The Gall of Gammon

Disclaimer: This story is my humble attempt to write a fanfiction of the epic Mahabharata. My intention is not to hurt anyone's sentiment.

Aum Namah Shivay!!

Major Jayant Roy, SM is a fictitious character. Any similarity with any living person is merely a coincidence.

Chapter 44

Mahendra Hills, Dwapar Yuga

Jayant/ Duryodhana POV

I started climbing the hill, leaving my friend behind me. While climbing, I turned my head to look at him. He was sitting on the ground, and meditating. I smiled a bit and then climbed the remaining distance. When I reached the top of the hill, the first thing I noticed was a small Mahadev Temple. I went there and bowed my head to the Adiyogi. Then, I head a metallic sound. I turned my head towards the source of the sound.

An old man was sitting under a tree. I couldn't properly look at his face, because the long white hair covered a part of his face. But the large battle axe in his hand gave away his identity.

The immortal Brahman, the disciple of Mahadev, the Avatar of Narayana, the one who killed all the Kshatriyas in the world twenty one times, the one and only Bhargava Parashurama was in front of me. He was sharpening his axe with a stone.

The sight of the Great Axe made me truly a bit afraid. But still, this was my human emotion to be afraid. But the truly brave person was not who ever felt any kind of fear, but who can suppress his fear and perform his duty. I slowly walked towards the great sage and crossed my hands.

"Pranipat, Gurudev." I bowed my head to him.

Sage Parashurama looked at me. His eyes under two white eyebrows were like a powerful scanner that scanned me from top to bottom.

"Why are you calling me Gurudev? You are not my student. I have a name, call me by It.", He said in a gruff voice. His grip tightened on the axe.

"I can't, Gurudev, because I have multiple reasons. You are the Guru of Dronacharya and I am his student. You are the Guru of Pitamah Bhishma, and I am his grandson. You are the Guru of Radheya Karna, and I am his friend. I can't insult you and insult them by calling you by your name. You are also an elder and a great sage. I am just a normal, common human being. I have no right to call you by your name."

Sage Parashurama stood up. Now I looked at him properly. He was taller than me, probably six feet and ten inches in height. His hair and eyebrows were white, but his body was well muscled. His skin was wrinkled due to his old age, but still those hands and broad shoulders would make young people jealous with him.

"Do you know why you are here?" He asked me.

"Yes, Gurudev. Radheya told me that you want a duel with me as his Guru-Dakshina. But can I ask you the cause of this demand?"

Jamdagneya's hard eyes met mine.

"I am not bound to tell you anything. Now do not waste my time. If you are ready to fight, then get a weapon from there. If you do not want to fight then accept that you are a coward and leave this place." He pointed his right hand to a wooden weapon cabinet. I looked at the cabinet, and saw a variety of weapons there. There were swords, maces, spears, knives, bows and arrows and some unfamiliar weapons too.

"Don't be shy. You can use anything from there." Bhargava said in a mocking voice. I heaved a sigh, and made up my mind. Mahadev himself taught sage Parashurama the art of weapons. He was also the pioneer of unarmed combat and martial art. If I engaged with him with a weapon in my hand, then he could finish me in the blink of an eye. If I challenged him in unarmed combat, then there was a probability of me lasting a few minutes. My skin was diamond hard, but my opponent was the incarnation of Narayana with an axe given by Mahadev himself.

I looked at Bhargava.

"Gurudev, if you permit me, then I want to fight unarmed, by using only my hands and legs."

Parashurama looked at me for a moment then touched the axe on his forehead. Then he whispered something and the axe vanished.

I crossed my hands again.

"Gurudev, please give me the permission and order to fight with you. Bless me that I could fight with all my energy, confidence and bravery."

Parashurama looked at me. I saw a thin smile in his face.

"You remind me of Gangaputra. When we fought our duel, he also asked for blessings and permission before fighting me. This is the proper way when you are going to fight with your teacher, though you are not my student, but you still pleased me by your conduct. Now, fight with all your might, such that your teachers in both the Yugas will not feel ashamed. On your guard!!"

"Wait! Both the Yugas..." but before I could complete my sentence, the iron hammer like fist of Bhargava Parashurama contacted with my chin. The fist was so powerful, that I felt my whole body was flying in the air. The event happened so fast, that my brain couldn't acknowledge it properly. It was like one moment he was standing in front of me, the next moment; I was flying on the air.

I jumped from the ground and stood up. My adrenaline was rushing through my veins. Bhargava charged at me, and landed a punch. I quickly ducked my head, and tried to land an uppercut. He turned his head and my fist missed him by an inch. He landed a perfect roundhouse kick in my torso, and I found myself again on the ground.

"Yes, I know that you are from Kali Yuga. I know that you have immense blessings of Mahadev. I also know that you have a very dark force inside you, though you are trying your best to suppress it."

He again charged at me, but this time I was ready. I took a southpaw stance, and a left hook directly landed into his face. Bhargava stumbled for a moment. I saw a drop of blood coming out from his lips.

"Gurudev! Are you okay?" I shouted at him. Sage Parashurama looked at me and laughed.

"I've seen so much blood that you couldn't even imagine. You are startled by looking at only one drop?"

Bhargava charged at me again. He was so fast, that my mind couldn't process anything. In a second, he lifted me with his two muscular hands, and then threw me in the air. I landed on a large stone with a loud sound. The stone crushed under the impact of my body.

"I know you can fight way better than it, Jayant. Fight with all your valour." Jamdagneya shouted to me. I stood up, and stretched my body. His words were roaring inside my head. I closed my eyes, and focused my mind. You need a calm and focused mind when you were in a fight.

"Aum Namah Shivay!" I prayed to the Pinakpani in my mind then opened my eyes. I had managed to control my mind. Bhargava was standing in front of me, with a hard look in his eyes.

He charged at me again. I didn't move an inch from my position. He attacked me with a volley of punches and kicks. I managed to block each and every single one of them. Then I started attacking him. But he was faster than me, and he blocked all my attacks. But I was getting tired now, and my speed started reducing.

Then another of his kicks landed in my face, and I found myself on the ground again. My body was hard like diamond but that barefooted kick managed to startle my body and soul. I was too tired now. My body was wet with sweat. I somehow managed to sit on the ground. Sage Parashurama gave me a pot full of water.

"Here, drink this."

"Thank you Gurudev." I emptied the pot in one gulp. My throat was dry like a desert. Sage Parashurama sat in front of me. His face was soft now.

"You are a skilled fighter, putra. You are the first human being who fought with me for so long. I fought an archery duel with Bhishma, and I accepted my defeat."

"Pitamah was going to use the Parshapa Astra, when Devtas came and stopped the duel." I said in a low voice. Bhargava nodded affirmatively.

"Yes, Devvrat is the incarnation of the 'Vasu', but you know that. They told him about that weapon." Parashurama smiled. Now that was something I called an experience for life, which was a smiling Jamdagneya.

"Gurudev, if the boon of Mahadev hasn't with me, then I couldn't stand a chance in front of you." I said to him.

"Still, that doesn't hide the fact that you are a skilled fighter. You are also a good man at heart, but putra, you have a misguided anger against an innocent."

My mind flared up. I knew exactly whom he was referring.

"In my eyes, he is not innocent, Gurudev. But I am a man from Kali Yuga who can keep his anger inside him."

Parashurama looked at me then nodded negatively.

"I disagree with you, still, I trust you to maintain your conduct. But, you have a lot of similarity with me when I was younger. After the murder of my father, my mind was also full of anger and the thought of revenge. I started killing Kshatriyas, and I ended their tyranny. But my axe and anger didn't stop there. I was becoming ruthless, and I killed a lot of innocents too just because they were Kshatriyas and a Kshatriya king killed my father. Then Devtas made me realise my fault, and I vowed that I would never kill another Kshatriya. You knew about it too, so you accepted my challenge so easily, right?"

I nodded again.

"Yes, Gurudev, you are speaking the truth. But the main cause was to fulfil Karna's Guru-Dakshina."

Parashurama nodded.

"But still, I hadn't found a way to control my anger until I met Sri Rama. After meeting him, I had found a way to finally control my anger. I had controlled it until..." Parashurama stopped while speaking.

Hey Mahadev! A cold shudder ran through my spine!

"Putra, you tried to turn around the wheel of fate, but the fate modified itself. Everything written in a man's fate is bound to happen, by one way or another."

I hung my head.

"You cursed him, again?"

"He came to me disguised as a Brahmin, but he remembered your words and confessed the truth. My anger fuelled up like the same when I saw my father's dead body, and it was like some other force was controlling my tongue."

Fate! Cruel, heartless fate!

I looked at the sage, who was also sitting with a sad expression. His expression was sincere. He really was sad. We both sat silent for sometimes. A few moments later, I found my voice.

"I am a human being, Gurudev and the only thing I am able to do is trying. I will try until my last breath to make things right for him. You can say it's my attachment, so be it."

Parashurama stood up, "Only he knows his will. But you pleased me a lot, Jayant. Our lines of thought are different, but still you win my heart. Come with me, I want to show you something."

I followed him towards the weapon cabinet. He took a broken sword from there. The blade was broken into a half. The sword was heavily rusted. I was curiously looking at it.

Parashurama gave me the sword. When I touched it, I felt like an electric current passed through my body. Then in front of my astonished eyes, the sword started glowing. Then just like magic, it changed into a shiny curved one, similar to a Kilij.

"Wow!" I was shocked. I looked at Bhargava, who was looking at me with an astonished face.

I looked at the blade and saw something carved on it. It read,

"Raj Rajeshwar Chakravarty Samrat Arjuna, Haihaya Kingdom, Mahishmati."

I looked at Bhargava.

"Gurudev, is this the sword of Kartavirya Sahasravahu Arjuna?"

"Yes, Bhagwan Dattatreya himself gave it to him. It can cut through any normal weapon and some celestial weapons too. But never use it against any innocent, else it would break again. This sword helped him in his duel with Ravana. He deafeated and imprisoned the ruler of Lanka. Kartavirya was a great king in his youth, but the arrogance of power made him a tyrant. He killed my father, Sage Jamdagni with this sword and it broke." the great sage's eyes became moist. I was silent too. Then I gave it back, but Bhargava stopped me.

"It's yours now. Keep it and use it wisely."

I gladly touched the sword with my forehead. Then I looked at him.

"Gurudev, can I make a request?"

Parashurama looked at me,

"You want to learn the knowledge of celestial weapons from me. But, let me ask you something. I know that you are a good mace fighter and a swordsman too. You have some skills with bow and arrow and unarmed combat. But you have a powerful dark force inside you. There is a huge possibility that this dark force compels you to misuse these weapons. You know the destructive force of these weapons, right."

I heaved a sigh then looked at him.

"Gurudev, do you know how Radheya was born?"

"Yes, this time I know everything. The knowledge came just after I cursed him."

"He is the greatest example of misuse of a mantra. He will be a constant reminder to me not to misuse my celestial weapons."

Parashurama looked at me curiously.

"You really love him, right?"

"Gurudev, in the whole Mahabharata, two people have the most tragic life. They are Pitamah and Radheya. Both of them live and die for others. I want to give them happiness in their lives. I know that for a normal human, it is a hard task, but I will try until my last breath."

Parashurama looked at me then he started laughing. I was looking at him curiously.

"You are the first one who amuses me so much. I have seen lots and lots of arrogant people. But you are the first one who takes pride as a normal, common man. I laughed this much after probably five centuries."

This time, I joined with his laughter. The birds started chirping when they heard the loud laughter. A few moments later, we both stopped.

"Ok Jayant, I can't give you any Brahma's weapons, but I will teach you the Nagastra, the Sahasravanastra and..." He paused for a moment, "The Rudrastra."

He lifted his right hand, and suddenly a glow of light engulfed me. Then with great astonishment, I found that mantras were generating in my brain. The mantras of Sahasravanastra and Nagastra were loaded in my brain now.

"The Rudrastra is the highly destructive weapon of Mahadev. It has the power of eleven Rudras inside it."

This time, a deep blue light came out from his palm, and engulfed me again. With the light, I felt power. It was raw, uncanny power that I never felt before. Each and every cell inside my body was jumping with that power.

I bowed down to the feet of my immortal Gurudev and chanted

"Agrataha chaturon Veda,

Pristhataha sasharam dhanu,

Idam brahmam, idam kshatram

Shapadapi sharadapi"

Tears were flowing out from my eyes. I touched my forehead to his feet.

"I am giving you the permission to use the Sahasravanastra and the Nagastra at any time. I hope that the time to use the Rudrastra have never come in your life. Now go home, your friend is waiting for you downside."

"Gurudev, what can I offer you as Guru-Dakshina?"

Bhargava looked at me again.

"You already paid me that. You are the reason that I laughed so hard after so many years. That joy is my dakshina. Remember, that anger and hate can only destroy. Love, respect and smile can construct. Sri Rama taught me that."

I touched his feet again.

"Gurudev, can I ask one last question?"

"You people of Kali Yuga has endless questions. What is it now?"

"Why you asked a fight with me from Radheya?"

Parashurama looked at me.

"I needed someone to practice with. I have last practiced unarmed combat with Sage Agyastya, which was a thousand years ago. Then he went to meditate for infinite times. Now I can't go to Mahadev and ask for a practice match, right?"

This time, it was me who started laughing. I didn't really know that meeting with the immortal axe-wielder would be such an interesting experience.

Bhargava lifted his right hand,

"May Mahadev always guide you to the right path."

Then he turned his back and entered in a cave, which magically opened and closed. I went to the Shiva temple and paid my respects. Then I slowly came down. The sun was just setting at that time.

So this is chapter 44. Tell me, do you like the interaction between Parashurama and Jayant?

Please read, vote and comment.