Verne on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra. ®.

Verne on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra. ®.

Short Storie. 

Metafiction. Mysticism. Journeys of consciousness.

Episode X. 

Verne Dreams Series.®.

Jorge Ofitas Author. ®.

Verne, anticipating the words of the blessed lord who would appear later, leaned slightly and said: 

—Arjuna, why are you faltering?

Arjuna, with teary eyes and a voice barely a whisper, replied: 

—Verne, do you see all these skilled warriors and well-trained troops ready to crush me? Well, they are all my family. What would you do in my place?"

Verne, with a look of deep conviction, replied: 

—You should not falter, Arjuna, for the Blessed Lord accompanies you, and I, too, have come from afar to witness your bravery and resilience in the face of such an ingrained difficulty.

An instant later, to Arjuna's disbelief, Verne proclaimed: 

—I shall fight with you!" 

And as if emerging from the same mist of doubt, a resplendent golden chariot appeared beside him. Verne positioned himself in it, right next to Arjuna. What Verne intended was to know if it was true that the Blessed Lord would speak to him and if he could hear Him.

Verne, observing the tide of warriors spreading before them, added in a firm, clear voice that seemed to resonate beyond the imminent turmoil: "—We are Sattvas and they are Tamas. There is nothing to fear, great Arjuna.

Arjuna, with an expression of regained calm, though sadness still reflected in his eyes, said to Verne: 

—I know you are a great writer from the future, and I have read your books in the special oracles. But now, I must leave you, for the Great Blessed Lord...

Verne could not hear the Blessed Lord. However, he saw that something was being transmitted to Arjuna, because as the minutes passed, the prince became illuminated, until Arjuna's chariot was enveloped in a luminosity that no one else possessed.

True to his word, Verne joined the battle, ready to fight. But before chaos could reach him or he could be wounded—for his body was indeed vulnerable—the serene figure of Mahatma Gandhi appeared from amidst the dust and roar of the impending conflict.

With a calm that contrasted brutally with the tumult, Gandhi approached Verne and said in a gentle voice: "—Come, accompany me. I have something to tell you..."

They moved away from the chariot, seeking a corner where the roar of war was merely a distant murmur. Once there, Mahatma Gandhi looked at Verne with his wise eyes and, with a voice that conveyed immense peace, told him: "—Dear Verne, I wanted to tell you that, in a way, Arjuna and the Blessed Lord, are all of us."

Verne, his mind absorbed by the wisdom emanating from Gandhi, but with the reality of the battle still echoing in the distance, asked him: "—Tell me, great sage, why do wars take place then, and why do they continue where I come from?"

Gandhi sighed, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon where the battle had not yet fully erupted. "—Wars, dear Verne, and all the conflicts that plague your world, are the fruit of ignorance. It is because we believe in separation, because we cling to the idea that 'I' am distinct from 'you,' and 'my nation' distinct from 'yours.' We forget that, in essence, we are all one. What you see with your eyes, the forms, the names, the divisions... all of that is Maya, illusion.

Then, a subtle light began to emanate from Mahatma Gandhi himself, not blinding, but enveloping, as his voice transformed, becoming deeper and more resonant, as if a thousand voices spoke in unison. He looked at Verne with an intensity that transcended mere form. "—Like you right now, Verne, you believe you are seeing Gandhi. But in reality, I am the Blessed Lord, who am the All. Everything you see, is Me.

After a long time, the fury of the battle began to dissolve, not with the clangor of victory or defeat, but like a mirage that vanishes with the light of understanding. And suddenly, Arjuna's chariot, now resplendent with an inner light that dispelled all shadows, turned once more towards where Verne and Gandhi stood.

Arjuna dismounted from his chariot and, with a bow full of humility and repentance, knelt before Gandhi, who at that very instant transformed completely into the Blessed Lord, surrounded by an overwhelming luminosity. Verne, disoriented by so much light and the majesty of the scene, watched in awe as Arjuna begged forgiveness from the Blessed Lord for having killed living beings in battle.

The Blessed Lord gently touched Arjuna's head, and His voice, which was both a whisper and an echo of the universe, said: 

—You have killed no one, dear Arjuna, for the soul is eternal and indestructible. Your duty is to fight for Dharma, for righteousness, without attachment to the fruits of action."

Then, the Blessed Lord turned His light towards Verne and, placing an arm on his shoulder, said to him with a voice that resonated in the deepest part of his being: "—And you, Verne, you may return, and remember that the soul neither kills nor is killed.

Verne dissolved in the blink of an eye. When he opened his eyes, he was back on his divan, in his familiar study. A deep nostalgia enveloped him, and he felt somewhat astonished, fearful, yet also enchanted and enamored of that battlefield dissolved into light and of the divine presence he believed he had contemplated. The potion, this time, had not led him to an adventure, but to a revelation of the soul itself.

FIN

Author: Jorge Ofitas. ®.

Europe. 2025. ®.