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 SOURCE OF THE PLOT

him for the third time and burning him and reduc- ing him to ashes, the Asuras gave those ashes to the preceptor himself, mixing them with his wine. And Devayant again spoke unto her father, say- ing, ‘O father, Kacha hath been sent to gather flowers. But he is not to be seen. It is plain he Rath been lost or dead. I tell thee truly, I would not live without him.’

“Sukra, hearing this, said, ‘O daughter, the son of Brhaspati hath gone to the region of the dead. ‘Though revived by my science, he is thus slain frequently. What, indecd, am I to do? O Devayini, 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, Brihmanas, the Gods with Indra, the Vasus,! the Asvinas,’ 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 Devayant replied, ‘Why shall I, O father, not grieve for him whose grandfather is old Arigiras himself, whose father is Brhaspati—that ocean of ascetic merit, who is the grandson of a Rishi and the son also of a Rishi ? He himself too was a érahmachari, and an ascetic, always wakeful and skilled in everything. I will

1 A class of eight demigods.

Indian mythology,
 * The Heavenly Horsemen; the Castor and Pollux of

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