Having spoken thus to his wife, the sage Ṛcīka, a devoted descendant of Bhṛgu, withdrew into the forest. There, immersed in deep austerity, he remained ever engaged in penance. It was during this time that Gādhi, accompanied by his wife, made his way to Ṛcīka’s hermitage. Under the pretext of undertaking a pilgrimage, he sought to visit his daughter, Satyavatī. Satyavatī, ever loyal and attentive to her husband, had carefully received the two portions prepared by Ṛcīka. With a joyful and focused mind, she reported these portions to her mother, not distracted in her duty. By a twist of fate, her mother gave her own portion to Satyavatī, while Satyavatī, unaware of the change, prepared her own portion for herself. As a result, Satyavatī conceived a child—her pregnancy was auspicious but destined to bring destruction to the Kshatriya race. The unborn child radiated with a fearsome appearance. Ṛcīka, perceiving this through his yogic insight, addressed his beautiful wife: “O gentle one, because of the exchange of portions, your mother will achieve the intended result. But your son will be born with fierce deeds and great cruelty.” He continued, “Your mother will bear a son endowed with austerity, for through my penance I have dedicated all my Brahmanic energy to that purpose.” Hearing these words from her husband, the illustrious Satyavatī tried to appease him: “Let my son not possess such qualities; let another be an outcast among the Brahmins instead.” Ṛcīka replied, “O gentle one, neither I nor you willed this. Your son will be fierce in action, inheriting the nature of both his father and mother.” Still troubled, Satyavatī pleaded again: “O sage, you have the power to create worlds if you desire—can you not grant me a son of peaceful nature?” She implored, “O husband, please bless me with a son who is tranquil and upright; let such a son be born to me, if you wish it, O lord.” Ṛcīka, the best among the twice-born, explained, “It cannot be otherwise in your case.” Yet, moved by the power of her austerity, he granted her the favor. He assured her, “O beautiful one, I make no distinction between son and grandson. As you have spoken, so it shall be, O gentle lady.” Thus, Satyavatī gave birth to a son of the Bhārgava lineage, devoted to austerity and self-restraint—Jamadagni, peaceful by nature. Because of the ancient exchange of offerings—between the fiery Bhṛgu portion and the Vaiṣṇava portion—Jamadagni was born from the Vaiṣṇava fire. Meanwhile, Gādhi, son of Kuśika, received Viśvāmitra as his heir. Surrounded by Brahmarṣis and Brahmins, he went to Savitṛ. Satyavatī, virtuous and steadfast in truth, became known as Kauśikī, and from her, the great river began to flow. The illustrious Kauśikī, best among rivers, became renowned. In the Ikṣvāku lineage, there was a king named Suveṇu. His blessed daughter was named Reṇukā, also called Kāmalī. From Kāmalī and Reṇu, both endowed with austerity and steadfastness, Jamadagni—fierce and powerful—was born to Ṛcīka. Jamadagni fathered Rāma, the destroyer of Kshatriyas, supreme in all branches of knowledge, accomplished in the science of archery, and blazing with the brilliance of fire. Thus, from Aurva and Ṛcīka, through Satyavatī, the great-minded Jamadagni was born, foremost among those who know Brahman. Among his sons, the middle was Śunaḥśepha and the youngest, Śunaḥpuccha. Viśvāmitra, righteous and renowned as Viśvaratha, was born by the grace of Bhṛgu and increased the lineage of Kauśika. Śunaḥśepha, the sage, became the son of Viśvāmitra; during the sacrifice of Hariścandra, he had been bound as a sacrificial victim, but was released by the gods and became known as Devarāta. Among the sons of Viśvāmitra, Śunaḥśepha is remembered as the eldest. Others include Madhucchanda, Naya, Kṛtadeva, and Dhruvāṣṭaka. Kacchapa and Pūraṇa were also sons of Viśvāmitra, and from these great-souled Kauśikas, many and varied lineages arose. The Pārthivas, Devarātas, Yājñavalkyas, Samarṣaṇas, Udumbaras, Udumlānas, Tārakas, and Yamamuñcatas are also remembered among them. Likewise, the Lohinyas, Reṇavas, Kārīṣavas, Babhravas, Pāṇinas, and those who meditate and recite are all descendants. From Śālāvatī came the Hiraṇyākṣas, Syaṅkṛtas, and the Gālavās; also the Devalas, Yāmadūtas, Śālaṅkāyanas, and Bāṣkalas. Dadāti, Bādaras, and others are also descendants of the wise Viśvāmitra. Many other lineages, called Śauśikas, arose from different sages. The Kauśikas, Ośrumās, and Saidhavāyanas are mentioned as well; all these are from the virtuous Paurorava, the Brahmarṣi Kauśika. The son of Dṛṣadvatī, Aṣṭaka, was also from Viśvāmitra, and Aṣṭaka’s son, belonging to the Jahnu lineage, is also remembered. The sages then inquired, “By what mark, by what righteousness, by what austerity or learning, did Viśvāmitra and other kings attain Brāhmaṇahood? By what means, by what origin, did these Kṣatriyas become Brahmins? We wish to know the distinction—was it by austerity or by giving?” In response, the sage spoke these meaningful words: “One who performs sacrifice with wealth obtained unjustly, even if desiring righteousness, does not attain the fruit of righteousness.” He continued, “If a person, having learned this dharma, is wicked and gives gifts to Brahmins for the sake of show among people, such acts bear no fruit.” “Those who recite intensely, driven by unchecked greed for wealth, filled with attachment and delusion, and give gifts at the end for purification—their gifts are indeed fruitless. For one engaged in unrighteousness, violent and evil-minded, such actions bear no result.” “Thus, when wealth is acquired through delusion and given or sacrificed, the gifts of one whose actions are tainted do not endure.” “But when wealth is obtained lawfully and offered at a sacred place, without desire for reward, then one’s sacrifice and giving become truly meritorious.