The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section LXXVI
Section LXXVI.
( Sambhava Parva continued. )
Janamejaya said, "O thou whose wealth is asceticism, tell me how our ancestor Yayāti who is the tenth from Prajapati obtained for wife the unobtainable daughter of Sukra. I desire to hear of it in detail. Tell me also, one after another, of those monarchs separately who have been the founders of dynasties."
Vaisampayana said, "The monarch Yayati was in splendour like unto Indra himself. I will tell thee, in reply to thy question, O Janamejaya, how both Sukra and Vrishaparvã bestowed upon him with due rites their daughters, and how his union took place with Devayãni in especial.
"Between the celestials and the Asuras there happened frequent encounters of yore for the sovereignty of the three worlds with everything in them. The gods then, from desire of victory, installed the son of Angira (Vrihaspati) as their priest to conduct their sacrifices; while their opponents installed the learned Usana as their priest for the same purpose. And between those two Brahmanas there was always much boastful rivalry. Those Danavas assembled for encounter that were slain by the gods were all revived by Kavya (Sukra) by aid of the power of his knowledge. And then starting again into life, these fought with the gods. The Asuras also slew on the field of battle many of the celestials. But the open-minded Vrihaspati could not revive them, because he knew not the science called Sanjivani (re-vivification) which Kavya endued with great energy knew so well. And the gods were, therefore, entertaining a fear of the learned Usana, then went to Kacha, the eldest son of Vrihaspati, and spoke unto him, saying, 'We pay court to thee, therefore be king to us and do us a service that we regard as very great. That knowledge which resides in Sukra—that Brahmana of immeasurable prowess, make thy own as soon as thou canst. Thou shalt then be a sharer with us in all sacrificial offerings. Thou shalt find the Brahmana in the court of Vrishaparva. He always protects the Danavas but never us their opponents. Thou art his junior in age, and therefore capable of adoring him with reverence. Thou canst also adore Deva-yani, the favorite daughter of that high-souled Brahmana. Indeed, thou alone art capable of conciliating them both by worship. There is none else that can do so. By gratifying Deva-yani with thy conduct, liberality, sweetness, and general behaviour, thou canst certainly obtain that knowledge.' The son of Vrihaspati, thus solicited by the gods, then saying 'So be it,' went to where Vrishaparva was. And, O king, Kacha, thus sent by the gods, soon wended into the capital of the chief of the Asuras, and beheld Sukra there. And beholding him he thus spoke unto him:—'Accept me as thy disciple. I am the grand-son of the Rishi Angiri and son of Vrihaspati himself. By name am I known as Kacha. Thyself becoming my preceptor, I shall practise the Brahmacharya mode of life for a thousand years. Command me then, O Brahmana!'
"And Sukra (hearing this) said, 'Welcome art thou, O Kacha! I accept thy speech. I will treat thee with regard; for by so doing it, it is Vrihaspati who is being regarded.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "And Kacha, commanded by Kavya or Usana himself called also Sukra, then saying, 'So be it', took the vow he had spoken of. And, O Bharata, accepting the vow as he had said, at the proper time, Kacha began to conciliate regardfully both his preceptor and (his preceptor's daughter) Deva-yani. And he began to conciliate both. And young as he was, by singing and dancing and playing on different kinds of instruments, he soon gratified Deva-yani who was herself in her youth. And, O Bharata, with his whole heart set upon it, he soon gratified that maiden Deva-yani—already arrived in her youth, by presents of flowers and fruits and services rendered with alacrity. And Deva-yani also by her songs and sweetness of manners used, while they were alone, to attend upon that youth carrying out his vow. And when five hundred years had thus passed of Kacha's vow, the Danavas came to learn of his intention. And having no compunctions about slaying a Brahmana, they became very angry with him. And one day they saw Kacha engaged in a solitary part of the woods in tending (his preceptor's) kine. And they then slew Kacha from their hated of Vrihaspati an from their desire also of protecting the knowledge of reviving the dead from being taken away by him. And having slain him they hacked his body into pices and gave these to be devoured by jackals and wolves. And (when twilight came) the kine returned to their fold without him who tended them. And Deva-yani, seeing the kine return from the woods without Kacha, spoke, O Bharata, unto her father thus:—
'Thy Evening fire hath been kindled: the Sun also hath set, O father! The kine have returned without him who tendeth them. Indeed, Kacha is not to be seen! It is plain that Kacha hath been lost or dead. Truly do I say, O father, that without him I would not live.'
"And Sukra hearing this said, 'I will revive him by saying—Let this one come.' Then having recourse to the science of reviving the dead, Sukra summoned Kacha. And summoned by his preceptor, Kacha appeared before him in gladness of heart, tearing by virtue of his preceptor's science the bodies of the wolves (that had devoured him.) And asked about the cause of his delay, he thus spoke unto Bhargava's (Sukra's) daughter. Indeed, asked by that Brahmana's daughter, he told her, 'I was dead. O thou of pure manners, bearing the sacrificial fuel, Kusa grass, and logs of wood, I was coming towards our abode. I had sat under a banian tree. The kine also having been gathered together were staying under the shade of that same banian. The Asuras, beholding me, asked—'Who art thou?' They heard me answer—I am the son of Vrahaspati. As soon I had said this, the Davanas slew me and hacking my body into pieces gave my remains to jackals and wolves. And they then went to their homes in gladness of heart. O amiable one, summoned by their high-souled Bhargava, I come before thee somehow fully revived.'
"On another occasion, asked by Deva-yani, the Brahmana Kacha went into the woods. And as he was roving about for gathering flowers, the Danavas beheld him. They again slew him and pounding him into paste they mixed it with the waters of the ocean. Finding him late, the maiden again represented the matter unto her father. And summoned again by the Brahmana with the aid of his science, Kacha appearing before (his preceptor and his daughter) told evrything as it had happened. Then slaying him for the third time and burning him and reducing him to ashes the Asuras gave those ashes to the preceptor himself mixing them with his wine. And Deva-yani again spoke unto her father, saying, 'O father, Kacha had been sent to gather flowers. But he is not to be seen. It is plain he hath been lost or dead. I tell thee truly, I would not live without him.'
"Sukra hearing this said, 'O daughter, the son of Vrahaspati hath gone to the region of the dead. Though revived by my science, he is thus slain frequently. What, indeed, am I to do? O Deva-yani, do not grieve, do not cry. One like thee should not grieve for one that is mortal. Indeed, thou art, O daughter, in consequence of my prowess, worshipped thrice a day, during the ordained hours of prayer, by Brahma, Brahmanas, the gods with Indra, the Vasus, the Aswinas, the Asuras, in fact by the whole universe. It is impossible to keep him alive, for revived by me he is as often killed.' To all this Deva-yani replied, 'Why shall I, O father, not grieve for him whose grand-father is old Angira himself, whose father is Vrihaspati—that ocean of ascetic merit, who is the grand-son of a Rishi and the son also of Rishi? He himself too was a Brahmachari and an ascetic; always wakeful and skilled in everything. I will starve and follow the way Kacha hath gone. The handsome Kacha is, O father, dear unto me!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "The great Rishi Kavya (Sukra) then, afflicted by what Deva-yani had said, then cried in anger, 'Certainly, the Asuras seek to injure me, for they slay my disciple that stayeth with me. These followers of Rudra desire to divest me of my character as a Brahmana by making me participate in their crime. Truly this crime hath a terrible end. The crime of slaying a Brahmana would even burn Indra himself.' Having said this, that Brahmana Sukra, urged by Deva-yani, began to summon Kacha who had entered the jaws of death. But Kacha, summoned with the aid of science, and afraid at the consequences to his preceptor, feebly replied from within the stomach of his preceptor. And Kacha said, 'Be graceful unto me, O lord! I am Kacha that worshippeth thee! Behave unto me as to thy own dearly-loved son.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Sukra then said, 'By what path, O Brahmana, entering my stomach, dost thou stay there? Leaving the Asuras this very moment, shall I go over to the gods!' And Kacha then answered, 'By thy grace, memory hath not failed me. Indeed, I do recollect everything as it hath happened. My ascetic virtues have not been destroyed. It is therefore that I am able to bear this insufferable pain. O Kavya, slain by the Asuras and burnt and reduced to powder have I been given to thee with thy wine. When thou art present, O Brahmana, the arts of the Asuras will never be able to vanquish the science of the Brahmana!'
"Hearing this, Sukra said, 'O daughter, what good can I do to thee? It is with my death that Kacha can have back his life! O Deva-yani, Kacha is even within me. There is no other way of his coming out except by ripping open my stomach. But Deva-yani replied, 'Both evils shall, like fire, burn me. The death of Kacha and thy own death too are to me as same. The death of Kacha would deprive me of life. If thou also diest, I shall not be able to bear life!' Then, Sukra said, 'O son of Vrihaspati, thou art, indeed, one already crowned with success, because Deva-yani regardest thee so well. Accept now the science that I will today impart to thee, if indeed, thou art no Indra in the form of Kacha! None can come out of my stomach with life. A Brahmana, however, must not be slain. Therefore, accept thou the science I impart to thee. Stat thou into life as my son! And possessed of the knowledge, having received it from me, and revived by me, look thou that coming out of my body thou mayest have in view what gratitude dictateth.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Receiving then the science imparted to him by his preceptor, ripping open his stomach the handsome Brahmana Kacha came out like the moon at evening in the fifteenth day of the lighted fortnight. And beholding the remains of his preceptor lying like a heap of Brahma, even Kacha revived him with the aid of the science he had received. And worshipping him with regard, Kacha then said unto his preceptor, 'Him who poureth the nectar of knowledge into one's ears, even as thou hast done into those of myself who am void of all knowledge, him do I regard both as my father and mother. And remembering the immense service done by him, who is there so ungrateful as to injure him? They that, having acquired knowledge, injure their preceptor who is always an object of worship, who is the giver of knowledge, who is the most precious of all precious objects on earth, become hated on earth and finally go to the regions of the sinful.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "The learned Sukra, having been deceived while under wine, and remembering the total loss of consciousness that is one of the terrible consequences of drink, and beholding too before him the handsome Kacha whom he had, in a state of unconsciousness, drunk with his wine, then thought of effecting a reform in the manners of the Brahmanas. The high-souled Usana rising up from the ground in anger then spoke as follows:—'That wretched Brahmana who from this day will, being unable to resist the temptation, drink wine, shall be regarded to have lost his virtue, shall be reckoned to have committed the sin of slaying a Brahmana, shall be hated both in this and the other world. I set this limit to the conduct and dignity of Brahmanas everywhere. Let the honest, let Brahmanas, let those regardful of their superiors, let the gods, let the three worlds, listen!' Having said these words, that high-souled one—that ascetic of ascetics then summoning the Danavas who had been deprived by fate of their good sense, then told them these words:—'Ye foolish Danavas, know ye that Kacha hath attained his wishes. He will henceforth dwell with me. Indeed, having obtained the valuable knowledge of reviving the dead, that Brahmana hath become in prowess even as Brahmā himself!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "And Bhargava having said so much cut short his speech. The Danavas were surprised and went away to their homes. And Kacha too having staid with his preceptor for a full thousand years then prepared to return to the abode of the celestials after having obtained his preceptor's permission."
And thus ends the seventy-sixth Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.