Kacha revived…the second time:

   Already pained over the loss of his innocent disciple, Shukracharya was distressed even more when he saw how Kacha’s loss was affecting his daughter. He wanted to stop his daughter’s pain, so he sought to bring Kacha back from the dead once more. But when he called for Kacha, the response came from inside his stomach. Disbelief washed through Shukracharya when he realized that his dear disciple was inside his stomach.

   “How did you come to be in my stomach? Please explain so that I understand what is happening,” he said to Kacha.

   Kacha explained that he remembered the events before and after his death because Shukracharya was the one who called for him. He explained that he was killed by the danavas, after which they burned him, mixed his ashes in the wine and gave it to Shukracharya to drink—and that is how he ended up in Shukracharya’s stomach.

   Shukracharya was shocked. The danavas’ actions were unimaginably cruel.

   But that matter would have to wait, they had more pressing matters on their hands. Shukracharya discussed with Devayani how they could save Kacha.

   “The only way to save Kacha is through my death,” he told Devayani.

   Devayani refused the idea. “That is no solution. I cannot lose either of you,” she said.

   They considered the problem some more and then came to a decision.

   Shukracharya told Kacha, “Kacha, you are a lucky man indeed. My daughter loves you very much, so I cannot let you die. I will impart the knowledge of Sanjivani to you; after which, you will come out of my stomach and use the knowledge you received to revive me.”

   Kacha agreed. Whilst inside his preceptor’s stomach, Kacha received the knowledge of sanjivani. After the knowledge transfer was complete, Kacha came out of Shukracharya’s stomach, completely revived for the second time. As soon as he could, he applied the knowledge he had just received and brought Shukracharya’s body back from the dead.

   Shukracharya was still upset over what had transpired before his death. He was angry at himself for making a decision to drink the contaminated wine while already intoxicated. He realized that wine impaired his judgement, as a result of which something catastrophic would have happened. With this in mind, he stated that no Brahmana should partake in wine from this day forward and this should be the dharma that all Brahmanas should follow.

Devayani’s first love remains unrequited:

   Kacha continued to live with Shukracharya and completed his studies. Once he completed the 1000 years of brahmacharya, as he had promised, he asked for Shukracharya’s permission to stop so that he could take up the job the gods had offered him and work there. Shukracharya agreed and Kacha got ready to go to Indra’s abode.

   When Kacha went to Devayani to say his goodbye, Devayani asked him to take her with him. She confessed her love to him and asked him to marry her. To her surprise, Kacha turned her down. When she confronted him with her feelings, he told her that anything romantic between them would be impossible because he was like a son to Shukhracharya since he was recreated from inside Shukracharya’s body and so anything romantic between them would be inappropriate.

   Devayani was blindsided. She never thought her love would not be reciprocated. She had always imagined that they would be eventually married. Brokenhearted and angry, she lashed out at Kacha and scolded him using harsh words and cursed him. Kacha didn’t take kindly to being cursed at and he told her that her words would not come true because he was motivated by Dharma while she was not, instead he cursed her saying that no rishi would marry her. Kacha left Shukracharya’s place and went to Indra’s court.

   And that is how the former good friends parted with bitter and angry words.

A friend turned into a slave:

   One day, Devayani, accompanied by a large group of female friends, went to the beautiful woods nearby. They saw a lake there and decided it would be refreshing to take a dip in it. They stripped and got into the water, they played and had a lot of fun together. It was a particularly windy day, and when the wind blew, it moved the women’s clothes which they had left by the water. When the girls came out of the water, they found that the clothes they had kept neatly piled by the lake was all in disarray. Quickly they picked up whatever piece of clothing they could get their hands on.

   One of Devayani’s very close friends, Sharmishtha, was also present in the party. She too picked up the cloth nearest to her without realizing that it was Devayani’s.  

   Sharmishta was the daughter of Vrishaparva, who is the king of the asuras. She was the daughter of a person who held an important role in society. But Devayani was the daughter of a Brahmana, a powerful one at that; this placed him (and by extension her) in the top most rung of the social ladder. However, he worked for Vrishaparva. They were interdependent.

   Devayani, it seemed, liked to think that she was superior to Sharmishta. Because when she realized that Sharmishta was wearing her clothes, she took great offence.

   “How dare you—someone who is inferior to me—wear my clothes?” she raged, grabbing the garments Sharmishta was wearing. “Have you no shame or sense?”

   Sharmishta was not going to take the insult laying down. “I am inferior? Your father is employed by my father and does what mine tells him to. He bows to my father with his hands stretched in front of him to be paid for the work he does as one asks for alms. You dare call me inferior? I do not see how you are superior. I don’t even see you as my equal,” she said.

   Devayani was stunned by Sharmishta’s attack. She stiffened; her hands were still clutching at Sharmishta’s clothes. Sharmishta was angry too. There was a well right behind where Devayani was standing and Sharmishta viciously pushed her into the well and walked away without sparing her another glance.

   Devayani wasn’t dead, as Sharmishta had assumed, but she was stuck in the empty well, with no help coming her way and no means of getting out of it on her own. She hoped and prayed for someone to find her. Her prayers were answered when Yayati, who was hunting in the same forest, found her. He was thirsty and looking for water to drink; but instead of water, he found a beautiful girl inside the well who was looking sad and distressed. From the jewels she was wearing Yayati deduced that she was not from an ordinary family. He was immediately curious about her.

   “Who are you? And how did you fall into this well? What happened?” he asked her.  

   Devayani introduced herself to Yayati and asked him to help her out of the well. She held out her right hand, which Yayati grasped and pulled her out. Yayati then said goodbye and continued on his way.

   On her way home, Devayani met her friend, Ghurnika. Devayani quickly related to Ghurnika all that had transpired and asked her to rush to her father and share with him the same.

   Devayani added, “Tell my father that I will not step into Vrishaparva’s city.”

    Ghrunika did as Devayani instructed. Shukracharya could not believe his ears when he heard what had happened to his cherished daughter—he was distraught. He went to Devayani and tried to console her.

   “Your suffering must be the result of your wrong deeds of the past. It is done now,” he told her.

   Devayani was not ready to be pacified. She said, “It does not matter if this was the result of some bad deed of mine. Sharmishta insulted both me and you. She likened you to a beggar and mocked your position in her father’s court. I cannot abide such treatment from someone who was supposedly my friend. Are you really someone who begs and asks for favors from Vrishaparva?”

   “No,” her father denied vehemently. “I don’t beg or ask for favors from the king. My role in his court isn’t something to snicker at. It is a respectable and essential role,” he said.

   Sharmishta’s words had rubbed Shukracahrya the wrong way too; however, he wanted Devayani to act in a more calm and logical manner. He asked her to calm down and not let her pride and anger rule her. He urged her to forgive her friend. He considered anger as a show of weakness.

   “Father, I am aware of the wisdom of controlling one’s anger. I also know that forgiveness is a virtue. But this kind of blatantly disrespectful behavior from them is unacceptable. I don’t like to be associated with people who do not have a good regard for us, and who have no respect for our position. I cannot live in Vrishaparva’s city anymore. I refuse to live amongst them,” Devayani declared passionately.  

   When Shukracharya heard how much this episode had affected his daughter, he too became incensed with Vrishaparva and Sharmishta. He went to Vrishparva and confronted him.

   Shukracharya told Vrishaparva, “Over and over again you perform deeds that are guaranteed to bring you or your decedents grief in the future. First, you and your allies kill my beloved disciple Kacha, who did no wrong and was entirely innocent. And now, your daughter insults and almost kills my precious daughter.”

   “I have had enough of you and your actions. I am leaving your court,” Shukracharya declared firmly.

   Immediately, Vrishaparva panicked. His military success depended heavily on Shukracharya’s skills. He simply could not afford to lose Shukracharya. He scrambled to appease Shukracharya. He begged for forgiveness and a chance to make things right.

   “That is not in my hands. The person who can grant you what you ask is my daughter. Talk to her and see if she will come to an agreement,” Shukracharya said.

   A desperate Vrishaparva went to Devayani and begged her for her forgiveness. He asked her how he could make things right.

   “Sharmishta, along with 1000 of her female companions, must be my slave and they must follow me even when I am married,” Devayani stated her demands.

   Vrishaparva simply said, “As you please,” and sent a servant to bring Sharmishta. His people could not lose a man with Shukracharya’s skill and he was ready to sacrifice his daughter for his cause.

   When Sharmishta learned of what happened, she readily agreed to Devayani’s wishes because she felt responsible for creating the whole situation. Sharmishta went to Devayani and humbly offered her services. Devayani accepted, but not before rubbing it in to Sharmishta, who was now in an impossible and vulnerable position. Sharmishta told Devayani that she accepted that she was inferior to her and she would prove it by being Debayani’s slave for the rest of her life. After much groveling by Sharmishta, Devayani finally accepted her apology and agreed to continue living in Vrishaparva’s city and Shukracharya continued to work in Vrishaparva’s court.