Chapter 272

The Royal Palace built by the Pandavas during their Rajasuya was incredibly luxurious.

They built all sorts of luxurious Sacrificial Altar and palaces for sacrificial purposes, and also built palaces made of gold and silver for the various Kshatriya kings who came to reside there. It is said that the palaces were so high that they could be seen from hundreds of meters away, with gold window frames, mani beads for lighting the corridors, and many floors and doors made of crystal.

The epic poem says, 'People of all Caste, nations, and origins, from the upper, middle, and lower classes, came, as if the whole world had gathered in the Palace of Yudhishthira.'

Among those who arrived was Duryodhana, one of the Kauravas. It was at this time that Bhujun, the son of the Bhima Wind God, who was known for his forthright personality but was also a bit of a troublemaker, got into a conflict with Duryodhana.

Because there was a lotus pond made of crystal and gemstones in the palace, Duryodhana thought there was water in the pond when he passed by, so he lifted his clothes. After realizing his mistake, Duryodhana wandered to another part of the Assembly Hall and came to a pond with crystal clear water and crystal-clear lotus flowers.

Duryodhana mistook the pond for a crystal-clear place and accidentally fell into it. Upon seeing this, the attendants couldn't help but burst into laughter, including Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva.

Not long after, Duryodhana arrived at another place, mistaking it for a pool of water. He lifted his clothes and waded through it as if in water, causing everyone to burst into laughter again.

Duryodhana walked up to a door, thinking it was open, and stepped inside, only to bump his head on it. He then walked up to an open door, thinking it was closed, and thus passed by without entering... In Duryodhana, Duryodhana suffered greatly at this Rajasuya, which made him feel extremely humiliated.

"You bastards! How dare you humiliate me like this, you bunch of damned bastards!"

Then Duryodhana, along with his uncle Shakuni and father who were also invited, devised a plan to deal with the current Pandavas: gambling.

The eldest of the five sons, Yudhishthira, is the embodiment of the Dharma god. He is both benevolent and wise, and his every word and deed is exemplary. However, he has one major flaw: he is a gambler. But as everyone Duryodhana, his uncle Shakuni, is a master gambler. This is clearly a trap. However, Dhritarashtra, with an unusually high-pressure attitude, completely ignored the advice of his brother Vidura, and forced him to bring the Pandavas to gamble.

This is undoubtedly a trap.

Yudhishthira naturally understood this principle, but he still came to prepare to gamble with him.

As expected, he gambled away all his wealth, and in the end, he even lost his five brothers and his wife, Draupadi, becoming their slaves.

Why would someone knowingly walk into a trap?

Because of the Dharma.

The original Krishna said, "The battle of the Dharma is also a war." This means that the side that upholds the Dharma may also lose, because those who uphold the Dharma have a fatal weakness, which is "the pride of the Dharma," that is, they disdain to use methods that violate the Dharma to gain an advantage or avoid casualties.

Although the Dharma will ultimately prevail, in certain areas and for a certain period of time, the Adharma side will prevail. Their victory is not only because the side that upholds the Dharma has the "pride of the Dharma," but also because the Adharma side consciously takes advantage of this pride of the Dharma.

For example, Duryodhana repeatedly harmed the Pandavas, poisoned Bhima, Burning of the House of Lac in an attempt to burn the Pandavas death. However, these crimes were not investigated by the Pandavas or the court officials. After all, if the Dharma had been followed, Duryodhana would have lost his right to inherit the throne long ago.

But when Duryodhana and Shakuni tricked Yudhishthira into participating in gambling, Yudhishthira, knowing he was at a disadvantage in dice rolling, believed that obeying his elder Dhritarashtra's orders was in accordance with the Dharma...

However, this 'pride' depends on their inner understanding of the Dharma, which is an internal moral code without any explicit external expression. As a result, there are very different standards. In the view of Yudhishthira, only land, wealth or slaves acquired through just war are legitimate possessions, but Duryodhana and Shakuni believe that what is acquired through gambling is also in accordance with the Dharma.

Ultimately, however, India's emphasis on keeping oaths at that time exceeded the appropriate level, and the more serious the harm caused by keeping oaths, the more arrogant the oath-keepers became. However, it was precisely because those who seemed to uphold the Dharma were so fixated on keeping oaths that the Kurukshetra War, which later became a mysterious sign of the decline of India Age of Gods, occurred.

After losing everything in the Yudhishthira, the second son of the hundred sons, Nanjiang, Dushasana, went straight to the palace, dragged the Draupadi, who had been enslaved according to the bet, out by the hair, and subjected her to a brutal humiliation.

However, the man who caused this incident remained Yudhishthira and endured the treatment his wife received, unwilling to break his vow.

At this moment, only the Bhima, for the sake of the Draupadi's dignity, raged. He cursed the Dushasana tearing at the Draupadi's clothes, saying, "One day, I will tear open his chest and drink his blood." And Duryodhana, because of the sexual innuendo of exposing her thighs to the Draupadi, was also cursed by the Bhima, saying, "One day, I will break your thighs."

However, from another perspective, from Duryodhana's point of view, he had avenged the humiliation he suffered at the previous Rajasuya, since the Draupadi had also mocked him when he made a fool of himself.

But then the Draupadi said to someone present:

"Yudhishthira, he gambled and lost himself, then he gambled and lost me. How could someone who has already become a slave have the right to gamble with others?"

Regarding the question about the Draupadi, Bhishma and Vidura, the most senior members present, both stated, "The Dharma is subtle, and it is difficult for us to give an accurate Answer." Of course, their attitude was one of disapproval of such a bet, a point that everyone present could sense.

Because the actions of the brothers Duryodhana and Dushasana towards the Draupadi were so outrageous, Dhritarashtra declared the bet null and void.

However, Duryodhana was unwilling to let Pandavas go so easily, so at Duryodhana's request, the two sides started gambling again.

The Kauravas first apologized with great moral integrity, announcing that given their rudeness, the bet would be void, on the condition that Yudhishthira must wager another round.

In the end, the Yudhishthira failed again. The five brothers and the Draupadi were exiled to the Forest for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they had to hide. If they were discovered, they would be exiled for another twelve years. From then on, the blood feud between the two sides was established, which was the prelude to the great war.

However, because the god of the Dharma path, Yudhishthira, was so horribly disgraceful in gambling, some of his allies were no longer willing to follow them. For example, Krishna's brother Balarama, who used to calmly obey Arjuna 'Krishna instructions even when the Yadava was enraged and demanded that Arjuna be killed after his sister was taken away, was now unwilling to lay a finger on the Pandavas.

Under the bright sunshine, the verdant forest is filled with the fragrance of green leaves, and the bright flowers sing praises to life, with a simple thatched Hut nestled among them.

This is the Forest where the five sons and their wife, the Draupadi, live, and the six of them lead such a difficult life.

In ancient India, Forest signified wild and untamed lands. Brahmanism divided life into four stages: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasa. As people entered old age, they left the countryside or city and entered the Forest, surviving mainly on wild vegetables, roots, and fruits. The Forest was inhabited by poisonous snakes, ferocious beasts, and Devil.

Therefore, Forest life was harsh and dangerous, making it a refuge for those in distress.

As soon as they entered the Forest, the five brothers saw various herds of beasts and birds happily gathered around a young man with black hair and dark blue skin, with the Draupadi's brother, Dhrishtadyumna, beside him.

"If I were there, I would never have let you gamble, Yudhishthira."

Krishna, who had arrived, said this.

However, unlike the five sons who hesitated to speak, the humiliated Draupadi cried as she addressed Krishna and her brother, the Dhrishtadyumna, who had arrived:

"Krishna, do I not have a husband?"

The Pandavas never refused those who sought their protection, yet they failed to protect me, who needed protection. I and Yudhishthira gave birth to the Prativindhya, I and Bhima gave birth to the Sutasoma, I and Arjuna gave birth to the Shrutakarma, I and the Nakula Army gave birth to the Shatanika, and I and the Sahadeva Shrutasena ..."

The Draupadi wiped her eyes, panting heavily, and continued Wrath.

"I have no husband, no son, no brothers, no father, no relatives. I am insulted, and you all seem carefree and indifferent..."

Krishna remained silent; only the Dhrishtadyumna beside him spoke:

"I will kill Drona, Shikhandi will kill my grandfather Bhishma, Bhima will Duryodhana Durdāna, Arjuna will kill Karna; they cannot possibly defeat us."

After the Dhrishtadyumna finished speaking, everyone present looked at Krishna, and Krishna smiled and said:

"Arjuna, I need you to perform a Ritual, and you need to go up that Snow Mountain and fight a Hunters, otherwise my Ritual will go wrong."

Since Krishna said so, Arjuna naturally wouldn't refuse, so he immediately went up to the nearby Snow Mountain.

After Arjuna departed, Krishna, in the sight of the crowd, slowly joined his hands together and sang a hymn.

"O auspicious one, great protector, power of Vishnu, accept me."

In an instant, the place turned into night, with no Sun, moon, or firelight shining, only the radiance of Krishna himself.

Like the Sun, burning with its own flame, beautiful and bright.

"Heaven blesses all beings, upholding the true Dharma! His illustrious name spreads far and wide, protecting hundreds and thousands of households!"

"Heaven blesses all beings, upholding the true Dharma! His illustrious name spreads far and wide, protecting hundreds and thousands of households!"

A holy breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of flowers. Amidst the blessings and praises of all things, a road appeared before Krishna, resounding with the sounds of conch shells and drums, and at its end, a Sacrificial Altar suddenly appeared.

The Draupadi and the Dhrishtadyumna, their eyes wide with astonishment at Krishna's actions, could clearly see what he intended to do: to have children like them through sacrifice, just as their father had done. The rituals of the India Age of Gods were miraculous; even when seeking children, they wouldn't take years to grow up as they normally would, but would grow very quickly.

However, the two of them still had the same thought, which was--

Why would Krishna suddenly want a child? Doesn't he have many wives?

Indeed, Krishna, whose humanity is more prominent than Rama's, already has tens of thousands of wives at this time. However, this is only because the girls were abducted by the Asura and were rescued by Krishna. To prevent them from suffering Sita misfortunes, Krishna claims that he has already married them.

But besides these, Krishna also had seven actual wives.

Therefore, it seems completely unnecessary to find the child through this method.

However, as Krishna was advancing on this path, the sky suddenly collapsed, the Snow Mountain crumbled, the earth cracked, the sea dried up, a sinister and terrifying Gale arose, and the sky was filled with dust, creating a scene of world destruction.

Unmoved by the terrifying sight, Krishna continued onward until he reached the end of the road. Gazing at the altar on the altar, bubbles began to appear in the pure darkness, one, two, gradually rising, then ten, twenty, a hundred, two hundred, countless bubbles filling the space.

Krishna smiled slightly, and in his eyes, the sky was filled with stars, countless concepts, and all things.

Then he gently reached out his hand toward the conceptual object corresponding to one of the bubbles.

Then came the tiny, persistent, and chilling tremors.

It's as if it has been awakened after enduring the Lila and yar in the past for two centuries.

Earlier, Krishna had arranged for Arjuna reside on the Snow Mountain.

Arjuna saw a Hunters with a cold expression.

He thought to himself, "This must be the person Krishna has asked me to stop."

Without hesitation, Arjuna fired countless arrows at the Hunters who seemed to ignore him and headed down the mountain.

"So that's how it is. Krishna you to stop me? He already thought of this..."

The Hunters had been subjected to the rain of arrows in an instant, stood there unharmed. The Hunters was none other than Shiva, who appeared as Krishna had suggested, and the destructive scene in the Krishna Ritual was also proof of Shiva's arrival.

"Who are you?"

Before Arjuna could have his doubts answered, he saw the Hunters, an avatar of Shiva, strike him with a fist as hard as Indra's Thunderbolt.

In fact, the reason Shiva appeared was quite simple: he saw Krishna intending to use this method to make a Deity appear as a son in the bloody battle of the 'Lila,' and he appeared to stop him.

However, Shiva didn't know was that Krishna had already guessed he would come, which is why he arranged for Arjuna, the Fate one of the Dvapara Yuga worlds, to stand in his way. Moreover, Shiva's arrival was also part of Krishna's Ritual.

Because Krishna needs that wrath to guide the bubbles that appear in endless darkness.

At this very moment, in the Himalayas Mountains.

In the sudden, overwhelming darkness, Kama struggled to remain calm.

Even with godlike vision, one still cannot see anything; even using power, one still cannot break through.

Kama thought to himself, "Perhaps I have completely isolated myself from the world."

However, there are other things connected to Love God.

Relying on that connection, Kama cried out in his heart, "... What is happening?!"

Kama and Kavia, who are connected in several ways, can communicate in some incredible way.

"Krishna performed the Ritual, and he seized you."

Kavia replied, relaying the state of the outside world to Kama.

Whether it is Mohini and Durga, who are watching her with great concern in the Himalayas Mountains, or Krishna is conducting Ritual in the Forest.

Kama now understands his own situation.

"While Krishna used the power of the Ritual to separate you, it also seems to have connected you with him and Princess Bhadra."

Kavia explained the current situation, and Kama felt the same way. Sensing the slight anxiety in Durga, Mohini, and even Kavia, she couldn't help but smile.

"All we need to do is disrupt Krishna's Ritual and sever the connection... Is that even possible...?"

Kama, shrouded in darkness, remained silent; however, this was her thought, a communication of mind to mind, which perfectly described the situation at that moment.

"I can do it."

Without a moment's hesitation, Kavia said this.

"Let's just leave it at that. Since Krishna wants it this way, then so be it."

Krishna's actions fall entirely below the scope of the Lila, because Kama should have been burned to death by Shiva at the time of his Satya Yuga and then Pradyumna Krishna. However, due to the appearance or intervention of Kavia, Kama did not die in this way, but lived well for two centuries.

This amount of Lila can be large or small, and it's not impossible to ignore it. However Krishna, as the eighth avatar of Vishnu, did this for some unknown reason. Therefore, under these circumstances, it's possible that Kama will soon become Pradyumna as Krishna wished.

"Is it another child of the Aspected God...?"

It's become bizarre and ridiculous, yet there's a strange sense of identification with it.

The name of that body, the name of that face or fingers.

Kama never imagined that he would have such a deep connection with the Aspected God, but he still accepted it incredulously.

"Speaking of which, will you come looking for me? Although I should be back soon anyway, since it hasn't been many years, and this time I'm truly a human being... Thinking about it carefully, I shouldn't think like this, but I can't help but think this way. I'm very sorry..."

Yes, it will.

Kavia said frankly.

Kama responded somewhat late.

"Was that answer too firm...?"

Because I have no need to hide it.

I see.

With this Answer in mind, Kama suddenly found his place deep within his heart.

"... Then I'll wait for you patiently. There's no need for you to disobey. As for punishment... let's forget about it..."

He couldn't come up with anything more witty.

Nevertheless, Kama still felt in his heart that he could definitely convey the message.

Even if you are the Supreme Being Aspected God, the number of your heartbeats must be accurate.