As Bṛhaspati, the revered guru of the gods, sat before them in his own true form, he was confronted by Śukra, the teacher of the Dānavas. With anger in his voice, Śukra demanded, “Why have you come here? You bewilder my disciples, which is fitting for you, O guru of the gods. They do not recognize you, deluded by your magic. It is not proper for you, O Brāhmaṇa, to harass another’s disciples. Go back to your own world among the gods, remain there, and you will attain righteousness.” Śukra continued, reminding Bṛhaspati of past events, “Once, my disciple Kaca, your son and a seeker of knowledge, was killed by the foremost of the Dānavas. Your presence here is not appropriate.” Hearing these words, Bṛhaspati smiled and replied, “There are thieves on earth who steal the property of others. In the same way, there are those who steal forms and bodies. When Indra slew Vṛtra, he incurred the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa. By your materialistic doctrine, that sin was concealed. I know you, O son of Aṅgiras, Bṛhaspati, teacher of the gods. He has come here assuming my form—see, all you Dānavas! He has come only to bewilder you, through the contrivance of Viṣṇu. Therefore, bind him with chains and cast him into the salt ocean.” Again, Śukra spoke to the priest of the gods, “Surely, by him you have been deluded, and you Dānavas will meet your destruction. O lord of the Dānavas, I have been deceived here by this wicked one. For what reason have you abandoned me and appointed another as priest? This is Bṛhaspati, the son of Aṅgiras, the teacher of the gods. There is no doubt you have been deceived, but it was for the benefit of the gods. O greatly fortunate one, abandon him, who brings victory to the enemy’s side.” Śukra then recounted his own story, “Out of fear of instruction, O Lord, I went forth earlier in this way; I was drunk by the great god Śambhu while dwelling in the midst of water. I remained within his belly for a full hundred years, it is said; then, in the form of semen, I was expelled from his body through the organ. The boon-giving god spoke to me: ‘Choose your desired boon related to semen, for I am pleased; O King, the god of gods, bearer of the bow, has granted you a boon.’ The wishes that are conceived in the mind, the boons that abide in the heart—may all these be granted to me by your grace, O Śaṃkara. ‘So be it,’ said the god, and sent me to your presence; meanwhile, this Bṛhaspati became your family priest here. I have seen this, O lord of the Dānavas, and have spoken the truth—listen.” Then Bṛhaspati addressed Prahlāda, saying, “I do not know this being—whether god, demon, or man—who has come in my form, O King, with the intent to deceive you.” All the Dānavas responded, “Well said! Let the former priest be dismissed, whoever he may be. We have no further use for him; let him depart as he came.” Angered, Kāvya (Śukra) cursed the assembled Dānava lords: “Just as you have cast me aside, so may I see all of you, bereft of fortune and life, living in misery for a long time. May you all soon fall into terrible distress in every way!” Having spoken thus, Kāvya departed at will to the forest of austerities. With Śukra gone, Bṛhaspati remained in his place, protecting the Dānavas for some time. After a long period had passed, all the Dānavas gathered and questioned their teacher, “In this worthless world, grant us some knowledge by which, through your grace, O steadfast one, we may attain liberation.” Then Bṛhaspati, disguised as Kāvya, spoke, “The same intention you have expressed was once mine as well. Remain together for a moment, purified and attentive; I will declare to you, O Daityas, the knowledge that bestows liberation. This is the Vedic revelation, known as Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman; by the favor of Vaiśvānara, it brings suffering to living beings here. Sacrifices and ancestral rites performed by the petty, intent only on worldly gain—these, and the Vaiṣṇava duties, as well as those established by Rudra—how can Rudra, the Lord who is half male and half female, attain liberation when he is associated with unrighteousness, violence, and harmful acts together with his consort? Surrounded by hosts of spirits and adorned with many bones, he neither attains heaven nor liberation here; indeed, the worlds are afflicted as well. How can Viṣṇu, who has taken to violence, attain liberation? Brahmā, possessed of the quality of passion, sustains his own creation. The gods, sages, and others who follow the Vedic path are mostly violent, always cruel, eat flesh, and commit sinful acts. These gods drink liquor, these Brāhmaṇas eat flesh—by such a dharma, who attains heaven, and how can one reach liberation?” He continued, “And whatever ritual acts there are, such as sacrifices and ancestral rites prescribed by tradition—there is no liberation in those where such teaching is heard in the scriptures. If, by performing a sacrifice and killing an animal, making a mess of blood, one attains heaven in this way, then by what means does one reach hell? If, by another’s eating here, someone else becomes satisfied, then one should offer the ancestral rite for the absent, but not partake of the food oneself. Brāhmaṇas who travel through the sky have fallen because of eating flesh; for them, O Dānavas, there is neither heaven nor liberation here. For every living being that is born, life is dear to all; how could a wise person eat flesh, which is like his own flesh?” Thus, Bṛhaspati, disguised as Kāvya, imparted his teachings to the Dānavas, challenging the established practices and urging them to seek a higher path to liberation.