Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/202

188 thus slain frequently. What, indeed, am I to do? O Devayani, do not grieve, do not cry. One like thee should not grieve for one that is mortal. Thou art indeed. O daughter, in consequence of my prowess, worshipped thrice a day during the ordained hours of prayer, by Brahmana, Brahmanas, the gods with Indra, the Vasus, the Aswins, the Asuras, in fact, by the whole universe 1 It is impossible to keep him alive, for revived by me be is often killed l' To all this Devayani replied, 'Why shall I, O father, not grieve for him whose grandfather is old Angiras himself, whose father is Vrihaspati who is an ocean of ascetic of merit, who is the grandson of a Rishi and the son also of a Rishi? He himself too was a Brahmacharin and an ascetic; always wakeful and skilled in everything! I will starve and follow the way Kacha has gone! The handsome Kacha is, O father, dear unto me!'"

Vaisampayana continued..."The great Rishi Kavya then, afflicted by what Devayani said, cried in anger,'Certainly, the Asuras seek to injure me, for they slay my disciple that stayeth with meThese 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, the Brahmana Sukra, urged by Devayani, began to summon on Kacha who had entered the jaws of Death. But Kacha, summoned with the aid of science, and afraid of the consequence to his preceptor, feebly replied from within the stomach of his preceptor, saying.-'Be graceful unto me, O lord 1 I am Kacha that worshippeth thee I Bebave unto me as to thy own dearly loved son l'"

Vaisa mpayana continued, Sukra then said. "By what path, O Brahmana, hast thou entered my stomach, where thou stayest now? Leaving the Asuras this very moment, I shall go over to the gods I Kacha 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 almost insufferable pain. O Kavya, slain, by the Asuras and burnt and reduced to powder I have been given to thee with thy wine! When thou art present, O Brabmana, the art of the Asuras will never be able to vanquish the science of the Brahmana l'"

"Hearing this, Sukra said.-'O daughter, what good can I do to thee? It is with my death that Kacha can get his life back! O Devayani, Kacha is even within me! There is no other way of his coming out except by ripping open my stomach? Devayani replied. Both evils shall, like fire burn me I The death of Kacha and thy own death are to me the same! The death of Kacha would deprive me of life. If thou also diest, I shall not be able to bear my life!' Then Sukra said