Stories Made Simple

  Kamsavati begged her husband. “Don't kill our child. He has done nothing wrong.” Devashravas shouted back at his wife, hiding his guilt and grief behind an aggressive facade. “The soothsayers have proclaimed he will be a blot and danger to our society. As a responsible Yadava royal and the younger brother of the illustrious Vasudeva, I am duty-bound to keep my society safe.” Kamsavati couldn't hide her grief the way her husband did. “It was our desire that brought forth this child. If anyone has to be blamed, it is you and me.” “Stop this nonsense! What has to be done has to be done!” So saying, he snatched his newborn baby from his wailing wife and ordered the servants to restrain her to prevent her from following him. He came to the gate and saw the man waiting there. He glanced at his son, and the warmth of fatherly love seemed to melt his cold heart, just for an instant. He quickly gave the tightly wrapped baby to the man at the gate, “Get rid of it!” The executioner took...

“Don't go now, my dear husband,” pleaded Queen Kayadhu. “You know I’m pregnant and I need you by my side.” “I’m sorry, Kayadhu,” replied Hiranyakashipu. “I have a duty towards my brother. I have to go into the forest for intense tapas to please Lord Shiva. I need the boon of immortality to avenge my brother’s murder. I cannot rest in peace until I annihilate all the devas including their leader, Vishnu, my brother’s killer.” His eyes blazed fire with hate and anger. When he saw his wife’s scared and forlorn face, he calmed down. “Don't worry, my dear queen. My powerful Asura guards will keep you and our child safe. No harm will come to you. I will return more powerful than before.” Kayadhu watched helplessly as her husband left her alone. She was scared for herself and her child. The enmity between the devas and asuras was so strong that each was always looking for weak spots in the other to attack and conquer. But, she was helpless.  Just as she feared, the devas attacked Hira...

Puru stared unseeing into the horizon as the setting sun swathed the entire landscape in its resplendent radiance. The young prince was immune to the beauty of nature because his mind was on a pressing, nagging problem. He knew his father, King Yayati, would call him soon, and he needed to be ready with his answer. Yadu and Turvasu, born to his father’s first wife, Devyani, were already summoned. He himself was the youngest son of his father’s second wife, Sarmistha, and was born after Druhyu and Anu. That his two mothers’ histories were deeply intertwined was one of the primary reasons he was deliberating on his answer to his father’s impending question.  Devyani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras. Sarmishtha was the daughter of the Asura king, Vrishaparva. Guru Shukracharya was indispensable to the Asuras considering he was a master of the mritasanjeevani mantra that could revive the dead. Devyani and Sarmistha had been close friends once. However, the frie...

Dense, almost impenetrable darkness pervaded the atmosphere. The only light was a couple of slivers of moonlight that streaked through the gaps in the thick foliage.  A little boy walked alone, his face filled with fear and dread. He seemed to ache for the warmth of his mother’s love. And yet, he trod on relentlessly towards his destination. He heard the hoot of an owl in the distance, the uninterrupted chirpings of crickets and other insects, the rustling of leaves as crawly creatures slithered in the grass, and occasional angry chatterings of monkeys, as if they were rudely disturbed from their sleep. Suddenly, a pair of bright white round lights appeared at a distance. The lights moved towards him, slowly but surely. He stopped walking and stood motionless in fear. The two circular lights became brighter as it came closer to the boy, and soon, he was able to make out the silhouette of a huge, hungry tiger. The animal stood about 10 feet away from the boy. He could hear the low-p...