Sage Vedvyas's ashram,
Sage Vedvyas promised himself that he would do everything to please his God. He was also overwhelmed as his aradhya himself came in front of him. He bowed and touched Vasusen's feet.
Drv Vasusen, 'Vedvyas I know you want to ask me some questions. Go ahead as you are going to play an important role in my quest so you need to know everything.'
Sage Vedvyas, 'Pravu I just want to know why did you come on earth and then as a suta boy Karna? Is Devi Niyati also with you?'
Dev Vasusen, 'I came on earth as the situation demands. The adharm was so well spread among every human that Lord Vishnu's Avatar also needed a companion to fight this war. But I volunteered as it is my personal mission too. As for my suta parents, though I am not born from them but I have to stay with them to change the society and help all the deprived ones'. I can only do that if I stay here as one of them.'
Sage Vedvyas, 'And Devi Niyati? I know she is your Ardhangini and she must be with you as well.'
Dev Vasusen, 'No great sage, that's another mission I have to fulfill. Just because of some great conspiracies I am bearing the pain of separation from her. She is also on earth as a human but she does not have any memories of her being a goddess. Her powers are also suppressed.'
Sage Vedvyas, 'WHAT...but how is it possible?'
Vasusen smiled sadly and said, 'It's a long story sage......'
Flashback,
Treta Yug
In swarg Devraj Indra was not happy with the current situation. And the main problem of his life was now Suryaputra Vasusen. Dev Vasusen, as the God of war was giving training to many Devputras but to Devraj's dismay he was training Asurs, Rakshasas, Danavs as well. Indra never liked Vasusen's equal treatment towards both Devs and Asurs. For him whoever was worthy and had good intentions, he always treated them properly. Indra was scared of Vasusen's growing popularity among humans, Asurs, Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Yakshsas etc. But he could not do anything directly as Vasusen was independent and Indra had no control over him. So he always tried to find a way to belittle Vasusen but it was not easy to do anything against the Yuvraj of Suryalok especially when he had the support of Tridevs and Tridevis.
Feeling angry he decided to left Swarg and travel to earth to calm himself down. He came on earth and was visiting a beautiful forest of Vindhya Parvat. Suddenly he saw a temple and a beautiful woman sitting in front of the Shivling. After closely watching her, he realized that she was none other than Princess Damayanti, the sister of Danavraj Bhidhasen and princess of Danavlok. Devraj Indra thought, 'The Danavs are really getting powerful nowadays. In Lanka that Rakshasraj Ravan was creating problems but now Pravu Vishnu's Avtar Shri Ramji declared war against him and here in Danavlok king Bhidhasen is also increasing power. King Bhidhasen is a great devotee of Vishnu and he has Lord Vishnu's blessings but if I kidnap this princess, then I can tarnish Danavraj's reputation.'
Thinking that he went near her and tried to forcefully abduct her. Princess Damayanti was a skilled warrior and a very intelligent person. She understood Indra's intention and knew that if Indra was able to kidnap her, her family's reputation would be destroyed. So she tried hard to release herself. Hearing her scream, her fiancee Mahabali came to her rescue but Indra was stronger and he easily defeated him and during the fight, Mahabali was killed. Seeing her lover's dead body Damayanti could not stand anymore. She took Mahabali's dagger and committed suicide.
The entire incident had created uproar in Danavlok. King Bhidhasen was angry and wanted to declare war but his grandmother Diti asked him to calm down.
Diti, 'Look my dear, if you attack Devlok, then it will start a huge war. Now Devs are strong and if you declare war then it will kill many of our soldiers. So we need to think logically before attacking.'
Danavraj, 'Then what do you want? I will do nothing to do take revenge against my sister's dishonor and death?'
Diti, 'No, we will take revenge but first, we need to increase our strength. Your sons took training under Lord Vasusen. He is your family's kuldevata as well. So ask your son to please him and ask for his boon. If God of war gives his blessings then no one can defeat us.'
Hearing that Davavraj asked his sons Valdeva and Vahudev to start their penance to please Lord Vasusen. He himself also decided to join the penance so that he himself could also get a boon from his Kuldevata. Here Indra also came to know about their penance but he was assured that Lord Vasusen was a dev and he would never go against Devlok. But he was wrong. Vasusen never tolerated injustice, so he came in front of Valdeva and Danavraj
Vasusen, 'Valdeva, Vahudev and Danavraj Bhibhasen, please open your eyes. I am happy with your penance. Please tell me what you want?'
Valdeva, 'Gurudev, you know how Devraj killed my uncle and aunt. Pravu I want your blessings to defeat him.'
Vasusen, 'I always believe in justice. So I will give your desired boon. Ask me what do you want?'
As per Diti's instruction Danavraj asked, 'Pravu, give me a boon that me, my sons and our army will always be victorious in all battle against everyone. Not even Tridevs or Tridevis can defeat us. They will only be defeated when both you and Devi Niyati come together on the battlefield.'
Vasusen, 'Okay Danavraj, your Danav army will only be defeated when both me Devi Niyati together present on the battlefield. But may I know why do you ask for such a boon?'
Bhidhasen, 'Pravu I am an ardent devotee of both of you. So I will never do anything that forces you or Devi Niyati to fight against me.'
Vasusen smiled and said, 'Tathastu. You will be victorious until you don't do any adharm or attack any innocent.'
Valdeva, 'Pravu I want that no weapon in this universe can kill us. Only the thing which is prepared by you can destroy us but you cannot give that thing to anyone to use or to kill us.'
Vasusen again smiled and said, 'Tathastu. The weapon which I made but cannot give anyone will be the reason for your death.'
Bhidhasen thought, 'What kind of boon is this? Lord Vasusen can make any weapon and himself can kill us.' But he realized why his son asked for this boon as his second son asked, 'Pravu, I want you to promise me not to attack me and my family or my army. You shall never raise your weapon against us or fight with us.'
Vasusen, 'Tathastu. I bless you and your army to be victorious but the day you attack my family, kill the innocents and molest a woman, the day your downfall will start. As long as you raise your weapon to protect the innocents or to establish justice, you all will be invincible.'
The entire Danavlok was overwhelmed while all the Devs in Devlok were scared. After Lord Vasusen's boon, the Danav army was invincible. Devraj went to Suryalok and angrily demanded an answer from Vasusen but he replied, 'You yourself called the doom upon yourself Devraj. A king should protect the innocents not molest them. Danavkumari Damayanti was a Sati and you had touched a sati without her consent. You shall be punished. I am the God of balance and the entire universe will be disturbed if I don't do justice against your crime.'
Even Tridevs and Tridevis also supported Vasusen. After a few days, Danav army attacked Swarg and imprisoned Indra. They wanted to give him severe punishment but Mata Sachi and Lord Brahmma asked Danavraj to show mercy. Bhidhasen was a Dharmvaan king and he also did not want to give pain to Devi Sachi as he always respected women. So he decided to return Swarg to Devs again but he asked for Indra's punishment. So Tridevs decided to coronate current Indra Shatru's son Neelambar as the king of Swarg and they took away former Indra Shatru's powers and gave him exile as a punishment. All other Devs also supported this decision.
Shatru left Swarg but he promised revenge against Vasusen as because of him, he was exiled from Swarg. Here on Danavlok, Devi Diti was not happy with Danavraj's decision. But she knew that it would be difficult to change Bhidhasen from the path of Dharm. So she decided to poison Valdeva and Vahudev against Devs and humans. She also decided to create a situation so that Dev Vasusen and Devi Niyati could never go to a battlefield together.
Diti, 'I have to do something to separate Vasusen and Niyati but what? As long as they are together, there is a chance of our defeat. But I cannot do anything to them directly as both of them are very strong.'
Then she decided to use Shatru as if she did anything herself it would make the entire Surya family against Danavlok. It would be disastrous to raise Lord Surya, Shanidev and Yamraj's anger towards Danavlok. So she disguised herself as an old woman and went to the forest where Shtru was currently residing.
Diti, 'Son, who are you and what are you doing here?'
Shatru, 'I was a king once and now I because of a person I lost everything.'
Diti, 'Then you shall take revenge. You shall separate him from his lover as that will be a great punishment.'
Shatru in his revenge even forgot the difference between Dharm and Adharm. So he decided to separate Devi Niyati and Vasusen.
Shatru, 'Dev Vasusen, because of you I have to bear the pain of separation from my family and Swarg. Now you will feel the same pain. I have to find a way to remove Devi Niyati from your life as you love her immensely. She is your Shakti, your Ardhangini. Without her you will be completely dejected and then I will be satisfied.'
But it was difficult to separate them as both of them loved each other very much. But Shatru waited patiently. One day he was roaming in the forest while he saw a man dressed as sage but he was weeping.
Shatru, 'Mahasay, who are you? Why are you crying?'
The man answered, 'I am a poor father. I am Janak, the former king of Mithila. I am crying because of my daughter Sita. She was the incarnation of Mata Lakshmi. I myself did her kanyadaan to Lord Vishnu's Ram Avatar. But look at my daughter's fate, she had to face so many hardships. And now after getting so many insults again, she could not stand anymore and returned back to her Mata Vasundhara. My daughter is a Mahasati but still, she had to face so many problems. So I am crying for her.'
Shatru thought, 'King Janak got Punya by giving Lord Vishnu his Lakshmi. Due to his penance, he attained many powers. A sages curse will be strong enough to separate Devi Niyati and Vasusen.' So he said in a sugar-coated voice,' Sage, why don't you give punishment to the person who did all these. She is none other than Devi Niyati herself. She is an arrogant goddess who always gives pain to others. You shall curse her.'
Janak raj was blinded with grief. So even thinking about the consequences he cursed, 'Devi Niyati, you gave my daughter a life of pain and humiliation. I Janak, a father curse you, you will be separated from your loved ones and have to face the same pain that my daughter had faced in her life. You will lose all your divine powers and forget all about yourself.'
The entire universe was shacked as the Goddess of fate was cursed. The Navgrahas was imbalanced. All the Devs were scared, even Tridevs and Tridevis also felt the disturbance. All Tridev and Tridevis, Mata Vasundhara, Lord Surya and both Vasusen and Devi Niyati came in front of Janak.
Lord Surya roared, 'How dare you curse my daughter-in-law?'
Devi Prithvi, 'Janak, do have any idea what you have done? Both Sita and Niyati are my daughters. They are the incarnation of Goddess Adishakti Devi Mahamaya herself. And you cursed her. Without the Goddess of fate, the entire universe will be ruined.'
Mata Sita herself came in front of her father as Devi Lakshmi, 'Father, I know you love me but all the hardship me and my husband faced are important to teach humanity the true lesson of Karma and sacrifice. But you cursed my own sister. She has nothing to do with my life. It's all the part of cosmic cycle.'
The Lord Mahadev himself told him how Shatru the former Indra used him to separate Vasusen and Niyati. He also told him and because of their separation, the dark power would gain power.
Then sage Janak realized his mistake. He was very ashamed of his action but then he said, 'Lord Vasusen, Devi Niyati I cannot nullify my curse. Devi Niyati has to be born as a mortal in Dwapar Yug. But only her true love can remind her of her true self and when she will remember everything about her previous life, her curse will be broken and she will again get all her divine powers back. But if she dies as a mortal, then she will be lost completely and will never come back.'
As per the curse, Devi Niyati left Suryalok. Before she left Vasusen said, 'Niyati, I will bring you back. For that, I will face everything. But I will not let you go on earth alone.'
Niyati sobbed, 'I cannot live without you Arya but how will you find me?'
Lord Surya, 'My daughter there is nothing on earth that is hidden from me. I will find you and Vasu will bring you back.'
But Devi Diti already hatched a plan to hide Devi Niyati's mortal form from all Gods. She went to Asurguru Shukracharya and asked, 'Gurudev, once you promised me to give a boon. So now I am asking you to create a shield around Devi Niyati's mortal form so that no one can find her, not even Tridevs and Tridevis.
At first Shukracharya was reluctant as he loved Vasusen as his own son. But he could not back off from his promise, so he did what Devi Diti asked him to do.
After Devi Niyati left, Vasusen was overwhelmed with grief. He went to Vaikunth and asked, 'Pravu, why did all this happened to us?'
Lord Vishnu, 'Vasu, it's all part of the cycle. Even Lord Mahadev and I had to face the pain of separation. It's all predestined. Dwapar Yug is coming. I am going to take birth as Krishna Avataar. And I need both of you there to teach humanity the true meaning of love, duty and kinship. Vasu, in Dwapar the biggest war in the history of mankind will be going to happen between the cousins of Kuruvans. It will divide our entire country and spread superstitions and a false sense of Dharam. Only you can stop the disaster and show them the true path. Without your presence, a Kuru prince Duryadhan will commit one of the biggest sins of mankind. But your presence will bring him back from the path of darkness. So Vasu, all these are happening for a greater good.'
Vasusen, 'For my love and humanity if I have to take birth as a mortal, then I will do that.'
Tridevs and Tridevis, 'We all bless you and even as a mortal, you will retain your powers and knowledge.'
Vasusen, 'Thank you.'
In Danavlok,
Devi Diti, 'Lord Vasusen, even if you go to earth as a mortal but you cannot be able to find your Niyati. I will not let you as your separation is important for our victory. Now I need to wait for Valdeva's ascension to the throne as Bhidhasen is too Dharmvaan to go against Tridevs. But I will poison Valdeva and Vahudeva against the Gods and with all the boons we will conquer the Trilok..Ha...ha...ha.'
In Kailash,
Devi Parvati, 'Devi Diti, you don't have any idea about the strength of true love. Do whatever you can but our Vasu will definitely find her Niyati, her Shakti. Then we will see, how are you going to win Trilok.'
Next- Where is Devi Niyati? How will Vasusen find her? How is he going to prevent the war? Stay tuned.