There was a flash of a huge stream of water coming inside a pot hole in the bank of the Ganges. A young Naga, Loban – who was sleeping inside it – awoke in such sudden current of flashing water. ‘Why is the water so fast? Is it the good olden banyan tree with tentacles that fell into the river?’. It had been a few months since Loban was born. He had great pleasure in hunting for tadpoles. Only then did he enter into the worldly life of searching for food and sleeping after food!

He came out of the pool and turned his head to look at both sides. ‘That’s it. This is not wood. Something like a big serpent.’ He bent his body left and right to swim towards it. Not one. Is there a great pair of Naga-s? Not at all. They are human hands. He is human; he may be a monster’.

The monster-like human, who fell into the water, was drowning very fast. Through the opening of his mouth, which was slightly open, air bubbles split his lips and drained his life out bit by bit.

“O Loban! Vrikodara is his name. You don’t have time, my dear little Naga! Inform Aryaka immediately. It is not the right age to take his last breath. He should live.” the Ganges ordered Loban. “At your behest, my holy mother!” Loban bowed his head. He swiftly swam into the darkness of the depths of the Ganges.

***

Vrikodara was lying like a crushed fruit. He slowly opened his eyes. His chest and stomach were burning. Thanks to the poisoned sweets, the taste of the desired dessert was still left in his throat. He started to cough continuously and tried to clear his throat. Finally, he was able to sit upright with tears in his eyes.

“Do not be afraid anymore. You are fine. ” Bhima looked at him. “I am the commander of the Naga-s. My name is Aryaka” he told Bhima. His unblinking and gem like eyes surprised Bhima. It was a vast underworld space filled with the roar of waves. The sand bed sediment of alluvium and clay had accumulated under his feet. “O! the one—with strong hands like a root of the thick wood—you have come to Naga’s kingdom. You have been poisoned. Your hands and feet bound by creepers and vines, you were pushed into the Ganges. Mother Ganga – who graces us – is kind enough to bring you here. ” Aryaka’s voice mixed with the ground water and sounded like a voice from the sky. “Yes.. that’s I.. me.. Mother Ganga told me only..” Loban groaned in a bored and low hissing voice. “Nothing to be concerned about. No poison can transcend us, except for the vengeance that is ingrained in the soul of man! ” Aryaka smiled.

“O the naga with the graceful eyes! My life belongs to my brother, Yudhishthira. My life was about to be sacrificed in the fire of jealousy. You guarded me. Please accept my thanks. ” Bhimasena clasped his hands and bowed his head. “The hostile enmity that is accumulated in someone’s mind is powerful. It made my cousin feed me poison without consideration. It made him tie my limbs and push me into the river. O naga!—the one who carries rare medicines—though you are a stranger, you not only saved me but also helped me regain the responsibility of protecting Pandava-s from the fore-coming violation of morality. We, the Pandava-s, will be grateful. “

“Kaundeya Bhima! Whom do you call a stranger? ” In an echoing voice, the great serpent – the one with shiny scales on a plump charcoal body, with burning red eyes and sword-like poisonous fangs that gleamed in the light, as well as its brick red tongue dripping out – which flowed into the room to join their conversation.

“Hail the Naga emperor!” Aryaka turned his head and bowed. Aryaka told Bhima, “Vasuki is the king of serpents. You are his guest” . “I – the son of emperor Pandu, the second of the Pandava-s – Bhimasena, I adore and worship the great leader of the Naga-s” Bhima greeted Vasuki. Bhima told the emperor, “I have become forever bound to your mercy, my lord.”

“Kaunteya, I knew that you were pushed into the water. I realized who you are. Your mother is a descendant of Emperor Yadu. Yadu’s wife, Thumravarna, is a Nagini from our clan. Oh the one with the hot blood that swells in your veins! your blood contains Naga’s blood too, my dear son. I am your great grandfather. My clan continued to grow and branch so much to yield you. I am happy. My mind is full of love and affection for you. Come and touch my feet. May I have the pleasure of blessing you, my child! ” Bhima respected Vasuki’s kind words. Bhima is the one with an ever loving childish mind, though he is a nightmare for his cousins. “Bless me, my great father. I was glad to see you. ” the child Bhima bowed at Vasuki’s feet. “God bless you. Let victory and fame be with you always. ” Vasuki blessed him by touching his head and stretched his hand to Loban.

Vasuki received a vase from Loban and gave it to Bhima. “Your visit immerses the city of Bogawati in cheer. You need to stay here as our guest for some time as well, my son. The period ahead is not easy. The seed of the catastrophe has sprouted. Dharma should be guaranteed to win. Let your shoulder have the strength to allow the right Dharma to triumph. I am sure that my clan will thrive. I want to offer you a gift. Here is Nagamirtha (nectar) in this vessel. It is a sweet-smelling drink, but bitter in taste. After you consume it, no poison will harm you in your lifetime. You will get the strength of thousands of elephant, in addition. O the one with the wide chest! This is essential for the path you are going to take. “, said Vasuki.

Bhima is the one who was bitten away by the serpents; he is the one who was fed poisoned sweets. Who else can better realize the importance of nectar than him? Without thinking of anything, Bhima bought it and drank it in one gulp. The Nagamirtha, which went into his food pipe like a stinging liquid, turned violent and made his blood inside his veins turbulent. The chest and stomach burning, caused by the poisoned food, disappeared.

“Thank you for the grace of my forefather, who rescued me from the pain of poison. Your role will be in my success forever. My mother and my brothers will regret not seeing me. I need your permission and blessing to return. ” Bhima requested Vasuki.

Vasuki thought for a moment. After meditating for a while, he said, “All watery elements are different forms of mother Ganga. Vrikodara! She can take the form of milk, aushadhi (tincture), or poison. If it feeds, it is milk. When it saves, it is an aushadhi. When it destroys, however, it is poison. Oh, son of a broad minded mother! May you always be the milk that protects virtue and dharma. Good bye ” He touched Bhima’s head once again and blessed him. Loban stared at Bhima with his unblinking eyes

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe: 
I told it not, my wrath did grow. 

-A Poison Tree, William Blake

This is an inspiration from epic Mahabharata. This blog post is a part of Blogchatter’s WRITE A PAGE A DAY campaign.