DEVAYANI AND KACHA

For the third time again, the Asuras killed Kacha and very cleverly as they thought, burnt his body, mixed the ashes in wine and served it to Sukracharya who drank it, suspecting nothing. Once more the cows returned home without their keeper, and once again Devayani approached her father with her distressful appeal for Kacha.

Sukracharya tried in vain to console his daughter."Though I have again and again brought back Kacha to Se," said he, "the asuras seem bent upon killing him. Well, death is the common lot, and it is not proper for a wise soul like you to sorrow at it. Your life is all before you to enjoy, with youth and beauty and the goodwill of the world."

Devayani deeply loved Kacha, and since the world began, wise saws have never cured the ache of bereavement. She said: "Kacha, the grandson of Angiras and the son of Brihaspati, was a blameless boy, who was devoted and tireless in our service.

I loved him dearly, and now that he has been killed, life to me has become bleak and insupportable. I shall therefore follow in his path." And Devayani began to fast.   Sukracharya, heart-stricken by his daughter's sorrow, be came very angry with the asuras, and felt that the heinous sin of killing a brahmana would weigh heavily. on their fortunes.

He employed the Sanjivini art and called upon Kacha to appear. By the power of the Sanjivini Kacha dispersed as he was in the wine which was inside Sukracharya's body at the time, regained life, but prevented by the peculiarity of his location from coming out, be could only answer to his name from where he was.

Sukracharya exclaimed in angry amazement: "O brahmacharin, how did you get into me? Is t1his also the work of the asuras?

This is really too bad and makes me feel like killing the asuras immediately and joining the devas. But tell me the whole story."

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