“Brahma’s losing his touch.”
The Ashwini twins stood peering through the brambles surrounding a clearing containing two statuesque figures.
“They’re paler than snow, slimmer than a tree’s trunk, and as delicate as the petals of a new bloom. How ridiculous.”
The figures appeared oblivious to their surroundings. They lay perfectly exposed, the sun’s rays pouring over their naked bodies. The twins remained hidden, critiquing Brahma’s newest creations in secret. The woman, Eve, turned toward the man and said, “Adam, I feel the rumblings of hunger; let us search for something to eat.”
They stood and began investigating the plants growing around them. Although the forest contained many luscious fruit trees, the thought of moving beyond the clearing had never crossed their minds. Instead they stopped several paces before passing into the woods and settled on a patch of low-lying shrubs. They pulled up the roots and began to gnaw at them, dirt filling their mouths.
“Why settle for dusty tubers when they could relish the juices of orchard delicacies?” one of the twins remarked. “Unless…”
He turned eagerly toward his brother, whose eyes shone with a matching glint. The twins were often given to having the same thoughts.
“Brahma has given them bodies, but their minds are empty. Let us have fun with this!”
When Brahma created earth, he added several portals that allowed the Gods to pass between the physical and spiritual world. One of these was in the form of an apple tree that bore golden fruit; it was a holy site within the forest. The apples that grew there contained the essence of divine knowledge, and one who bit into the fruit was granted the understanding of existence, of the universe and its intricacies.
The Ashwini twins retreated and devised a plan to lure the humans to the tree. They were tricksters and relished the idea of involving the humans in their mischief.
The twins returned to the clearing and stepped gingerly into the open expanse. Adam and Eve were not alarmed, but as they took in the strange creatures before them, their eyes welled with curiosity. They had only ever observed one another.
“Greetings! I am Dasra, and this is my brother Nasatya. We spend our days traveling the earth and studying her majestic plant life. We were camping a short distance from here,and became aware of your presence while collecting bark from a nearby tree. It is with the utmost respect that we present ourselves today and offer our services.”
The humans stood looking on, trying to understand the divinity before them. Eve asked tentatively, “What is it you offer?”
One of the twins replied brightly, “We wish to enlighten you! My brother and I have become masters of the earth and know all that grows from the carpet of life covering the land. We can tell you which leaves heal diseases, which roots preserve youth, and which berries stir the womb. Anything you wish to know, we can tell you. But we can also show you how to obtain this knowledge for yourself.”
Eve was intrigued and inquired as to how.
“There is a magnificent apple tree in the heart of this forest. The golden fruit dangling from the branches contains the elixir of understanding; one bite, and you will know what it means to walk the earth. You will learn who you are, how you came to be, and what lies beyond the reaches of your mind.”
Adam had not gotten up during this exchange. He was casually twisting blades of grass between his palms, keeping half an ear open to the Ashwinis. Eve, on the other hand, was crouched in wonder listening to them, and now leaped to her feet.
“Come, Adam, we must go with them to the tree!”
Adam and Eve had never ventured beyond their clearing, and clumsily attempted to avoid low-hanging branches and gnarled roots as they wound between the trees of the forest. The Ashwinis both wore mischievous grins, and any knowledgeable creature could see that they were up to no good. Alas, Adam’s attention was consumed by a leaf that had fallen onto his arm, and Eve was busy taking in the wonders of the woods. At last the four of them arrived before the magnificent apple tree.
One of the twins plucked a golden apple and held it out seductively to Eve. She took it and turned it over in her palm.
“Simply bite into the golden flesh, and the world is yours.”
Eve sunk her teeth into the apple and immediately fell to the ground, as if stunned. Her head throbbed and her eyes glazed over, her lithe body beginning to twitch. Adam was shocked by the ghastly scene before him and began to back away. The Ashwinis cried, “Do not be alarmed! The seeds of knowledge have been planted and are taking root. Join her in understanding.”
One of the twins extended the apple toward him, and Adam cautiously took a bite. He too fell to the ground, writhing as the world began to pour into his head.
The two porcelain figures lay shattered; their ignorance had been broken into a thousand conscious, exacting shards. The Ashwinis looked on with delight, rejoicing in the sweetness of sin.
Their revelries were quickly halted, however, by a thunderous voice that broke through the heavens. Brahma, filled with rage, boomed from above,
“These creatures have tasted knowledge, and through awareness they have tasted power. Humanity will grow to see a world for their taking, a world of plunder and conquest. In their quest to dominate one another they will tear this world apart. All my handiwork will be laid to waste, and I will have no choice but to destroy this corrupted race. Oh Ashwinis, pranksters among the Gods, with this rouse of foolish deceit you have sealed the doomed fate of humans.”
Author's Note: The Ashwinis are the twin Gods of medicine and healing. They are said to have extensive knowledge of plant life and ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine in India. They are also tricksters, and there are several stories in the body of the Indian epics that recount their mischievous ways. One of these stories involves them disguising their identities as a woman's husband in an attempt to seduce her, and another involves replacing the severed head of Dadhichi with the head of a horse. What I took away from reading about these stories was that the endeavors of the twins often appear slightly unethical, and their motivation may be tinged with an essence of morbidity. While the twins are not malicious, they nonetheless find joy in playing pranks that may not result in the liveliest outcomes for those involved. I have attempted to capture the characteristics of the twins in this story, which is a retelling of the biblical Judeo-Christian story involving Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their knowledge of plant life, which is consistent with the traditional characterization of the Ashwinis, is what convinces Adam and Eve to follow them to the Tree of Knowledge. From there, they watch as the two humans fall into the trap of their mischievous scheming.
Bibliography:
"Ashwinis - The Twin Divine Physicians" - http://www.apamnapat.com/entities/Ashwini.html
"Asvins, the Hindu Gods of Healing and Medicine" - https://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/concepts/aswins.asp
Image information - Source: Max Pixel