The Secret
Part Five — Preparations in the Science of Alchemy
From the night the lamp of the sacred vow was lit in the ruined temple of Shiva, Sage Sharabhanga ceased to be merely an ordinary teacher.
Until then, he had been the guru who protected Sulochana, the sage who guided Kumudvati, and the counsellor of dharma to Vikramasena.
But now he was preparing for war.
Not a war of clashing swords, but a hidden conflict in which mantra, time, alchemy, and circles of protection would all fight together.
The forest around the ruined temple of Shiva lay silent.
By day, the cries of birds could be heard there. At night, moonlight flowed across the stone platform like silver milk.
Yet that silence existed only on the outside.
Invisible wheels of mantra now revolved around the temple.
On the very first night, Sharabhanga told Kumudvati and Sulochana:
“Chaturaka is no ordinary sorcerer. The power of serpents runs in his bloodline. The blood of Karkotaka forms the dark spine of his knowledge. His spell coils like a serpent. If confronted directly, it releases venom. Therefore, the power of Garuda must stand around this temple.”
Saying this, he drew saffron lines in the four directions around the shrine. In each direction, he uttered a seed syllable.
Ancient stones buried beneath the earth began to glow one by one from within.
At first, the air grew warm.
Then, all at once, it became cold.
The birds sleeping upon the trees opened their eyes and remained perfectly still.
At midnight, Sharabhanga sat before the sanctum.
“Salutations to Garuda,” he began.
His chant slowly filled the entire temple.
It was not merely a sound.
It was like the movement of wings.
Golden lines appeared upon the old stone pillars, the broken walls, and the root-covered gateways. Those lines joined together and formed a vast protective circle of Garuda around the temple.
From that moment onward, a magical law came into force:
No one except women could enter the temple.
It was not a door.
It was a command stronger than any door.
If a man tried to step inside, the air itself would rise before him like a wall.
If one possessing magical power attempted to enter, that wall would become the wing of Garuda and hurl him backwards.
Kumudvati watched in wonder.
“Revered master, will this protection stop Chaturaka completely?”
Sharabhanga shook his head.
“Not completely. When a wicked man finds one road closed, he looks for a disguise. If disguise is denied, he seeks a shadow. If shadow is denied, he searches for another body.
“Protection alone is not enough.
“Vigilance must accompany it.”
Sulochana asked softly,
“What if one of us becomes weak?”
Sharabhanga looked at her.
“Weakness is not a sin. The danger lies in failing to notice it. During these forty days, each of you must remain watchful over the other.”
From that night onward, the sacred observance began.
---
The vow was not easy.
Before dawn, Kumudvati and Sulochana would sit upon the moonstone platform.
First came the discipline of breath.
Then the medicinal decoction prepared by Sharabhanga.
It was bitter, but a short while after drinking it, a quiet warmth would spread through the body. That heat did not seem to awaken the muscles. It seemed to stir the hidden vital essences that had been bound within.
After that came the chanting of mantras.
Then came bodily discipline performed through the gestures of dance.
To an outside observer, those gestures might have appeared to be dance.
But in truth, they were movements of war directed inward.
Each gesture loosened one strand of Chaturaka’s magical bond.
Each breath placed a limit upon the feminine form that was being forcibly fixed within Sulochana’s body.
The first ten days were the most difficult for Sulochana.
Chaturaka’s enchantment tried to shape her body into something softer, more deeply feminine, and more permanent.
The vow did not stop that flow.
It redirected it.
That was why, each morning, Sulochana felt as though two rivers were colliding within her.
Kumudvati remained beside her.
When Sulochana’s breath lost its rhythm, Kumudvati steadied her own breathing.
When Sulochana’s hands trembled, she held them.
When fear flashed in Sulochana’s eyes, Kumudvati whispered,
“You are not alone.”
Those words became part of the vow itself. (To be Continued)
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