lacking the quality of either of the voices devis and ramendras it was strange because it was devoid of everything as one listened to it one wondered whether it was a voice or a sight or a smell or a touch or a taste whatever it was the message was clear immanence and transcendence dont get separated one is nothing without the other how could devi be here if i were not who would be the actor and who the observer didnt you ever question the very nature of existence as inquisitive as you were or rather as curious and skeptical you have always been smitten by your inherent nature you should at least have understood the concept before vying for supremacy episode 4 by tino de saramendra froze barely breathing and almost as motionless as the idol of shakti behind which he crouched his father had chanted just that one word om yet an avalanche of layered meaning ricocheted off the stone walls of the garb griha ramendras mind was in a frenzy the calculated calmness and selfassurance with which he had spoken to the goddess seemed to ebb away in the face of the chanting of a simple and largely unlettered man there was nothing more to be achieved today ramendra remained hidden until his father completed the rituals and left the temple for his morning meal and then stealthily slipped out himself the next day ramendra was once more in the inner sanctum before dawn the air was thick with a heady mixture of scents snuffed out josssticks burnt sandalwood pungent camphor and the overripe smell of decaying flowers it made him dizzy in silence he focused his gaze upon the idol channeling all his mental energies through that gaze willing the goddess to manifest herself time was no longer of consequence so he could not tell how much of it had passed but presently there was a faint smokiness that emanated from the statue swirled about and then coalesced into the form of devi so you could not resist me ramendra smirked her eyes flaming devi said the gods are not beyond dharma it is divinty itself that upholds the moral law anyone who is willing and able to concentrate enough will be rewarded with a response ramendra chuckled but i am not just anyone you must have realized that by now devi tell me among all the demons that you fought and thought youd vanquished who was the fiercest in battle and why devis countenance began to take on a fearsome appearance terrible and wondrous at the same time mahishasur she said it was not so much an answer to the question as a statement of recognition indeed and why devi why the goddess said nothing let me tell you said ramendra because he was a shifter of shapes a changer of forms when you struck at the buffalos hump he turned into an elephant when you sliced off its trunk he