At a time of great fear and turmoil, all beings sought refuge in the noble lineage of Rāma. In that hour, one among them lifted his voice in praise, reciting the sacred hymn of the day, and by the power of his devotion, Śivā herself appeared. When the Gandharva was defeated, the lineage of Kṛṣṇa, ever enchanting the people, flourished. As the sixteenth year of Kṛṣṇa's lineage dawned, its members, steadfast in their devotion, worshipped the goddess with earnest hearts. Within this lineage, there was a man whose wife was Nāgavatī, the radiant daughter of Takṣaka. Together, they had ten daughters, among whom the most beautiful, with a lovely face, was named Śubhānana. Desiring to make arrangements, he summoned the priest and sent him to the king of the earth. Upon hearing the message, the king, commanding three hundred thousand troops, responded at the appropriate time. He spoke to his father, requesting, “Give me the serpent ornament.” Hearing this request, Nagavarma went to the king of the earth. The king, thus addressed, was struck with astonishment and deep distress. Aware of these events, Ahlada, accompanied by fifty valiant men, prepared for action. Their mares were extraordinary, each capable of traversing a hundred yojanas; when paired, they could cover a thousand yojanas in a single day and night. These horses, born from portions of the moon and belonging to Hari himself, included the steed Gayatra, who set the wheel of time in motion, and Harini, a power descended from the moon. Ahlada, stationed in Karala, and Bindulastha, a portion of Hari, approached the king of the earth, bowed respectfully, and ascended the lofty seat. Ahlada declared, “Three of my sons, valiant men, have been married by you.” Hearing this, Ahlada went to the excellent surface of the earth. There, he found Pundarika, her husband of auspicious face, asleep. Addressed thus, she affirmed to the hero, “Pundarika is my husband.” Upon hearing this, she laughed and said, “We have no fear of your husband.” At that moment, the king, mighty among serpents, awoke. Witnessing the dazzling poison, he meditated on all that is auspicious. Pundarika, serene in mind, possessed the finest serpent ornaments. Ahlada, mounted on his horse, presented the king of the earth with ten million gold coins, a gift he had received, and quickly departed. The horses, skilled in horsemanship, returned home. Sūta then recounted: For five years, he worshipped the two excellent celestial physicians. By their boon, ten sons were born to him. Once again, he summoned the king of the earth, who still commanded three hundred thousand troops. At that time, Sūryavarman took a newly-wedded wife. Karbura, a powerful magician and the son of Vibhīṣaṇa, took as his bride the daughter of Madrakeśa, who was endowed with divine beauty. Yet, the king of the earth, greatly distressed, lamented again and again. He sent Kṛṣṇāṃśa, who went forth and reported all that had transpired. Upon reaching Mount Sahyādri, Kṛṣṇāṃśa approached Karbura. Vibhīṣaṇa, king among devotees, spoke to his beloved son: “You are dear to me. You know that Sītā was once abducted by Rāvaṇa.” Hearing this, Karbura replied, “This beloved one has been dear to me from before. Therefore, separated from her, I abandoned the great city of Laṅkā; I did not take the lovely beloved, but remained there for many days. Today, that auspicious lady named Kāntimatī has come under my control.