Two weeks later;
Far away from the Kingdom of Anga, beyond countless mountains, rivers and kingdoms, upon the sacred heights of Nanda Parvat, the endless chanting never ceased.
"Om Namo Narayana… Om Namo Narayana… Om Namo Narayana…"
Snow drifted quietly across the mountaintop. Seated upon the same weathered stone was Dharani. Her eyes remained peacefully closed, completely detached from the world around her.
Nothing had changed even after two weeks.
Then the land darkened—with thousands of dark figures emitting asuric energy as they climbed the mountain.
At their center, a four-horse-drawn chariot stood; upon it was Narakasura. His eyes slowly fell upon the lone woman seated atop the mountain.
"So… so this is the woman."
No one answered immediately.
Standing beside him, Devavinashaka quietly stared toward the mountain.
Ever since the Halahala had merged with his body, his appearance had changed considerably.
Faint emerald veins spread beneath his crimson skin like flowing rivers.
Wisps of poisonous vapor escaped from every breath he exhaled, causing even the surrounding air to distort.
His appearance was no longer the same either. The crocodile-shaped head was now transformed into a human-looking one. He no longer resembled the demon Karna had fought and defeated.
Narakasura continued observing Dharani. "She hasn't moved."
One of the Asura commanders stepped forward. "It appears she is still immersed in tapasya, Maharaj. And Karna wasn't seen anywhere."
Narakasura nodded once. "It is good then." He looked toward Devavinashaka. "I guess he must have failed to wake her."
Devavinashaka's expression darkened. "Devas are cunning, Maharaj Narakasura. Karna might not be a deva, but he was still the son of a Deva. He should have set up some kind of trap."
For several moments, Narakasura simply watched the woman from afar. She neither reacted to the overwhelming Asuric army nor acknowledged their presence. Only the soft chant continued.
"Om Namo Narayana… Om Namo Narayana…"
One of the generals finally broke the silence. "Maharaj. Shall I kill her?"
Narakasura replied calmly. "Go."
The general grinned. "As you command."
His enormous body shot toward the mountain like a falling meteor. He had barely reached the mountain. No mantra had been spoken. No Astra had been invoked. The flames simply appeared.
The charging Asura never even had the opportunity to scream. His body vanished. Within a single heartbeat, nothing remained except drifting ash carried away by the mountain wind.
Silence. Even the remaining Asuras instinctively stopped advancing.
Devavinshaka narrowed his eyes. "The mountain… the blessings of Nanda Devi wouldn't let Asuras enter. I will take care of her. My body contains both divinity and Asuric energy."
None dared speak.
Narakasura quietly observed the slowly fading flames and then shook his head. "No, I promised Guru Shukracharya that I would not take your help unless it is necessary, until your transformation is completed."
Before the discussion could continue, Narakasura raised one hand.
The commanders immediately fell silent.
He looked toward Dharani once more. Then his gaze slowly wandered across the surrounding mountain—the forests, the cliffs, the caves, the ancient hermitages scattered across the slopes.
A faint smile appeared. "It is merely the blessings of a Goddess that are repelling the Asuras." He pointed toward Dharani. "It isn't our obstacle." His finger shifted toward the mountain itself. "The obstacle… is her tapasya."
No one interrupted.
Narakasura calmly continued, "A tapasvini gathers a huge amount of energy. When disrupted, the disruptor will have to bear it. So, only a strong person has to do it." He looked toward his General Mura.
He reached out to the pouch hanging around his waist, and he opened it, revealing a pair of earrings. At one glance, anyone could see that they were divine.
He handed them over to him, "These are the mother of Devas, Aditi Mata's earrings that I stole when I was a child. Take these with you. The Blessings of Nanda Devi wouldn't be able to harm you. Go and bring her. And meanwhile… others will have even more important tasks to complete."
Several commanders exchanged puzzled glances.
Instead, Narakasura slowly unsheathed his sword. "Destroy everything around the mountain." The order echoed across the heavens. "Burn the forests. Shatter the cliffs. Drive away every sage. Leave nothing here that allows peace to exist." He looked once more at the whole mountain this time. "We cannot let their tapasya empower the mountain's blessing even more..."
"Now, go."
The mountain shook as thousands of Asuras immediately scattered in every direction. Some descended toward the forests below. Others flew toward distant hermitages hidden among the snowy valleys. Still more began striking the cliffs themselves, causing enormous boulders to tumble into the ravines below.
The once tranquil mountain slowly descended into chaos. Yet amidst all of it, Dharani never moved. Her lips continued repeating the same sacred name.
Meanwhile, Dharani continued her long meditation. Snow settled on her saffron robes and melted slowly against the quiet warmth of her body. Her eyes remained closed. Her lips moved without pause.
"Om Namo Narayana… Om Namo Narayana… Om Namo Narayana…"
Thousands of Asuras and Rakshasas poured across the mountain, their shadows stretching over the white snow. While the army spread out to burn the lower forests, topple hermitages, and drive every sage from the valleys, one figure alone began the climb toward the summit.
General Mura walked steadily upward.
The earrings of Aditi rested against his ears, and because of them, the protective flames that had already destroyed one of their number did not rise against him. He reached the weathered stone where Dharani sat and stood looking down at her for a long moment.
Then he bent, the leather of his gauntlets creaking, and closed both hands around her arms, ready to drag her away and deliver her to lifelong imprisonment.
The pressure of those hands broke the long current of her concentration. Her eyelids trembled. Slowly she opened her eyes.
The moment her gaze met his face, pale golden fire erupted from her body.
The flames climbed Mura's arms in a flash. He had no time to cry out. Within a single breath, nothing remained of the powerful general except drifting ash and a dark stain on the snow.
At the foot of the mountain, Devavinashaka turned toward Narakasura.
"You were right, Maharaj. She does carry powerful tapasvic energy. But did you have to sacrifice General Mura? He was one of your strongest warriors. You could have sent anyone else."
Narakasura's face remained hard.
"I knew he was strong. That is why I hoped he would be able to bear those flames long enough to seize her. It seems even he could not. I did not expect her power to have grown this much."
Below them, Dharani sat staring at the scattering ash, still half-caught between meditation and the sudden violence. Then the distant screams from the burning forests reached her ears and pulled her fully into the present.
At that moment, Narakasura himself left the chariot. He held the divine umbrella of Varuna above his head so that no divine sense could pierce his disguise, and he walked alone across the snow until he stood before her.
Dharani looked at him and frowned.
"Who are you? How dare you disturb my tapasya?"
Narakasura answered with a polite smile that never quite reached his eyes.
"It was not I who disturbed your meditation, O' Tapasvini. The Asuras you hear below are the ones responsible, and this one who was sent here by the enemy."
He pointed at the ashes on the snow.
Narakasura continued, "I came only to protect you, Mata. There is a king named Karna, the mortal son of Suryadev. He has already forced a hundred women into marriage against their will, and now he has fixed his eyes upon you. As the son of Lord Varaha and Mata Bhudevi, it is my duty to stand between such a man and any true devotee of Narayana."
Dharani's breath caught.
"You are the son of Lord Varaha… Narayana?"
"Yes," Narakasura said gently. "And you are a great devotee. It is my duty to protect women like you so that they do not fall into the hands of such vile kings. It is no longer safe for you here. Karna has already destroyed Dvarika and driven the Yadavas into exile merely so that he might seize their princess. Now he has sided with Asuras and is causing this destruction around Nanda Parvat so that your tapasya will break and you will be forced to leave the mountain's shelter. I invite you to remain as an honored guest in my kingdom until we have taken care of him."
The words struck her like a second blow. The image of a king who could commit such acts against women and against dharma filled her with a deep, rising rage. When she spoke again her voice was no longer the quiet murmur of an ascetic.
"How dare he…!"