Prakriti (Mahabharata)

Chapter 26

Prakriti P.O.V

Next day, we bid farewell to lord Vyasa  and set out to go back to Kamyaka Vana. By mid day, we arrived on the bank of Saraswati fording the river in the same ferry, we were back in the old forest. We found our way back to the clearing where we had built the first asrama of our exile and saw the hardy wooden huts had withstood the seasons well. Pandavas started few repairs they had to do in the asrama and finally we settled back down in the Kamyaka. After staying there two or three days, I made my way to Elder Brother and take the permission to start my own journey alone. He nodded his head giving me his blessings "Prakriti, find your inner self and come back soon" he said with a small smile on his face. I nodded my head and went to take my fare well from others. Krishne has tears in her eyes as I hugged her tightly "What will I do without you?" she asked in low voice, I broke the hug and wiped her tears, "You will serve sages and saint with Elder Brother and calm your mind in the time" I gave her the advice, she needs to understand the situation and compose her mind. She slowly nodded her head and I made my way to Brother Bhima who was ready for his own journey. I joined my hands together and gave him a calm smile, he put his hand on my head "Prakriti" he uttered my name, "Brother Bhima, impress Lord Hanuman, I believe in you" I said, for the first time a small smile appeared on his face, bidding him farewell. Twins walked towards me, they touched my feet and I gave them the blessings "Our army need you both the most as healers are very important part of war" I said, they both nodded their head.

At last, me and Arya left our family together going inside the forest, we were silent thinking about the situation. 

Finally we reached at the foot of Gandhamadana, I turned my head towards Arya, he was already looking at me. Without saying anything, I hugged him, he sighed and returned the hug, I could hear the rhythm of his heart beat. His arms were around me, he wasn't ready to let go of me just yet and neither was I. "I believe in you, Arya, you will surely succeed in your quest" he broke the hug and after months gave me a soft smile, "And when we meet again after years, I know you will find your inner self" he said, I nodded my head and he embraced me one last time. We parted away after that, he climbed on the Gandhamadana and I changed my path walking forward passing the mountain. I stopped and closed my eyes, I have already found my fire, now its turn for other elements.

"Thank you". She smiled "We will meet again my dear Prakriti" she said and vanished from the view.  

I remembered river Ganga telling me this when we were on exile period. She is part of my water element that I know now. I have to gather all my essence and complete myself. For that I have to do tapasya, I walked to the Amarnath cave for mediation, I could feel it calling me. I traveled to the north moving through the mountains, the temperature started decreasing as I further moved forward, my teeth started chattering with the drop in temperature. But I moved along nonetheless. I finally found the cave which was surrounded with ice, I slowly made my way inside the cave, a nostalgia feeling hit me all of a sudden, but I brushed it off. I saw a rather large shivling in the middle of cave covered by snow. I made my way to it and joined my hands together in respects "Mahadeva" I uttered, suddenly I felt air grazing my skin softly. I sat in front of the shivling folding my legs together and joining my hands in the process. "Mahadeva, I came in your shelter to search myself, help me" I said and closed my eyes reciting the mantra again and again.

"Om Namah Sivay" 

Third Person P.O.V

Prakriti finally lost herself in the tapasya forgetting about her surroundings. 

On the other hand, Arjuna was climbing the Gandhamadana, the scent of wild herbs reached his senses as he crossed the place and saw Himavan ahead of him, he joined his hands together and worshiped the mountain King, father of Goddess Parvati. He pass through the mountain, through white, breathtaking terrain, through endless snow-drifts, across pristine icescapes. Until he saw a solitary peak before him, thrusting at the sky in splendid isolation: a mountain apart. Arjuna had never come this far north before. But he knew the name of the massif before him: it was the Indrakila. He finally found a suitable cave for himself to do the tapasya, he set himself down at the cave-mouth, Crossing his legs, he shut his eyes and began to chant the Kotirudra, Siva's thousand names.