Having heard these words of wisdom, it was advised that one should act accordingly, consulting with learned priests who are skilled in the laws governing times of crisis and prosperity, and who are mindful of the ways of the world. Now, let me recount an ancient tale. In days gone by, when Jamadagni’s son, the mighty Rama, could not endure the murder of his father, he wielded his axe against the king of the Haihayas, Arjuna. In his righteous wrath, Rama severed hundreds of Arjuna’s arms, performing an act of great difficulty for the benefit of the world. Taking up his bow and unleashing mighty weapons, he repeatedly vanquished the Kshatriyas, conquering the earth with his chariot. Thus, with weapons of many kinds, the great-souled Bhargava made the earth devoid of Kshatriyas not once, but twenty-one times in ancient days. When the earth had thus been emptied of Kshatriyas by that great sage, Kshatriya women from all directions gathered together. The Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas, begot children with these women, and it is established in the scriptures that these were sons born of lawful marriage. With righteousness in their hearts, these Brahmanas approached the women, and thus, the rebirth of the Kshatriya order in the world came to pass. Once more, the Kshatriya lineage arose, and now I shall tell you the story of how this happened. Long ago, there was a wise sage named Uchathya. His wife, greatly esteemed, was called Mamatā. Uchathya’s younger brother was Bṛhaspati, of radiant brilliance and the revered priest of the gods. Bṛhaspati developed a desire for Mamatā. When he approached her, Mamatā addressed her illustrious brother-in-law, saying, “I am already pregnant, united with your elder brother. O Bṛhaspati, this noble child of Uchathya is in my womb, and even now, he is learning the six limbs of the Veda within me, O godly one. Your seed is unfailing, and for two, there can be no conception. Therefore, in this situation, you ought to desist today.” Despite her words, Bṛhaspati, though noble in intellect, could not restrain his desire. Overcome by passion, he united with her against her will. As he released his seed, the child in her womb spoke out: “O revered one, do not act out of desire; for two, there can be no conception here. The space is small, O blessed one, and I have come here first. Your seed is unfailing, and you should not cause harm.” Yet Bṛhaspati, unheeding, proceeded to unite with Mamatā. The sage within her womb, aware of what was happening, blocked the path of Bṛhaspati’s seed with his feet. Thus, the seed, unable to find its place, was checked and fell to the ground. Seeing his seed fall, Bṛhaspati became enraged and cursed the child in Mamatā’s womb: “Though all beings desire me at such a time, you have opposed me. Because you spoke thus, you shall enter into long darkness.” Thus, the sage was born with the name Dīrghatamas, meaning “long darkness.” Though blind from birth, Dīrghatamas became learned in the Vedas and wise, shining with the glory of Bṛhaspati. By his knowledge, he obtained a beautiful young Brahmin wife named Pradveṣī, and to her, the illustrious sage begot sons such as Gautama. Thus, for the increase of Uchathya’s lineage, the righteous and great-souled sage, master of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, was born. Having thoroughly learned the duties related to cattle and the teachings of Saurabheya, Dīrghatamas practiced them with full faith and without doubt. However, when the eminent sages residing in that hermitage saw him transgressing proper conduct, they became angry and deluded. They said among themselves, “Behold, this one has broken the code of conduct; he does not deserve to dwell in the hermitage. Therefore, let us all abandon this sinful one.” Meanwhile, his wife Pradveṣī, though she had borne him a son, was not satisfied with her husband. Dīrghatamas asked her, “Why do you despise me?” She replied, “I am unable to support you, a great ascetic, along with your blind son. I am always afflicted by hardship and cannot bear it.” Hearing these words, Dīrghatamas was filled with anger and spoke to his hostile wife, who was with her son, “O Brahmin, the wealth you have given—I do not desire it, as it is the cause of sorrow.” She responded, “Do as you wish, O best of Brahmins; I will not support you as before.” Dīrghatamas then declared, “A woman has only one husband as her refuge for life; whether he is dead or alive, she should not seek another man. If a woman approaches another, she will surely be married to him; but from this day, for women without husbands, it will be a sin. Even if they possess all wealth, let their enjoyments be in vain; let disgrace and reproach always be theirs.” Hearing these words, Pradveṣī, greatly angered, said, “Let this son be taken to the Ganga.” Overcome by greed and delusion, her sons, led by Gautama, bound their brother, placed him on a raft, and cast him into the Ganga.