‘But Chakras have no power now. They are useless.’

Parshuram threw her a glance of disdain. ‘The use of Chakras for Elemental Binding was just a side effect of their activation.’

It seemed rather high handed to Nala that he termed the magic Mortals had used to defeat the Daevas a side effect.

‘Chakras are more a tool of self-discovery, to unlock the doors of our true potential. An average Mortal uses only a portion of his soul power in his entire lifetime. Chakras are the keys to unlocking the doors to higher levels of power. No Chakra, no Shadow Dancer.’

Nala nodded. She had studied Chakras as a history lesson, never as biology, though she had a faint idea of what the Acharya spoke of.

Parshuram’s cane touched the crown of her head. ‘The Thousand Petalled Chakra: The Crown,’ he said. ‘Violet invokes it. Your goal has to be to wangle the snake out of your spine against the force of gravity, to reach your crown. It stands for…’

‘I understand.’

The cane slid to the space between her eyes. ‘The Third Eye. Powerful. Indigo helps in its accentuation. Stands for: I see.’ He pressed the cane to Nala’s throat. ‘Which is this?’

‘The Space Chakra.’

‘Invoked by?’

‘Blue.’

‘Hm. It is the purest Chakra of the lot. I speak. Which Chakra is invoked with green?’

‘The Heart Chakra I Love.’

‘Which is the Jewel City?’

‘The Yellow Chakra. I mean, the Solar Plexus Chakra. Invoked with Yellow. I Do.’

‘Which Chakra activated in you when you saw the woodcutter chopping firewood?’

A hint of vermillion stained Nala’s cheeks. ‘The Sacral Chakra. Orange. Located above the sisnas, erm...genitals. I feel.’

‘And which is the last one?’

‘The Dormant One. The Root Chakra, where the Spinal Snake resides. I am.’

‘Apparently all is not yet lost. But rote learning isn’t enough. Remember Nala, women are inherently far, far stronger than men can ever hope to be. So, you are lucky. Men must learn to strengthen their feminine energy, Shakti. But you can use your inherent Shakti to draw the spinal snake through your body, ignite the Chakras, and unite with the masculine energy, Shaiva, in your Crown Chakra. Find the true balance between male and female energies and you will find your answer to who you are. The answer is key to the Seventh Chakra and true, limitless power. No one has unlocked all the Chakras in centuries, but you will unlock it. Do you understand?’

‘I understand, Master. I had a question.’

Parshuram nodded.

‘Was Chakra unification the way you…you attained immortality?’

Parshuram’s face lost its harsh lines. ‘Unify your chakras and you will find out.’

VIII