Page 36 of Tiger's Destiny
After Nilima and I said good night, I climbed the stairs with my two tigers trailing along behind me. They settled on the floor in my room and watched me move about through sleepy eyes narrowed into slits. I climbed into bed and tried to burn every detail of Mr. Kadam’s face into my memory forever.
10
the birth of durga
It was a Hindu custom to mourn for thirteen days, but we decided to mourn for three days and then follow the tradition of keeping a lamp lit for another ten.
Mr. Kadam had said to look up Durga’s creation, and I dutifully immersed myself in study that led me to an interesting theory. The Durga stories told of many weapons, and with Ren and Kishan researching at my side, we jotted down a quick list to keep track of them all.
Weapons
Disc (Chakram)
Conch (Kamandal’healing power)
Missile (Spear Darts from Trident?)
Arrows (Golden Bow and Arrows)
Thunder Bolt (Lightning Power?)
Bell (Needed to Awaken Durga)
Rod (Trident/Trishula)
Axe (Blade of Chakram?)
Magic Armor (New Weapon)
Mace (Gada)
Water pot (Other Name for Kamandal, I think)
Cudgel (Other Name for Gada)
Sword (Actually Two Swords)
Snake (Fanindra)
Rope (Rope of Fire?)
Jewels (Pearl Necklace)
New Clothing (Divine Scarf)
Garlands of Immortal Lotus (Gave to the mermaid
Kaeliora—Durga said it had no power) Noose (Rope of Fire?)
“It appears there are lots of different versions of how Durga was born,” I explained, reading on. “In this text it says Durga was a goddess who was born from the flame. But other books claim she rose from a river, appeared out of a whirlwind, came from a ball of light, and emerged from the cave of a great mountain. Then there’s also a story about Durga being created to battle a demon called Mahishasur.”
“Okay, so the stories vary,” said Kishan.
“Yes, but what’s the common denominator?”
I paused, but they said nothing, waiting for me to fill in the blank. “Theamulet!” I exclaimed.
“I don’t get it,” Ren said rubbing his jaw.
