Kasan learns secret of Sanjivini from Sukrachchariar

Long time ago there was big competition among the Devas and Asuras about who would control all the three worlds. Prakaspathi was the Purohit or advisor for the Devas and Sukrachchariar was the purohit or advisor for the Asuras. 

The war among the Asuras and Devas was conducted with these two Purohits or advisors. But Sukrachchariar, the advisor to Asuras had an upper hand as he had a great medicine called Sanjeevani by which Sukracchariar was able to give life back the the dead Asuras who came back to life and again fought the Devas.

 Prakaspathi, the advisor of the Devas did not have this Sanjivini and hence the dead Devas just died and gone and were not replaced like the Asuras who were brought back to life. The Devas were loosing the battle and had  found a way to  stop this as they have decided to send Kasan the son of Prakaspathy as he was handsome and a dedicated young man.So the Devas requested Kasan, the son of Prakaspathi to go and learn the Sanjivini medicine from the Asura advisor, Sukrachchariar.

Kasan went to Sukrachchariar and paid his obeisance to him and requested him to accept him as a disciple and teach him all the techniques he had. Sukrachchariar had accepted him as a disciple and was enthused with the idea of the son of Prakaspathi becoming  his disciple.

So Kasan continued to serve Sukrachchariar and his daughter Davayani for many years and did as he was told to make them happy. Kasan was a very handsome and good looking person and hence Davayani fell in love with him and approached him to love her but he was not responsive and made her happy by his dance, speech and actions.But remained as a bachelor, otherwise he would not be able to learn the Sanjeevini Medicine as only a strict bachelor could learn  it.

 The Asuras were unhappy to know that the son of Prakaspathy being accommodated by Sukrachchariar as a disciple and were worried that the secret of sanjeevini would be learned by him and hence planned to kill him. So one day they caught Kasan when he was tending the cattle of Sukrachchariar and cut him into many pieces and fed them to dogs. When kasan did not return Davayani got worried and asked her father to check for him.

 Sukrachchariar found Kasan in the stomachs of dogs and through his Sanjivani medicine brought him back to life. Devayani was very happy.In olden days all these sages had the capacity to learn what happened to anybody by their GNADIRISHTI (see what could happen by their 7th sense).

Next time the Asuras caught Kasan and killed him and threw the pieces of his body into the sea and it was eaten by fishes. Again under Devayani's insistence Sukrachchariar found Kasan in the stomachs of fishes and brought him back to life.

Seeing this the Asuras killed Kasan again and this time burnt him to ashes and mixed the Ashes into a liquor and made Sukrachchariar drink that liquor.

So when Davayani wanted to find him Sukrachchariar spelt the Sanjivini medicine and then Kasan replied from his own stomach.

 Sukrachchariar was astonished and asked him how he entered his stomach. Kasan told him how he was killed and made into ash and that ash mixed with liquor and fed to Sukrachchariar. Now Sukrachchariar was confused as he could not bring back Kasan without himself dying. So he told his daughter Davayani that death should not be taken seriously as all who are born had to die and hence told her to forget Kasan.

But Davayani was adamant as she loved Kasan very much and wanted him to come to life. Now Sukrachchariar understood the purpose of Kasan becoming his disciple and found only one way to bring him to life. As he was very fond of his daughter he could not reject her demand. So he taught Kasan the Sanjivini medicine and learning it Kasan came out of Sukrachchariar’s stomach, killing him instantly and once he was out used the same Sanjivini medicine to bring back Sukrachchariar’s life.

Now Kasan wanted to go back to his abode with the Devas but Davayani confronted him and asked him to marry her. Kasan refused to marry her saying that he could not marry his own master’s daughter and also that since he came out of the stomach of her father he became her brother and hence a brother cannot marry his own sister.

Davayani got furious and cursed him saying that the Sanjivini medicine he learned would not be helpful to him. Kasan replied that even though the Sanjivini may not help him he would teach that  to others to get its use and left her to go to the side of Devas.

Once Devas knew the Sanjivin medicine their death stopped and all Devas who were killed were again came back to life and hence the Devas won the battle.