In the previous episode, we had witnessed Kacha successfully obtaining the “Sanjeevani” Mantra from Sage Shukracchaarya, but not without an ordeal. Eventually as the Raakshasas realized Kacha’s secret agenda, they tried killing him many times, but thanks to the “Sanjeevani” Mantra, Kacha woke up alive again each and every time. However, when the Raakshasas were fed up with this process every passing day, they decided to kill Kacha and make his body part of Sage Shukraachaarya’s food and water. Even then, when Kacha was being searched for, he let out a sound of existence from Sage Shukraachaarya’s own stomach! This is where Kacha and Sage Shukraachaarya made an agreement to save each other – Sage Shukraachaarya chanted the “Sanjeevani” Mantra” with which, Kacha came out of his stomach alive, and Sage Shukraachaarya fell to the ground dead. In return, Kacha chanted the “Sanjeevani” Mantra, which brought Sage Shukraachaarya back to life. With this, Kacha achieved his agenda of learning the “Sanjeevani” Mantra from Sage Shukraachaarya and with this he went back to the Devas and taught it to them. Thus, the Devas again re-obtained their powers and immortality with the help of this “Sanjeevani Mantra”.
Thus, this is one part of the story. Meanwhile, we’ve to witness what happened to Devayani, who was Sage Shukraachaarya’s daughter. We had witnessed earlier that when Kacha was with Sage Shukraachaarya, Devayani fell in love with him, only to be rejected by Kacha. At the same time, there was a famous Raakshasa king by name “Vrishaparva”. He had a daughter by name “Sharmishta”. This Sharmishta and Devayani were good friends. Once upon a time, both Sharimishta and Devayani were spending some time in the lawn of their palace, wherein suddenly there was a fight between the two. As the war of words intensified beyond a threshold point, Sharmishta exclaims to Devayani thus, “Oh Devayani! Afterall you’re a Brahamana Rishi’s daughter and you’re begging your fortune to all of us and surviving isn’t it? Why don’t you have even an iota of shame in you that you are afterall a beggar here? It is me who is having the patience and compassion to feed you and your father!”
As Sharmishta thunders aloud thus, Devayani was hurt beyond words. She immediately declared to Sharmishta thus, “Oh Sharmishta! Today I’ve understood your true colours! You’ve just been acting like my good friend and a sister but your real intention is to enslave me to you. From today onwards I would not enter into your kingdom. I shall stay here, look after my own needs all by myself and lead a life on my own!” Saying thus, Devayani cried and vented all her frustration out and sat below a tree. Unable to trace his daughter, Sage Shukraachaarya learnt what happened to Devayani and rushed to the place where she was sitting. As Sage Shukraachaarya tried convincing her, she stood by her stance – “Sharmishta should seek forgiveness for whatever she had spoken. Just because I’m a daughter of a Brahmana Rishi, in what way am I inferior to her? Sharmishta shouldn’t take me for granted like this! If she doesn’t relent from her stance, I’m never going to enter into Vrishaparva’s kingdom again. This is my ultimate stance!” Saying thus, Devayani stood by her words and made things complicated for Sage Shukraachaarya to handle!
After this accord, Sage Shukraachaarya straightaway went to King Vrishaparva and explained the situation. King Vrishaparva too understood the seriousness and the dilemma behind this – On one hand, if he accedes with his daughter, Sage Shukraachaarya is extremely powerful and is going to curse him very badly. On the other hand, the Devas have become powerful with the “Sanjeevani Mantra” now. He has to thread the path carefully and balance it out. King Vrishaparva replies thus, “Oh great Sage! I understand what your daughter is going through. Whatever Sharmishta said to Devayani was totally wrong and I apologize to you on behalf of my daughter. I shall order my daughter to immediately seek forgiveness from Devayani and sort this out! So please ask Devayani to come back to the kingdom and I assure her that she would live happily here henceforth without any hiccups!”
As King Vrishaparva says thus, Sage Shukraachaarya goes to Devayani to pass on the king’s message to her, and in the meanwhile, King Vrishaparva explains the situation to Sharmishta, which she also understands. Thus, Sharmishta goes straight to Devayani and seeks her forgiveness and henceforth both of them become good friends again. As days progress this way, King Yayati comes in contact with Devayani from somewhere! So what is going to happen next? Let us wait for this interesting phase till the next episode! Stay tuned! 🙂
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