Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable

(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...

-------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, while the elders remained occupied with the royal guests and the preparations taking place throughout the palace, Bhishma decided that the children should not be left sitting around doing nothing.

He gathered the Kauravas and the Pandavas together and took them out to see more of Trivenivrata.

The children had already been impressed by what they had seen while entering the kingdom, but Bhishma knew that they had only seen a small portion of what Devara had built.

"Pitamah, where are we going?"

Arjuna asked as they continued along the road.

"You will see soon enough,"

Bhishma replied with a small smile.

Bhima, who had been looking around at everything from the beginning, pointed toward a large group of buildings visible in the distance.

"Is that another palace?"

Bhishma laughed.

"No. That is the Gurukul."

The children immediately became curious.

As they approached, the sound of recitations, discussions and training could already be heard from within the grounds. Once the gates opened, the children stepped inside and immediately stopped.

The sight before them left them stunned.

There were students everywhere.

Some were sitting beneath large trees with their teachers, studying ancient scriptures and languages, while another group was practising mathematics and astronomy.

Further ahead, students were learning statecraft, law, medicine and history.

There were separate areas where young warriors were being taught archery, swordsmanship, mace fighting and various other forms of combat.

But what surprised the children most was the variety of people studying there.

Students from different kingdoms were learning together, and they weren’t being separated according to their birth or social position.

Everyone appeared to be treated according to their ability and dedication.

Yudhishthira quietly watched a group of students discussing something with their teacher.

"Pitamah, all of them study here?"

Bhishma nodded.

"Yes."

"Even students from other caste?"

"Yes."

Bhima looked toward another section where students were practising with heavy weapons.

"Then they can learn fighting here too?"

Bhishma smiled.

"Of course. Devara wanted this Gurukul to teach much more than warfare. He wanted people to learn whatever knowledge they were capable of mastering."

Arjuna’s attention had already been captured by the training grounds.

He watched the students practising archery with complete concentration, his eyes following every movement of their hands and the flight of each arrow.

"Who teaches them?"

"Teachers from many different traditions,"

Bhishma explained to them calmly.

"Some are experts in warfare, others in medicine, philosophy, astronomy, music, mathematics and several other disciplines."

Nakula looked toward another group where students were learning about herbs and medicines.

"There are so many different subjects."

Sahadeva quietly added,

"And so many students."

Bhishma smiled.

"This is one of Devara’s greatest achievements."

The children continued walking, but their amazement only grew as they saw more of the Gurukul.

They had expected a traditional place where students simply learned scriptures and warfare.

Instead, they found something much larger.

There were workshops where students learned practical skills, halls where scholars debated philosophical questions, open grounds for physical training and even areas dedicated to arts and music.

The Kauravas were equally fascinated.

Some of them began asking Bhishma questions one after another, while the Pandavas quietly observed everything around them.

Duryodhana looked toward the training grounds with interest.

"So all these students are treated equally?"

Bhishma nodded.

"That was one of Devara’s conditions when he established this place."

The children looked at him.

"He believes knowledge should not be restricted simply because of someone’s birth. If a student has the ability and determination to learn, the opportunity should be available to them."

Yudhishthira looked around once more.

"That is a very good rule."

Bhishma smiled.

"That is why this Gurukul has attracted students from so many places."

Arjuna’s eyes remained fixed on the archery grounds.

For the first time since arriving in Trivenivrata, something other than the kingdom’s beauty had captured his attention completely.

He wanted to learn.

He wanted to know what these students knew.

And perhaps, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was beginning to wonder whether one day he too could train in a place like this.

Bhishma noticed his expression but said nothing.

He simply smiled and continued walking with the children through the Gurukul, allowing them to discover the place for themselves.

As Bhishma continued taking the children through the Gurukul, they eventually reached one of the larger training grounds where a group of students were gathered around a familiar figure.

Dronacharya stood before them with a bow in his hand, carefully watching each student as they practised.

The students were being taught how to properly aim before releasing an arrow, and Drona was correcting them one by one whenever he noticed their stance or grip was slightly wrong.

"Don’t simply look at the target,"

Drona instructed.

"Your entire body has to work with your eyes. Keep your shoulders steady, control your breathing and don’t allow your attention to wander even for a moment. An arrow released without concentration is little more than a piece of wood flying through the air."

The children from Hastinapur slowed down as they passed the training ground.

Arjuna immediately became interested.

He watched the students carefully, paying particular attention to the way Drona corrected their posture.

After observing for a while, a question suddenly came to his mind.

"Acharya?"

The voice came from outside the group.

Several students turned around.

Drona looked toward the sound and saw a group of unfamiliar children standing with Bhishma.

Arjuna stepped slightly forward.

"If the target is moving, should the archer aim at where the target is currently standing, or at where it will be when the arrow reaches it?"

The students who had been practising immediately stopped and looked toward him.

Drona’s expression changed slightly.

It wasn’t merely the question that caught his attention.

The boy had asked it after actually observing the lesson rather than simply interrupting out of curiosity.

A small smile appeared on Drona’s face.

"That depends on the speed of the target, the distance between you and it, the speed of your arrow and the direction in which it is moving."

Arjuna listened carefully.

Drona continued.

"If you aim directly at where a moving target is now, the arrow may reach that location only to find that the target has already moved away. A skilled archer therefore learns to predict the movement rather than simply react to what his eyes see."

Arjuna nodded slowly.

"So the archer has to think about where the target is going to be."

"Exactly."

Drona smiled.

"The bow is only a weapon. The real weapon is the mind behind it. If your mind cannot understand the target, even the strongest bow will not make you a great archer."

Arjuna looked thoughtful.

Drona then glanced toward Bhishma.

"Pitamah, I assume these are the children from Hastinapur."

Bhishma nodded.

"Yes. The Pandavas and Kauravas have come to visit Trivenivrata."

Drona looked at the children again.

His eyes rested briefly on Arjuna, who was still looking toward the students practising with their bows.

"You seem particularly interested in archery."

Arjuna immediately straightened.

"Yes, Acharya."

Drona smiled.

"Then continue observing. Sometimes watching a skilled archer can teach you something that ten lessons cannot."

Arjuna nodded respectfully.

"Yes, Acharya."

Bhishma watched the exchange with quiet amusement.

He had noticed the spark in Arjuna’s eyes the moment they entered the training ground.

The boy had barely arrived in Trivenivrata and had already found something that had captured his complete attention.

Meanwhile, while Bhishma had taken the Pandavas and Kauravas around the Gurukul,

Dhritarashtra and Queen Madri decided to take their children to one of the most important places in Trivenivrata, the ancient Shiva temple that stood within the kingdom.

Dhritarashtra had visited the temple before, and he remembered the stories surrounding the place quite well.

As the family entered the temple grounds, the Kauravas looked around with curiosity, taking in the enormous stone structure, the tall pillars covered with ancient carvings and the peaceful atmosphere that seemed completely different from the busy streets outside.

Madri guided the children further inside while Dhritarashtra walked beside them.

"This temple is very old, But there is something about this place that makes it especially important to your uncle Devara."

The children immediately became curious.

"Why, Father?" one of them asked.

Dhritarashtra smiled.

"Because something happened here that very few people can claim to have witnessed."

The children gathered closer.

Madri looked toward her husband with a smile, already knowing the story he was about to tell.

Dhritarashtra continued.

"Some years ago, when Devara first established this kingdom, he came here and performed the Tandava alongside Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati."

The children immediately stared at him.

"With Lord Shiva?"

Dhritarashtra nodded.

"Yes."

Even the children who had been distracted a moment earlier were now listening carefully.

"It was not an ordinary dance,"

Dhritarashtra explained.

"Devara had come here after receiving the opportunity to spend time with Mahadev and Mata Parvati. At some point, the three of them began performing together, and the entire atmosphere of the temple changed."

Madri smiled as she remembered hearing the story herself.

"The people who witnessed it said that the ground itself seemed to respond to the rhythm, The sound of the drums travelled through the entire temple, and the divine energy surrounding Mahadev and Parvati filled the place."

One of the children looked around the temple with wide eyes.

"So Uncle Devara actually danced with Lord Shiva?"

Dhritarashtra nodded.

"Yes. And that is why this temple is so important to him. It reminds him of one of the happiest periods of that moment."

The children looked toward the enormous Shiva Lingam at the centre of the sanctum.

Duryodhana remained quiet for a moment before asking,

"Was he not afraid of Lord Shiva?"

Madri smiled.

"Apparently not."

Dhritarashtra chuckled.

"Devara has never been particularly good at being afraid of someone simply because they are powerful."

The children laughed.

"But remember,"

Dhritarashtra continued, his tone becoming more respectful,

"that Mahadev was not merely allowing a child to play with him. He saw something special in Devara even then. Their relationship was one of affection and devotion, and Devara has always held deep respect for Mahadev."

The Kauravas listened quietly.

They had already heard stories about Devara’s strength from the adults, but this was something different.

He wasn’t simply a warrior who had defeated powerful enemies.

He was someone who had once stood beside Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and danced with them.

For the children, the story sounded almost impossible.

Madri looked toward the sanctum and folded her hands.

"Come. Let us offer our prayers."

The children followed her, still looking around the ancient temple with renewed interest.

And as the bells of the temple rang through the halls, the Kauravas couldn’t help wondering just how many other stories about their uncle Devara were still waiting to be discovered.

*******************************

(Author note:)

I hope you guys give me your opinion and idea’s.

-->

Don’t forget to review guys...

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!