Once, a powerful event unfolded among the sages. The seed of Bṛhaspati, the divine preceptor, suddenly fell to the ground, and upon witnessing this, Bṛhaspati became enraged. In his wrath, he cursed the child of Uchathya, who was still in the womb. The sage rebuked the unborn child, saying, “Though all beings desire me at such a time, you have opposed me.” Because of these words, Bṛhaspati declared that the child would enter into a long period of darkness. Thus, the sage was born with the name Dīrghatamas, meaning “long darkness.” Though blind from birth, Dīrghatamas was blessed with deep wisdom. He mastered the Vedas and possessed the glory and intelligence of Bṛhaspati himself. Through his knowledge, he found a wife—a young and beautiful Brahmin woman named Pradveṣī. With her, the illustrious sage begot sons, among them Gautama. In this way, for the increase of Uchathya’s lineage, the righteous and great-souled Dīrghatamas, master of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, was born. Dīrghatamas learned thoroughly the duties of cattle and the teachings of Saurabheya. Filled with faith and certainty, he began to practice these duties. But soon, the eminent sages living in the same hermitage noticed him transgressing proper conduct. Overcome by anger and confusion, they all became enraged and declared, “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.” As the sages spoke among themselves about Dīrghatamas, who had been cursed with long darkness, his wife, despite having a son, was not satisfied with her husband. Dīrghatamas, noticing her hostility, asked, “Why do you despise me?” Pradveṣī 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, the sage, filled with anger, spoke to his hostile wife and son, saying, “O Brahmin, the wealth you have given—I do not desire it, as it is the cause of sorrow.” Pradveṣī responded, “Do as you wish, O best of Brahmins; I will not support you as before.” Dīrghatamas reminded her, “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 Dīrghatamas, placed him on a raft, and cast him into the Ganga. Thinking, “Why should we support this blind and old man?” these cruel sons returned to their homes. Dīrghatamas, blind and helpless, floated downstream on the raft, traveling through many lands. By chance, King Bali, foremost among those who know dharma, saw him immersed in the water, carried near by the current. The righteous and valiant Bali rescued him, learned his story, and, seeking a boon for the sake of a son, honored the sage and allowed him to rest. The royal sage then spoke, “O most fortunate one, giver of honor, for the sake of progeny, please beget sons in my wives, who are skilled in righteousness and wealth.” Dīrghatamas agreed, and so King Bali sent his own wife, Sudeṣṇā, to the sage. The righteous sage begot eleven sons in Sudeṣṇā, including Kākṣīvad and others, but they were born in the womb of a Śūdra woman. Seeing these sons, the king asked, “Are these mine?” The great sage replied, “No, these are not yours. Kākṣīvad and the others were born by me in the womb of a Śūdra woman. Seeing me blind and aged, your queen Sudeṣṇā, foolishly disregarding me, gave me her Śūdra maidservant as a nurse.” King Bali, wishing for true heirs, again sought to please the eminent sage and once more sent his wife Sudeṣṇā to him. Touching the limbs of the queen, Dīrghatamas spoke, “You will have sons radiant with the brilliance of the sun.” And so, Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Puṇḍra, and Suhma were born as her sons. Their lands were named after them, and their names became renowned throughout the earth: Aṅga became the land of Aṅga, Vaṅga as Vaṅga, Kaliṅga as Kaliṅga, Puṇḍra as Puṇḍra, and Suhma as Suhma. Thus, the lineage of Bali, born of the great sage, became famous. In this way, other mighty archers, Kṣatriyas, were born from Brāhmaṇas on earth, knowing supreme dharma and possessing great strength and valor. Hearing this, O mother, you too may act as you wish. Now, I will recount the cause for the continuation of the Bharata lineage. Mother, listen as I speak. Let a virtuous Brāhmaṇa be invited with wealth, who can beget offspring in the fields of Vicitravīrya. Hearing Bhīṣma’s words, which were based on righteousness and purpose, mother Satyavatī again addressed him, saying, “Regarding the case of Aucathya and what was cited about Aṅga, this ancient tradition is authoritative. Now is the proper time to act.