²⁴⁸ As a frog revives as soon as he is dead so Kacha rose up many
times alive after his death. The allusion, contained in this
chapter, is as follows:—Vrihaspati (Angirasa) was the priest of
the gods and Sukra that of the Danavas. There was a rivalry
between these two Brāhmanas. Sukra knew the _mantra_ of reviving a
dead man with which he revived many Daityas. Vrihaspati did not
know it. Thereat Kacha, the eldest son of Vrihaspati, was sent to
Sukra to learn it. Kacha became his disciple and began to please
him and his daughter Devajani. By and by he exercised a great
influence on Sukra’s daughter who was greatly attached to him. One
day while Kacha was tending kine the Danavas, learning that he was
the son of Vrihaspati, hacked him into pieces, which were eaten up
wolves. Devajani grew mad after him and pressed her father to
revive him which Sukra did. Next time he was burnt to ashes and
they were mixed up with liquor which Sukra drank up. Devajani
again wanted her father to revive Kacha; this was a question of
life, and death to him. He therefore taught Kacha the mantra first
who came out of his womb and then revived again Sukra. Thus did
Kacha learn the art of reviving a dead man. See Mahabharata,
chapters LXXV and VI, Adiparva.
CHAPTER LXXVIII. ANDHAKA’S ADVICE TO KANSA.
Vaishampayana said:—Beholding Vasudeva thus insulted and covering their
ears with their hands the leading Yādavas took him for one having his
lease of life run out (1). Resorting to patience, although his mind was
worked up with anxiety Andhaka, the foremost of speakers, addressed,
mildly in the midst of that assembly, powerful words to Kansa (2).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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