Eons ago, a council of celestial beings gathered to discuss what would happen once human beings attained consciousness, and how their journey toward salvation should be guided. Souls that had long remained in the animal state were now entering the human experience for the first time. The question before the council was profound: in this new human form, on what basis should a soul be granted liberation?
Human beings possessed the potential of celestial beings themselves. With the capacity for awareness and knowledge, they could begin to understand the eternal realm and break free from the cycle of birth and death, thus fulfilling their purpose in the universe.
From a higher realm, Eternity, the all-matter being, watched the gathering silently. He was neither form nor formlessness, but something beyond. In his presence, two celestial beings stepped forward with an idea. They proposed that liberation should not be granted based on worship or ritual, but rather on how one used their knowledge to help others on the same journey. These two divine beings were the Eternal Couple, born from the essence of compassion itself, formed in the image of divine love by Eternity.
The rest of the celestial council hesitated. But after much deliberation, the Eternal Couple's proposal was accepted.
From then on, every soul would be judged by the impact of their deeds not only on their own growth, but on the souls they encountered. If they used their human life to uplift others, the Eternal Couple would guide them toward salvation. Thus began the era of humanity.
Over the course of millennia, few were able to transcend the cycle. Then, a soul descended upon Earth, one unlike any before.
He was born to King Sharad, ruler of Soumarsha, a land where the divine sciences flourished. The boy was named Nishkala.
From birth, Nishkala was calm, composed, and radiant. To bless his arrival, King Sharad invited all the kingdom's scholars and sages. One by one, they offered him gifts, blessings, and boons.
Among them, a wise sage stepped forward and said,
"I give you the boon of eternity. You will meet me countless times, until you free yourself."
The king, startled, asked, "What do you mean, O wise one? Is there something wrong with my son?"
The sage only smiled and said nothing more, quietly walking away.
As a child, Nishkala was brilliant. He mastered the ancient scriptures, studied administration, and trained in swordsmanship and archery. His masters were amazed, they often said he learned more from them than they ever taught. The young prince debated scholars and left even the wisest speechless.
Soumarsha adored him. He made many friends, spent his youth laughing and playing, and was loved by all.
But as he grew into a young man, arrogance took root.
He conquered smaller kingdoms and won countless battles, his name striking both pride and fear. King Sharad admired his son's victories, but not his growing pride. The king was especially troubled by Nishkala's cruelty during the conquest of the Kingdom of Jalandh. Innocents were harmed, and the king could not ignore it.
He punished Nishkala with one hundred lashes of the Chabuka, three nights in custody, and ordered him to personally apologize to King of Jalandh.
King Jalandh accepted the apology and, in a gesture of alliance, offered his daughter, Princess Niraga, in marriage. Niraga was fierce, intelligent, and equally skilled in combat. But Nishkala's attitude toward women was far from noble. He mistreated female attendants and indulged in his ego, believing his brilliance made him untouchable.
One day, while visiting Soumarsha, Princess Niraga witnessed him striking a maid. Enraged, she rushed forward, grabbed a staff from a nearby soldier, and struck the prince on the head. Nishkala collapsed unconscious, and the maid clung to Niraga's robe, weeping.
Niraga stormed into the king's court with the maid and shouted,
"Your son is unworthy of marriage. He doesn't even respect a woman in his own courtyard! You taught him knowledge and skill, but not honour. Not respect."
King Sharad tried to calm her, but her fury did not waver.
When Nishkala awoke, he was fascinated, he wanted to know the woman who had dared to strike him. He entered the courtroom, searching for her.
But Niraga stood firm.
"You, herald of demons! Never show your face to me again. I will never marry a man like you. You shall be punished by every woman you have wronged. This is my curse."
As she screamed, her body trembled, and she collapsed to the floor. Her curse, spoken with such force, had drained her life force.
Nishkala rushed to her side. "What have I done? Niraga! Please open your eyes. Forgive me, I will never harm another woman. Please, wake up."
He took her to the court physician, who examined her and said solemnly,
"She poured her soul into the curse. Her body is in a comatose state. Only after you fulfil the curse, only then might she return."
The prince was devastated.
He returned to his father and confessed everything.
King Sharad, consumed by grief and shame, slapped him and said,
"I never wished for a son like you. Leave this kingdom, or I shall have you thrown out. All the years I spent raising you, wasted."
Nishkala was exiled. Alone and disgraced, he wandered far from the kingdom. He apologized to every woman he had harmed. Some hurled stones. Others looked at him with disgust. Some he would never have the chance to beg forgiveness from, for they had ended their lives in silence and sorrow.
He journeyed to the snowy mountains. One by one, his soldiers abandoned him. Even his loyal horse collapsed and died.
Weeping beside the fallen creature, Nishkala cried to the heavens,
"O Destiny! What have I done to deserve this? Why have you cursed me so? If there are gods, show me the way out of my misery!"
He collapsed in the snow.
When he opened his eyes, an old man was sitting nearby, chanting softly.
"Who are you?" Nishkala asked.
"I am Shaktidhar. At last, we meet again."
It was the same sage who had blessed him as a baby.
Sage Shaktidhar took him into his hut. His wife served Nishkala warm food, which he devoured like a starving man. The sage smiled.
"Kalawati," he said to his wife, "I told you the prince would come."
Then turning to Nishkala, he asked,
"How have you been, prince? How fares your kingdom?"
The prince broke down.
"Sage, I've sinned. I let everyone down. My father cast me out. I deserve death. But Niraga! she lies comatose because of me. Some of the women I wronged have taken their lives. I cannot undo what I've done. What shall I do?"
Shaktidhar placed a hand on his shoulder.
"O prince of great potential, I have watched your journey. Let me take you somewhere only a few have ever seen. But first, rest. Tomorrow, we will meditate and begin."
The next morning, Prince Nishkala and Sage Shaktidhar meditated in silence. As the sun rose, they set out on their journey into the Forest of Spirits.
The forest was shrouded in fog, and an unnatural stillness clung to the trees. The prince grew uneasy. Spirits floated among the branches, suspended in sorrow. Their eyes were hollow. Their presence cold.
Then, amidst the hanging spirits, a group emerged — silent, solemn, and waiting.
Forty-eight women stood before him, their forms ghostly and faint, yet their eyes burned with truth.
One spirit spoke,
"Ah, Prince. You have finally come. How shall we punish you, who caused our suffering? You harmed us and left. And now you seek redemption?"
Nishkala fell to his knees.
"I am ready," he said. "End my life, if it brings peace to your souls. My beloved lies in a cursed sleep because of me. I beg you, grant me the chance to atone."
The spirits murmured among themselves. Then the same one spoke again,
"You have changed. But redemption is not earned so easily. You cannot escape us, Prince. We are bound to you. In every lifetime, we will return, and you must do your part in each of our stories."
Nishkala bowed his head.
"I humbly accept. I will serve each of you until your suffering is lifted. This is my vow."
The spirits turned toward Sage Shaktidhar.
"Sage," they said, "we offer you our salutations. We have fulfilled our purpose in this life. The celestial lords are calling. Our memories fade… but our ties to this soul remain. We depart in peace."
Then, to the prince,
"Your curse is lifted. But remember your promise. In lives to come, we will find you. You must recognize us. You must shield us, where once you wounded us."
"I accept," said Nishkala.
And with that, the spirits vanished into the mist. They were never seen again.
Nishkala and Shaktidhar returned to the sage's hut. The prince, still reeling, asked,
"O sage, what now? What can I offer you as a token of my gratitude?"
Shaktidhar smiled.
"Fulfill your duties, Prince. That will be my reward. But the next time we meet, bring me sweets from your kingdom."
Nishkala returned to Soumarsha, now a changed man.
His beard was unkempt, his clothes tattered, his face hardened by sun and snow. As he approached the palace, he saw King Sharad and broke down in tears.
"Father," he said, "I broke the curse. I have returned. Where is Niraga?"
King Sharad, eyes heavy with regret, replied,
"The princess awoke weeks after your exile. The kingdom waited for your return, but the King of Vilamba would not wait. She has been married."
Nishkala was stunned. The news pierced his soul. Yet he said nothing. He made his way to Vilamba.
There, he saw Queen Niraga standing upon the balcony of the royal palace. Inside, he bowed before the king and queen seated on the twin thrones.
"I come not to disturb the peace of your kingdom," he said quietly. "Only to offer my blessings. May your reign be long and just. Forgive my delay in wishing you well, Queen Niraga."
His voice cracked, and though he tried to hide his tears, they spilled freely as he kept his eyes lowered.
"Prince," said Niraga gently, "raise your head. Meet me later. In the garden."
That evening, in the palace garden, Niraga stood among the moonlit trees.
"Nishkala," she said, "why didn't you come sooner? I knew the moment I awoke that the curse was broken. I waited for you."
"I had nothing left, Niraga. I wandered for months. I sought forgiveness from every soul I wronged. Even the dead, their spirits, I met them in the forest. They bound me with a promise. I must fulfill their redemption, across many lives."
She stepped closer.
"And me? Was I not one of those you wronged? Did you not owe me a part of that redemption?"
"You were. And you are. But I must return to my people. They await their king."
Niraga smiled faintly.
"Then go. But let me give you a boon. In this life, I could not wait. But in the next, I will. I will be waiting in Vilamba."
Nishkala returned to Soumarsha and was crowned king.
He ruled with humility and wisdom, protecting the women of his kingdom, ensuring justice where once there was indulgence. He founded schools for women scholars, offering them a chance to master the sciences and the scriptures.
Years later, he found two abandoned twin babies at the gates of the palace. A boy and a girl.
He recognized the sign.
Taking them into his care, he raised them as his own.
One day, King Nishkala journeyed once more to the hut of Sage Shaktidhar. The sage was old and near death. The king offered him sweets from the royal kitchens.
The sage smiled, even as his breath grew weak.
"So the cycle begins again. You brought me sweets, dear prince. I am leaving now. But fear not. My deities are compassionate. You, who escaped their eyes and came seeking truth, we will meet again."
Nishkala held his hand, tears falling freely.
"You treated me like a son and gave me a second chance."
The sage closed his eyes and passed in peace.
A grand ceremony was held in his honor.
The twins grew up under Nishkala's guidance as heirs to the throne of Soumarsha.
In his later years, King Nishkala expanded his kingdom through alliances with neighboring lands and led a great war against the invaders from the North. Victorious, he renounced his throne and returned to the snowy mountains for penance.
Queen Niraga died of old age.
And at last, the soul of Nishkala left his body and entered the realm of the Eternal Couple.