King of Devas

Hiranyakashipu stood amidst the swirling tempest, his figure looming like a mountain carved from the void. His eyes burned with an unholy light, his voice carrying the weight of divine defiance as he addressed Indra, who stood resolute but watchful before him.

"Foolish Indra!" Hiranyakashipu bellowed, his laughter rolling across the Svarga like distant thunder. "Do you not see? Your and Svarga's struggles are meaningless! I have surpassed the limitations of mortals, of devas, of this entire Triloka!"

He stepped forward, his shadow stretching across the broken battlefield as his voice grew louder, more triumphant. "Brahma himself has granted me his blessings, and with them, I have become immortal! No weapon forged by man or god can harm me. No force of the Svarga or the earth can touch me!"

He raised his arms as if to command the skies themselves. "I cannot be slain be it day or night, within the walls of a home and outside them or beneath the open sky! I cannot perish by the hands of man, beast, or divine! The very laws of this universe protect my existence!"

Hiranyakashipu's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a mocking sneer as he fixed his gaze on Indra. "And you, King of Svarga, dare to stand against me? You, whose might is nothing compared to the boons bestowed upon me?"

He took another step forward, his voice now a low growl, dripping with menace. "Know this, Indra: your thunderbolts will shatter like brittle glass. Your armies will crumble like sand before the waves. I am beyond defeat, beyond destruction, beyond death itself!"

His laughter erupted once more, wild and unrelenting as if daring the heavens to refute his claim. "Come then, Deva! Test your strength! Let the heavens and earth bear witness to the futility of your defiance!"

Boom!

The shockwave of his power reverberated, sweeping outward, making the very ground tremble beneath it. With the blessing of the earth's might, his strength surpassed even that of his brother Hiranyaksha, reaching an entirely new level.

Rishi Shukracharya and the Asura warriors nearby recoiled, instinctively retreating from the overwhelming force. None dared challenge it.

The Asura army gathered in hushed awe, their eyes fixed on the towering figure of their king, Hiranyakashipu. The air was thick with anticipation, the atmosphere charged with the raw energy of his newfound power.

"Today, Hiranyakashipu stands stronger and more fearsome than even Hiranyaksha!" Viraksha muttered, his voice heavy with respect and a touch of awe. He was an old warrior, and he had seen many battles, but nothing like this.

Durnita, a younger strategist with a nervous streak, shifted uneasily beside him. "Stronger? He's unstoppable!" His eyes darted nervously toward the horizon, as though expecting a challenge. "Even Indra, with all his might and thunder, is no match for our king now. The Devas must be trembling in their golden halls."

Raktashira, bold and brimming with pride, snorted at Durnita's words. "Indra? He won't even be able to break through our king's defenses!" The Asura's chest swelled with pride as he spoke. "The Tri-Loka is as good as his. No dev, no man, no beast can challenge him—not with the boons granted by Brahma. Have you heard how he laughed off Indra's latest assault? A single roar and the Svarga shook!"

Manthaka's youthful eyes gleaming with ambition, leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I heard he plans to rewrite the laws of the universe itself. No more sacrifices, no more devas ruling over us. It will be an age of Asuras, an age of power!"

Bhimaratha, the elder of the group, nodded solemnly. His face was marked with wisdom, yet his voice held the caution of experience. "And under his rule, none shall dare to defy us." His gaze shifted toward the horizon, where the golden gates of Svarga were now a distant memory. "The Devas are already in retreat. Soon, we will march on Svarga and claim the Svarga as our own."

Rishi Shukracharya, holding his snake staff, eyed the scene with cold calculation. His gaze flickered, and he spoke with unwavering confidence, "The King of Svarga will fall today."

Indra, however, frowned. He could feel it—the weight of Hiranyakashipu's power. It was more troublesome than Hiranyaksha, his brother. There was no desire to engage in battle. After all, he had already killed Nishumbha; now, faced with the true strength of Hiranyakashipu, a real threat, Indra knew a direct confrontation would be disastrous.

No, this can't be the way! Indra's mind raced. There had to be another way. He could try to outsmart him—find a loophole, a chance to strike without facing the full brunt of Hiranyakashipu's might.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the Asura king approach with measured steps. Slowly, he raised his hand, palm aimed squarely at Hiranyakashipu.

Hiranyakashipu's eyes narrowed, sensing that the King of Svarga was about to act. But he was unphased, his steps unwavering.

Whatever attack Indra planned—be it a vajra or a lightning arrow—Hiranyakashipu had no doubt in his victory. With the blessings he bore, no force could stand against him.

The eyes of Surya and Narada Muni Rishi also lit up, their curiosity piqued. The King of Svarga was always composed, even in the face of such power. Could it be that Indra had received a divine boon too to counter Hiranyakashipu's strength?

"Wait!" Indra called out, his voice breaking the tension. "Before we begin, I have a question."

Hiranyakashipu halted, his gaze turning to the King of Svarga. His voice was slow and deliberate, tinged with impatience. "Speak."

"Are Agni and Vayu both your prisoners?" Indra asked, his tone sharp.

"Yes," Hiranyakashipu answered, nodding slowly. "I bound them with my divine power."

Among the Asura legions, the Vayu and Agni were dragged forward. Both were bound tightly with divine ropes of light green power securing them in place like human-shaped stakes. They were completely immobilized.

"Brother save us!" Agni cried, struggling against the ropes.

"Damn Asura!" Vayu shouted, furious. "Let us go if you have the courage!"

Hiranyakashipu sneered at their pleas, raising his arm and pointing toward the King of Svarga. "Next, you shall join your fallen brothers here, Indra. You who think yourselves untouchable, having drunk Amrita, believe that no power can touch you. But know this—your time of arrogance is over. I will crush you, break your spirit, and render you no more than slaves to my will. You will know the agony of eternal degradation, for this is the price you will pay for the death of my elder brother!" His voice dripped with cold malice.

Indra chuckled softly, his gaze sharp as he slowly lowered his head and rolled his eyes. "It's a good plan, but you've miscalculated," he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Hiranyakashipu's eyes narrowed in confusion.

Indra's mind raced, remembering something from his past life. His divine memory was sharp, and as the pieces fell into place, he recalled the name with clarity—Saṃhrāda.

"Your son's name... it's Prahlada, isn't it?" Indra said, his smile widening.

Hiranyakashipu froze for a moment, his face contorting in surprise. "How do you know?!" he demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief.

It was true—his son, Prahlada, had been born to his wife, Sumukhi, after thousands of years of penance. The child had only just been born when he completed his penance, and no one—aside from him and his wife—should have known the name.

Indra nodded, his expression both calm and knowing. "Yes, that's right." He smiled, his eyes glinting as he slowly raised his head to meet Hiranyakashipu's gaze directly.

A moment of silence passed before Indra continued, his tone suddenly turning more pointed. "Isn't it strange, though, how empty my kingdom feels?"

Hiranyakashipu narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?" he asked, though a sense of unease crept into his voice.

Indra's lips curled into a grin. "Oh, by the way, you've never been to Svarga, have you?" He spread his arms wide as if presenting a grand revelation. "But Rishi Shukracharya should know well how many Gandharvas reside in my realm. Tell me, do you really think I only have a legion of 100,000 in Svarga?"

Indra's laugh echoed across the battlefield, as if he were in on a secret Hiranyakashipu had yet to understand.

Hiranyakashipu frowned, turning to look at Rishi Shukracharya in surprise.

"That's right," Indra said with a sly grin, "There's more to Svarga than just my legions."

Rishi Shukracharya scanned the surroundings, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the emptiness. The palaces had vanished, and there was no sign of the Gandharva warriors. A chill ran down his spine.

"Where did everyone go?" he muttered, unease creeping into his heart. "Is your remaining army attacking Patalaloka?" Rishi Shukracharya asked, his voice tinged with shock.

"Exactly!" Indra's eyes lit up, his excitement palpable. "Rishi Shukracharya, you're so sharp!"

Hiranyakashipu's face darkened, the uneasiness in his chest growing. He suppressed it with a scowl.

"Hmph, you think you can deceive me?" he sneered. "My territory is guarded by Puloman and Viprachitti. There's no way you can defeat them."

Indra's eyes narrowed as he processed the situation, his mind working quickly.

"Devas might not be able to," Indra muttered under his breath, "but an Asuras might be able to sneak in."

He took a deep breath, his hand rising in a sweeping motion. The thick clouds and mist in Svarga parted, dissipating like a mirror of water, revealing shadows of the human world below. Stars surrounded Mandala Mountain in a stunning display.

"What is this?" Hiranyakashipu demanded, his voice laced with anger.

Indra raised his hand, his fingers pointing toward two dim stars among the constellation. "Do you see these two stars?" he asked calmly.

Hiranyakashipu's eyes narrowed, confusion crossing his face as he looked at the stars. He turned his head, searching for an answer in Rishi Shukracharya's expression.

The Rishi's face hardened, his gaze piercing through Svarga and locking onto the two stars. A cold shiver ran through him as he recognized their faint glow. The familiar, despised power of Vishnu radiated from them.

The stars flickered and slowly coalesced into a hazy light and shadow, revealing the silhouette of a ferocious Asura's head and a giant tail.

It was a form Rishi Shukracharya knew all too well—the very power he had feared.

"Rahu!"

Rishi Shukracharya's expression shifted abruptly, and the words seemed to force themselves out of his throat.

"Rahu?!" Hiranyakashipu's face twisted in confusion.

Rishi Shukracharya gritted his teeth, his anger bubbling over. "This is the power of Vishnu. He turned Rahu into a star god, and now he is one of the Devas!"

"So what?" Hiranyakashipu sneered. "Patalaloka is guarded by Puloman and Viprachitti. Even if this Asura knows the world well, there is no way he can breach it so quickly."

"No!" Rishi Shukracharya shook his head. "You've been focused on your penance, you don't understand. Rahu is Viprachitti's son!"

Boom!

The words struck Hiranyakashipu like a thunderbolt. His mind went blank, and for a moment, everything around him seemed to fade away. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his head snapped toward Indra, his gaze sharp with realization.

All the pieces fell into place.

"You deliberately led us to the Svarga," Hiranyakashipu hissed, his voice laced with fury. "Then you sent a large legion, led by Rahu, to secretly invade Patalaloka, colluding with Viprachitti to capture my wife and children. No wonder my elder brother died at your hands!" His fists clenched, the sheer rage in his voice impossible to ignore. "You are the most despicable man I have ever met!"

At that moment, Hiranyakashipu wanted nothing more than to strike down the King of Svarga. But his wife and children were still in Indra's hands—he couldn't afford to act recklessly, not yet.

Rishi Shukracharya too, looked at Indra with shock and fury.

What a vile scheme! What treachery! What brilliance in planning! Even his old rival, Rishi Brihaspati, would never have been able to deduce such a move.

It could only have been the King of Svarga, the mastermind behind it all. Indra had sent Rahu to infiltrate the underworld, to prepare this devious plot. Surya and Narada Muni, who had been watching in stunned silence, now shared their disbelief.

Indra had sent a legion, and they had been kept in the dark all this time.

Surya's voice broke the silence. "He even deceived me. No wonder he deserves to be the Protector of Svarga. He truly deserves to be the King of Svarga!"

Indra blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the reaction.

"Well," he said, raising his hands in a mock gesture of defeat. "That's right. You're absolutely right. That's exactly what I did." He nodded solemnly, his face serious but oddly calm in the face of the accusations.

---

Enjoyed the chapter?

You can read 40 chapters ahead and get exclusive access to more content on P*treon.c*m/Marioni