स गत्वा त्वरितो राजन्देवैः संप्रेषितः कचः। असुरेन्द्रपुरे शुक्रं दृष्ट्वा वाक्यमुवाच ह
He, urged by the gods, quickly went, O King, and upon seeing Shukra in the city of the lord of the Asuras, Kacha spoke these words.
ऋषेरङ्गिरसः पौत्रं पुत्रं साक्षाद्बृहस्पतेः। नाम्ना कच इति ख्यातं शिष्यं गृह्णात् मां भवान्
I am known as Kacha, the grandson of the sage Angiras, the direct son of Brihaspati; O revered one, please accept me as your disciple.
ब्रह्मचर्यं चरिष्यामि त्वय्यहं परमं गुरौ। अनुमन्यस्व मां ब्रह्मन्सहस्रं परिवत्सरान्
I wish to observe strict celibacy under you, O supreme teacher; grant me permission, O Brahmin, to serve for a thousand years.
कच सुस्वागतं तेऽस्तु प्रतिगृह्णामि ते वचः। अर्चयिष्येऽहमर्च्यं त्वामर्चितोऽस्तु बृहस्पतिः
Kacha, you are most welcome; I accept your words. I shall honor you, worthy of honor, as Brihaspati himself has been honored.
कचस्तु तं तथेत्युक्त्वा प्रतिजग्राह तद्व्रतम्। आदिष्टं कविपुत्रेण शुक्रेणोशनसा स्वयम्
Kacha, having replied 'So be it,' accepted that vow, as instructed personally by Shukra, the son of the sage Ushanas.
व्रतस्य प्राप्तकालं स यथोक्तं प्रत्यगृह्णत। आराधयन्नुपाध्यायं देवयानीं च भारत
When the time for the vow arrived, he accepted it as prescribed, serving his teacher and also Devayani, O Bharata.
नित्यमाराधयिष्यंस्तां युवा यौवनगां मुनिः। गायन्नृत्यन्वादयंश्च देवयानीमतोषयत्
That young sage, always seeking to please her, delighted Devayani, who had come of age, by singing, dancing, and playing music.
स शीलयन्देवयानीं कन्यां संप्राप्तयौवनाम्। पुष्पैः फलैः प्रेषणैश्च तोषयामास भारत
He won over Devayani, the maiden who had reached youth, by offering her flowers, fruits, and various services, O Bharata.
देवयान्यपि तं विप्रं नियमव्रतधारिणम्। गायन्ती च ललन्ती च रहः पर्यचरत्तथा
Devayani too, serving that Brahmin who observed strict vows, would sing and play with him in private.
गायन्तं चैव शुल्कं च दातारं प्रियवादिनम्। नार्यो नरं कामयन्ते रूपिणं स्रग्विणं तथा
Women desire a man who sings, gives gifts, speaks kindly, is handsome, and adorned with garlands.
पञ्चवर्षशतान्येवं कचस्य चरतो व्रतम्। तत्रातीयुरथो बुद्ध्वा दानवास्तं ततः कचम्
Thus, as Kacha observed his vow for five hundred years, the Danavas, realizing this, then...
गा रक्षन्तं वने दृष्ट्वा रहस्येकममर्षिताः। जघ्नुर्बृहस्पतेर्द्वेषाद्विद्यारक्षार्थमेव च
Seeing him alone in the forest guarding the cows, the enraged Danavas killed him out of hatred for Brihaspati and to protect their knowledge.
हत्वा शालावृकेभ्यश्च प्रायच्छँल्लवशः कृतम्। ततो गावो निवृत्तास्ता अगोपाः स्वं निवेशनम्
After killing him, they fed his remains to wolves; then the cows, now without a herdsman, returned to their abode.
सा दृष्ट्वा रहिता गाश्च कचेनाभ्यागता वनात्। उवाच वचनं काले देवयान्यथ भारत
Seeing the cows return from the forest without Kacha, Devayani spoke timely words, O Bharata.
आहुतं चाग्निहोत्रं ते सूर्यश्चास्तं गतः प्रभो। अगोपाश्चागता गावः कचस्तात न दृश्यते
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.
व्यक्तं हतो मृतो वापि कचस्तात भविष्यति। तं विना न च जीवेयमिति सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते
Surely, father, Kacha must be dead or slain; without him, I cannot live—this is the truth I tell you.
ततः संजीविनीं विद्यां प्रयुज्य कचमाह्वयत्
Then, employing the knowledge of reviving the dead, he called for Kacha.
भित्त्वा भित्त्वा शरीराणि वृकाणां स विनिर्गतः। आहूतः प्रादुरभवत्कचो हृष्टोऽथ विद्यया
Breaking through the bodies of the wolves, Kacha emerged, having been summoned, rejoicing because of the knowledge.
कस्माच्चिरायितोऽसीति पृष्टस्तामाह भार्गवीम्
When asked, 'Why have you been delayed so long?' he spoke to the daughter of Bhrigu.
गृहीत्वा श्रमभारार्तो वटवृक्षं समाश्रितः। गावश्च सहिताः सर्वा वृक्षच्छायामुपाश्रिताः
Weighed down by fatigue, he took shelter under a banyan tree, and all the cows together also sought the shade of the tree.
असुरास्तत्र मां दृष्ट्वा कस्त्वमित्यभ्यचोदयन्। बृहस्पतिसुतश्चाहं कच इत्यभिविश्रुतः
There, seeing me, the Asuras questioned, 'Who are you?' I am the son of Brihaspati, known as Kacha, I replied.
इत्युक्तमात्रे मां हत्वा पेषीकृत्वा तु दानवाः। दत्त्वा शालावृकेभ्यस्तु सुखं जग्मुः स्वमालयं
As soon as I had spoken thus, the Danavas killed me, crushed me to pieces, and, giving my remains to the jackals and wolves, returned happily to their own abode.
आहूतो विद्यया भद्रे भार्गवेण महात्मना। त्वत्समीपमिहायातः कथंचित्प्राप्तजीवितः
Then, called back by the great-souled Bhargava with his knowledge, O gentle one, I came to your side, somehow regaining my life.
हतोऽहमिति चाचख्यौ पृष्टो ब्राह्मणकन्यया। स पुनर्देवयान्योक्तः पुष्पाण्याहर मे द्विज
When asked by the Brahmin maiden, he declared, 'I was killed.' Again, Devayani said to him, 'Bring me flowers, O Brahmin.'
वनं ययौ कचो विप्रो ददृशुर्दानवाश्च तम्। पुनस्तं पेषयित्वा तु समुद्राम्भस्यमिश्रयन्
The Brahmin Kacha went to the forest, and the Danavas saw him there; once more, after killing and crushing him, they scattered him in the waters of the ocean.
चिरं गतं पुनः कन्या पित्रे तं संन्यवेदयत्। विप्रेण पुनराहूतो विद्यया गुरुदेहजः। पुनरावृत्य तद्वृत्तं न्यवेदयत तद्यथा
When he was gone for a long time, the maiden again informed her father; the Brahmin was again called back by the knowledge born of the teacher's body, and returning, he related all that had happened, just as it was.
ततस्तृतीयं हत्वा तं दग्ध्वा कृत्वा च चूर्णशः। प्रायच्छन्ब्राह्मणायैव सुरायामसुरास्तथा
Then, for the third time, after killing him, burning him, and reducing him to ashes, the Asuras gave those ashes to the Brahmin to drink, as well as to themselves.
अपिबत्सुरया सार्धं कचभस्म भृगूद्वहः। सा सायन्तनवेलायामगोपा गाः समागताः
The illustrious descendant of Bhrigu drank Kacha's ashes mixed in wine together with the Asuras; at sunset, the cowherds brought the cows back.
देवयानी शङ्कमाना दृष्ट्वा पितरमब्रवीत्।' पुष्पाहारः प्रेषणकृत्कचस्तात न दृश्यते
Devayani, suspecting something, said to her father, 'Father, Kacha, whom you sent to gather flowers, is not to be seen.'
व्यक्तं हतो मृतो वापि कचस्तात भविष्यति। तं विना न च जीवेयं कचं सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते
'Surely, father, Kacha has been killed or has died; without him, I cannot live. I speak the truth to you.'