The New Purpose Discovered

Journal of Abhavi

Another important story you should know is their first meeting with a brahmin. You have already seen some of their struggles in the previous story. Now, it is time for you to see some of their growth. I would never consider doubting the source of this story. Why, you may ask? Because the following is a first hand account from the brahmin they met.

~~~~~

In their travels, they learned they were stronger than normal humans and could hurt them too easily. They hated causing harm so they had learned to disguise themselves to avoid people as much as possible. There was no reason for the brothers to visit human towns except for their love of stories. In one town, they had discovered books and ever since they would disguise themselves to trade food or animal skins for books. They met a brahmin for the first time on one such occasion.

In a town at the foot of a mountain, they were trading deer skins for a few books when they were discovered to be rakshasas. As the brothers expected, the townspeople were frightened. The women and children ran away while the men grabbed whatever tools at hand as weapons. The brothers, on the other hand, refused to attack. Instead, they backed away towards the mountain with hands raised only in defense. They could see the group of men grow more and more confident as they backed away. The men thought the demon brothers were backing away in fear of them. As the men’s confidence grew, they grew more daring and began attacking the brothers. The men were closing in closer and closer to the brothers and their attacks were becoming more and more savage.

This is the scene that a well respected brahmin walked in on. This brahmin had been descending the mountain to visit the town. He immediately saw the truth of the situation and called for the men to stop their attacks. Ilvala and Vatapi were shocked that someone would even attempt to stop the attacking men. They turned to the newcomer and at a glance could tell there was something different about this person. They had been disappointed every time meeting anyone new, but this time would be different.

As they watched, the brahmin raised his hands and calmly spoke, “What is this? Have these two done any harm to you or the village? I see no evidence of any wrongdoings.” He lowered his hands and looked around. “However, it seems to me you are attacking only out of fear.”

The villagers looked down in shame and backed away as if to distance themselves from their actions. However, they all remained silent, so the brahmin continued, “Well, get back to your homes and families. I’m sure you have things to be doing. Think before jumping into action next time.” As the men returned to their little town the brahmin turned to the brothers, “Now, are you two alright?”

Ilvala and Vatapi stood there in shock, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. Ilvala was the first to shake himself out of his stupor. “Yes, we are fine. They couldn’t hurt us.”

Vatapi shook his head as if to clear it. “Who are you? Those villagers listened and believed you without even a question.” Both brothers were extremely curious about this stranger and waited for his answer.

“Ah, they listened to me because I am a brahmin and I have visited them several times to help with any injuries among the villagers. My name is Agastya.” The brahmin, now known to the brothers as Agastya, nodded his head in greeting. “What are two rakshasas doing in this small town?”

The brothers nodded back. “My name is Ilvala and this is my younger brother, Vatapi. We were just trading for a few books.”

“Are you lovers of knowledge by chance? I would like to invite you to my home. I have not talked at length to very many rakshasas and I believe we can teach each other many things.” Agastya was knowledgeable in a variety of things and the brothers were able to guess this.

Ilvala and Vatapi glanced at each other. The hope that had died with the first few villages they ever saw was now coming back. With their mother’s stories once again in their hearts, they chose to give this brahmin a chance. Ilvala turned to Agastya. “Our mother taught us to read and write and told us many stories. We have enjoyed learning and reading ever since. We accept.”

The brothers followed the great brahmin Agastya to his simple home and spent years studying under him. While there, they learned all they could about the gods, prayer and even human society. With more knowledge, an idea began to form in their minds. This idea solidified with each new piece of information and became their new purpose.

To accomplish this purpose and keep the promise they made together, they spent a full year in prayer to ask for a boon from the gods. The boon granted to Vatapi was the ability to flawlessly transform into any shape. The boon granted to Ilvala was the ability to call Vatapi to him from anywhere in the world. They would use these boons very well in the coming years of their lives to spread knowledge and stories of rakshasas, brahmins and normal humans getting along or fighting on the same side. They would work to create a world where all people would be accepted for who they are and not despised for what they are. However, things do not always go as planned.