The epic of Devnarayan

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The epic begins with long accounts of the escapades of the twenty-four Bagravat brothers. Eventually, all the brothers are slain by Raoji’s forces; all of the brothers’ wives commit sati (self-immolation); all that is, except Sadu, who retires to the mountains to practice penance. By the power of her penance, out of the rocks a lotus bloomed; out of this lotus stepped Devnarayan, an incarnation of Vishnu.

Raoji, hearing of this, sent his men to kill Devnarayan, who took the form of a snake and frightened them away. Devnarayan then married the daughter of the serpent king of the underworld. After he learned from a genealogist what had happened to his father and uncles, he brought back to life all the slain forces of the Bagravat brothers.

Among his exploits, Devnarayan managed to wrest away the mare Bavali from the raja of Savar, killing a lion in the forest on his way to doing this. Devnarayan, who lived in Daravat, sought revenge against the neighboring king Raoji for his slaying of the Bagravat brothers. He instructed one of his vassals to graze cows on Raoji’s land. Raoji, furious when the animals ate the wheat harvest, impounded the cows. This act was the pretext for Devnarayan’s forces to attack Raoji’s at Ratankot. Raoji and his soldiers were all slain, but Devnarayan brought Raoji back to life.