King Yayāti, having received his son Puru, spoke with deep affection: “Through you I have an heir; you are the perpetuator of my line, my son. Because of you, the lineage will be known in the world as the Paurava line.” Entrusting his kingdom to Puru, that mighty king—foremost among kings—devoted himself to virtuous deeds and performed great austerities upon the slopes of Bhṛgu mountain. In the course of time, as is the way of all beings, Yayāti completed his earthly journey. Having observed the sacred rite of fasting along with his devoted wife, he departed this world and ascended to heaven. Janamejaya, eager to know more of his ancestor, asked the sage: “How did Yayāti, the tenth son of Prajāpati, obtain the exceedingly rare daughter of Śukra? I wish to hear this in detail, O sage rich in austerity. And please recount, in proper order, the progenitors of the king’s lineage.” The sage replied, “Yayāti was a king, radiant as the lord of the gods. In days of old, Śukra and Vṛṣaparvan gave him their daughter. Listen, Janamejaya, as I recount to you the union of Devayānī and Yayāti, son of Nahusha, as you have asked. Once, a great conflict arose between the gods and the asuras, spreading throughout the three worlds—both moving and unmoving—for the sake of sovereignty. Desiring victory, the gods chose the sage Aṅgiras as their priest to perform their sacrifices, while the asuras appointed Kāvya Uśanas as their own priest. These two brāhmaṇas, rivals in knowledge and power, competed intensely. In the ensuing battle, the gods defeated the assembled dānavas. Yet, Kāvya Uśanas, relying on the power of his profound knowledge, revived the fallen dānavas. Thus restored, the asuras rose again and renewed their fight with the gods. In turn, the asuras slew the gods on the battlefield, but Bṛhaspati, wise though he was, did not revive the gods. For Bṛhaspati did not possess the secret science that mighty Kāvya knew—the art of bringing the dead back to life. Because of this, the gods fell into great despair. Seized by fear, the gods approached Kaca, the eldest son of Bṛhaspati, and spoke earnestly: ‘Support us, who seek your aid; grant us your utmost help. That knowledge, which can revive the dead, resides with the brāhmaṇa of immeasurable brilliance, Śukra. Bring it swiftly from him; you shall receive a share of our offerings. Near Vṛṣaparvan, O brāhmaṇa, you will find him. He protects the dānavas, but not the non-dānavas. You alone, being young, are able to win over the sage. And his beloved daughter, Devayānī, you alone can win her favor; no one else can do so. By virtue, generosity, sweetness, proper conduct, and self-control—if you please Devayānī, you will surely obtain that knowledge.’ Kaca, agreeing to their request, said, ‘So be it,’ and, honored by the gods, departed for the abode of Vṛṣaparvan. Urged by the gods, Kaca journeyed swiftly to the city of the lord of the Asuras. There, upon seeing Śukra, he addressed him: ‘I am known as Kaca, grandson of the sage Aṅgiras and son of Bṛhaspati. O revered one, please accept me as your disciple. I wish to observe strict celibacy under you, O supreme teacher; grant me permission, O Brahmin, to serve for a thousand years.’ Śukra welcomed him warmly: ‘Kaca, you are most welcome. I accept your words and shall honor you as I have honored Bṛhaspati himself.’ Kaca replied, ‘So be it,’ and undertook the vow, as instructed by Śukra, son of the sage Uśanas. When the time for the vow arrived, Kaca accepted it as prescribed, serving his teacher Śukra and also Devayānī, O descendant of Bharata. Always seeking to please her, the young sage delighted Devayānī, who had come of age, by singing, dancing, and playing music. He won over the maiden Devayānī with offerings of flowers, fruits, and various services. In turn, Devayānī, pleased with the Brahmin who was steadfast in his vows, would sing and play with him in private. For women are drawn to a man who sings, gives gifts, speaks kindly, is handsome, and wears garlands. Thus, as Kaca observed his vow for five hundred years, the dānavas came to realize his purpose. One day, seeing him alone in the forest tending the cows, the enraged dānavas, harboring hatred for Bṛhaspati and wishing to guard their secret knowledge, killed Kaca. After slaying him, they fed his remains to wolves. The cows, now without their herdsman, wandered back to their abode. When Devayānī saw the cows return from the forest without Kaca, she spoke anxiously to her father: ‘Your fire sacrifice has been performed, the sun has set, the cows have returned without a herdsman, but Kaca, father, is nowhere to be seen. Surely, father, Kaca must be dead or slain; without him, I cannot live—this is the truth I tell you.’ Śukra, moved by her words, employed his knowledge of reviving the dead and called for Kaca. Breaking through the bodies of the wolves, Kaca emerged, summoned by that knowledge, rejoicing at his restoration to life. When Devayānī asked him, ‘Why have you been delayed so long?’ Kaca replied to the daughter of Bhṛgu: ‘Weighed down by fatigue, I took shelter under a banyan tree, and all the cows together also sought the shade of the tree.