There once was a noble king named Arṣṭiṣeṇa, who had a son called Bhara. Bhara was intelligent and deeply devoted to his father. He was skilled in the science of archery, learned in the Vedas, and accomplished in all the arts. His wife, Suprabha, was famed for her beauty and widely renowned. In time, King Arṣṭiṣeṇa entrusted the kingdom to his worthy son. With the chief priest at his side, Arṣṭiṣeṇa undertook the sacred initiation rituals. On the banks of the holy Sarasvati river, he prepared with great diligence to perform the grand horse sacrifice. Surrounded by officiating priests and the foremost sages, all devoted to the Vedas and scriptures, the king was consecrated near the Brahmins’ sacred fire. But as the sacrifice was underway, calamity struck. Mithur, the mighty lord of the Danavas—powerful yet wicked in intent—seized the king, along with his wife and the chief priest, disrupting the sacred rites. Swiftly, Mithur carried them away to the lowest region of the underworld. When the noble king was taken and the sacrifice left unfinished, the gods and all the officiating priests departed, each returning to their own abodes. Only Devapi, the priest’s son, remained behind with the king. Devapi, seeing his mother but not his father, was filled with wonder and soon became deeply distressed. He approached his mother and asked, “Mother, where has my father gone? I cannot live without him; please, tell me the truth.” Overcome with grief, he exclaimed, “Fie upon the life of those deprived of their father, or those who act wickedly! If you do not tell me, mother, I will cast myself into water or fire.” Moved by her son’s anguish, his mother—wife to both the king and the priest—revealed the truth: “Your father was taken to the underworld by a Danava, along with the king.” Devapi pressed her further, “Where was he taken, by whom, how, and for what reason? Who witnessed it? Tell me the place of the Danava.” She replied, “In the sacrificial hall, while the king was being consecrated with his wife and priest, the Daitya Mithur took them to the underworld, right before the assembly of gods, in the presence of fire and Brahmins.” Hearing his mother’s words, Devapi pondered deeply what should be done. “Shall I seek help from the gods, from the sacred fire, from the officiating priests, or from the Asuras?” he wondered. “Among these alone should I search for my father—this is my resolve.” With his mind made up, Devapi spoke to Bhara, the king’s son: “By austerity, celibacy, vows, and discipline, I must bring back all those who have been taken to the underworld. When a terrible defeat has occurred, if one does not strive to counter it, what is the use of such a wretched person’s life, whether living or dead?” He continued, “You, Arṣṭiṣeṇa, should rule the entire earth as a father would. My mother is to be protected by you, O king, until I return. When my task is accomplished, grant me leave to depart, O Bhara.” Bhara, hearing Devapi’s words, carefully considered everything with great attention. He replied, “Achieve success, go happily, and do not indulge even a little in worry.” Encouraged, Devapi, intent on meditating upon the feet of the king of the immortals, diligently sought out the officiating priests. Bowing to each of them with joined hands, he spoke: “By you all, the sacrifice must be protected, as well as the initiated sacrificer, the chief priest, and the wife of the sacrificer. If, while you are present and watching, the king of the Daityas destroys the sacrifice and carries off the kings, that would not be proper at all. Nevertheless, I think you should restore all of them unharmed; otherwise, you would be subject to a curse.” The priests replied, “In the sacrifice, Agni is to be worshipped first, for Agni alone is the deity here. Therefore, we, as attendants of the fires, do not know. He alone is the giver, the enjoyer, the taker, the doer, and the carrier of the oblation.” Placing the priests behind him, Devapi worshipped Jātavedas, the fire god, as prescribed, and then addressed Agni: “Just as the priests, so am I an attendant of the gods; I carry the oblation for the gods, and they are the enjoyers and protectors. Having diligently invoked the gods, I will give their shares of the oblation to each separately. This is my duty, so go to the gods.” Then, Devapi went to the gods. Bowing to them, he conveyed the words of the priests, the words of Agni, and also the threat of a curse. The gods replied, “Summoned by the priests with Vedic mantras in due order, we shall enjoy the shares of the oblation, O best of twice-born, but we are not independent. Always following the Veda and impelled by the Veda, we are dependent. So, O Brahmin, report this to the Vedas.” Accordingly, Devapi purified himself and diligently invoked the Vedas. Endowed with meditation and austerity, the Vedas themselves appeared before him. Devapi bowed again and again, then addressed the Vedas, conveying the words of the priests, the words of Agni, and the words of the gods. The Vedas replied, “We, dear one, are dependent and subject to the will of the Lord. He is the unfailing support of the entire universe, Himself unsupported and untouched. He is the sole abode of all powers, the treasury of every wealth; that Great God is the creator, the destroyer, the Supreme Lord. We, O Brahman, are composed of sound; we speak and we know, and this is our duty—to speak what you ask of us.” They continued, “By whom were they led away, what is his name, his city, and his strength? Who devoured them, or are they lost? This much we know. We also know your capacity, whom you should worship, and where; and in this way, you will obtain them before you.” Hearing these words, Devapi pondered the Vedas for a long time in his heart, seeking the path to restore those who had been taken to the underworld.