As the narrative unfolds, Śaśī, pleased with the king’s actions, requests that the king give his daughter in marriage for the pleasure of his son. The king, honoring the Vedic tradition, bestows many gifts and wealth as part of the ceremony. Śaśī then takes the king’s daughter and returns to his own house, declaring her to be his, a most excellent wife for enjoyment. At this point, the Vaitāla, a servant of Rudra, addresses the king. The king responds, explaining that, by the command of her father and mother, the daughter had stood before the gods. He recalls the scriptural teaching that a woman is always a precious jewel, and shares the wisdom that the field belongs to the cultivator, not to the one who gives the seed, thus affirming the worthiness of Sudeva’s son. All this, the king says, is as spoken in the scriptures. Upon hearing these words, Madanālasa, the son, speaks. On the auspicious Bahulā aṣṭamī, he bathes, gaining merit, and remembers Govinda in his heart, praising him with gentle words. He acknowledges Govinda, the god of gods, who, for the sake of play with his beloved, has kept this matter secret. He bows in reverence, recognizing Govinda as the form of Time who dissolves the world at its end. By the power of his hymn, Madanālasa is liberated by the god of gods. Filled with joy, the king embraces his beloved and rejoices. He summons Sudeva and gladly gives his own sister to him. Sudeva, intoxicated with passion, takes his sister from the Kṣatriya. Thus, the conduct of the wise one is recounted to the king. Once again, the storyteller turns to a beautiful tale. In Kānyakubja, there lived a Brahmin devoted to charity, who gave away in gifts whatever wealth he received. One autumn, during the observance of the Navadurga vow, the Brahmin wondered what he could do to obtain wealth. Filled with sorrow, he received the grace of the Goddess and undertook a nine-day fast, abstaining from food. Meanwhile, there was a lord of the Vidyādharas named Jīmūtaketu, who enjoyed divine pleasures for many years. By the power of a wish-fulfilling tree, he was blessed with an excellent son. In a previous birth, this son had lived in the most excellent Madhyadeśa. Once, eager for hunting, the king set out, but on the ninth day of the bright half of Caitra, he refrained from killing any living beings. That night, in the hut of Vālmīki, a vigil was kept, and a song about Rāma was heard, owing to the king’s merit. The great soul then worshipped the wish-fulfilling tree, which spoke to him, saying, “My auspicious city—” and, in that moment, the city became one with the king. By the grace of the wish-fulfilling tree, all the people became equal to kings. On the splendid Malayā mountain, they performed intense austerities. There, in the temple of Śiva, was a renowned maiden named Kamalākṣī.