NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: 7. Shambhala
The Sorcerer Supreme told me that Shambhala is situated in a valley near Mt. Kailash and can only be entered at dawn and dusk of Shivratri. As this years Shivratri has already passed I spent this year travelling all over Bharat, meeting with various tribes in the country.
There tribals knowledge was a treasure trove in itself. They can control elephant with a whistle crafted by them. The various weapon and skill they developed. Their knowledge of herbs with healing effects, just amazing.
As the time of Shivratri came near, I went towards Mt. Kailash and began searching for the valley. After finding it, I began camping there till Shivratri and woke up on the day before even the sky started to brighten.
As the sky brightened, a path illuminated in a golden light begin to show itself. I started to follow the path, I was mesmerized by the natural beauty I encountered there. Butterflies, flowers of various colors and types, animals some of them are extinct in this time already. I don't have words to describe it.
As I went forward, I could see the mystical city. It was more of like a settlement of hermits but it has a beauty of it's own. There were no big houses but small huts made from bamboo, grass and leaves. Sages were observing austerity, performing rituals and doing yoga everywhere.
As they saw me coming I expected them to be a little hostile toward me but that was not the case. They all welcomed me calmly.
"Come guest, you are welcome in this city, Shambhala. We hope that you achieve whatever purpose brought you here." One of them said to me while greeting me.
I greeted them back and asked "To be speaking the truth I expected you to be hostile with me but here are you welcoming me. I must ask, are you not afraid I will bring more people and end your calm and peaceful life here."
"Only those that are guided by Mahadev can reach here and those who wish to harm this cities residents will never be able to reach it. And you reaching here in this age of Kaliyug is a sign that you are selected by Mahadev for a special task." He answered me.
"I don't know about any special task but my motive for coming here is surely a big one." I said.
"Well enough talks, come inside and be at home. And see we forgot to introduce ourself. I am sage Bhrigu, that is sage Angiras, there he is Durvasa and that..." And so he introduced with everybody.
"See I forgot to ask your name as well. What is your name Vatsa." He asked when he completed introducing me.
"I am the ex Chakravarti Samrat of Bharat, Vidyanandan, Vrishaputra, Radhey vanshi Rudra Karna." I gave them my introduction.
Hearing me many of them were shocked as conquering such a vast land through your own blood and sweat in a single generation is a great task, which is next to impossible without Divya astra.
"You are a descendant of Karna, intriguing. And you united whole Bharatvarsha under one banner. You are full of surprises aren't you son." They said. "But leave it, what is your purpose for coming here." They asked me.
"Before I went on my journey of conquering I awakened some powers. I could control the elements, fly in the sky, understand what animals are feeling and they can understand my feelings, read others mind and lift things just at my will. But along with these powers I also had a dream. A dream about future."
"Our land is ruled by cruel foreign rulers who are destroying our culture and religion, stealing our wealth, our people dieing of hunger. We are fighting among ourself. Foreign religion is destroying our holy sites, even Ram mandir of Ayodhya. They destroyed our 2 greatest bastions of knowledge and were still hellbent on destroying whatever was left of it."
"We standing alone and weak among the global politics, helpless to take action because of their threat of economical and military retaliation. Our land, devided in various small countries."
"And the main reason for this was the petty rivalries of kings. They couldn't put it aside infront of foreign invasion. That's why I went and conquered them all and will ensure from shadows that my dynasty will not end and will not fall like these kings. That it will ensure that our country remains safe and prosperous." I told them.
"But the threat will keep getting stronger. May it be from this world or from one of the countless worlds in the space. To counter them I need the ancient knowledge that is lost to time and held only by you and the knowledge of Divya Astra." I said.
Hearing my story many were shocked, horrified, angry and many other emotion I couldn't perceive.
"We agreed not to teach anyone the lost knowledge till the time of Kalki Avatar but you reaching here is akin to Lord Shiva's order to train you in it. So we will help you in this endeavour. But we all will ask our Guru dakshina in advance."
"You will never use this knowledge for immoral and sinful deeds. You may use your physical strength you will cultivate here and the martial arts you will learn as you please but use of your kundalini and yoga Shakti (internal and external energy), the magic we will teach you along with astra is restricted. You may only use them to protect the country or the Mother Earth." The sages said.
"I accept your condition gurudev." I agreed. And so my training began again in the fields mentioned above. Along with that they taught me the ancient healing techniques including even surgery, they broaden my knowledge of things I already learned in gurukul. And many more things. Seriously, what a dedicated scientist can achieve if he is given whole eternity. That's what they did.