When Asamañjasa was a child, his father held hope in his heart, thinking, “When my son passes beyond childhood, he will become wise.” Yet, even after Asamañjasa outgrew his early years, his father saw no change in his ways and, grieving over his son’s wicked conduct, abandoned him. The sixty thousand sons of Sagara, too, followed in the footsteps of Asamañjasa, imitating his unrighteous behavior. Because of the Sagaras’ actions, their sacrifices were ruined, and the gods, pure and all-knowing, found themselves troubled. Seeking a solution, they approached the sage Kapila, a portion of the Supreme Person, and bowed before him. They said, “O Lord, Sagara’s sons are following the conduct of Asamañjasa. How can the world endure if they persist in such wickedness?” The Lord, upon hearing their plea and understanding the world’s distress, assured them that his incarnation would soon bring protection. He declared, “In just a few days, they will perish.” Meanwhile, King Sagara began the great horse sacrifice. As the ritual progressed, Sagara’s sons were appointed to guard the sacrificial horse, but someone stole it, leading it into a hole in the earth. Determined to recover the animal, the sons dug into the earth for a yojana, following the trail left by the horse’s hooves. Deep in the netherworld, they found the horse wandering freely. Not far from the animal, they saw the Lord—sage Kapila—radiant like the autumn sun, his head bowed, his brilliance illuminating all directions. Mistakenly believing him to be the horse thief and the enemy who had obstructed their sacrifice, the evil-minded sons, weapons raised, cried out, “This enemy has harmed us! Let the horse thief be killed!” and rushed at him. But the Lord merely glanced at them, his eyes slightly turned, and instantly, fire arose from his body and burned them to ashes. When Sagara learned that his sons had perished in pursuit of the horse, destroyed by the great sage Kapila’s power, he appointed his grandson, Amshuman, to retrieve the horse. Following the path his uncles had dug, Amshuman approached Kapila with devotion and humility, and stood before the sage. The Lord spoke kindly to Amshuman, saying, “Go, bring the horse to your grandfather, and ask for a boon. Your descendants will bring the Ganga from heaven to earth.” Amshuman replied, “Grant us a boon that my ancestors, who have been destroyed by Brahma’s curse, may attain heaven.” The Lord answered, “What you request has already been spoken by me—your grandson will bring the Ganga from heaven to earth. When their bones and ashes are touched by her waters, they will ascend to heaven. Such is the greatness of the water that sprang from the toe of Lord Vishnu. Not only does intentional bathing or enjoyment in this water bring benefit, but even unintentional contact—by the bones, skin, sinews, hair, or anything from the body of the deceased—immediately leads the soul to heaven.” Having bowed to the Lord, Amshuman took the horse and returned to his grandfather’s sacrifice. Sagara, having recovered the horse, completed the great ritual. Out of affection for his son, he came to see the ocean as his own child. In time, Amshuman’s son Dilīpa was born. Dilīpa’s son was Bhagīratha, famed for bringing the Ganges down from heaven to earth and giving her the name Bhāgīrathī. From Bhagīratha came Suhotra, from Suhotra, Śruta; from Śruta, Nābhāga; from Nābhāga, Ambarīṣa; from Ambarīṣa, Sindhudvīpa; and from Sindhudvīpa, Ayutāyu. Ayutāyu’s son was Ṛtuparṇa, companion of Nala and renowned for his expertise in the horse sacrifice. Ṛtuparṇa’s son was Sarvakāma, Sarvakāma’s son was Sudāsa, and Sudāsa’s son was Saudāsa, also known as Mitrasaha. Once, Saudāsa was roaming the forest in search of game when he spotted two tigers. Believing these two had made the forest devoid of other animals, he shot one with an arrow. As it was dying, the being transformed into a terrifying Rākṣasa with a dreadful face. The second, witnessing this, declared, “I will take revenge on you,” and vanished. Later, Saudāsa performed a sacrifice. When the ritual was completed and the priest Vasiṣṭha had departed, the Rākṣasa, assuming Vasiṣṭha’s form, appeared at the end of the ceremony and said, “Give me human flesh to eat.” Saying he would return soon, he left. Again, taking the guise of a cook, the Rākṣasa, by the king’s order, prepared human flesh and presented it to Saudāsa. The king, placing the meat in a golden vessel, waited for Vasiṣṭha’s arrival. When Vasiṣṭha arrived, Saudāsa informed him of all that had transpired.