, urged by Devayani, began to summon Kacha who
had entered the jaws of Death. But Kacha, summoned with the aid of
science, and afraid of the consequence to his preceptor, feebly replied
from within the stomach of his preceptor, saying, 'Be graceful unto me, O
lord! I am Kacha that worshippeth thee. Behave unto me as to thy own
dearly-loved son.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Sukra then said, 'By what path, O Brahmana,
hast thou entered my stomach, where thou stayest now? Leaving the Asuras
this very moment, I shall go over to the gods." Kacha replied, 'By thy
grace, memory hath not failed me. Indeed, I do recollect everything as it
hath happened. My ascetic virtues have not been destroyed. It is,
therefore, that I am able to bear this almost insufferable pain. O Kavya,
slain by the Asuras and burnt and reduced to powder, I have been given to
thee with thy wine. When thou art present, O Brahmana, the art of the
Asuras will never be able to vanquish, the science of the Brahmana.'

"Hearing this, Sukra said, 'O daughter, what good can I do to thee? It is
with my death that Kacha can get his life back. O Devayani, Kacha is even
within me. There is no other way of his coming out except by ripping open
my stomach.' Devayani replied, 'Both evils shall, like fire, burn me! The
death of Kacha and thy own death are to me the same! The death of Kacha
would deprive me of life. If thou also diest, I shall not be able to bear
my life.' Then Sukra said, 'O son of Vrihaspati, thou art, indeed, one
already crowned with success, because Devayani regards thee so well.
Accept the science that I will today impart to thee, if, indeed, thou be
not Indra in the form of Kacha. None can come out of my stomach with
life. A Brahmana, however, must not be slain, therefore, accept thou the
science I impart to thee. Start thou into life as my son. And possessed
of the knowledge received from me, and revived by me, take care that, on
coming out of my body, thou dost act gracefully.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Receiving the science imparted to him by his
preceptor the handsome Kacha, ripped open his stomach, came out like the
moon at evening on the fifteenth day of the bright fort-night. And
beholding the remains of his preceptor lying like a heap of penances,
Kacha revived him, aided by the science he had learned. Worshipping him
with regard, Kacha said unto his preceptor, 'Him who poureth the nectar
of knowledge into one's ears, even as thou hast done