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In the beginning, there was nothing.
No sky, No earth.
No light, No sound.
Just silence and an endless stretch of dark waters… calm, cold, and still.
Floating on that dark ocean was a great serpent—'Sheshanaga'—with a thousand hoods, each glowing faintly like dying stars. Upon that mighty serpent rested a peaceful being, sleeping with eyes closed, deep in meditation.
That was 'Lord Narayana', the Supreme Being, who existed before time, before space, before anything else. His breath was calm, his body radiant, and from his navel, a lotus began to bloom.
Slowly, that lotus rose up—tall and glowing—and at its heart sat a young figure, confused and curious. This was Brahma, the Creator.
He looked around. There was no land, no people, no sky—just endless water and the soft sound of waves.
"Who am I?" he wondered.
"Why am I here? Where did I come from?"
He searched everywhere, even tried to go down the stem of the lotus to find its base, but he couldn't. Tired and frightened, he finally sat in silence and meditated.
Time passed. Maybe days. Maybe centuries. In that silence, a Divine voice echoed from within him.
"Create."
Understanding dawned in his heart. He was born to create the world.
So, with deep concentration, Brahma closed his eyes and imagined everything: the sky, the earth, the oceans, the sun, the stars, the plants, the animals, and the people.
And like magic…They came into being.
Time began, the heavens formed...
Mountains rose, Rivers flowed, and Winds danced...
The universe started to breathe.
And from that moment, the great cycle of life—of creation, preservation, and destruction—began its never-ending rhythm.
"Ohh… so Guruwar, who came first in existence — Bhagwan Narayan or Bhagwan Mahadeva?" Hearing their Guruwar's narration of how the universe came into being, they asked the question that had been puzzling and stirring their curiosity.
"Ehhh… don't compare Lord Narayan with Bhagwan Mahadeva. Both existed before the universe was even created. As for who came first, that you don't need to know for now." Ekalavya, hearing his two shishyas' words, was left speechless and wondered how they had even thought about that question when he hadn't even mentioned Mahadeva in the whole narrative.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Let's go back to training!" Ekalavya waved at them, stopping the narration of the granths as he instructed them to return to their training.
It had been four years since they had been living in Guru Vyasa's ashram, and he had been constantly teaching them not only basic knowledge but also the training of warriors so that, in the future, they could at least defend themselves.
He looked at Shashi, who now resembled a proper warrior with a lean and strong build. He had put him through the practice of archery and survival in the harsh environment of the forest.
His once-hollow cheeks now carried definition, and his sharp, almond-shaped eyes held a quiet, calculating awareness that made him seem older than his years. His long black hair was neatly tied back with a simple cotton thread, and he wore a plain saffron dhoti with a short, sleeveless tunic — humble yet fitting for a student-warrior.
Then his gaze turned to Shalini, who had also grown into a lively yet composed young maiden. Her soft features had sharpened over the four years so much that she could not be compared to her naïve and innocent self from back then.
Her wavy black hair, now well-kept, was braided and tied with simple beads, while her large, dark eyes gleamed with curiosity and intelligence. She wore a modest saffron wrap paired with a light cotton blouse, her attire marking her as a disciple of the ashram. Around her wrist was a small beaded bracelet, a gift from her Guru, Ekalavya.
"Today, I will be instructing you on how you can shoot multiple arrows in quick succession without losing your aim." Ekalavya stood beside Shashi, who had his arrow ready on his bow to fire, but hearing his Guru words, he stopped and looked back at him in a puzzled tone.
"But how am I going to do that? I can shoot two or three arrows in quick succession, but I can't maintain the exact aim for all three arrows," Shashi said, not understanding his Guru's intentions or what he was suggesting.
"No problem. First, try to get used to firing multiple arrows. As for maintaining aim, you will eventually master that." Ekalavya smiled and patted his shoulder while giving him a go-ahead signal.
"Alright, Guruwar, as you wish." Shashi nodded, understanding his Guruwar's words, and started to fire the arrows.
At first, he was having difficulty firing multiple arrows, as his hands weren't swift enough or used to it. Ekalavya patiently explained to him so he wouldn't get impatient and lose his concentration.
Leaving him to his practice, he turned to Shalini, who was sitting at the side over the tatami made of husk and dry grass.
In her hand, she had knitting tools and wool, which Ekalavya had gotten for her from a certain animal's fur.
"So, what did you make today?" Ekalavya asked, looking at her with curiosity. He had taught her everything he knew about knitting after giving her the tools for it three years ago.
And he was really surprised to know she was truly talented in knitting and making various things. The clothes she wore, she had knitted herself.
"I am making something you taught me last time, Guruwar." Shalini replied with a smile as her hands kept moving.
"You mean a scarf… who is it for?" Ekalavya looked at the shape and asked, wondering who she was making it for. It wasn't winter yet, so why was she making that?
"Who else, if not for you? You gave us a lot of gifts over the years; this will be my gift for you, Guruwar," Shalini said with a pout and smiled with genuine care as she looked back at Ekalavya.
"Hahaha… you really don't have to… alright, alright. Don't glare at me, I will accept it happily." Ekalavya wanted to deny it, but seeing her glaring at him, he waved back and smiled as he accepted her goodwill.
He really never thought that this naïve and innocent girl would mature so fast and learn something from his mother. He missed that naïve girl he used to tease.
Well… no use complaining. It was his fault that he let her visit his mother, and she ended up learning from her.
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