Note 248 — Chapter LXXVII · KANSA INVITES KRISHNA AND SENDS AKRURA TO BRING HIM.

As a frog revives as soon as he is dead so Kacha rose up many times alive after his death. The allusion, contained in this chapter, is as follows:—Vrihaspati (Angirasa) was the priest of the gods and Sukra that of the Danavas. There was a rivalry between these two Brāhmanas. Sukra knew the mantra of reviving a dead man with which he revived many Daityas. Vrihaspati did not know it. Thereat Kacha, the eldest son of Vrihaspati, was sent to Sukra to learn it. Kacha became his disciple and began to please him and his daughter Devajani. By and by he exercised a great influence on Sukra's daughter who was greatly attached to him. One day while Kacha was tending kine the Danavas, learning that he was the son of Vrihaspati, hacked him into pieces, which were eaten up wolves. Devajani grew mad after him and pressed her father to revive him which Sukra did. Next time he was burnt to ashes and they were mixed up with liquor which Sukra drank up. Devajani again wanted her father to revive Kacha; this was a question of life, and death to him. He therefore taught Kacha the mantra first who came out of his womb and then revived again Sukra. Thus did Kacha learn the art of reviving a dead man. See Mahabharata, chapters LXXV and VI, Adiparva.