The Oath of The Vayuputras (Amish)

["deep under vast quantities of earth, snow and permafrost. It was hoped that this poison would remain undisturbed forever. Fortunately, there would be no new toxic waste to be taken care of since the manufacturing of Somras had stopped with the destruction of Devagiri. Shiva had also realised that, just removing the knowledge of the Somras was not enough to stop the drink of the gods. If it had to be wiped out from India, its very foundation needed uprooting. In that sense, the idea that Parshuram had had was sound: without the Saraswati, the Somras couldn\u2019t be manufactured. Furthermore, the river\u2019s present course was picking up radioactive waste at Devagiri and poisoning the lands farther downstream. The Saraswati emerged from the confluence of the Sutlej and the Yamuna. If these two tributaries were separated, the Saraswati water itself would not be available for the manufacture of the Somras or for picking up radioactive waste. Shiva had decided that, in the interest of India, the Sutlej and the Yamuna would part company forever. It was decreed that the Yamuna\u2019s course would be changed once again, back to the temporary course that it had taken more than a century before the destruction of Devagiri, when it had merged into the Ganga. But this was easier said than done. If the course of a river as mighty as the Yamuna was changed suddenly, the resultant flooding would cause havoc. The change had to be controlled. Bhagirath, with the help of Meluhan engineers, had come up with a brilliant plan. The sides of the Yamuna were dug up and giant sluice gates were built along them. These gates, serving as locks, would be opened slowly to guide the Yamuna onto its new course in a deliberate and controlled manner, over many months. Bhagirath had named these sluice gates the \u2018Locks of Shiva\u2019. The Yamuna was thus slowly diverted onto its new course, to unite with the Ganga at Prayag. The Locks of Shiva had thereby allowed the Ganga to take its new form, gradually, without the chaos of an uncontrolled flood. The addition of the massive Yamuna, along with the already worthy presence of the enormous Brahmaputra, had enhanced the mighty Ganga into the biggest river system in India. It also came to be believed that the Yamuna carried the soul of the Saraswati into the Ganga, thus transforming it into the holiest river in India. In a sense, the devotion associated with the hallowed river Saraswati had been transferred onto the Ganga. Furthermore, the burst of fresh clean water from the Yamuna had cleansed the poisonous","waters in Branga, freeing the great rivers in that land of the Somras poison. The Brangas living at Gangasagar, the place where the resurgent Ganga met the sea, began to believe in a legend over time: that the Ganga had purified their land. It was a myth that was not far from the truth. Meluha, without the centralising presence of Devagiri, had devolved into its different provinces which became independent kingdoms. Without the incompetent rule of Daksha and with the fresh breath of freedom, there had been a burst of creativity and an efflorescence of varied but equally beautiful cultures. Shiva heard a loud laugh, which he knew could belong only to Bhagirath. He turned and looked at him, standing near a bonfire, talking animatedly to Gopal and Kali. Dilipa had been deposed by his army before the destruction of Devagiri. He was succeeded by Bhagirath, who had ruled Ayodhya wisely, heralding a new era of peace and prosperity. Judging by the expression on Dilipa\u2019s face as he stood close to Bhagirath, the former emperor seemed to have made peace with his fate. Shiva turned his attention to the tall, lanky figure speaking with Bhagirath and Kali. The great Vasudev perhaps sensed that somebody was looking at him. He turned to look at Shiva, smiled, folded his hands into a Namaste and bowed low. Shiva returned Gopal\u2019s greeting with a formal Namaste. Gopal had made his peace with Shiva. The outcome at Devagiri was certainly not what the Vasudev chief had desired. But what had given him peace was the realisation that Evil had been removed and the knowledge of the Somras saved. India had rejuvenated itself as the malevolent effects of Evil were removed. The Neelkanth had succeeded in his mission, and in that lay the success of the Vasudevs. Gopal had also established formal relations with Veerbhadra and the citizens of Lhasa, the new tribe of the Mahadev. The Vasudevs and the Lhasans would maintain their watch over India in tandem, ensuring that this divine land continued to prosper and grow with balance. Seeing his friend Gopal also reminded Shiva of the Vayuputras. They had never forgiven Shiva for having used the Pashupatiastra. It had been a source of particular embarrassment for the Mithra since he had personally backed the announcement of Shiva as the Neelkanth, against some virulent opposition. The punishment for the unauthorised use of a daivi astra was a fourteen-year exile. As a form of atonement for breaking his word to them, and for having been the cause of the death of his mother-in-law Veerini and","his friends Parvateshwar and Anandmayi, Shiva had punished himself with exile from India; not just for fourteen years, but for the entire duration of his remaining life. \u2018Baba...\u2019 Shiva hadn\u2019t noticed Ganesh, Kartik and Kali sneak up on him. \u2018Yes, Ganesh?\u2019 \u2018Baba, it\u2019s the feast of the Night of the Mahadev,\u2019 said Ganesh. \u2018And the Mahadev needs to be a part of the celebration instead of brooding next to the lake.\u2019 Shiva nodded slowly. His neck had begun to hurt a bit; the perils of old age. \u2018Help me up,\u2019 said Shiva, as he made an effort to rise. Kartik and Ganesh immediately leaned forward, helping their father to his feet. \u2018Ganesh, you get fatter every time I see you.\u2019 Ganesh laughed heartily. He had suffered intensely and taken a long time to recover from his mother\u2019s death, but had ultimately reconciled himself with that loss, choosing to learn from her life instead. He had taken it upon himself to spread the word of Shiva and Sati throughout India. That sense of purpose in his life had helped him return to his calm state of being; in fact, he was even jovial at times. \u2018Thanks to your wisdom, peace prevails all over India, baba,\u2019 said Ganesh. \u2018There are no more wars, no conflicts. So I do very little physical activity and eat a lot. Ultimately, the way I see it, it\u2019s your fault that I\u2019m getting fatter.\u2019 Kali and Kartik laughed loudly. Shiva nodded faintly, his eyes not losing their seriousness. \u2018You should smile sometimes, baba,\u2019 said Kartik. \u2018It will make us happy.\u2019 Shiva stared at Kartik. It had been a long time since Sati\u2019s death, and even young Kartik was now beginning to acquire a smattering of white hair. Shiva knew that Kartik had travelled a very long distance to come to Kailash. After most of Shiva\u2019s tasks had been completed and he had decided to return to Kailash-Mansarovar, Kartik had migrated to the south of the Narmada, going deep into the ancient heartland of India; the land of Lord Manu. History had recorded that Lord Manu was a prince of the Pandya dynasty. This dynasty had ruled the prehistoric land of Sangamtamil. That nation and","its fine Sangam culture had been destroyed as sea levels had risen with the end of the last Ice Age. Kartik had discovered that many people continued to live in this ancient Indian fatherland, breaking Lord Manu\u2019s law that banned people from travelling south of the Narmada. Kartik had established a new Sangam culture on the banks of the southern-most major river of India, the Kaveri. \u2018I will smile when the three of you will reveal your secret,\u2019 said Shiva. \u2018What secret?\u2019 asked Kartik. \u2018You know what I\u2019m talking about.\u2019 Shiva did discover in due course that on the night before the destruction of Devagiri, Kali, Parshuram and Veerbhadra had kidnapped Vidyunmali. Under pain of vicious torture, Vidyunmali had revealed the names of Sati\u2019s assassins. He had then been tormented with a brutal and slow death. A few years after the destruction of Devagiri, Kali, Ganesh, Kartik, Parshuram and Veerbhadra had slipped out of India. Nobody really knew where they had disappeared. They had consistently refused to tell Shiva, perhaps because he had prohibited any further reprisals for Sati\u2019s death. But Shiva had his suspicions... Those suspicions were not unfounded, because around the same time, rumours had arisen in Egypt about the near complete destruction of the secretive tribe of Aten. It was said that the death of each of the tribe\u2019s leaders had been long, slow and painful, their blood-curdling screams echoing through the hearts of their followers. What Kali and the rest didn\u2019t know was that a few months earlier Swuth had exiled himself. He had gone south, to the source of the Nile River, and had spent the rest of his years bemoaning the fact that he had been unable to complete his holy duty of executing the final kill. But the magnificence of Sati had been branded upon his soul. He didn\u2019t know her name. So he worshipped her as a nameless goddess till his last days. His descendants continued the tradition. The few remaining survivors of the tribe of Aten would have to wait for centuries before a revolutionary Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, reformed and revived the cult. That Pharaoh would be remembered as the great Akhenaten, the living spirit of Aten. But that is another story. \u2018Baba, we had gone to...\u2019 Kali placed her hand on Kartik\u2019s lips. \u2018There\u2019s nothing to reveal, Shiva. Except that the food is extremely delicious. You need to eat. So follow me.\u2019 Shiva shook his head. \u2018You still haven\u2019t lost your regal airs.\u2019","Kali didn\u2019t have a kingdom anymore. Within a few years of her return from Egypt, she had renounced her throne and supported the election of Suparna as the new queen of the Nagas. Leaving her kingdom in capable hands, Kali, accompanied by Shiva, Ganesh and Kartik, had toured the land of India. The family of the Neelkanth had established fifty-one Shakti temples across the length and breadth of the country. Kali had also convinced Shiva to part with the portion of Sati\u2019s ashes that he had kept for himself. She had told him that Sati belonged to the whole of India and not just to Shiva. Therefore, small portions of Sati\u2019s ashes were consecrated at each of these fifty-one temples so that Indians would forever remember their great Goddess, Lady Sati. Kali had finally settled down in north-eastern Branga, close to the Kamakhya temple, and devoted her life to prayer. Her spiritual presence had made the Kamakhya temple one of the foremost Shakti temples in India. Many Suryavanshis, Chandravanshis and Nagas who were inspired by the Naga queen, had followed her to her new abode. Over time, they set up their own individual kingdoms. The Suryavanshis had named their kingdom Tripura, the Land of the Three Cities, after the three platforms of their destroyed capital. The Chandravanshis, worshippers of the seventh Vishnu, Lord Ram, had called their land Manipur, the Land of the Jewel; for the seventh Vishnu was, no doubt, a crown jewel of India. Many of Kali\u2019s Naga followers established their own empire farther to the east. All of these different peoples followed the path of Kali; proud warriors forged from the womb of Mother India. Therefore, if treated with respect, these people would be your greatest strength. If you disrespected them, then no power on earth would be able to save you. \u2018I may not have a kingdom anymore, Shiva,\u2019 said Kali, her eyes dancing with mirth, \u2018but I will always be a queen!\u2019 Ganesh and Kartik smiled broadly. Shiva just stared at Kali\u2019s face, a splitting image of Sati\u2019s; it reminded him of how happy his life had once been. \u2018Come, let\u2019s go eat,\u2019 said Shiva. As the family of the Mahadev walked back towards the bonfires, Ganesh and Kartik started speaking to Shiva about the brilliant composition that Bhrigu had just shown them; it would be known over the millennia as the greatest classic on the ancient science of astrology, the Bhrigu Samhita.","Over the subsequent years, Shiva became increasingly ascetic. He began spending many days, even months, in isolation within the claustrophobic confines of mountain caves, performing severe penance. The only one allowed to meet him at such times was Nandi. Legends emerged that the only way to reach Shiva\u2019s ears was through Nandi. Shiva also devoted long hours to the study of yoga. The knowledge that he developed helped create a powerful tool for finding physical, mental and spiritual peace through unity with the divine. Shiva also added many fresh thoughts and philosophies to the immense body of ancient Indian knowledge and wisdom. Many of his ideas were captured in the holy scriptures of the Vedas, Upanishads and the Puranas, benefiting humanity for millennia. Notwithstanding the prodigious productivity of Shiva\u2019s mind, his heart never really found happiness ever again. Legend has it that despite repeated attempts by his family, nobody ever saw Shiva smile again after that terrible day in Devagiri. Nobody saw his ethereal dances or heard his soulful singing and music again. Shiva had given up everything that offered even a remote possibility of bringing him happiness. But legends also hold that Shiva did smile once, just once, only a moment before he was to leave his mortal body to merge once again with the God whom he had emerged from. He smiled, for he knew that the love of his life, his Sati, was just one last breath away. Kartik\u2019s wisdom and courage ensured that the Sangam culture in South India continued to flourish and its power spread far and wide. While Kartik continued to be adored in northern India, especially in Kashi where he was born, his influence in southern India was beyond compare. He is remembered to this day as the Warrior God, the one who can solve any problem and defeat any enemy. Meanwhile, the adoration for Kartik\u2019s elder brother, the wise and kind- hearted Ganesh, grew to astronomical heights in India. People revered him as a living God. A belief spread throughout the country that he should be the first God to be worshipped in all ceremonies, before all others. It was held that worshipping Ganesh would remove all obstacles from one\u2019s path. Thus, he came to be known as the God of Auspicious Beginnings. His profound intellect also led to him gradually becoming the God of Writers; thus his name acquired immense significance for authors, poets and other troubled souls.","The Somras had had an especially strong effect on Ganesh, so he lived for centuries, beyond all his contemporaries. And Ganesh did not mind this. He loved interacting with people from across India, helping them, guiding them. But there did come a time when, enfeebled by old age, Ganesh began to think that perhaps he had lived in this mortal body for too long. For he would have to suffer the mortification of seeing the ancient Vedic Indians turn on each other in a catastrophic civil war. A minor dispute within a dysfunctional royal family escalated into a mighty conflict which sucked in all the great powers of the day. The calamitous blood-letting in that war destroyed not just all the powerful empires of the time but also the way of life of the ancient Vedic Indians. What was left behind was utter devastation. From these ruins, as is its wont, civilisation did rise again. But this new culture had lost too much. They knew only snippets of the greatness of their ancestors. The descendants were, in many ways, unworthy. These descendants beheld gods in what were great men of the past, for they believed that such great men couldn\u2019t possibly have existed in reality. These descendants saw magic in what was brilliant science, for their limited intellect could not understand that great knowledge. These descendants retained only rituals of what were deep philosophies, for it took courage and confidence to ask questions. These descendants divined myths in what was really history, for true memories were forgotten in chaos as vast arrays of daivi astras used in the Great War ravaged the land. That war destroyed almost everything. It took centuries for India to regain its old cultural vigour and intellectual depth. When the recreated history of that Great War was written, built through fragments of surviving information, the treatise was initially called Jaya or victory. But even the unsophisticated minds of the descendants soon realised that this name was inappropriate. That dreadful war did not bring victory to anyone. Every single person who fought that war, lost the war. In fact, the whole of India lost. Today, we know the inherited tale of that war as one of the world\u2019s greatest epics: The Mahabharat. If the Lord Neelkanth allows it, the unadulterated story of that terrible war shall also be told one day. Om Namah Shivaiy. The universe bows to Lord Shiva. I bow to Lord Shiva.","Glossary Agni: God of fire Agnipariksha: A trial by fire Angaharas: Movement of limbs or steps in a dance Ankush: Hook-shaped prods used to control elephants Annapurna: The Hindu Goddess of food, nourishment and plenty; also believed to be a form of Goddess Parvati Anshan: Hunger. It also denotes voluntary fasting. In this book, Anshan is the capital of the kingdom of Elam Apsara: Celestial maidens from the court of the Lord of the Heavens \u2013 Indra; akin to Zeus\/Jupiter Arya: Sir Ashwamedh Literally, the Horse sacrifice. In ancient times, an ambitious ruler, who wished to yagna: expand his territories and display his military prowess, would release a sacrificial horse to roam freely through the length and breadth of any kingdom in India. If any king stopped\/captured the horse, the ruler\u2019s army would declare war against the challenger, defeat the king and annexe that territory. If an opposing king did not stop the horse, the kingdom would become a vassal of the former Asura: Demon Ayuralay: Hospital Ayurvedic: Derived from Ayurved, an ancient Indian form of medicine Ayushman bhav: May you have a long life Baba: Father Bhang: Traditional intoxicant in India; milk mixed with marijuana Bhiksha: Alms or donations Bhojan graham: Dining room Brahmacharya: The vow of celibacy Brahmastra: Literally, the weapon of Brahma; spoken of in ancient Hindu scriptures. Many experts claim that the description of a Brahmastra and its effects are eerily similar to that of a nuclear weapon. I have assumed this to be true in the context of my book Branga: The ancient name for modern West Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh. Term coined from the conjoint of the two rivers of this land: Brahmaputra and Ganga Brangaridai: Literally, the heart of Branga. The capital of the kingdom of Branga Chandravanshi: Descendants of the moon Chaturanga: Ancient Indian game that evolved into the modern game of chess Chillum: Clay pipe, usually used to smoke marijuana Choti: Braid Construction of The description in the book of the court platform is a possible explanation for the Devagiri royal mysterious multiple-column buildings made of baked brick discovered at Indus","court platform: Valley sites, usually next to the public baths, which many historians suppose Dada: could have been granaries Daivi Astra: Dandakaranya: Elder brother Deva: Daivi = Divine; Astra = Weapon. A term used in ancient Hindu epics to describe Dharma: weapons of mass destruction Dharmayudh: Aranya = forest. Dandak is the ancient name for modern Maharashtra and parts Dhobi: of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. So Divyadrishti: Dandakaranya means the forests of Dandak Dumru: Egyptian God women: Dharma literally translates as religion. But in traditional Hindu belief, it means Fire song: far more than that. The word encompasses holy, right knowledge, right living, tradition, natural order of the universe and duty. Essentially, dharma refers to Fravashi: everything that can be classified as \u2018good\u2019 in the universe. It is the Law of Life Ganesh-Kartik The holy war relationship: Guruji: Washerman Gurukul: Har Har Divine sight Mahadev: Hariyupa: A small, hand-held, hour-glass shaped percussion instrument Historians believe that ancient Egyptians, just like ancient Indians, treated their women with respect. The anti-women attitude attributed to Swuth and the assassins of Aten is fictional. Having said that, like most societies, ancient Egyptians also had some patriarchal segments in their society, which did, regrettably, have an appalling attitude towards women This is a song sung by Guna warriors to agni (fire). They also had songs dedicated to the other elements viz: bh\u016bmi (earth), jal (water), pavan (air or wind), vyom or shunya or akash (ether or void or sky) Is the guardian spirit mentioned in the Avesta, the sacred writings of the Zoroastrian religion. Although, according to most researchers, there is no physical description of Fravashi, the language grammar of Avesta clearly shows it to be feminine. Considering the importance given to fire in ancient Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, I\u2019ve assumed the Fravashi to be represented by fire. This is, of course, a fictional representation In northern India, traditional myths hold Lord Kartik as older than Lord Ganesh; in large parts of southern India, Lord Ganesh is considered elder. In my story, Ganesh is older than Kartik. What is the truth? Only Lord Shiva knows Teacher; ji is a term of respect, added to a name or title The family of the guru or the family of the teacher. In ancient times, also used to denote a school This is the rallying cry of Lord Shiva\u2019s devotees. I believe it means \u2018All of us are Mahadevs\u2019 This city is currently known as Harappa. A note on the cities of Meluha (or as we call it in modern times, the Indus Valley Civilisation): historians and researchers have consistently marvelled at the fixation that the Indus Valley Civilisation seemed to have for water and hygiene. In fact historian M Jansen used the term \u2018wasserluxus\u2019 (obsession with water) to describe their magnificent obsession with the physical and symbolic aspects of water, a term Gregory Possehl builds upon in his brilliant book, The Indus Civilisation \u2014 A Contemporary","Holi: Perspective. In the book, The Immortals of Meluha, the obsession with water is Howdah: shown to arise due to its cleansing of the toxic sweat and urine triggered by Indra: consuming the Somras. Historians have also marvelled at the level of Jai Guru sophisticated standardisation in the Indus Valley Civilisation. One of the Vishwamitra: examples of this was the bricks, which across the entire civilisation, had similar Jai Guru proportions and specifications Vashishta: Festival of colours Jai Shri Brahma: Carriage placed on top of elephants Jai Shri Ram: Janau: The God of the sky; believed to be the King of the gods Ji: Glory to the teacher Vishwamitra Kajal: Karma: Glory to the teacher Vashishta. Only two Suryavanshis were privileged to have had both Guru Vashishta and Guru Vishwamitra as their gurus (teachers) viz. Karmasaathi: Lord Ram and Lord Lakshman Kashi: Glory to Lord Brahma Kathak: Kriyas: Glory to Lord Ram Kulhads: Maa: A ceremonial thread tied from the shoulders, across the torso. It was one of the Mandal: symbols of knowledge in ancient India. Later, it was corrupted to become a caste symbol to denote those born as Brahmins and not those who\u2019d acquired Mahadev: knowledge through their effort and deeds Mahasagar: A suffix added to a name or title as a form of respect Mahendra: Mahout: Kohl, or eye liner Manu\u2019s story: Duty and deeds; also the sum of a person\u2019s actions in this and previous births, considered to limit the options of future action and affect future fate Fellow traveller in karma or duty The ancient name for modern Varanasi. Kashi means the city where the supreme light shines A form of traditional Indian dance Actions Mud cups Mother Literally, Sanskrit word meaning circle. Mandals are created, as per ancient Hindu and Buddhist tradition, to make a sacred space and help focus the attention of the devotees Maha = Great and Dev = God. Hence Mahadev means the greatest God or the God of Gods. I believe that there were many \u2018destroyers of evil\u2019 but a few of them were so great that they would be called \u2018Mahadev\u2019. Amongst the Mahadevs were Lord Rudra and Lord Shiva Great Ocean; Hind Mahasagar is the Indian Ocean Ancient Indian name meaning conqueror of the world Human handler of elephants Those interested in finding out more about the historical validity of the South India origin theory of Manu should read Graham Hancock\u2019s pathbreaking book, Underworld","Mausi: Mother\u2019s sister, literally translating as maa si i.e. like a mother Maya: Illusion Mehragarh: Modern archaeologists believe that Mehragarh is the progenitor of the Indus Valley civilisation. Mehragarh represents a sudden burst of civilised living, without any archaeological evidence of a gradual progression to that level. Hence, those who established Mehragarh were either immigrants or refugees Meluha: The land of pure life. This is the land ruled by the Suryavanshi kings. It is the area that we in the modern world call the Indus Valley Civilisation Meluhans: People of Meluha Mudras: Gestures Naga: Serpent people Namaste: An ancient Indian greeting. Spoken along with the hand gesture of open palms of both the hands joined together. Conjoin of three words. \u2018Namah\u2019, \u2018Astu\u2019 and \u2018Te\u2019 \u2013 meaning \u2018I bow to the godhood in you\u2019. Namaste can be used as both \u2018hello\u2019 and \u2018goodbye\u2019 Nirvana: Enlightenment; freedom from the cycle of rebirths Oxygen\/anti- Modern research backs this theory. Interested readers can read the article oxidants theory: \u2018Radical Proposal\u2019 by Kathryn Brown in the Scientific American Panchavati: The land of the five banyan trees Pandit: Priest Paradaeza: An ancient Persian word which means \u2018the walled place of harmony\u2019; the root of the English word, Paradise Pariha: The land of fairies. Refers to modern Persia\/Iran. I believe Lord Rudra came from this land Parmatma: The ultimate soul or the sum of all souls Parsee Groups of Zoroastrian refugees immigrated to India perhaps between the 8th and immigration to 10th century AD to escape religious persecution. They landed in Gujarat, and the India: local ruler Jadav Rana gave them refuge Pashupatiastra: Literally, the weapon of the Lord of the Animals. The descriptions of the effects of the Pashupatiastra in Hindu scriptures are quite similar to that of nuclear weapons. In modern nuclear technology, weapons have been built primarily on the concept of nuclear fission. While fusion-boosted fission weapons have been invented, pure fusion weapons have not been invented as yet. Scientists hold that a pure nuclear fusion weapon has far less radioactive fallout and can theoretically serve as a more targeted weapon. In this trilogy, I have assumed that the Pashupatiastra is one such weapon Patallok: The underworld Pawan Dev: God of the winds Pitratulya: The term for a man who is \u2018like a father\u2019 Prahar: Four slots of six hours each into which the day was divided by the ancient Hindus; the first prahar began at twelve midnight Prithvi: Earth Prakrati: Nature Puja: Prayer","Puja thali: Prayer tray Raj dharma: Literally, the royal duties of a king or ruler. In ancient India, this term embodied pious and just administration of the king\u2019s royal duties Raj guru: Royal sage Rajat: Silver Rajya Sabha: The royal council Rakshabandhan: Raksha = Protection; Bandhan = thread\/tie. An ancient Indian festival in which a sister ties a sacred thread on her brother\u2019s wrist, seeking his protection Ram Chandra: Ram = Face; Chandra = Moon. Hence Ram Chandra is \u2018the face of the moon\u2019 Ram Rajya: The rule of Ram Rangbhoomi: Literally, the ground of colour. Stadia in ancient times where sports, performances and public functions would be staged Rangoli: Traditional colourful and geometric designs made with coloured powders or flowers as a sign of welcome Rishi: Man of knowledge Sankat Mochan: Literally, reliever from troubles. One of the names of Lord Hanuman Sangam: A confluence of two rivers Sanyasi: A person who renounces all his worldly possessions and desires to retreat to remote locations and devote his time to the pursuit of god and spirituality. In ancient India, it was common for people to take sanyas at an old age, once they had completed all their life\u2019s duties Sapt Sindhu: Land of the seven rivers \u2013 Indus, Saraswati, Yamuna, Ganga, Sarayu, Brahmaputra and Narmada. This was the ancient name of North India Saptrishi: One of the \u2018Group of seven Rishis\u2019 Saptrishi Successors of the Saptrishis Uttradhikari: Shakti Devi: Mother Goddess; also Goddess of power and energy Shamiana: Canopy Shloka: Couplet Shudhikaran: The purification ceremony Sindhu: The first river Somras: Drink of the gods Sundarban: Sundar = beautiful; ban = forest. Hence, Sundarban means beautiful forest Svarna: Gold Swadweep: The Island of the individual. This is the land ruled by the Chandravanshi kings Swadweepans: People of Swadweep Swaha: Legend has it that Lord Agni\u2019s wife is named Swaha. Hence it pleases Lord Agni, the God of Fire, if a disciple takes his wife\u2019s name while worshipping the sacred fire. Another interpretation of Swaha is that it means offering of self Tamra: Bronze Thali: Plate Varjish graha: The exercise hall Varun: God of the water and the seas","Vijayibhav: May you be victorious Vikarma: Vishnu: Carrier of bad fate Vishwanath: The protector of the world and propagator of good. I believe that it is an ancient Hindu title for the greatest of leaders who would be remembered as the mightiest Yagna: of gods Literally, the Lord of the World. Usually refers to Lord Shiva, also known as Lord Rudra in his angry avatar. I believe Lord Rudra was a different individual from Lord Shiva. In this trilogy, I have used the term Vishwanath to refer to Lord Rudra Sacrificial fire ceremony","Amish is a 1974-born, IIM (Kolkata)-educated, boring banker turned happy author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up a fourteen-year-old career in financial services to focus on writing. He is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions. Amish lives in Mumbai with his wife Preeti and son Neel. www.authoramish.com www.facebook.com\/authoramish www.twitter.com\/amisht","Table of Contents Praise for the Shiva Trilogy Title page Copyright Dedication Contents The Shiva Trilogy Acknowledgements Chapter 1: The Return of a Friend Chapter 2: What is Evil? Chapter 3: The Kings Have Chosen Chapter 4: A Frog Homily Chapter 5: The Shorter Route Chapter 6: The City that Conquers Pride Chapter 7: An Eternal Partnership Chapter 8: Who is Shiva? Chapter 9: The Love-struck Barbarian Chapter 10: His Name Alone Strikes Fear Chapter 11: The Branga Alliance Chapter 12: Troubled Waters Chapter 13: Escape of the Gunas Chapter 14: The Reader of Minds Chapter 15: The Magadhan Issue Chapter 16: Secrets Revealed Chapter 17: Honour Imprisoned Chapter 18: Honour or Victory? Chapter 19: Proclamation of the Blue Lord Chapter 20: The Fire Song Chapter 21: Siege of Ayodhya Chapter 22: Magadh Mobilises Chapter 23: Battle of Bal-Atibal Kund Chapter 24: The Age of Violence Chapter 25: God or Country? Chapter 26: Battle of Mrittikavati","Chapter 27: The Neelkanth Speaks Chapter 28: Meluha Stunned Chapter 29: Every Army Has a Traitor Chapter 30: Battle of Devagiri Chapter 31: Stalemate Chapter 32: The Last Resort Chapter 33: The Conspiracy Deepens Chapter 34: With the Help of Umbergaon Chapter 35: Journey to Pariha Chapter 36: The Land of Fairies Chapter 37: Unexpected Help Chapter 38: The Friend of God Chapter 39: He is One of Us Chapter 40: Ambush on the Narmada Chapter 41: An Invitation for Peace Chapter 42: Kanakhala\u2019s Choice Chapter 43: A Civil Revolt Chapter 44: A Princess Returns Chapter 45: The Final Kill Chapter 46: Lament of the Blue Lord Chapter 47: A Mother\u2019s Message Chapter 48: The Great Debate Chapter 49: Debt to the Neelkanth Chapter 50: Saving a Legacy Chapter 51: Live On, Do Your Karma Chapter 52: The Banyan Tree Chapter 53: The Destroyer of Evil Chapter 54: By the Holy Lake Glossary"]