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Mahabharata -Rajagopalachari
4.DEVAYANI AND KACHA
IN ancient times, there was a bitter
struggle between the devas or gods and
the asuras or demons for the lordship of
the three worlds. Both belligerents had
illustrious preceptors. Brihaspati who was
pre-eminent in the knowledge of the
Vedas was the guiding spirit of the devas,
while the asuras relied on Sukracharya's
profound wisdom.
The asuras had the formidable advantage
that Sukracharya alone possessed the
secret of Sanjivini which could recall the
dead to life. Thus the asuras who had
fallen in the battle were brought back to
life, time and again, and continued their
fight with the devas. The devas were thus
at a great disadvantage in their long
drawn-out war with their natural foes.
They went to Kacha, the son of
Brihaspati, and besought his aid. They
begged him to win his way into the good
graces of Sukracharya and persuade him
to take him as a pupil. Once admitted to
intimacy and confidence, he was to
acquire, by fair means or foul, the secret
of Sanjivini and remove the great
handicap under which the devas suffered.
Kacha acceded to their request and set out
to meet Sukracharya who lived in the
capital city of Vrishaparva, the king of the
asuras. Kacha went to the house of Sukra,
and after due salutation, addressed him
thus: "I am Kacha, the grandson of the
sage Angiras and the son of Brihaspati. I
am a brahmacharin seeking knowledge
under your tutelage."
It was the law that the wise teacher should
not refuse a worthy pupil who sought
knowledge of him. So Sukra acceded and
said: "Kacha, you belong to a good
family. I accept you as my pupil, the more
willingly, that by doing so I shall also be
showing my respect for Brihaspati."
Kacha spent many years under
Sukracharya, rendering to perfection the
prescribed duties in the household of his
master. Sukracharya had a lovelydaughter,
Devayani, of whom he was extremely
fond. Kacha devoted himself to pleasing
and serving her with song and dance and
pastime and succeeded in winning her
affection, without detriment however to
the vows of brahmacharya.
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