Kāvya, possessed of profound knowledge, brought the slain Dānavas back to life with the power of his science. Restored, the Dānavas rose once more and renewed their battle against the gods. In turn, the Asuras slew many of the gods on the battlefield. Yet, unlike Kāvya, the wise Bṛhaspati could not revive the fallen gods—he did not know the secret art of restoring life, the very knowledge that mighty Kāvya alone possessed. Because of this, great despair gripped the gods. Overcome by fear and uncertainty, the gods approached Kaca, the noble eldest son of Bṛhaspati. They pleaded, “Support us, O Kaca, who seek your aid. Grant us your utmost help. That precious knowledge, the means to restore life, resides with the brāhmaṇa of immeasurable brilliance, Śukra. Bring it back for us swiftly, and you shall receive a share of our offerings. Near Vṛṣaparvan, O brāhmaṇa, you will find him—he protects the Dānavas, but not any others. Only you, young and virtuous, can win the favor of the sage. And his beloved daughter, Devayānī—only you can win her heart, none other. Through virtue, generosity, sweetness, proper conduct, and self-control, if you please Devayānī, you will surely gain that knowledge.” Kaca agreed, saying, “So be it.” Honored by the gods, he set forth to the abode of Vṛṣaparvan. Urged by the gods, he quickly made his way to the city of the lord of the Asuras. There, he beheld Śukra and addressed him, “I am Kaca, grandson of the sage Angiras and son of Bṛhaspati. O revered one, please accept me as your disciple. I wish to observe strict celibacy under your guidance, O supreme teacher—grant me permission to serve you for a thousand years.” Śukra welcomed him warmly, “Kaca, you are most welcome. I accept your words and shall honor you as I honor Bṛhaspati himself.” Kaca replied, “So be it,” and took the vow as instructed by Śukra, the illustrious son of the sage Ushanas. When the time for the vow arrived, Kaca undertook it as prescribed, serving his teacher Śukra and also Devayānī, O descendant of Bharata. The young sage, always seeking to please Devayānī, delighted her by singing, dancing, and playing music. He won her favor, offering her flowers, fruits, and performing various services. Devayānī, in turn, served Kaca, who remained steadfast in his vows, singing and playing with him in private. For women, it is said, desire a man who sings, gives gifts, speaks kindly, is handsome, and adorned with garlands. Thus, Kaca observed his vow for five hundred years. But the Dānavas, noticing this, grew wary. One day, when Kaca was alone in the forest tending the cows, the Dānavas, enraged and determined to protect their secret knowledge, killed him out of hatred for Bṛhaspati. They fed his remains to wolves, and the cows, now without their herdsman, returned home. When Devayānī saw the cows return without Kaca, she spoke anxiously to her father, “Your fire sacrifice has been performed, the sun has set, and the cows have returned without a herdsman, but Kaca 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.” Moved by her distress, Śukra employed his knowledge of reviving the dead and called for Kaca. Breaking through the bodies of the wolves, Kaca emerged, summoned back to life, rejoicing because of the sage’s knowledge. When Devayānī asked why he had been delayed so long, Kaca explained, “Weighed down by fatigue, I took shelter under a banyan tree, and the cows gathered there as well. The Asuras saw me and asked who I was. I replied, ‘I am Kaca, son of Bṛhaspati.’ At once, they killed me, crushed me to pieces, and fed my remains to jackals and wolves, then returned happily to their abode. But called back by the great-souled Bhargava with his knowledge, O gentle one, I have come to your side, somehow regaining my life.” When asked again by Devayānī, he confirmed, “I was killed.” Yet Devayānī, undeterred, said, “Bring me flowers, O Brāhmaṇa.” Obediently, Kaca went again into the forest. The Dānavas saw him, and once more, after killing and crushing him, they scattered his remains in the waters of the ocean. When Kaca was gone for a long time, Devayānī again informed her father. Śukra, using his knowledge, called Kaca back from the waters, and the revived Kaca returned, recounting all that had happened. Then, for the third time, the Asuras killed him, burned his body, and reduced him to ashes. They mixed these ashes in wine and gave it to Śukra to drink, as well as to themselves. The illustrious Śukra, descendant of Bhrigu, unknowingly drank the wine containing Kaca’s ashes. At sunset, the herdsmen brought the cows home, but Kaca was nowhere to be seen. Suspecting something was wrong, Devayānī approached her father once more. “Father, Kaca, whom you sent to gather flowers, is not to be seen. Surely, father, Kaca has been killed or has died; without him, I cannot live. I speak the truth to you.” Thus, the tale unfolds, with Kaca’s trials and Devayānī’s devotion, as the gods’ hope for the secret of life and death rests in the outcome of their ordeal.