Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.45.2

v1.c5.45.2

The cows came back in the evening without their herd. Devayānī saw this, and said to her father: “Evidently Kaca has been killed or has died. Without him I do not want to live; I swear it thee.” Çukra made use of his spell for bringing back to life: Kaca broke out of the wolves’ bellies, and showed himself hale and whole before the teacher and his daughter. On another day Devayānī sent him into the forest to bring flowers. The Dānavas crushed him, and mixed him up with the sea’s waters. And again the teacher called him back to life. But the third time the foes ground him to powder, put it in brandy-wine, and gave the mixture to Çukra to drink. Devayānī spoke and said: “Kaca went forth on my service to bring flowers, and he is no longer to be seen. Clearly he has been slain or is dead. Without Kaca I will not live; that I swear unto thee.” The father put it to her that she need not take so much thought of Kaca, since she had the choice of Brahmans, gods, and demons. The luckless fellow, he said, is indeed always being killed. But she exclaimed: “He is chaste, and greatly ascetic, always ready and skilled in all contrivances. I shall follow Kaca, and hunger myself to death. I love the handsome Kaca.” So it came to yielding, and her father began his spell. But now came the quandary: the disciple had to obey, and yet could not; for he could not come out of the teacher’s belly without, at the same time, bringing death on him.