Devadatta - The White Horse of Dharma

Dadi: "Guddu, remember I told you about the three demon cities? Tonight, let me tell you how they were destroyed."

Guddu: "Oh yes! Gold, silver, and steel - only Lord Shiva could destroy them with a single arrow!"

Dadi: "Exactly. After the demons stopped their worship of Shiva and became arrogant, the gods finally got permission to act. But building the weapon... that was something else entirely."

Guddu: "What was special about it?"

Dadi: "The gods built the most extraordinary war chariot ever created. Listen to this - the EARTH itself became the body of the chariot."

Guddu: "The whole planet?!"

Dadi: "Lord Brahma became the charioteer. The sun and moon became the two wheels. The six seasons formed the rims. Mount Meru - the cosmic mountain - became the bow. And the great serpent Vasuki became the bowstring!"

Guddu: "Everything in the universe was part of this weapon!"

Dadi: "It gets better. Do you know what the arrow was made of?"

Guddu: "Something powerful?"

Dadi: "Lord Vishnu himself BECAME the arrow. The Preserver of the Universe transformed into the weapon of destruction."

Guddu: "So all three great gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva - were working together?"

Dadi: "Plus all the other gods. Fire was in the arrowhead. Wind was the feathers. Every element had a role."

Guddu: "And then Shiva waited?"

Dadi: "For a thousand years. Can you imagine? All this elaborate preparation, and then... waiting. Because the three cities only aligned once every millennium."

Guddu: "I'd get impatient!"

Dadi: "Gods don't experience time like we do. Finally, the moment came. It was a Thursday, midday, with specific stars in the sky. The golden city in heaven, the silver city in the air, and the steel city on earth - all moving toward that single line."

Guddu: "What was it like?"

Dadi: "Picture this - the demons were going about their lives, thinking they were invincible. They had stopped their rituals, grown proud. They didn't even know doom was approaching."

And then the three cities touched. One line. One straight line through all three.

Guddu: "And Shiva fired?"

Dadi: "He invoked the Pashupatastra - his most devastating weapon. The arrow became pure cosmic fire. It shot through the air faster than thought."

In one instant, it pierced all three cities simultaneously. Gold, silver, steel - everything exploded into flame and ash. The demons inside were consumed before they even knew what was happening.

Guddu: "That was fast!"

Dadi: "But here's the Tamil version of the story that I love even more."

Guddu: "There's another version?"

Dadi: "In that telling, the whole elaborate preparation happened. The cosmic chariot was built. The divine arrow was ready. The thousand years of waiting passed. The three cities aligned..."

And Lord Shiva didn't even use the arrow. He simply SMILED.

Guddu: "Smiled?!"

Dadi: "Just a gentle smile. And that smile - the smile of the supreme consciousness - burned all three cities to ash instantly. All the preparation was unnecessary. God's mere intention was enough."

Guddu: "That's... that's terrifying and beautiful at the same time."

Dadi: "That's Shiva. Destruction and grace in one. He didn't need the cosmic weapons. He used them so the gods would feel involved, would feel they contributed. But the real power was always just... him."

Guddu: "Why is he called Tripurantaka now?"

Dadi: ""Destroyer of the Three Cities." It reminds everyone that no matter how strong your fortress, no matter how clever your protection, nothing stands against divine will when the time comes."

Guddu: "But the demons were worshipping Shiva before! He protected them then!"

Dadi: "And that's the other lesson - devotion protects. When they worshipped, they were safe. When they abandoned dharma, they became vulnerable. The destruction wasn't personal. It was cosmic balance being restored."

Guddu: "So stay devoted, stay protected?"

Dadi: "Stay humble, stay devoted, stay protected. Those three things go together."