Thus, having been addressed by the Moon, the great teacher Bṛhaspati, overwhelmed with grief and anxiety, returned to his own home. His heart was heavy with sorrow and filled with thoughts of love and distress. For several days, he remained there, tormented by worry, unable to find peace. Eventually, unable to bear the pain any longer, the guru hurried to the house of Soma, the lord of medicines. When he arrived, he found himself stopped at the entrance by the kṣatriyas who guarded Soma’s house. Bṛhaspati stood there, seething with anger, for the Moon did not come out to meet him. His rage only grew stronger. In his heart, he thought, “This one, who was once my disciple, has forcibly taken my guru’s wife—my own wife, who is like a mother to him. He must be disciplined by me, for he has acted unrighteously.” Standing at the doorway, Bṛhaspati called out in anger, “Why do you remain inside, fool? Wicked one, lowest among the gods! Return my beloved wife at once, or I shall curse you. If you do not give back my dear one, I will not hesitate to reduce you to ashes.” Hearing these harsh and cruel words, Soma, the lord of the twice-born, quickly came out of the house. With a laugh, he addressed Bṛhaspati, “Why do you speak so much? That dark-eyed, perfectly endowed woman is not suitable for you. Take another woman, one who is ugly and more like yourself, O twice-born. Such beauty does not belong in a beggar’s house. Pleasure is found with an equal, O woman—you do not understand the true meaning of love, dull-minded one. Go wherever you wish, fool; I will not give you the woman you desire. Do whatever you can, but this beautiful woman will not be returned. Your curse, born of desire, cannot harm me. I will not give up my beloved, O teacher—do as you wish.” Thus dismissed by the Moon, Bṛhaspati was filled with both anger and worry. His mind burning with rage, he quickly made his way to the house of Indra, the lord of Shachi. There, Indra, seeing his teacher sitting in distress and sorrow, honored him with all due respect, offering water for washing his feet, and presenting offerings and refreshments. With great care, Indra asked his teacher, “What troubles you, O blessed one? Why are you so afflicted, great sage? Who has insulted you in my kingdom, O teacher, who is my master? All this army, along with the lords of the worlds, is under your command. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and all the other best of gods will support you. What is your concern now? Tell me.” Bṛhaspati replied, “My wife Tārā, beautiful-eyed, has been taken by the Moon. Though I have repeatedly asked, that wicked one does not return her. What shall I do, lord of the gods? You alone are my refuge. Help me, O Shatakratu, for I am afflicted.” Indra reassured him, “Do not grieve, knower of righteousness; I am your servant, O steadfast one. I will surely bring back your wife, O wise one. If, when I send my messenger, that arrogant one does not return her, then I will wage war, surrounded by the armies of the gods.” Thus consoling his teacher, Indra sent his most eloquent messenger to Soma, the lord of Rohiṇī, with a message. The swift and discerning messenger arrived in the realm of the Moon and spoke, “O greatly fortunate one, I have been sent by Indra with a message for you. I will tell you exactly what the lord has said, O wise one. You are righteous, illustrious, and steadfast in your vows, born of the virtuous Atri—do not act in a way that brings censure. A wife must be protected by all beings, each according to their ability, without negligence. For this reason, conflict may indeed arise—there is no doubt of this. As you would protect your own, so should he strive to protect his wife; consider all beings as yourself, O treasure of nectar. You have twenty-eight beautiful daughters of Dakṣa as your consorts. O nectar-born, how can you desire to enjoy your teacher’s wife? These charming ones, like Menakā, always dwell in heaven—enjoy them as you wish, but release even your teacher’s wife. If the great ones act in ways that are reprehensible, the ignorant will follow them, and then righteousness will decline. Therefore, O illustrious one, release your teacher’s lovely wife, so that today there will not be conflict among the gods because of you.” Hearing Indra’s words, Soma was agitated with anger, and with a crooked smile, he replied to the messenger, “You are righteous, O mighty-armed one, and the lord of the gods yourself; your priest is also of such a kind, and your minds are alike. Many people are skilled in giving advice to others, but it is rare to find one who acts himself when the time comes. People accept the treatises composed by Bṛhaspati; O lord of gods, what fault is there in enjoying a woman whom one desires? For the strong, everything is their own; for the weak, nothing is theirs. The distinction between one’s own and another’s is a delusion of the dull-minded. Tārā is attached to me, not so to her teacher; how can one who is devoted be abandoned, either by righteousness or by justice? How can a household begin with one who is indifferent, whether she is attached or not? When she became indifferent, I desired another woman. I will not give up the beautiful one; go, messenger, and tell him yourself. You are the lord, O thousand-eyed one—do as you wish.” Thus addressed by the Moon, the messenger returned to Indra’s presence and faithfully reported all that had been said by the cool-rayed one.