Aswini and Revanta looked at each other. One of them said, "O princess, you're a beauty non-pareil. You might have been obliged to marry the old sage in some unusual circumstance. Such a marriage need not be binding on you. We are Aswini and Revanta. Why not marry one of us?"
"Since you are godly beings, you should be able to know the truth if you try. Nobody had compelled me to marry the sage. I married him of my own free will. I feel honoured to serve him and help him in his Yoga. What you say is improper. Don't repeat it, unless you aren't afraid of being cursed," said Sukanya in a stern voice.
"We're sorry," said the two brothers. "As a penalty for our improper conduct, we offer you a boon: we'll transform Sage Chyavan into a youthful man. For that to be possible, he should have a dip with us in the lake."
Sukanya asked them to wait and went to her hut and put forth their proposal before Chyavan. He had no objection to having the boon. He went along with Sukanya and met the two brothers.
Aswini and Revanta led him to a lake. Before taking the dip, they told Sukanya, "When we emerge from the water, you take hold of your husband and go home."
They had the dip and came out of the lake. Only then did Sukanya understand the significance of what the clever youths had said before the dip. All the three now looked handsome-and all looking exactly the same! It was impossible to know who was who.
Sukanya at once closed her eyes and concentrated on the Divine Mother. "I must not go wrong in identifying my husband, O Mother!" she said. She opened her eyes and knew who among the three was Chyavan. She held him by the hand. The two gods were amazed.
"You've done me a good turn. What can I do for you?" asked Chyavan.
"O great sage, Indra never lets us have a taste of the celestial drink, Soma. Can you kindly get it for us?" asked the brothers.
"The Soma can be had only during the performance of a Yajna. I shall perform a Yajna for King Saryati. I shall offer you the drink on that occasion," said Chyavan. The two brothers left for their abode happily.
A few days later King Saryati and his queen paid a visit to their daughter. The queen saw Sukanya talking to a young man. She was surprised. Where had the old sage gone? Who was this young man?
Sukanya fell into her mother's arms and narrated all that had happened to them. The joy of the king and the queen knew no bounds.
Soon thereafter the king performed a Yajna under the direction of Sage Chyavan. Duly invoked, the gods came there.
