Paravasu is the eldest son of the great sage Raibhya. For seven long years he has performed the mahayagya (fire sacrifice) to appease the gods and get rains for the drought-ridden land. He has forsaken his wife Vishakha, his brother Arvasu and all worldly pursuits. His exalted position of Chief Priest of the sacrifice creates discord and animosity within his own family, from his father Raibhya to his cousin Yavakri.
Yavakri, Paravasu’s arch-rival, returns home triumphant after ten years of meditation, armed with the boon of eternal knowledge bestowed upon him by the Lord Indra himself. The resentful Yavakri embarks upon a scheme for ultimate revenge at any cost even love. Paravasu’s younger brother Arvasu, is in love with a tribal girl Nittilai, is all set to defy his upper caste Brahmin norms and marry her. But his Brahmin upbringing does not allow him to escape the manipulations of his brother Paravasu, his cousin Yavakri and his father Raibhya.
Unwittingly embroiled in their battle for supremacy, he is eventually forced to choose between love and duty. In a desperate attempt to assert his position, his dominance in the Brahmin community, Yavakri seduces Vishakha – his past lover and now Paravasu’s abandoned wife. Raibhya, Paravasu’s father, wreaks his own vengeance on Yavakri by unleashing upon him a demon the Brahmarakshas.
The appearance of Lord Indra at the end is testament to Arvasu’s essential goodness and faith. His dialogue with the God leads him towards the path of duty and spiritual growth, through sacrifice. The purity of his love for Nittilai triumphs as the parched land is granted rain and its people salvation.