Chapter 140 - Guha's Fight

"Please, don't bother me for a ghadi." requested Ishit to Karuvaki. He cast a shield around him, silencing all the bluster. The keepers of the stadium carried away unconscious Narang. The crier called out the contenders of second matches. 

"Guha of Minaak, Kovid of Ooty."

"What do you mean by 'don't bother me? It's you who is bothering me." Karuvaki snapped at him, "what the hell are you doing?" Her

almond eyes widened as she sensed the spirit shield, condensing around them.

"I have to do Anulom Vilom," replied Ishit, regrating that he couldn't watch Guha's fighting. 

"What Lom- Lom!" 

"It's Anulom Vilom not Lom-lom

. A breathing exercise to relax one's mind. Now be quiet." Ishit's throbbing eye was making it difficult even to speak. He regretted not being able to watch Guha's match. 

"Ok!" Maybe she could feel Ishit was not feeling well, Karuvaki agreed. 

So Ishit once again recalled every step and sat in Padmasana (lotus position) with his spine straight. 

"!!Om bhur bhuvaha svaha

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat!!!" He chanted the mantra given to Onish by the old sage.

In another piece of memory, Ishit had seen Anand Giri explaining the meaning and benefit of Mantra. 

"Everything that you see and can't see is born from Mahanada or called primordial sound 'Om'. Millions of years ago, Shiva played his damaru on the mount Kalisha. From the sound, his divine damaru, sptarishi (seven s

ages) picked some specific sounds. They grouped them into 14 categories.

1. a i u ṇ

2. ṛ ḷ k

3. e o ṅ

4. ai au c

5. ha ya va ra ṭ

6. la ṇ

7. ña ma ṅa ṇa na m

8. jha bha ñ

9. gha ḍha dha ṣ

10. ja ba ga ḍa da ś

11. kha pha cha ṭha tha cha ṭa ta v

12. ka pa y

13. śa ṣa sa r

14. ha l.

These 57 letters came to be known as Maheshvara Sutra and formed the

basis of the most ancient spoken language in the world: Sanskrit. Each

letter belonged to one of the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, or space).

The importance of the sounds emanating from Shiva's damaru was not

limited to the creation of the first language but a lot more.

The 14 categories gave birth to 14 essential tattvas (elements) in the whole of creation.

They were the five core elements of prithvi (earth), jala (water), tej (fire),

vayu (air), and akash (ether).

Three modes of material nature: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and

tamas (ignorance).

Chatusha-antahkarana (four aspects of mind) of manas (mind), buddhi

(intellect), Chitta (fluctuati

ons of mind/consciousness) and ahamkara (ego).

Masculine energy (Shiva) and feminine energy (Shakti).

Mantras were also created by Shiva. We, sages, are only discoverers or receivers. As for what are Mantras, then you just have to know that they are sound forms of deities, the natural forces that make this world exist. Each deity has a seed sound called beej mantra if this sound is chanted with full concentration and properly, they can fulfill the desires of the devotees and act like a protective shield surrounding them, protecting them from all dangers and enemies. Some notable beej mantras are "

auṃ (Om)    for  Parabrahma

śrīṃ (shreem)    for Lakshmi

krīṃ (kreem)  for Kali

hrauṃ (hrowm)    for Shiva

aiṃ    for  Saraswati

hrīṃ (hreem) for Bhuvaneshwari

hūṃ (hoom)  for Shiva

phaṭ (fut)  for Destruction

haṃ (hum)      for Akasha Tattva (ether element)

yaṃ (yum)  for Vayu Tattva (air element) 

rāṃ (raam) for Agni Tattva (for element) 

kṣaṃ (kshum)  for Prithvi Tattva ( earth element). 

"There are others myriads of beej mantras unknown even to the wisest sage. All mantras are created from these beej mantras (seed sounds). One should never chant these beej mantras in one's unholy state." 

Ignoring everything, Ishit did anulom-vilom, while chanting Mantra called Gaytri mantra in his mind. And as soon as he completed the twentieth cycle of the ancient breathing technique, his headache began to recede. 

So encouraged by the result, he absorbed himself into the intense pranayam. Karuvaki looked away, her cheeks, which had apples in them, puffed with annoyance. 

*******

Guha entered the arena with his blue feathered bird alicanto. He was dressed in his guild uniform. His beast bag was tied t

o his waist. Guha glanced towards his friend and couldn't help but felt cheated. Ishit was busy in himself and wasn't payin

g any heed to his match. He couldn't send telepathic from here or he would have cursed the ungrateful fella. 

Though apprentices from his guild were cheering for him. 

His opponent Kovid was a lanky fellow. His face was pale revealing his identity from Sursena. A fire hawk was sitting on his shoulder. Guha couldn't help but noticed the violent aura seeping out of his opponent falconer, and his guardian birds. 

Unlike yoddhas, falconers were not good at using Astras. They mainly relied on their bonded spirits birds.

With the signal from the crier, both falconers bowed to each other.  Their eyes shone as they commanded their birds. 

Guha's alincanto, th

e bluebird that fed on impe

rial gold, shook its wings and flew into the sky.  So did the fire hawk of Kovid.

Alincanto let out an ear-spl

itting screech as its size grew from a dove to ain't crane. The lightning began to play over its exquisite feathers. Its razor-sharp talons glittered in the sunshine. 

The bird attached the fire hawk. The hawk's feathers were ablaze. It let out a furious outcry, as it met to the alincanto. 

The talons clanged like the s

words of warriors, sending sparks and lightning bolts in the air. The birds tried to tear off each other but matched evenly or it looked so. 

Guha called off his bird and nod

ded to Kovid. The first round was over. 

They both united their beast bags and a dozen so spirits birds flew out of the magical bag, screeching loud as if happy to get their freedom back. 

Guha jumped on the alicanto's back and flew up in the sky with his one dozen birds circling around him.

They were not some ordinary spirit birds. Guha had chosen each of them very carefully for this event. 

Kovid had also foll

owed him in the air. His collection of spirit birds was not inferior to Guha.

Guha didn't waste any more time and formed a war plan in his mind, and sent it to his birds. The birds soon arranged them into a complicated formation. 

Kovid did the same.  Both sides turned silent as if waiting for some unknown single. And the crowd watched with bated breath. 

Suddenly, the birds co

me into motion, letting out screeches and destructive forces. The air seemed to split apart with lightning, fire, and sonic sounds. Guha birds clashed with Kovids. Tearing each other with their metallic talons. Both falc

oners controlled them with their minds while dodging the sneak attacks. 

Suddenly, Guha felt a sharp pain in his mind as if someone had pricked a needle into his grey matter.

A mental attack! It didn't take long for Guha to realize that his opponent had a Mansa bird, hidden among his flock. 

He gave Kovid a look, and let out his mental attack. A small bird as tiny as a finger appeared behind him.

Don't blame me now boy. 

As the frenzied fight of birds had raged a storm in the stadium, so Kovid failed to notice this little golden creature. Howev

er, the judges, who were watching everything with the help of their powerful spirit sense, let out a gasp. 

"Who is this boy?" asked Tissa, for he had recognized the bird.

"If I'm not wrong he is the son of the famous falconer of Minaak, Ronan. One who had rejected His majesty's offer to join the Royal Society." Sakuni replied as he watched Guha with interest. 

"No wonder, he cou

ld tame a soul bird at such young age. Did we get any news about what happened to the arrogant prick?" Tissa asked. 

"No! I think the defilers got him.  "  Sakuni replied, while his fixed at Guha. 

"That's bad. " 

"No! A good thing, at least for you. "  the old fox said. 

Suddenly an uproar erupted into the crowd. 

Kovid had dropped on from his hawk, his nose bleeding. While his birds off. The soul attack from Guha's soul bird had caught him off guard. 

Guha didn't give his opponent another look and flew out of the stadium. For him, this whole even had no meaning. He would leave before this event ended. The only thing that was stopping him was the desire to see his only friend winning the trial and getting accepted in some good academy. 

Guha looked at Ishit. He was still doing the same weird breathing exercise. Karuvaki, the arrogant lass, was sitting with her puffed cheeks as though someone had stone her jewelry.

The crier announced him as the winner, as the keeper rushed for the injured boy.  Guha summoned his birds and sent them all to the aviary tower. A couple of them had got injured during the fight.

He joined his boisterous group, who seemed happier than him at his victory.