Devāpi, filled with devotion and intent on meditating upon the feet of Indra, the king of the immortals, sought out the officiating priests with great diligence. He approached each priest respectfully, bowing before them with joined hands, and addressed them with humility and earnestness. He urged them, “You must protect the sacrifice, safeguard the one who has been initiated, and watch over the chief priest. The wife of the sacrificer, too, must be kept safe. If, while you are present and vigilant, the king of the Daityas comes and destroys the sacrifice or carries off the kings, it would be most improper. Yet, I believe you should restore all those who might be harmed, for if you fail in this duty, a curse may befall you.” Devāpi reminded them that Agni must be worshipped first in the sacrifice, for Agni alone is the presiding deity in this rite. “We, as attendants of the sacred fires,” he said, “do not know otherwise. Agni alone is the giver, the enjoyer, the taker, the doer, and the carrier of the offering.” With the priests standing behind him, Devāpi performed the prescribed worship of Jātavedas, the fire-god, and then conveyed his actions and intentions to Agni himself. “Just as the priests are attendants of the gods,” Devāpi declared, “so am I. I bear the oblations for the gods, who are the true enjoyers and protectors. Having invoked the gods with diligence, I will distribute the shares of the offering to each deity as is proper. If there is any fault, let it be mine; I urge you, Agni, to go to the gods on my behalf.” Having thus spoken, Devāpi journeyed to the gods, bowed to them, and faithfully relayed the words of the priests, the message from Agni, and even the warning of a curse. The gods replied, “Summoned by the priests with Vedic mantras in their proper order, we partake of the offerings, O best of the twice-born, but we are not independent. Always, we act according to the Veda, impelled by it, and are bound by its authority. Therefore, inform the Vedas of this matter.” Obediently, Devāpi purified himself and invoked the Vedas with meditation and austerity. The Vedas themselves appeared before him, radiant and resplendent. Bowing repeatedly, Devāpi addressed the Vedas, conveying the words of the priests, of Agni, and of the gods. The Vedas spoke with gentle wisdom: “We, dear one, are dependent, subject to the will of the Supreme Lord. He is the unfailing support of the entire universe, Himself unsupported and untouched. All powers abide in Him; He is the treasury of every wealth, the creator, destroyer, and Supreme Lord. We are composed of sound; our duty is to speak and to impart knowledge as you request. As for those who were taken, we know who led them away, his name, his city, his strength, and who devoured them—or if they are simply lost. We also know your capacity, whom you should worship, and where; and thus, you shall recover them.” Hearing these words, Devāpi contemplated the Vedas deeply in his heart. The Vedas declared with certainty, “This alone is true: you will recover all those who were taken to the netherworld. Enough, we bow to you. Go now to the Gautamī river, O Devāpi, and there praise the Great Lord. When He is well-pleased, the compassionate One will surely grant your wish. If Lord Śiva is pleased by your praise, O wise one, then King Ṛṣṭiṣeṇa and his wife Jayā will be restored to you. Your father Upamanyu, too, dwells unharmed in the netherworld. By the boons of the Great Lord and by slaying the demon, you will gain fame and righteousness—this alone is possible, nothing else.” Following the command of the Vedas, Devāpi went to the Gautamī river. There, after bathing and performing the proper rites, the young brāhmaṇa praised the Great Lord with heartfelt devotion. “I am but a boy, O Lord of gods, and you are the guru of all gurus. I have no power to praise you, O Śambhu; I bow to you. Neither the scriptures, nor the gods, nor the sages, nor even Brahmā or Viṣṇu truly know you. You are who you are—salutations to you. You protect the helpless, the afflicted, the poor, the sick, and the sinful in this world, O Great Lord. The gods of heaven, worshipped with austerity, discipline, and mantras, receive from you the fruits they desire, O Lord of the worlds. Those who ask and those who give—whatever they wish for, you grant, for you alone reverse fortune. Even those who are ignorant, sinful, or sunk in the ocean of hell—by the mere utterance of your name, Śiva, O Lord of the universe, you protect them.” As Devāpi offered these praises, the Three-eyed Lord Śiva appeared before him and spoke: “Ask for your boon, Devāpi. Enough of this sorrow, child.” Devāpi replied, “O Lord of the universe, grant me the return of the king, the queen, my father, my teacher, and the death of my enemy.” Hearing these words, the Lord of all said, “So be it.” By the command of Śaṃkara, all that Devāpi asked was accomplished. Once again, Śaṃbhu, the ocean of compassion, spoke to Devāpi and sent Nandin, bearing the great trident. Nandin journeyed to Rasātala, slew the foremost of the Asuras, and brought back the fathers and others who had been taken, presenting them to Devāpi. Thereafter, the wise Ārṣṭiṣeṇa performed an Aśvamedha sacrifice; fire, priests, gods, and sages all recited the Vedas in that sacred rite. At that place, Śaṃbhu himself appeared, devoted to his follower Devāpi, and that spot became a divine tīrtha of the Lord of the universe. This holy place destroys all sins, grants every accomplishment to those who come, bestows merit, and there, Devāpi’s fame shall be eternal.