After a reign that fell a thousand years short, a king was succeeded by his son, Tridhanvā. With the completion of his rule, the era known as Satyapāda came to its close, marking the end of the second great cycle within Bhārata. Tridhanvā, too, ruled for a thousand years less than his predecessors before ascending to heaven. His son, Hariścandra, was born into diminished circumstances, the result of a clever stratagem. Yet, Hariścandra’s lineage continued: his son Hārīta became king and ruled as his father had before him. Hārīta’s son, Vijaya, in turn, governed the kingdom in the same manner, and so the line continued with Sagara, who also ruled with the same steadfastness as his forebears. From the time of Vaivasvata, the kingdom was properly governed by these rulers. During this age, O sage, righteousness flourished on earth, for it was the Satya Yuga, the age of truth. Among these noble kings was one deeply devoted to Śiva, upholding good conduct, whose sons became known as the Sāgaras. When the Sāgaras met their end, it was Asamañjasa, the son, who survived. His own son, Dilīpa, ruled for a hundred years less than his father, and was succeeded by Śrutasena, who also ruled a hundred years less. After him came Ambarīṣa, whose reign, too, was a hundred years shorter. With this, another Satyapāda cycle concluded, marking the third within Bhārata. In the fourth cycle, a king’s reign stretched for eighteen thousand years. After this, he ruled for twenty-nine years, and then for thirty more. The kingdom was established, though a hundred years were subtracted, and then ten thousand horses followed in a great event. Again, the kingdom was established less a hundred years, and the king fulfilled every desire of his people. After yet another such reign, Sudāsa’s son ascended the throne, followed by Harivarman, each ruling after a kingdom established less a hundred years. Owing to a curse from his guru, Saudāsa relinquished his kingdom to the very same guru. Harivarman, who was born of Śamaka, honored the virtuous with the humility of a Vaiśya. Ruling the kingdom with justice, Harivarman became the father of Daśaratha. Daśaratha, in turn, ruled as his father had, and then Viśvāsaha, son of Bhṛpa, followed him. But as unrighteousness grew, a terrible drought struck the land. In response, the sage Vasiṣṭha performed a sacrifice, deeply devoted to the queen’s words. With Indra’s assistance, the kingdom endured for thirty thousand years. From Khaṭṭāṅga, Dīrghabāhu ruled for twenty thousand years. These three—renowned for their strength—were Vaiṣṇavas, devoted to Viṣṇu, and descendants of Daśaratha. Sudarśana, a wise king, married the daughter of the king of Kāśī and ruled for five thousand years. One night, in the midst of a dream, Mahākālī appeared before the king and spoke: “Having reached the Himalayan mountain, dwell there, O wise one. The western ocean, once a source of gems, has lost its islands. In the south, the submarine fire has consumed the ocean, and its islands too have perished. All those islands, once famous, are now destroyed. Even the living have gone to their end. Therefore, you must strive to survive.” Heeding this divine warning, the king journeyed with the foremost of kings, the chief merchants, and the twice-born. In time, gravel covered the earth, and living beings perished. When the winds finally stilled, they dried up all the waters, leaving the land changed forever.