As Virat Singh probed the jewel with his prana, his vision blurred. When clarity returned, he stood in a vibrant realm.
He was at the heart of a lush meadow, surrounded by beauty. A dense jungle, towering hills, a mighty river, and fields of vivid lotuses stretched around him. A path of gleaming emerald stone branched in four directions.
The emerald path to the left led to hills and rivers. The right path vanished into the jungle. The paths behind and ahead stretched into the unknown, their destinations hidden.
Choosing the forward path, Virat walked, marveling at the scenery.
"Where am I? What is this place?" he wondered.
He'd awakened in darkness, alive, his broken nadi restored, and a strange jewel—the Divya Mani—lodged in his heart, etched with a cosmic mandala. Probing it with prana had brought him here.
As he pondered, a revelation surfaced in his mind: **Divya Mani**.
"Is this the jewel in my heart? Is this its world? How did I arrive, and how do I leave?" Questions swirled as he trekked the emerald path for hours.
At its end stood a nine-tiered **Vishnu Stambha**, a towering temple. Near its gate, a stone pillar, one meter tall, bore a handprint matching his own in size and shape.
"Must I place my hand here?" he mused.
He pressed his palm onto the print. A flood of knowledge poured into his mind, and a voice echoed within.
"Inheritor of the Divya Mani, destined to reign over the cosmos. From today, forge your fate through effort. Bow to none. You are the master of your destiny. No one—not even the Devas—has the right to look down on you."
"No one, not even the Devas!" Virat whispered, his blood surging, eyes blazing. Gazing skyward, he roared, "I, Virat Singh, command my fate! None shall scorn me or bar my path to the pinnacle of sacred arts!"
"If asuras block my way, I'll shred them. If Devas stand against me, I'll slay them. If the heavens themselves obstruct me, I, Virat Singh, will shatter the cosmos!"
Calming, he heard a creak.
**"Churr! Churr!"**
The temple's gate opened. He approached, peering into the darkness within.
"Should I enter?"
Resolving, he thought, "As the inheritor of the Divya Mani, I must know."
Stepping through, he shut his eyes against a sudden flash. Moments later, he opened them to find the first tier empty save for a bronze **kamandalu** (sacred vessel), encircled by a carved naga.
Approaching, he nearly touched it when a surge of knowledge flooded his mind.
The first tier of the Vishnu Stambha slowed time: three days here equaled one outside, a 3:1 ratio. The prana here was denser, ideal for cultivation. With this, he could advance far faster than in the outer world.
The kamandalu held three sets of memories for him to claim. Eager, Virat lifted its lid, revealing three glowing orbs, each in a shimmering barrier.
The red orb held the alchemical wisdom of an **Adi Rasayana Deva**, master of elixirs. The blue orb contained the knowledge of sacred **yantras** from an **Adi Yantra Deva**. The purple orb stored the art of crafting divine **astras** from an **Adi Astra Deva**.
Beyond these, a small orb of light hovered within the kamandalu, its purpose unknown.