Chapter Summaries

Indra flew into the Netherworld, rescued the Gandharvas from the Asura army, and pressed on toward the Asura Temple. King Niujie and Durantaka confronted him, and Indra declared that he had come specifically to kill Durantaka.

• Indra destroyed the Asuras attacking the Gandharvas, then flew toward the Asura Temple.
• Modali watched Indra depart and wished he could serve as the charioteer of Indra’s glorious chariot.
• Durantaka spotted Indra approaching and warned the Asuras, while Sukra and King Niujie prepared to meet him.
• King Niujie hurled a mass of lassos at Indra, who shattered them with lightning from his Vajra Pestle.
• King Niujie accused Indra of declaring war on the Netherworld, and Durantaka and Durugon advanced with their War Maces.
• Indra told Durantaka he had come to kill him, and Durantaka urged the Asuras to exhaust Indra by attacking him repeatedly.

Indra overwhelmed the Asura army, killing Durantaka, Durugon, King Niujie, and many soldiers. Sukra revived the fallen Asuras with the Sanjivani Undying Curse, and Indra dove back into the battle as Durantaka fled.

• Durantaka and Durugon hurled their War Maces at Indra, but Indra smashed the magma giant formed by their attack.
• The Asuras raised Sukra's Star Plate Array to catch the giant's falling corpse, but Indra split it and broke through the array's shield with the God Cleaver.
• Indra killed King Niujie, Durantaka, Durugon, and many Asura soldiers.
• Sukra used the Sanjivani Undying Curse to revive the Asuras, while Indra prepared to attack them again.
• Durantaka fled from the revived Indra as Sukra vowed to keep bringing the Asuras back to life.

Indra continued fighting the Asuras as Sukra repeatedly revived them with the Sanjivani Undying Curse. Shiva appeared to reclaim the curse and questioned Indra’s killing, while Indra defended his actions as a warrior’s Dharma.

• Indra kicked Durantaka and cut down Durugon, repeatedly killing him each time the Undying Curse revived him.
• Sukra chanted the Sanjivani Mantra to revive the Asuras as Indra advanced toward him.
• Shiva emerged from the Sacrificial Fire and told Sukra he would reclaim the Undying Curse for misusing it.
• Sukra argued that he had to protect the Asuras because Indra was slaughtering them in the Netherworld.
• Shiva confronted Indra over Sukra’s accusation, and Indra claimed he was following a warrior’s Dharma by striking armed enemies.
• Sukra accused Indra of killing Durantaka despite his inability to fight back.

Shiva swallowed Sukra whole after revoking the Sanjivani Undying Curse, then warned Indra not to kill indiscriminately. Indra prepared to kill Durantaka and Durugon, while in the Human Realm Buto opened his eyes to an innocent maiden and fell in love at first sight.

• Indra argued that Sukra’s repeated use of the Sanjivani Mantra had caused the Asuras to attack, and Shiva agreed that Indra’s strikes had been fatal.
• Shiva condemned Sukra for using the Undying Curse against Dharma and declared that he would take the curse back.
• Sukra attacked Indra, but Shiva swallowed Sukra whole, terrifying the assembled Asuras.
• Shiva warned Indra not to kill indiscriminately and disappeared; Indra then sent the other Asuras away and approached Durantaka and Durugon.
• In the Human Realm, Buto awoke beneath a Sal Tree, saw a beautiful maiden poking his face, and instantly fell in love with her.

Buto discovered that Ira and King Iro were the same person, transformed by a curse that made them alternate between male and female, and he broke down when Ira returned. In the Heavenly Realm, Indra reflected on his victory and recalled his insight that the Third Eye Chakra represented the Liberators.

• Buto welcomed the amnesiac Ira into his home, and they became devoted to each other.
• Ira disappeared while fetching water, and Buto found King Iro in the forest and agreed to help him locate his missing guards.
• Buto meditated and learned that Iro had been cursed to change between man and woman every other month.
• Under the moonlight, Iro transformed into Ira, who returned to Buto without remembering what had happened.
• The gods celebrated their victory over the Asuras while Indra regretted going to the Netherworld and recalled his insight about liberation.

After meditating on the Kali Yuga and the awakening of Liberators, Indra returned to the victorious gods and helped Buto resolve his doubts about loving Ira. Buto left inspired to pursue her, while Indra cheered him on.

• Indra reflected that Liberators who reached the Third Eye Chakra would awaken their memories during the Kali Yuga as the gods fell asleep.
• Surya took the two heads Indra carried, promising to use them for statues, and Vayu said they would boost morale in the Heavenly Realm.
• Buto arrived looking for his father, Soma, but Indra told him Soma was in Vaikuntha.
• Buto asked Indra for advice about the woman he loved, explaining that Ira could turn into a man.
• Indra told Buto that love mattered more than gender, and Buto took his words as enlightenment and flew off to pursue Ira.

Buto borrowed the Prosperity and Black Face clouds from Indra before the gods realized Kartikeya had vanished. Andhaka arrived asking for Kartikeya and revealed that his mother had run away from Kailasa.

• Buto returned to Indra and borrowed the Prosperity and Black Face clouds to help him and Ira.
• Indra and the gods finished settling their troops and realized Kartikeya was missing; Agni said Kartikeya had flown away as a ball.
• Andhaka appeared before the gods, who reacted warily to his arrival.
• Andhaka pressed his palms together and asked Indra where Kartikeya was.
• Andhaka explained that his mother had run away from Kailasa.

Andhaka went to the Heavenly Realm seeking Kartikeya so he could avoid returning to Kailasa and comforting Anupama after Parvati left to practice austerities. Indra agreed to help find Kartikeya, who had vanished after exploding into divine energy, and said he knew where to look.

• Andhaka told Indra that Parvati had left Kailasa to practice austerities and obtain a son who could protect her.
• Andhaka said he had come to find Kartikeya and send him back to comfort Anupama, but Indra told him Kartikeya had exploded into divine energy during a battle and disappeared.
• Andhaka asked Indra for help finding Kartikeya, while the gods suspected he might be plotting with the Asuras.
• Indra decided they should search for Kartikeya and said he already knew where Kartikeya was likely to be.

Kartikeya went to the Pleiades Realm to find the goddesses who had raised him, but their formal welcome made him feel they no longer saw him as their child. He exploded into six spheres of divine energy and flew away, leaving the Pleiades Goddesses pleading with Indra to bring him back.

• Indra concluded that Kartikeya had gone to find the Pleiades Goddesses, and he led Andhaka and the other gods toward the Pleiades Realm.
• Kartikeya arrived at the forest where the Pleiades Goddesses lived and eagerly ran to reunite with them.
• Sambuti and the other Pleiades Goddesses welcomed Kartikeya as the God of War and Kumara, prompting him to accuse them of not treating him as their child.
• Kartikeya exploded into six spheres of divine energy and vanished into the sky as the Pleiades Goddesses called after him.
• Indra and the gods arrived, and Sambuti told Indra that Kartikeya had flown away in six spheres; Andhaka wondered how he had split into six again.

Indra used his Thousand-Eyed Power to locate Kartikeya’s scattered divine power spheres, and the devas gathered them using a Great Bag. After collecting the final sphere, Indra called for Kartikeya to wake up.

• Indra awakened a new Thousand-Eyed Power and led the devas to the first divine power sphere.
• Agni was burned when he touched the sphere, but Indra captured it in a Great Bag.
• Varuna and Vayu redirected another sphere into the bag, and the devas collected more spheres as Indra searched for them.
• Andhaka used his darkness to collect the final sphere, then Indra placed it in the bag.
• Indra called out for Kartikeya to wake up.

Indra woke Kartikeya, who flew into a rage after recalling that the Pleiades Goddesses had not treated him as their child. As Kartikeya lost control and threatened the gods, Indra struck his heads with the Vajra Pestle to subdue him, but kept attacking even after he believed Kartikeya had repented.

• Indra opened the golden sack and woke Kartikeya, who emerged furious and overwhelmed by the light.
• Kartikeya told Indra that the Pleiades Goddesses had never treated him as their child and tried to run away.
• When Indra restrained him, Kartikeya attacked, and his blazing punch destroyed a planet.
• Kartikeya lost control and sent blades of light flying at the gods, forcing them to dodge.
• Indra used the Vajra Pestle to strike Kartikeya's six heads until they merged into one, then continued raising the weapon after Kartikeya cried out in pain.

Indra stopped Kartikeya from fleeing and continued beating him until the Pleiades Goddesses arrived and comforted him. Kartikeya remained ashamed of losing to the Asuras, so Indra began teaching him to recognize his weaknesses and revealed that he had also suffered many defeats.

• Indra ordered Andhaka to use darkness to drag the fleeing Kartikeya back, then struck him with the Vajra Pestle.
• The Pleiades Goddesses arrived after hearing Kartikeya's cries, and he ran to them and wept in their embrace.
• Kartikeya admitted he could not accept losing to two unknown Asuras and believed he was unworthy of being the Heavenly Emperor.
• Indra told Kartikeya that the Asuras were formidable and that he had recognized his strength but not his weaknesses.
• Kartikeya asked whether Indra had ever failed, and Indra said he had been defeated countless times when he was young.

Kartikeya decided to return to Kailasa after learning that Parvati had gone away for ascetic practice, and Indra and Andhaka agreed to accompany him. At Kailasa, Shiva paused his story for Anupama when he heard a multitude of people praising him.

• Indra told Kartikeya that being the God of War did not guarantee victory, lifting Kartikeya's spirits after his defeat.
• Andhaka told Kartikeya that Parvati had gone for ascetic practice and Anupama missed him, so Kartikeya asked Indra to go with him to Kailasa.
• Indra pressured Andhaka to join them, and Andhaka agreed after noticing Indra's thousand eyes watching him.
• At Kailasa, Shiva told Anupama a story about Parvati's past as a fisherwoman, but she asked to hear the story of her parents instead.
• Shiva heard a crowd praising him, grew solemn, and stopped the story.

Shiva left to grant a boon to the Asura Elephant Demon, prompting Indra to realize the Asura’s request could put Shiva in danger. Shiva arrived in the Netherworld and appeared before the demon, who had completed his austerities inside a great stone.

• Shiva told Anupama that granting believers’ requests was his duty, and Nandi explained their disagreement to Indra and the devas.
• Kartikeya tried to dissuade Shiva from granting another boon to an Asura, but Indra stopped him and said they should trust Shiva.
• Indra learned Shiva was going to grant a boon to the Asura Elephant Demon and remembered that the demon’s request was for Shiva to enter his body.
• Shiva traveled to the Netherworld, cooled the lava lake with his mist, and shattered the stone containing the Asura Elephant Demon.
• The Asura Elephant Demon opened his eyes and praised Shiva.

Elephant Demon received Shiva’s Atman Lingam and gained immense power, then abandoned his father Immortal Miaoxiang and set out to conquer the Three Realms. As the world began to fracture, Vishnu sensed that something had happened to Shiva.

• Shiva appeared before Elephant Demon, watched him dance, and offered him a blessing.
• Elephant Demon asked Shiva to enter his body, and Shiva granted the wish by becoming the Atman Lingam and merging with him.
• Elephant Demon refused to lift his father Immortal Miaoxiang’s curse, bragged about his new power, and flew off to conquer the Asuras, gods, and Three Realms.
• Immortal Miaoxiang lamented that Elephant Demon had tricked and bullied him, then felt the Netherworld tremble as cracks, smoke, and lava appeared.
• In Vaikuntha, Vishnu opened his eyes in sorrow and told Goddess Lakshmi that something had happened to Mahadeva.

Vishnu sought a way to make the Asura Elephant Demon release Mahadeva without awakening Parvati and risking her transformation into Kali. In the Brahma Realm, Brahma gave birth to Sindura and bestowed immense powers on him, but Sindura ended by asking to test his arms on his father.

• Vishnu rejected using overwhelming force or awakening Parvati and considered making the Asura Elephant Demon swear to release Mahadeva.
• Brahma and Goddess Saraswati learned that the Asura Elephant Demon had swallowed Mahadeva and protected himself with Mahadeva's power.
• Brahma gave birth to a crimson-skinned man and named him Sindura.
• Brahma blessed Sindura with extraordinary strength, and Goddess Saraswati gave him the power to hypnotize and control enemies' minds.
• Sindura's size and power grew until his movements shook the Brahma Realm, and Brahma told him to stop.
• Sindura thanked his parents and asked Brahma whether he could use him to test the strength of his arms.

Sindura left Brahma Realm after Brahma sent him to challenge Narayana, but Narayana redirected him toward Indra at Kailasa. Vishnu arrived at Kailasa to warn the gods, and Sindura’s furious approach shook the mountain as he announced his arrival.

• Sindura threatened Brahma until Brahma sent him to find Narayana in Vaikuntha.
• Sindura reached Vaikuntha and demanded that Narayana come out and fight him.
• Vishnu told Sindura to seek Indra at Kailasa, claiming Indra was invincible.
• Vishnu went to Kailasa and told the gathered gods he had a way to rescue Mahadeva, though another problem had arisen.
• Sindura arrived at Kailasa, shaking the mountain and shouting that he was there.

Sindura, Brahma’s powerful son, arrived in Vaikuntha to challenge Indra and defeated Kartikeya in their first exchange. Indra faced Sindura next but warned him that even victory over them would not let him defeat the Elephant Demon.

• Sindura appeared in Vaikuntha, and Vishnu told the gods that Brahma’s blessing had given him immense strength and a mind-control technique.
• Sindura demanded to fight Indra, but Kartikeya stepped forward to defend his teacher and challenged him instead.
• Sindura dodged Kartikeya’s attack and struck him in the chest, sending him flying.
• Indra caught Kartikeya with lightning chains, calmed him, and stepped forward to face Sindura.
• Indra acknowledged Sindura’s power but said he could never defeat the Elephant Demon.

Indra and Vishnu encouraged Sindura to challenge the Elephant Demon, while Sindura arrogantly promised Indra a wish and set off for the Netherworld. There, the Elephant Demon declared himself invincible and demanded that his mentor crown him Asura King.

• Vishnu explained that the Elephant Demon’s strength surpassed Indra’s, and Sindura eagerly decided to challenge him.
• Indra praised Sindura, who boasted that he would defeat the Elephant Demon and promised Indra a wish if he won.
• Vishnu, Indra, and the gods transformed into musicians and followed Sindura as he flew toward the Netherworld.
• Sindura left Kartikeya behind with Andhaka and Anupama, and Kartikeya retreated into the forest while Anupama asked Andhaka for a story.
• The Elephant Demon proclaimed that he had obtained Mahadeva and could not be rivaled, then ordered his mentor to crown him Asura King.

Asura Elephant Demon claimed the Netherworld throne and declared himself invincible, but Sindura arrived to challenge him. As the two giants began fighting, Indra ordered the watching gods to wait and help whichever side was about to lose.

• Asura Elephant Demon discovered Shukracharyaa was inside Mahadeva's stomach and dismissed the Mentor as unimportant.
• Asura Elephant Demon sat on the Asura King's throne, absorbed the Netherworld's power, and boasted that no one could defeat him.
• Sindura appeared in the Netherworld and challenged Asura Elephant Demon, who demanded that Sindura submit.
• Sindura attacked with a giant scarlet fist, and Asura Elephant Demon grew to nearly Sindura's size to meet the blow.
• Surya and Agni watched the battle while Vayu suggested joining in, but Indra told the gods to wait and help whichever fighter was about to lose.