Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/270

236 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 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, 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, Kacha is even within me. There is no other way of his coming out except by ripping open my stomach. But 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,