Shiva: The Asura Warrior
It is a story of ancient India, during that time there was a dense forest in the lower part of the Himalayan foothills, extending to the present central part and crossing the Northern Province. At the bottom of this forest was the Republic of the Asuras, a highly civilized urban people who had developed from primitive tribe groups. Some of them still preferred to live in the forests with very few material conveniences. They received full respect from the common people and the rulers of urban areas during their visits to cities. The urban Asuras revered the forest Asuras as their ancestors and their life history. At the same time, some urban Asuras also used to visit the forest periodically to meditate or to wander. The Asuras living in the jungle looked forward to their service and help. Even while living in opposite surroundings, the Asura of the forest and the urban Asura endowed with the means of the city had a hearty connection. Moreover, there were many Asuras in the forest who used to come to settle in the city, while there were no fewer urban Asuras who had left their comforts and amenities and made the quiet environment of the forest their home.
The cities of Asuras, unlike today's metropolises, were well organized and free from noise, pollution, and overpopulation. The wide roads intersected each other at right angles and were lined with beautiful green trees and grass, creating a scenic and fresh atmosphere. The chirping of birds added to the enchanting environment. Cleanliness and maintenance were of utmost importance. The water from each house was drained by a covered channel that met the main canal and was also completely covered with stone and plaster. There were lids at intervals for cleaning if the drain got clogged. Gardens and small ponds added to the beauty and facilitated birds and animals. The markets were very organized and people were polite in their behaviour. While some people had more property and bigger houses, there was no class distinction among the people. Those with bigger responsibilities got larger houses and a few more facilities, and positions were changed according to merit and necessity. Even kings were elected only for ten years. The society was egalitarian and had no space for poverty, inequality, or exploitation. This is the characteristic of Asura culture.
On one fine morning, Shiva, the son of the Asura commander, was sitting on the bank of the pond with his back resting on the stem of a Banyan tree. The sadness was visible on his face. He was an accomplished young man. In line with the Communist culture of the Asuras, he got the opportunity to study in the public school Ghotul like the rest of his children from childhood. He was so promising that he soon acquired literary knowledge, mathematics, and mastery in science.
In those days, martial arts were an essential part of education. Shiva mastered stick-wielding, spear fake, and war techniques. At that time there was some rumour that the Deva clan of the far West was going to attack the Asuras. But most of the Asuras were not at all serious about this information, considering it to be corny rhetoric.
Shiva was also neglectful of this information for a long time. But today his anxiety was haunting. By the way, the reason for ignoring the threat by the rest of the Asura youth was also justified. They had a huge army of capable young men and women, possessing modern weapons. Apart from this, their greatest weapon was the spirit of community feeling and fraternity. They could not go against the interests of their group by being seduced or tempted.
However, recently, some of them worried when they received a piece of news that one Asura King Bhaisasura from far off country was fraudulently killed by Devas. He was charmed and seduced by a beautiful goddess, who spent nine romantic nights with him and killed him on the tenth night after intoxicating him. At the same moment, the Devas attacked and plundered the Asuran republic and made them untouchable slaves. Now there is no more communism, and fraternity in that nation. The society was divided into four classes- Brahmins, Vaishyas, Shudras and untouchables-slaves. At that time there was not a separate Kshatriya Varna that emerged, the role of kingship was directly in the hands of the Brahmins.
Since this information was received by Shiva, he became worried. He wanted to wake up his colleagues, but most of his friends were trying to avoid it as something happening in a distant country or just a rumour. One of them said, ‘Look, Shiva! Our country is safe, we have a large army, and every young man and young woman also specializes in the art of war. If someone dares to look at our country, we will give him a befitting reply. We are invincible, we ruled over this vast land for centuries and it will last for many centuries. We should not be afraid of anyone without reason. We must be optimistic, and live happily. To get into worry without reason is nothing but stupidity.’
'But didn't you hear about the murder of the great Asura King Bhaisasura? How communism has been doomed. The Devas have sorted out and made the Asuras untouchable. Our women were forcibly pushed into prostitution. Should we not be vigilant if such a great empire can be a disaster?’ said Shiva.
In those days there were extremely limited means of communication. So it used to take years for the surrounding incident to reach people. Until a few years ago, young people used to spend a part of their lives as nomads. They walked freely for miles alone or sometimes with a group of traders. They spend time in the surrounding countries, forests and with other tribes. There were many advantages of this nomadic culture. These make them not only physically strong but it also provides an opportunity to seek new information and learn skills. The policymakers of the country were also aware of the activities taking place in nearby and far-flung countries, their challenges and scientific advances and art. This information played a huge role in the development of the country.
But for a few days, the youth had also abandoned their habit of walking freely. The reason for this is the safety concern of Asuras. There have been many incidents in the recent past where the Devas attacked Asuras, it increased particularly in the last ten years. It was only a few years ago that two Deva brothers who camped in the forest sexually assaulted an Asura lady, and also cut her nose, ears and breast apart with a knife. Anyway, the encroachment of the Devas in the forests was increasing. Their culture was anti-people and nature was destructive. For all this reason, the Asura youth had left the erstwhile partial nomadic life. But sadly, even though they had been abandoned for the last 10-15 years by fear of Devas, today's generation was completely unaware of this reason. Just because the senior youth had stopped, so they did. They were not aware of the reason behind this.
Shiva said: ‘On the one hand, you do not cross the border of your city for safety concerns but on the other hand; you are rejecting the information of the invasion of Deva as baseless! What a double thinking it is. '
‘See Shiva! This is not our double thinking, we are happy in our country. So we do not like to travel. We have not changed our habits of fear of anyone, but we are masters of our own free will. We are listening to our thoughts and we are having fun in our own country. We are not afraid of any Deva. They are cowardly and weak. We are fearless,' the youngsters replied confidently.
Shiva wanted to explain to them that overconfidence is not right. He was surprised that on the one hand, the Asura people have left their nomads for fear of Devas, yet how are they certain, considering these Devas not a threat?
‘I am happy with your confidence but don't you know Devas have encroached on our jungle outside our country! How violent is their fire sacrifice? They are constantly cutting down the forest...
Cutting the talk of Shiva in the middle, a young Asura woman said 'Behold Shiva, now the population of Devas is growing. They will spread that way. The forest is big and dense. If they even start living in some parts, we need not be worried about it! We are happy in our country. We have no trouble.’
Hearing these nonsensical arguments of his friends and colleagues, Shiva lost his temper. He felt that these ignorant people should be scolded fiercely and told the truth. But he overcame his anger and walked away quietly. Meanwhile, young men and women started preparing for the upcoming festival.
Shiva went near the bank of a river and sat down under a Banyan tree. The tension caused him backache, so he resorted to the stem of the tree. He was shrouded in anxiety. He realized that now Asura wanted to avoid challenges. They are living a relaxed and hassle-free life. If this is the case, what will happen to our culture? On the one hand, our youth are becoming inactive, while on the other, Deva are constantly expanding their territories. If they continue to occupy forests, then the entire Jambudwipa will come into their possession. If the descendants of Bhaisasura can be forced to become untouchable slaves, can’t they conquer our country? It was Shiva's concern. This made him stressed and his anxiety was increasing.
Suddenly he saw Kanakamuni coming towards him. He got up from his place to bow to him. Kanakamuni was a highly discerning spiritual guru. He was highly respected by the Asuras. As soon as he saw Shiva under stress, he understood the cause of his suffering.
So he said, ' Shiva! Your concern is justified. But being unhappy is not a solution. Anxiety and stress cannot be the solution to a problem; they only harm us. Don't expect anything from others. You have to try it yourself. I know you're worried about Deva politics. You're exactly right. If they continue to grow like this, then the Asura civilization from Jambudvipa will be destroyed and the hierarchy and graded inequality will be permanently established in the society. But look, Devas must go through this vast jungle before reaching our country. They have occupied the north-western part but the remaining part is still free from them. Therefore, you better leave urban life and spend the rest of your life in the forest to protect it. While you are there, the Devas will not dare to harm the forest. If the forest is saved, the Asura country will be saved. The forest is our parents. You will be able to save the forest from the greed and wrath of the gods.’
Shiva immediately becomes convinced by Kanakamuni's suggestion. He took leave of them and walked straight to his house. He wanted to convey this decision to his father and mother. When he got closer to home, he saw that his parents were waiting for him. They put their hands on his shoulders and took him inside the house without saying anything. Shiva was surprised that today for the first time he is being taken inside like this.
Before Shiva spoke something, his mother said, ‘Son, we got to know that you decided to renounce urban life and wanted to settle in the forest for the rest of your life.’
Shiva was surprised how his mother knew this. Looking at Shiva, his mother said, ‘Son, don't be surprised, your friend Nandi told us everything about how you are upset by the carelessness of the Asura youth. A monk of Kanakamuni also met your father. He told him about your decision.’
Shiva: Am I right?
Father: Of course. You don't worry about the city, I'm good at it. No Deva dare to attack our country until I am guarding. Even after me, there is no shortage of able Asuras. Even though today's generation is not serious about Deva's threat, at the time of need they will show their patriotism. It is another thing that they at present begun to give more preference to material comforts, yet in them the commitment to communist ideology is strong. It is ok that they cannot take a strong step of leaving urban life altogether. Still, they will not withdraw from their responsibility of protecting and serving our republic.
Shiva's parents were loyal followers of the Asura culture, so they were much happier with their son's decision. Moreover, in the city of Asuras, those who used to leave the comfort facilities and made the forest their permanent camp were treated with the utmost respect. Anyway, today it is much more needed.
The mother said, ‘Shiva you can rest now. People will also start coming home. Your decision of renunciation spread across the city. Tomorrow we will hold a community lunch. You can go after that. We are very pleased with your decision. Don't worry about us at all. Keep your attention focused on the goal.’
The next morning, a lot of people from Shiva's home town started coming. Everyone was happy. Even his friends who were taking Shiva's words lightly yesterday looked serious today. The reason for this was that Kanakamuni had a sermon in the city hall yesterday evening. He exposed the reality of Deva culture to the people and told them that even the slightest lapse could ruin communism. In the Deva culture, exploitation and slavery are inherent, once established, it is not possible to revert. In the western part of Jambudweep, under the rule of the Devas, the descendants of Asuras, have been made untouchable to the extent that a broom is permanently tied to their waist to sweep the marks of their feet and an earthen pot is hung around their necks. Asura can no longer walk in the city in the light of day. Their shadow is even considered polluting. Only at a certain time do they get to walk on the road. At the time they are about to leave, the drummers beat drums to warn others about the entry of Asura's untouchables into the city. Young Asura women are worse off; they have been pushed into prostitution by the gods. Many Asuris are imprisoned in the palace of each God as prostitutes. The children born out of the proximity of Deva and Asura women were called Devputras or Harijans. They worked as servants of palaces. In Deva's culture, society is permanently divided. Exploitation and injustice are the hallmarks of Deva culture. People have no rights there; they just have to obey the service. ’
Kanakamuni had high respect among Asuras, so his serious things were also understood very quickly. The youth began to rage against the gods. Women became even more concerned. When Kanakamuni told them about Shiva's renunciation, the respect for Shiva increased in the minds of all the people. Yesterday, those who were taking him lightly, after knowing the reality, developed a deep respect for him. When they saw Shiva, they joined hands and bowed.
There were tears in Shiva's eyes, seeing not the sadness of leaving the city but the concern of the country among the citizens.
He said ‘Fellow citizens! I am very happy that you are all awake. I pledge before you that I will protect the forest until my last breath.’
Those present said in unison 'We take a vow to protect the city till the last breath’.
Shiva walked towards the forest. There was a whole community behind him. On crossing the border of the city, Shiva asked everyone to go back. He walked alone. For him, the forest was not new.
During his childhood, he had spent several weeks in the forest. He also had a connection with the Asura who lived here. Many animals and birds of the forest were also his friends. But today it was not a simple visit, this is a moment of his renunciation. Now he will not come back from here but came with the resolve to settle in the forest and protect it.
As soon as he reaches the forest, the Asuras living here respectfully call him to them and the conversation begins. They shared ‘A Bhikkhu of Kanakamuni came yesterday, he told us that you are coming to the forest to protect the forest. We were delighted. The encroachment of the Gods has been increasing for a few years. They are increasing the yajna (fire-sacrifice). At first, only a few trees were cut, but nowadays their priests carry the army together. As soon as they step into the forest, innumerable trees are sacrificed. The forest trembles with the sound of animals and birds screaming and moaning! If they catch any Asura, then they throw him directly into the fire of the sacrifice! These Devas mass rape our women and collectively throw them in fire altars. Some Devas even sexually abuse our youths and kids. No one in the jungle is safe anymore.’
‘But the asuras who live in the forest are stronger and more courageous than the asuras of the city.’ asked Shiva.
‘The gods have multiplied their strength and numbers. Their army has new and modern weapons. They also have a new animal that we have not yet seen in our forest, they call it a horse. Riding on its back they can go anywhere at great speed, and sitting on it they also wield weapons such as swords, and spears. Yet, most of the time in face-to-face battles, they do not win us, but they are taking over other spaces of the jungle.' Said Asuras.
Shiva was listening to them carefully. He then said ‘If that is the case, we have to change our ways now. I have been proficient in the techniques of martial arts for so many years from the city. I have also developed some new techniques, now is the time to use all of this. Enough happened now! Won't be anymore. We will get rid of the terror of the Devas. I will train you with new techniques of war. We will fight for our forests. For the freedom of the Asuras. For the protection of Mother Nature. For protecting communism. Speak out, ' Long live Communism! Deva Kingdom down-down !!!
The voice came in one voice ‘Long live Communism! Deva Kingdom down-down!....’
These voices spread far and wide. The Asuras of the Jungle became fully confident of Shiva that he would succeed in protecting the forest. They were happy that they got a young leader. Shiva noticed that wild animals were also standing in large numbers around. He was surprised to see them. Seeing his expression, an old woman said, Son! These animals are our own. This is our family. We have such a relationship with them that they understand everything that we say. All these animals, along with us, have recognized you as their leader. That's why they came here. These are all your friends from today.’
A young man said, Shiva! You see, these animals, some are herbivorous and some carnivorous tigers, and lions. They all follow the rules of the jungle. These predatory animals never kill our pets and domestic animals, nor cause any trouble to wild deer or other herbivores. Predatory animals hunt wild animals only at the time of their feeding. But here also they follow certain rules. They first think about which animal to hunt, and then chase the same animal. At this time, even if any other deer or animal comes near them, they do not kill him. These are the rules. All animals living in the forest respect the rules of the forest. None of us are above this rule. It is only Deva who does not obey any natural law. They are enemies of all.’
Suddenly Shiva saw that a serpent jumped in the air and clung to his throat. Seeing this scene, everyone shouted, ' You have also been accepted as their leader by animals. This snake is a sign of this.
Shiva was very happy, he said, ‘We will start preparations from tomorrow. But we will also have to order new weapons from the city soon. I will also train you in weapons. No hesitation. I know that your traditional weapons are quite good, but we have to learn to use modern iron weapons to combat Devas.’
From the next morning, all the Asura women and youth gathered for the practice. Shiva started teaching them his fighting techniques. Asuras are physically robust, so they didn't find it difficult to learn the hardest combat techniques. In a few days, they even got weapons from the city. Then soon all the Asuras became skilled in swordsmanship, spears and mace.
Days, months and two years passed. Now everyone was convinced that the forest could be protected. In between, when any Deva tried to enter the forest, they could not escape from the Asura youth. The Asuras began to break the fire altars and beat the Devas, who dared to enter into the jungle. Gradually, the Devas stopped stepping into the forest.
The north-western part of Jangal was ruled by a Deva King Daksha. He was pressured by his fellow Devas to teach a lesson to Shiva's Asura Army. But he was unable to do anything. He was advised by some people why not play any trick with Asuras.
But these days, Asura has become well aware of Deva's tricks. So the scope of their entrapment was also gone. King Daksha had a dreaded and violent tendency like other Devas. He had three daughters. The youngest of them was named Gori. Perhaps this name was due to fair skin. Normally, all the Devas used to be blondes, but the colour of the Gori was even fairer and attractive. All the Devas were fascinated by her beauty. However, the nature of Gori was completely different from Deva culture. She was irritated by the tactics of the Devas and hated their violent yajnas. She loved the forest, the trees and the animals. Her mind always used to wander and stop in the beautiful forest.
Her mother explained: 'Your love for the jungle is fine, but always keep in mind that it is a habitat for our enemies. They are very evil, their colour is black, and they hinder our sacrifices. How many Devas have been killed because of them and we can no longer enter into forest? Asuras are evil, they have no mercy. ’
'But Mother we Devas destroyed their homes, killed wild animals and even our Devas would not stop exploiting their young women and kids. But none of the Asura ever attacked our homes? They are so innocent. We the Devas are wicked!.’
Suddenly Daksha came there. He lost his temper when he heard Gori’s argument. He said with anger, ' Asura are inferior, vile, animals, we cannot compare them with us. They are animals and we have every right to slaughter them. Our ancestor Brahma has said, "Drum, rustic, Asura-animal-women all these could be beaten’
Gori replied 'Dad, I'm a woman too. Am I also a victim?’
Daksha: ‘Yes, if you behave against God's culture. This is the saying of the era when women did not follow the Deva culture. But now that women have adopted the deva culture, this dictum does not apply to them. But if a woman still talks against Deva culture, her fate will be what we do to Asuras and animals.’
Looking at the tense situation, Gori's mother said, 'Leave this discussion now, you started getting into religious preaching. You were saying that tomorrow we have to go to the picnic.’
Daksha calmed down and said, ‘Yes, we will all go to the forest strip tomorrow. Now we can't go into the dense forests. So we will go to the nearby forest. We will not be able to hunt there, but you will have fun throughout the day. Food will also be cooked there. You'll love the picnic.’
Gori's anger calmed down, she was really happy to listen to tomorrow's forest visit. She loved nature very much.
These days, since the fear of the Asuras led the Devas to go to the forests and curb the yajnas and animal sacrifice, they started the picnic to fill its gap, in which they began to spend time in the nearby safe forest for the whole day.
In the morning, all the Devas and Devis came out for the forest picnic. Gori was also happy. Walking in the open, the sound of rivers flowing, fresh pure air, and the chirping of birds always captivated her. She wanted to walk freely. As she walked, she saw the river. All the gods and goddesses came to that side. All of them began to enjoy the water by jumping into the river. The Gori was enjoying swimming. She was a good swimmer so she came out far behind the rest of the people. All were cool, unperturbed. It was a safe space. The Gori saw a waterfall a little away. She wanted to reach there so she started moving her hands rapidly. Seeing her going there, all the Devas shouted, Gori stop, there is danger ahead. But Gori could not hear anything before the intense and melodious sound of the waterfall.
She reached the bottom of the waterfall without losing time. In the spring, the beauty of the Gori was even more enhanced. Deva also stopped shouting and started admiring her. She was enjoying the waterfall to the fullest. Free from all worries. Suddenly, Gori's leg slipped and she was swept away in the sharp edge of the river.
Every young Deva used to talk about giving life to Gori, but today when Gori's life was in danger, none of them dared to save her. Anyway, it was impossible to save someone by jumping onto such a sharp edge. A little further there was a deep valley in which the water of the spring fell. It was impossible to escape Gori, moreover, from here the territory of the Asuras began.
Devas assumed that now the Gori could not escape. They all returned to their town.
On the other side, Shiva was sitting on a cliff by the river as usual with his friends, admiring the river and forest. Suddenly he saw someone drowning in the Valley. Only one thought came to Shiva's mind that whosoever may be drowning must be saved. Without a second thought, he jumped straight into this deep river. When Shiva's friends saw him, they were frightened. Their breath stopped. They thought that they lost Shiva, but suddenly they saw him coming up into the river. He came out swimming. Shiva's friends immediately rushed there. They saw that Shiva had a damn beautiful Devi in his hands. She was so blonde that it was not difficult for Asura to identify her as a Devi. Shiva felt that she held him firmly. Friends helped him to lay the goddess on a rock. After a few attempts, Gori came to her senses.
All the Asuras said in one voice, ‘Devi saving you was our duty as humanity. Now you're safe, you can go back to your Deva Kingdom. You have nothing to fear, we always help women and the needy.’
Gori said, ' So I am in the Asura world! Looking at Shiva, she said Are you, Shiva? I have grown up listening to the evil of Asuras. But I'm not like the rest of the Devas. I hate Deva culture. I have loved the jungle since my childhood. Yes, I used to scare you with Asuras, but today I have met you and realized that you are not very helpful but kind and compassionate beings. Shiva whatever you think but I have given you heart at first glance. I don't want to go to Deva Kingdom anymore. Lots of Deva's keeping dirty eyes on me. In our kingdom, nobody cares for girls' wishes. They donate their daughters in marriage ceremonies to the bridegrooms. My father is the king; he will marry me to any debaucher king for his political self-interest. Save me, Shiva. I want to marry you.’
It's all right, Shiva said. But you are the daughter of Daksha Dev. We are humble Asuras. I'm a protector of the jungle. I can't dig out of my duty. Anyway, we know all about your dirty tricks. Whenever you see a good Asura leader, you ruin him by trapping him in the love of your beautiful ladies. Therefore just...’
Gori: ‘I'm not part of any strategy. You're right though. Deva has been doing such things and I am afraid that he will not use me to do such things. But trust me I don't belong to them.’
Shiva looked at his friends and found that they had melted down. It was the Asuran trait. They quickly became emotional.
Shiva also lived for so many years in the forest. Nothing was his personal. Today he too got emotional. Love also awakened in his heart. The truth was that he was convinced of the beauty of the Gori.
He said, ‘Well, but will you be able to leave the pleasure of palaces and stay in the forest.’
Gori: ‘You also used to be in the palaces of Shiva. I know it all. Your stories are heard in our Deva Kingdom. I can also sacrifice the castle. My mind is choking me to see their shoddy tactics among Devas. For them, wealth and pleasure are everything, '
‘If so then we have to inform Daksha. We will send him a message today.’' Said Shiva.
As soon as Daksha got the information, he said, ‘What could I say, it is her will. We can do nothing.’
The marriage of Shiva and Gori took place in the jungle amidst the presence of forest Asuras. However, everyone had doubts about this marriage. Yet they believed in Shiva's wisdom. Time passed. Asura's developed their faith in Gori. She won everyone's trust. Not only this, she also told Shiva and special members of his army all the secret paths and security of Deva Kingdom. Now the Asuras had so much information that they could attack the Devas and dust them on the day they wanted. But it was against Asura rule, they did not attack any country on their behalf. They just used to protect their nation.
Years have passed. One day suddenly a messenger came from Deva Kingdom, he had brought a message of Daksha for Gori. He said that Daksha's elder daughter is going to be married. So Gori’s presence is needed in some of the rituals.
Shiva said to Gori, ‘Listen, I don't like any of the rituals of the Devas and know that you don't either. But in this one year, you had no chance to visit your family and friends. You can go to the wedding ceremony, no harm in it.’
The Gori was a little confused. But Shiva's words got him right. Three days later she had to go. She was worried about Shiva, but Shiva said, now it is only a matter of just a few days.’
In these three days, Gori spent a moment each with Shiva. But she didn't know how these three days had passed. Today was the time for Gori to leave. Shiva's soldiers accompanied Gori to the border of the forest. Later, she walked alone, there were soldiers of the Deva Kingdom. She walked straight towards the palace. In the great courtyard of the palace, she saw large pandals. There are many big fire altars. The place was filled with the smell of burning animals and the smoke of butter. Gori felt much suffocated. She pressed her nose with her scarf. One of the priests recognized her. He shouted, ‘Daksha your untouchable daughter, polluted our holy place.’
All the priests stood in their place and said in one voice ‘Gori insulted us. She is an untouchable-Asura, throw her in the fire so that she can be relieved from her sin.
In the culture of the Devas, the words of the sacrificial priest were the word of God. So Daksha gave him permission without delay. The priests immediately surrounded the Gori, grabbed her hair and dragged her towards the main fire altar. The Gori was moaning in pain but priests kept assaulting her with sticks and kicks. They were hitting her so fast that her bones were broken. She was no longer able to stand up. They continued beating her and dragged him straight to the main altar. Holding her hair they gave it to Daksha. He lost no time and threw Gori into the fire of the altar. Within seconds her body caught fire. All the gods shouted in one voice ‘Idam agnidanam'. In other altars cows, buffaloes, horses and goats were sacrificed. The stench of burning spread in all directions. It was a ten-day yajna. Today was the first day.
With the stench of meat, the news of Gori's murder reached Shiva. He lost his temperament. Suddenly he took his spear and walked alone. He was moving fast, he was so fast that he didn't even worry about his safety. Deva was already sitting ready, they knew that on hearing the news of Gori's death, Shiva would leave his place without any preparation and they would surround him and kill him. But Shiva was not stupid to fall into the trap of the Devas. He then suddenly entered the secret path that had already been told by Gori, leading him directly inside the palace. Seeing him, Daksha and other Devas were alarmed. But they said ‘Okay you are alone’ and they were together and tried to attack Shiva but they found that they were surrounded by the army of Asuras behind them. The Asura soldiers were behind him without telling Shiva. Then Shiva and the other Asuras started beating every Devas with their spears, and swords. They killed all of them and threw them into the fire altars.
The Asuras now saw the animals tied up in the Yajna complex, and how many cows, horses, and goats were crying and pleading for help. The Asuras freed them all and brought the forest with them and freed them. Asura was happy that they took revenge for Gori's murder. Shiva also appeared a little happy; he said Gori's sacrifice was not in vain. We took revenge, wiped out the names of the gods and now we have horses too. We will also learn horse riding and free this earth from the exploitation of Devas.
By now, Shiva's parents and friends had also arrived in the forest. The Asuras won the battle with the gods.
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