if Svarbhanu ascended to the ranks of the Ninegrahas, he would remain under the King of Svarga's command, making him easier to control. The real threat lay in Svarbhanu discovering the truth of his plight and using that knowledge to cultivate strength in captivity.

The King of Svarga had no desire to plant a ticking time bomb in his own domain. Having resolved his thoughts, Indra prepared to speak, but before he could, Yama stepped forward from among the Devas.

"The Amrita was prepared for us by Lord Vishnu. Now this Asura has drunk it and dared to become immortal!"

"Why not hand him over to the Lord Vishnu for judgment?" Yama suggested firmly.

Indra's lips curled into a subtle smile. This was precisely the outcome he desired.

"It shall be so!" Indra declared, his satisfaction evident. He clasped his hands together in reverence, prompting the other Devas to follow suit as they began to chant praises to Vishnu, the Preserver of the world.

Soma, though inwardly displeased, joined in reluctantly, masking his dissatisfaction.

"Om namo Narayana!"

"Om namo Narayana!"

Their voices echoed in unison, filling the temple.

Amidst the chorus of devotion, a golden light shimmered into existence before the Devas. The radiance was as fluid as water, yet clear as a mirror, and within it appeared the majestic form of Vishnu.

Draped in resplendent golden garments, Vishnu stood with a serene smile. The Sudarshana Chakra, his divine wheel, spun effortlessly at his fingertips, radiating power and balance.

"Lord Vishnu, this Asura used the power of Maya to disguise himself as a Devi Yamuna," Indra began, his tone measured and deliberate. "He infiltrated Svarga and drank the Amrita meant for the Devas. How should we deal with him?"

At Indra's words, Vishnu's gaze shifted, falling upon the bound remnants of Svarbhanu—the head and tail tightly restrained by a crackling rope of lightning, their pitiful state almost laughable.

Vishnu's smile widened, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. The sight was almost too absurd.

Svarbhanu, however, was filled with despair. If he could weep, he would have done so.

Regret consumed him. If only I hadn't flaunted my seven arms… he thought miserably. If I had only three, I wouldn't have touched that cursed armor. I wouldn't be reduced to just a head and tail now.

Breaking the moment, Vishnu's calm and commanding voice rang out.

"Svarbhanu, since you have partaken of the Amrita..."

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