As Karna - Out of my depth

Eight

Six years have passed since I first joined the army. Now, just a few months after my seventeenth birthday, word has spread of the deaths of Maharaj Pandu, Maharani Madri and the arrival of Pandavas to the palace. Thinking of Pandavas, it seems my brother Yudhishthir was just four years younger than me while Bheema and Arjuna were five and seven years younger. The Madra twins were eight years my juniors just shy of their ninth birthday.

After I joined my father's old division, I rapidly climbed through the positions and reached the status of Ratha, a warrior capable of fighting 5000 warriors and was promoted to the Head charioteer position for the division. My parents were filled with joy that I have reached my father's old position at such an young age. 

After I became the head charioteer, Rajguru Kripacharaya and the Commander Bheeshma called me and the Kulguru of the Kurus said, " O Radheya, now you have become a Ratha, to further improve you need the knowledge of higher celestial weaponry, which can only be learned from Gods, great sages or renowned warriors. You have learnt many lower celestial weaponry from me, but I and Mahaamahim have our own duties and cannot teach you the higher weaponry. If you wish to further learn the usage of high celestial astras and sastras, then you will have to find a teacher of your own and persuade them to take you as their student. We can give you leave to travel and learn before resuming your service in the army. "

I requested time to think on the offer and took my leave. I discussed with my parents and they just wanted me to be my best and to not have any regrets. I already have the knowledge of higher celestial weapons from my boon and I can't use them without everyone questioning where I got the knowledge. So, I decided to leave on the sabbatical to claim I learned my knowledge during this trip. I informed the Rajguru and the commander that I wish to leave on a learning journey and got their permission. 

Then, I had to think about the teacher I wish to learn from. I could go the epic Karna's route and try my hand at convincing Lord Parashuram, but he is a Vishnu avatar and he may still curse me to fulfill his next avatar's duty of eliminating the knowledge of celestial weaponry, reducing the weight of adharma and establishment of dharma through the war. I couldn't trust a vishnu avatar to have my best interests, because nobody was safe in the original epic, warriors on both sides were slaughtered and even the remaining warriors including the God himself and his favoured died in less than 40 years after the war. 

Then, I reminded myself that I am not the epic Karna, who didn't have any option other than lying, I have many options to rely on and I chose the easiest, like all the kidrs who faced a problem do, throw the problem at my dad. I travelled outside the Hastinapur for few miles along the banks of Ganga and when I found a secluded spot, I stood in the waist deep waters of the holy river and started praying for my father to show me a teacher. 

And lo behold, as all fathers do when their kids come to them with a problem, my father immediately took charge of the issue and came and took me to Devguru Brihaspati and requested him to teach me and give me practical experience. Devguru accepted and took me as his student and my learning began. Though as I already possessed the knowledge via my boon and my efforts are amplified by my first blessing, both of which I explained to my teacher, I have become an expert in many fields like medicine,astrologicaly, architecture, music, dancing, singing..etc including the all the war arts. I have also acquired mastery in the usage of all the celestial weapons and even gained personal weapons of many gods, yakshas, nagas and gandharvas in the span of just three years. I even learned knowledge of dharma and karma from my godly brothers Lord Yama and Lord shani. I was taught about feminine arts by the Celestial Beauties and musical skills by the Gandharvas. I even received many gifts from the gods like the Mace of Yama, Noose of Varuna etc, I think my benefit amplification boon is at play. I think some of these gifts were received by Arjuna in the epic, but that is not my problem, if the gods wish they can give him the copies, it is not like these weapons are not of one in the universe type as the gods still have their weapons after giving them to me. My father gifted me with a indestructible chariot made by Lord Vishwakarma, Swayambhu himself and drawn by the celestial horses and filled with celestial weapons like Suryadhanush, inexhaustible quivers, maces, spears, swords and axes. The chariot is adorned with a flag of golden sun and is said to the fastest, after my father's own chariot with capability to travel on its own at the speed of thought. 

As Gurudakshina my teacher, Devaguru, asked me to kill nivatkachas as they can only be killed  by a human. I felt as if I am taking the achievements of Arjuna, but I certainly can't reject my teacher's request so I took my new chariot and my father offered his own charioteer as I didn't know the location of the dwellings of those demons. I, along with my father's charioteer, Lord Aruna, went to location of the Nivatkachas. On seeing us those demons began assaulting us with various weapons from the walls of the city. But all those weapons were either avoided by the speed of our chariot or neutralised by my arrows. Utilising the inexhaustible quivers and our chariot's swiftness to their best, we battled for three days with millions of demons. It was as if they were multiplying, just we kill one, two others take it place. Finally, after three days of continuous fighting, we vanquished the demons.

My father and various gods have come to congratulate me and see me off to the mortal word. My teacher, Lord Brihaspati was pleased and blessed me to be ever victorious and gifted me with the Vijaya, Lord Brahma's bow, which he personally requested from Lord Bhargavarama for finally satisfying the Lord Brahma's boon that the Nivatkachas would be killed by a human. I was very happy, I had given up of ever getting the Vijaya, the bow of victory, when I decided not to go to Lord Parashuram. But, it is as if fate is rewriting itself to gift me this weapon. 

Soon, I thanked all the Gods, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Nagas and Apsarasas for everything and started my journey to the home.