SanskritIASTMeaning
शुक्रः उवाच अयम् एहि इति शब्देन मृतं संजीवयामिśukraḥ uvāca ayam ehi iti śabdena mṛtaṃ saṃjīvayāmiShukra said: 'With the words "come here" I revive the dead.'
वैशंपायनः उवाच ततः संजीवनीं विद्यां प्रयुज्य कचम् आह्वयत् आहूतः विद्यया अरिष्टः कचः प्रादुरभवत्vaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca tataḥ saṃjīvanīṃ vidyāṃ prayujya kacam āhvayat āhūtaḥ vidyayā ariṣṭaḥ kacaḥ prādurabhavatVaishampayana said: Then, applying the reviving science, he called Kacha; summoned by the science, Kacha appeared unharmed.
ब्राह्मणकन्यया पृष्टः हतः अहम् इति आचख्यौbrāhmaṇakanyayā pṛṣṭaḥ hataḥ aham iti ācakhyauAsked by the brahmin's daughter, he related: 'I was killed.'
सः विप्रः पुनः देवयान्या उक्तः यदृच्छया पुष्पाहारः वनं ययौ ततः दानवाः तं ददृशुःsaḥ vipraḥ punaḥ devayānyā uktaḥ yadṛcchayā puṣpāhāraḥ vanaṃ yayau tataḥ dānavāḥ taṃ dadṛśuḥThat brahmin, again at Devayani's request, went to the forest, as it happened, [to gather] flowers; then the danavas saw him.
ततः असुराः तं द्वितीयं हत्वा दग्ध्वा चूर्णशः कृत्वा सुरायां ब्राह्मणाय एव प्रायच्छन्tataḥ asurāḥ taṃ dvitīyaṃ hatvā dagdhvā cūrṇaśaḥ kṛtvā surāyāṃ brāhmaṇāya eva prāyacchanThen the asuras, having killed him a second time, burned him and ground him to powder, mixed him into wine and gave it to the brahmin [Shukra] himself.
देवयानी भूयः अपि पितरं वाक्यं अब्रवीत् पुष्पाहारः प्रेषणकृत् कचः तात न दृश्यतेdevayānī bhūyaḥ api pitaraṃ vākyaṃ abravīt puṣpāhāraḥ preṣaṇakṛt kacaḥ tāta na dṛśyateDevayani again spoke to her father: 'Kacha, who is so attentive to me, went for flowers, and now, father, he cannot be seen.'
शुक्रः उवाच पुत्रि बृहस्पतेः सुतः कचः प्रेतगतिं गतः विद्यया जीवितः अपि एवं हन्यते करवाणि किम्śukraḥ uvāca putri bṛhaspateḥ sutaḥ kacaḥ pretagatiṃ gataḥ vidyayā jīvitaḥ api evaṃ hanyate karavāṇi kimShukra said: 'Daughter, Kacha, the son of Brihaspati, has gone the way of the dead; though revived by my science, he is killed again in this way — what am I to do?'
देवयानि मा एवं शुचः मा रुद त्वादृशी मर्त्यं न अनुप्रशोचेत् सुराः विश्वे च जगत् च सर्वं उपस्थितां वैकृतिम् आनमन्तिdevayāni mā evaṃ śucaḥ mā ruda tvādṛśī martyaṃ na anupraśocet surāḥ viśve ca jagat ca sarvaṃ upasthitāṃ vaikṛtim ānamanti'O Devayani, do not grieve so, do not weep; it is not fitting for one such as you to mourn a mortal; the gods, the Vishvedevas, and the whole world alike bow before the change [death] that comes to all.'
देवयानी उवाच यस्य पितामहः वृद्धतमः अङ्गिराः पिता च तपोधनः बृहस्पतिः तं ऋषेः पुत्रं पौत्रं वा कथं न शोचेयं न रुद्याम्devayānī uvāca yasya pitāmahaḥ vṛddhatamaḥ aṅgirāḥ pitā ca tapodhanaḥ bṛhaspatiḥ taṃ ṛṣeḥ putraṃ pautraṃ vā kathaṃ na śoceyaṃ na rudyāmDevayani said: 'How should I not grieve, not weep, for one whose grandfather is the most ancient Angiras, and whose father is Brihaspati, rich in austerity — the son and grandson of a sage?'
सः ब्रह्मचारी तपोधनः सदा कर्मसु दक्षः कचस्य मार्गं प्रतिपत्स्ये न भोक्ष्ये मे प्रियः कचः अभिरूपःsaḥ brahmacārī tapodhanaḥ sadā karmasu dakṣaḥ kacasya mārgaṃ pratipatsye na bhokṣye me priyaḥ kacaḥ abhirūpaḥ'He is chaste, rich in austerity, ever skillful in his tasks; I shall follow the path of Kacha [and die], and shall not eat; dear to me is the beautiful Kacha.'
शुक्रśukraoriginal form "śukra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एहीतिehītioriginal form "ehīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संजीवयाम्य्saṃjīvayāmyoriginal form "saṃjīvayāmy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कचोkacooriginal form "kaco", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽरिष्टो'riṣṭooriginal form "'riṣṭo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽथ'thaoriginal form "'tha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हतोhatooriginal form "hato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽहम्'hamoriginal form "'ham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाचख्यौcācakhyauoriginal form "cācakhyau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पृष्टोpṛṣṭooriginal form "pṛṣṭo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवयान्योक्तःdevayānyoktaḥoriginal form "devayānyoktaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुष्पाहारोpuṣpāhārooriginal form "puṣpāhāro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विप्रोviprooriginal form "vipro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ददृशुर्dadṛśuroriginal form "dadṛśur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दानवाश्dānavāśoriginal form "dānavāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तम्tamoriginal form "tam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणायैवbrāhmaṇāyaivaoriginal form "brāhmaṇāyaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुरायाम्surāyāmoriginal form "surāyām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असुरास्asurāsoriginal form "asurās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवयान्य्devayānyoriginal form "devayāny", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अथathaoriginal form "atha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूयोbhūyooriginal form "bhūyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपि'pioriginal form "'pi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितरम्pitaramoriginal form "pitaram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कचस्kacasoriginal form "kacas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुक्रśukraoriginal form "śukra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जीवितोjīvitooriginal form "jīvito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽप्य्'pyoriginal form "'py", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मैवंmaivaṃoriginal form "maivaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुचोśucooriginal form "śuco", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मर्त्यम्martyamoriginal form "martyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुराश्surāśoriginal form "surāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जगच्jagacoriginal form "jagac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वम्sarvamoriginal form "sarvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवयान्य्devayānyoriginal form "devayāny", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यस्याङ्गिराyasyāṅgirāoriginal form "yasyāṅgirā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितामहोpitāmahooriginal form "pitāmaho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बृहस्पतिश्bṛhaspatiśoriginal form "bṛhaspatiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तम्tamoriginal form "tam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अथोathooriginal form "atho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वापिvāpioriginal form "vāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शोचेयम्śoceyamoriginal form "śoceyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहंahaṃoriginal form "ahaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपोधनश्tapodhanaśoriginal form "tapodhanaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदोत्थितःsadotthitaḥoriginal form "sadotthitaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रियोpriyooriginal form "priyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form "hi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तातtātaoriginal form "tāta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कचोkacooriginal form "kaco", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभिरूपः'bhirūpaḥoriginal form "'bhirūpaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुक्रśukraoriginal form "śukra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असंशयंasaṃśayaṃoriginal form "asaṃśayaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
माम्māmoriginal form "mām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असुराasurāoriginal form "asurā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विषन्तिdviṣantioriginal form "dviṣanti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
येyeoriginal form "ye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मेmeoriginal form "me", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शिष्यंśiṣyaṃoriginal form "śiṣyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नागसंnāgasaṃoriginal form "nāgasaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूदयन्तिsūdayantioriginal form "sūdayanti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अब्राह्मणंabrāhmaṇaṃoriginal form "abrāhmaṇaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कर्तुम्kartumoriginal form "kartum", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इच्छन्तिicchantioriginal form "icchanti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रौद्रास्raudrāsoriginal form "raudrās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेteoriginal form "te", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मांmāṃoriginal form "māṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथाyathāoriginal form "yathā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रस्तुतंprastutaṃoriginal form "prastutaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दानवैर्dānavairoriginal form "dānavair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form "hi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अप्य्apyoriginal form "apy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्यasyaoriginal form "asya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पापस्यpāpasyaoriginal form "pāpasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवेद्bhavedoriginal form "bhaved", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इहान्तःihāntaḥoriginal form "ihāntaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कंkaṃoriginal form "kaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्रह्महत्याbrahmahatyāoriginal form "brahmahatyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नnaoriginal form "na", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दहेद्dahedoriginal form "dahed", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अपीन्द्रम्apīndramoriginal form "apīndram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here both the power of the reviving science and the power of love show themselves. Shukra's word about death is telling: 'it is not fitting for a maiden to mourn a mortal; the gods, and the whole world alike, bow before the change that comes to all.' Here is the sage's lofty consolation: death (vaikriti, the change) is a universal law before which all that exists bows down; it does not befit the wise to grieve over what is inevitable. This echoes the same wisdom that Krishna will later speak to Arjuna in the Gita: one should not grieve over what is subject to the law of birth and death. But Devayani, moved by love, will not accept this consolation: 'without him I shall not be able to live, I shall die.' Thus the scripture sets the father's dispassionate wisdom against the daughter's ardent love; and, tellingly, here love 'wins': for his daughter's sake Shukra revives Kacha again and again. In this is both an image of the power of pure attachment and, more deeply, a foretaste of the truth that love (prema) is a force before which even the 'law of death' yields; though here it is still a worldly love, it already shows forth its power.