Shukra, the revered sage and preceptor of the Asuras, was deeply distressed. He could not bear to remain in the realm of King Vṛṣaparvan, for his beloved daughter Devayani had been wronged, and he declared to the king, “She cannot dwell here, and deprived of her, neither can I. Therefore, O King, I renounce your kingdom.” Shukra’s grief was compounded by the undeserved harm inflicted upon Devayani and the unjust slaying that had occurred. Addressing Vṛṣaparvan, he announced his intention to abandon the king and his kin, unable to stay in a realm where his daughter had suffered. “Do not grieve, Vṛṣaparvan, nor be angry, lord of men,” Shukra said gently. “I cannot remain without her. Her fate is my fate; what is dear to her is dear to me.” He solemnly declared that whether he committed a grievous act or cried out in sorrow, if Sharmishtha had wronged Devayani, the consequences would be dire for him. Shukra lamented that Vṛṣaparvan seemed to disregard the fault and considered him a speaker of falsehoods, since the king had not restrained the wrongdoing. Vṛṣaparvan, however, replied with humility, “O Bhārgava, I know in you neither unrighteousness nor falsehood. In you are both righteousness and truth; may you be gracious to us.” Desperate to keep Shukra’s favor, the king proclaimed, “If you leave us, O Bhārgava, I will enter the ocean first, together with my kin. Or I will enter the underworld or fire; there is no refuge for me. If you go to the gods and abandon me, then, renouncing everything, I will enter the blazing fire.” Shukra, unwavering in his resolve, said, “Enter the ocean, or flee to the directions, O Asuras! I am not able to bear any harm to my daughter, for she is dear to me.” Vṛṣaparvan pleaded, “Let Devayani be appeased, for my life depends on her. I am your protector of welfare, as Bṛhaspati is for Indra.” The king offered all wealth of the Asuras—elephants, cows, horses—to Shukra, declaring, “You and I are its masters.” He further proclaimed, “Whatever riches belong to the mighty Daitya kings, O great Asura, I am the lord of it, if only Devayani may be appeased.” Moved by the king’s words, Shukra approached Devayani and spoke to her about the matter. Devayani replied, “If you are truly the lord of the king’s wealth, O Bhārgava, I do not know of it; let the king himself declare it.” Hearing Shukra’s plea, Vṛṣaparvan, along with his kin, fell at Devayani’s feet, asking for her forgiveness. He said reverently, “You are always to be praised and honored by me, and you are like a father, O auspicious one. Whatever desire you cherish, O Devayani of pure smile, even if it is difficult to obtain, I shall grant it to you.” Devayani stated her wish: “I desire Sharmishtha as a maid, together with a thousand maidens; let her follow me wherever my father may give me.” Vṛṣaparvan commanded, “Rise, nurse, go quickly and bring Sharmishtha; let Devayani do whatever she desires.” He reflected, “One should abandon one for the sake of the family, a family for the sake of the village; a village for the sake of the country, and the earth for the sake of oneself.” The nurse went to Sharmishtha and said, “Rise, gentle Sharmishtha, bring happiness to your kin. The Brahmin, urged by Devayani, is abandoning his disciples; whatever desire she has this evening, O blameless one, you must fulfill today.” Sharmishtha replied, “Whatever she desires, I shall do that today; if Shukra summons me for Devayani’s sake, let not Shukra nor Devayani be blamed on my account.” Thus, chosen with a thousand maidens, Sharmishtha swiftly departed from the splendid palace in a palanquin, as her father commanded. She said to Devayani, “With a thousand maidservants, I shall be your attendant; I will follow you wherever your father gives you. I am the daughter of one who praises, who asks, who receives; how can the daughter of one who is praised become a maidservant? Yet, whoever brings happiness to afflicted kin in any way, for that reason I shall follow you wherever your father gives you.” When Sharmishtha promised servitude, Devayani spoke to her father, “I shall enter the city, father; I am satisfied, O best of Brahmins. Your knowledge is unfailing, and your power of learning is great.” Thus addressed, Shukra, the illustrious sage, entered the city, delighted and honored with every kind of gift. Time passed, and after a long while, Devayani, radiant and splendid, ventured out to the forest to play. She was accompanied by a thousand maidservants and Sharmishtha, arriving at the same place where past events had unfolded, wandering as she pleased. Together with her joyful companions, Devayani delighted in games, drinking honeyed spring wine, and eating delicacies and fruits. By chance, King Yayati, desiring to hunt, entered that region again. Seeking water and weary, he arrived at the very place where Devayani, Sharmishtha, and the maidens were. He saw them drinking and sporting, adorned with divine ornaments, seated on a splendid seat decorated with every jewel. Devayani, with her pure smile, sat among them. Yayati beheld the incomparable beauty, the best of maidens, slightly apart from her golden seat. He also saw Sharmishtha, blameless and lovely, massaging Devayani’s feet. The maidens were singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Upon seeing the illustrious Yayati, they stood bashfully with lowered heads. Yayati, surrounded by two thousand maidens with two girls beside him, asked, “O beautiful one, your lineage and names?” Devayani replied graciously, “I will tell you—listen to my words, O king: Know me as the daughter of Shukra, the preceptor of the Asuras.