Vaishampayana said: 'Kacha, son of Brihaspati, having said "so be it," honored by the gods, set out for [the capital of] Vrishaparvan. Swiftly arriving in the city of the lord of the asuras and seeing Shukra, he spoke these words: "I am the grandson of Angiras, the son of Brihaspati, known by the name Kacha; accept me as your disciple. O brahmin, under you, my supreme teacher, I shall observe the celibate vow of a student for a thousand years; grant me this." Shukra said: "Kacha, welcome to you; I accept your word; you, being worthy, I shall honor — and through you let Brihaspati too be honored." Kacha, saying "so be it," undertook that vow prescribed by Shukra, son of Kavi. He took upon himself the term of the vow as had been declared, serving his teacher and Devayani. Young, on the threshold of youth, forever pleasing her, he delighted Devayani with singing, dancing, and playing music. Gratifying Devayani, the maiden who had come of age, with flowers, fruits, and acts of service, he delighted her. And Devayani, the maiden, singing along with him, waited upon that brahmin, who was keeping his vow, in private. Thus, while Kacha kept his vow, five hundred years passed; then the danavas, learning of that Kacha, seeing him alone in the forest, tending the cows in secret, enraged, out of hatred for Brihaspati and to protect their own science, killed him. Having killed him and cut him into pieces, they fed him to the jackals. Then those cows, without their herdsman, returned to their pen; seeing those cows coming back from the forest without a herdsman, Devayani spoke, when her father returned: "O lord, your fire offering has not been made, the sun has set, the cows have come without their herdsman, and Kacha, father, is nowhere to be seen; it is clear that Kacha has been killed or is dead; without him I shall not be able to live — I speak the truth to you."'