Having ritually crossed himself, the sage, accompanied by his ministers, approached the gathering with respect and inquired of the assembled people, "What is taking place here, O honorable ones, revered by all?" The people replied that the king, compassionate toward his subjects, was being honored together with his relatives. They explained that those who seek wealth obtain riches, and those who desire children are blessed with excellent offspring. Indeed, by worshiping the truthful gods, all desires may be fulfilled. Hearing this, the sage bowed deeply and voiced his wish before the assembly: "By your favor, may I be granted a son or a daughter." The assembly responded kindly, "May your desire be fulfilled." Thus, filled with hope, the virtuous sage returned to his home, his mind absorbed in contemplation of Hari. He performed many auspicious rites as was proper. In due time, his wife Līlāvatī, having bathed after her period, served her husband. Soon, a daughter was born to them—a child with lotus-like, restless eyes, bringing joy to all her relatives. The sage summoned learned Brāhmaṇas and had all the auspicious ceremonies performed for the newborn. In the house of the moon, the child, named Kalāvatī, grew up beautifully. When Kalāvatī reached the age of ten, she matured and began to menstruate. In the city of Kāñcanapura, there lived a renowned merchant named Śaṅkhapati. The sage chose him as a suitable husband for his daughter. With the sounds of Vedic chants and musical instruments, the sage gave his daughter in marriage according to the proper rites, his heart overflowing with joy. He gave her away for auspiciousness, and from that day, the sage regarded the merchant as a son, while the wise merchant honored the sage as a father. After some time, forgetting his domestic contentment, the merchant, together with his brother-in-law, set out again for trade. The Sūta said: Then the sage gathered various jewels, prepared the ships, and journeyed from one country to another. Engaged in buying and selling, he remained there for a long time, his mind focused on his work. But as fate would have it, the merchant soon fell into distress. One night, while all were asleep, thieves stole away with great wealth. After performing his morning duties, the merchant entered the assembly and addressed the king, "Listen, O lord of the earth: all the thieves have escaped; we do not know where they have gone, O king." The king, his eyes reddened with anger, commanded, "You all come here at once! Otherwise, I will kill you along with your followers," he ordered his messengers. Despite many efforts, the stolen goods, now mingled with the thieves, could not be recovered. The merchant lamented, "The king will kill me and my companions—what can I do? Where can I find happiness now? Death at the Narmada grants attainment of Shiva's world." Meanwhile, a foreign merchant, seeing the merchant's remaining wealth, suspected him of being a thief. To protect themselves, they bound him. Even the king did not consider whether he was truly opposed to Hari. Thus, the virtuous merchant, together with his brother-in-law, was cast into prison, his limbs and feet shackled in iron chains. There, in their suffering, they lamented greatly and repeatedly. "Where are my daughter and wife now? See how fate has turned against me. Surely, I must have done much to displease destiny in the past.