Urged on by the gods, Kacha, the noble grandson of the sage Angiras and son of Brihaspati, journeyed swiftly to the city of the lord of the Asuras. Upon reaching Shukra, the illustrious son of Ushanas, Kacha addressed him with reverence, declaring, "I am known as Kacha, descended from Angiras and born to Brihaspati. O revered one, please accept me as your disciple." He expressed his wish to live under strict celibacy, seeking Shukra’s permission to serve him faithfully for a thousand years. Shukra warmly welcomed Kacha, accepting his words and vowing to honor him as he had honored Brihaspati himself. Kacha replied, "So be it," and took up the vow as Shukra personally instructed him. When the appointed time for the vow arrived, Kacha began his prescribed service, attending to his teacher and also to Devayani, Shukra’s daughter. The young sage, ever eager to please, delighted Devayani, who had reached the age of youth, by singing, dancing, and playing music for her. He won her favor by offering flowers, fruits, and various acts of service, and Devayani, in turn, would sing and play with him in private, cherishing his company. For women, it is said, desire arises for those who sing, give gifts, speak kindly, are handsome, and adorned with garlands. Thus, Kacha continued to observe his vow for five hundred years. But the Danavas, recognizing this, grew wary. One day, seeing Kacha alone in the forest tending the cows, the Danavas, enraged and harboring hatred for Brihaspati and wishing to protect their secret knowledge, killed Kacha. After slaying him, they fed his remains to wolves, and the cows, now without their herdsman, returned home. When Devayani saw the cows return without Kacha, she spoke to her father, Shukra, saying, "Your fire sacrifice has been performed, the sun has set, the cows have returned without a herdsman, but Kacha, father, is nowhere to be seen. Surely, Kacha must be dead or slain; without him, I cannot live—this is the truth I tell you." Moved by her words, Shukra employed his knowledge of reviving the dead and called for Kacha. Breaking through the bodies of the wolves, Kacha emerged, rejoicing at his return to life. When Devayani asked why he had been delayed, Kacha explained to her: Weighed down by fatigue, he had taken shelter under a banyan tree, along with the cows. There, the Asuras saw him and questioned his identity. "I am the son of Brihaspati, known as Kacha," he replied. At once, the Danavas killed him, crushed him to pieces, and fed his remains to the jackals and wolves, returning happily to their abode. Once again, Shukra, with his great knowledge, summoned Kacha, and he returned, regaining his life. When Devayani asked, Kacha declared, "I was killed." Yet, Devayani, undeterred, asked him to bring her flowers. Kacha went to the forest, but the Danavas, seeing him there, killed him once more, crushed him, and scattered his remains in the waters of the ocean. When Kacha was gone for a long time, Devayani again informed her father. Shukra called Kacha back with his knowledge, and Kacha returned, relating all that had happened. But the Danavas were relentless. For the third time, they killed Kacha, burned him, reduced him to ashes, and mixed those ashes in wine, which they gave to Shukra and themselves to drink. At sunset, the cowherds brought the cows home, and Devayani, suspecting something was amiss, spoke to her father: "Father, Kacha, whom you sent to gather flowers, is not to be seen. Surely, Kacha has been killed or has died; without him, I cannot live. I speak the truth to you." Hearing his daughter's words, Shukra summoned Kacha with a mantra, not knowing that Kacha’s ashes were now within his own belly. "O daughter," he said, "Kacha, son of Brihaspati, has gone to the realm of the dead; though revived by knowledge, he is killed again and again—what should we do? Do not grieve so, do not weep, Devayani. No mortal like you grieves thus, for you are cherished by Brahma, the Brahmins, Indra, the Vasus, and the Ashvins. Even the enemies of the gods and all the world bow before you in attendance, out of respect. That twice-born one cannot be revived; though restored to life, he is killed again." He lamented, "Angiras, the eldest, is his great-grandfather, and Brihaspati, the treasure of austerity, is his father. How could I not grieve or weep for the son or even the grandson of such a sage? He is a celibate, rich in austerity, ever diligent and skilled in his duties. I will follow the path of Kacha and will not eat, for Kacha, handsome and dear to me, is gone, father." He pondered, "What sin, even the slaying of a Brahmin, would not burn Indra?" Urged by Devayani’s persistent grief, Shukra, the great sage, again summoned Kacha with fierce intent. Kacha, wise and powerful, fearful of his teacher, responded slowly from within Shukra’s belly, empowered by knowledge: "Be gracious, O venerable one, I am Kacha, I salute you; may you regard me as you would a beloved son.