Bhargava, the great sage Shukra, spoke to Vrishaparvan, king of the Asuras, and said, “O Bhargava, all the wealth on earth that belongs to the lords of the Asuras—be it elephants, cows, or horses—belongs to both you and me.” He continued, “Whatever riches are possessed by the mighty Daitya kings, O great Asura, I am their lord, provided only that Devayani, my daughter, is appeased.” Hearing these words, Vrishaparvan replied, “So be it.” He then approached Devayani, and Shukra addressed her on this matter. Devayani answered, “If you are truly the lord of the king’s wealth, O Bhargava, I do not know of it; let the king himself declare it.” When Shukra’s words reached Vrishaparvan, the king, along with his kin, fell at Devayani’s feet, pleading, “Let Devayani be appeased.” Vrishaparvan said to her, “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 the pure smile, even if it is difficult to obtain, I shall grant it to you.” Devayani replied, “I desire Sharmishtha as a maid, together with a thousand maidens. Let her follow me wherever my father may give me.” Vrishaparvan agreed and commanded, “Rise, nurse, go quickly and bring Sharmishtha; let Devayani do whatever she desires.” He added, “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.” Then, chosen with a thousand maidens, Sharmishtha departed swiftly 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.” Yet she lamented, “I am the daughter of one who praises, who asks, who receives; how can the daughter of one who is praised become a maidservant?” But then she resolved, “Whoever brings happiness to afflicted kin in any way, for that reason I shall follow you wherever your father gives you.” When Sharmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparvan, promised servitude, Devayani spoke to her own 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 by his daughter, Shukra, the illustrious sage, entered the city, delighted and honored with every kind of gift. Time passed. Then, after a long while, Devayani, that splendid maiden, went out to the very same forest to play, accompanied by a thousand maidservants and Sharmishtha. They arrived at that place and wandered as they pleased. Together with her joyful companions, Devayani played and delighted in drinking honeyed spring wine. They ate various delicacies and bit into fruits. By chance, King Yayati, desiring to hunt, again entered that region. Weary and seeking water, he arrived at that very place and saw Devayani, Sharmishtha, and all the maidens. He beheld them drinking and sporting, adorned with divine ornaments, seated on a splendid seat decorated with every jewel. Among them, Devayani, with her pure smile, sat apart. Yayati’s gaze fell upon a maiden of incomparable beauty, the best among them, slightly apart from her golden seat. He also saw the blameless Sharmishtha, daughter of the lord of the Asuras, sitting and massaging the feet of the Brahmin maiden, Devayani. As they sang, danced, and played instruments, the illustrious Yayati approached. Seeing him, the maidens stood bashfully with lowered heads. Yayati, surrounded by two thousand maidens and seeing the two girls beside him, asked gently, “O beautiful one, tell me your lineage and names.” Devayani replied, “I will tell you—listen to my words, O king. Know me as the daughter of Shukra, the preceptor of the Asuras. And this is my companion and maid; wherever I go, she follows. She is Sharmishtha, daughter of the lord of the Danavas, Vrishaparvan.” Curious, Yayati asked, “But how is it that this beautiful maiden, your companion, is your maid, O lovely-browed one, daughter of the lord of the Asuras? I am greatly curious. Neither goddess, nor Gandharvi, nor Yakshi, nor Kinnari—never before have I seen a woman of such form upon the earth. With eyes like lotus petals, radiant as Shri herself, adorned with all auspicious marks, this daughter of the lord of the Asuras is decked in every ornament. Surely, by fate or perhaps by ascetic power, O lovely-browed one, she has been brought low; otherwise, with her flawless limbs, she would not be a maid here. In beauty, none of yours matches hers; surely, due to some misdeed in the past, she has become your maid—how astonishing!” Devayani replied, “All indeed, O best of men, follow the prescribed order; considering what is enjoined by ordinance, do not engage in strange discussions. But you, you have the appearance and attire of a king, yet you speak with the voice of a Brahmin; tell me, who are you, where do you come from, and whose son are you?” Yayati answered, “Through brahmacharya I have mastered the entire Veda along the path of hearing; I am a king, the son of a king, renowned as Yayati.” Devayani then asked, “For what purpose, O king, have you come to this place? Is it to seize some water, or perhaps with the desire to hunt?