In ancient times, the eminent royal sage Vasur, renowned for his generosity, appointed the noble Vasuprada as commander of his army—a formidable destroyer of enemies. Vasur then married the maiden Girika, who became his beloved spouse. Girika, attentive to the rhythms of life, informed Vasur when her fertile period arrived. She purified herself with a ritual bath, preparing for conception, and on that very day, Girika’s fathers advised Vasur, “Go hunt animals.” Obedient to his elders, Vasur, wise and pleased, departed for the hunt, leaving Girika behind. Yet, as he ventured into the forest, his thoughts lingered on Girika, whose beauty rivaled the goddess of fortune herself. The springtime forest was enchanting, filled with ashokas, champakas, mango trees, atimuktas, punnagas, karnikaras, bakulas, and divine patalas. Jackfruit, coconut, sandalwood, and arjuna trees stood tall, their branches heavy with sweet fruit. The air was alive with the calls of cuckoos and the hum of intoxicated bees, and the forest, vibrant and auspicious, resembled the celestial Chaitraratha. Immersed in this beauty, Vasur was overwhelmed by love and longing. Though his heart burned with desire for Girika, she was not by his side. He wandered aimlessly, his mind consumed. Amidst clusters of ashokas, he spotted a branch adorned with fresh leaves and flowers, delightful to behold. Seated beneath its shade, Vasur enjoyed the sweet fragrance of blossoms mingled with honey. The gentle breeze stirred him, and as he thought of his wife, the fire of passion intensified. In that moment, his seed spilled as he wandered through the dense forest. Quickly, Vasur caught the seed with a leaf, determined it should not fall in vain. Using his ring, he protected the white seed and tied it with red ashokas and tender leaves. He reflected, “Let this spilled seed not be wasted. Let my wife’s fertile period not be fruitless.” Contemplating deeply, Vasur realized the seed could still fulfill its purpose. Observing the proper time for conception, he consecrated the seed, which was ready to depart swiftly. Knowing the subtle truths of righteousness and duty, Vasur approached a hawk and requested, “For my beloved’s sake, gentle one, carry this seed to my house.” The hawk, accepting the task, soared swiftly into the sky. But another hawk, seeing him approach, suspected he carried flesh and attacked. In the sky, the two birds fought fiercely with their beaks, and amid their struggle, the seed fell into the waters of the Yamuna. In those waters dwelled the celestial nymph Adrika, who had been cursed by Brahma and lived as a fish. The seed, dropped from the hawk’s claws, was seized by Adrika in her fish form. Later, fishermen caught this fish, and when ten months had passed, they cut open her belly and found, to their astonishment, a human woman and a man. Amazed, the fishermen reported to the king, “O king, from the body of a fish, these two humans have been born!” Of the pair, King Uparicara Vasu took the male, who became known as Matsya—a righteous king, true to his word. Adrika, freed from her curse, regained her divine form, fulfilling Brahma’s decree: “Having given birth to two humans, you will be released from the curse.” After bearing the children, she was killed by the fishermen, but her soul abandoned the fish form and ascended as a splendid apsara to the realm of Siddhas, Rishis, and Charanas. The daughter, fragrant as a fish, was given by the king to Dasa, saying, “Let this maiden be yours.” Endowed with beauty, virtue, and noble character, she became known as Satyavati, due to her association with the fishermen. For some time, Satyavati’s pure smile was accompanied by the scent of fish. She dutifully served her father, rowing his boat upon the Yamuna. One day, the sage Parashara, while traveling on pilgrimage, beheld Satyavati on the water. Her beauty was extraordinary, desired even by the perfected beings. The wise sage was instantly captivated by the lovely-smiling maiden, the divine daughter of Vāsava, whose thighs resembled plantain stems. Recognizing her origins, Parashara, son of Śakti, asked, “Fair one, who steers this boat?” Satyavati replied, “O twice-born, this boat, filled with a thousand people, is steered by me, the daughter of the boatman, to please my father who has no sons.” Parashara requested, “O beautiful Vāsavī, O auspicious one, why delay? Row the boat, gentle one. The fare shall be a pot half-filled with a thousand coins.” Satyavati, known as Matsyagandhā, agreed and began to row the boat across the water. As she rowed, she noticed the sage’s gaze and said, “People call me Matsyagandhā, the daughter of the boatman king.