Kacha (Mahabharata)
Encyclopedia
Kacha was an ancient sage and the son of Brihaspati
in Hindu mythology
. The narrative of Kacha is mentioned in the Mahābhārata
, the Matsya Purana
and the Agni Purana
. He was sent by his father Brihaspati
to learn the secret of the Sanjivani mantra (a hymn for reviving the dead) from Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras. The idea was to help the Deva
s with the knowledge of this secret.
He learned under the sage Shukracharya, who had a daughter Devayani
. Devayani falls in love with him. In the meantime the Asuras wanted to kill Kacha. Every time they killed him, Shukracharya revived him with his art. The Asuras finally killed him and mixed his remains with divine water and served it to Shukracharya. Shukracharya unknowingly consumed the divine water, and when he tried reviving Kacha, he realised that Kacha was in his stomach. So he was forced to teach this art to Kacha, who came out tearing open his guru's stomach. Kacha then revived his guru with his newly learnt Sanjivani mantra.
After completion of his education, Devayani asked Kacha to marry her, but he refused on the grounds that she is his sister as he had come out of Shukracharya. She cursed him that he would never be able to use his art again. To this, Kacha replied that he would only not be able to use it, but he would definitely be able to teach it. Thus, Kacha is credited with learning the secret of the Sanjivani mantra from Shukracharya.
Brihaspati
Bṛhaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
in Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
. The narrative of Kacha is mentioned in the Mahābhārata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, the Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana is the sixteenth purana of the Hindu scriptures. During the period of mahapralaya, Lord Vishnu had taken Matsya Avatar to save the seeds of all lives and Manu...
and the Agni Purana
Agni Purana
The Agni Purana, one of the 18 Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts, contains descriptions and details of various incarnations of Vishnu. It also has details account about Rama, Krishna, Prithvi, and the stars...
. He was sent by his father Brihaspati
Brihaspati
Bṛhaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
to learn the secret of the Sanjivani mantra (a hymn for reviving the dead) from Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras. The idea was to help the Deva
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
s with the knowledge of this secret.
He learned under the sage Shukracharya, who had a daughter Devayani
Devayani
Devayani is an Indian film actress. She starred in numerous Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, along with a few Hindi films and one Bengali film. She received the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for her performances in the films Kadhal Kottai and Surya Vamsam...
. Devayani falls in love with him. In the meantime the Asuras wanted to kill Kacha. Every time they killed him, Shukracharya revived him with his art. The Asuras finally killed him and mixed his remains with divine water and served it to Shukracharya. Shukracharya unknowingly consumed the divine water, and when he tried reviving Kacha, he realised that Kacha was in his stomach. So he was forced to teach this art to Kacha, who came out tearing open his guru's stomach. Kacha then revived his guru with his newly learnt Sanjivani mantra.
After completion of his education, Devayani asked Kacha to marry her, but he refused on the grounds that she is his sister as he had come out of Shukracharya. She cursed him that he would never be able to use his art again. To this, Kacha replied that he would only not be able to use it, but he would definitely be able to teach it. Thus, Kacha is credited with learning the secret of the Sanjivani mantra from Shukracharya.