Rudra, filled with fierce anger, descended upon the Haihayas and destroyed them swiftly, as a predator does its prey. Through this act, Rudra became celebrated among the people, gaining renown as the foremost among the illustrious. Afterward, King Sagara resolved to utterly destroy the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, and the Pahnava people. As Sagara, mighty and relentless, began to slay them, these afflicted peoples sought the protection of the wise sage Vasiṣṭha. They approached him with reverence and bowed before his radiant presence. Vasiṣṭha, discerning the proper moment and filled with compassion, granted them sanctuary and restrained Sagara from harming them further. Hearing the words of his revered teacher but mindful of his own vow, Sagara refrained from killing them. Instead, he altered their appearances: he shaved half the heads of the Śakas and released them; the Yavanas and Kāmbojas had their entire heads shaved. The Pāradas were made to wear their hair loose, while the Pahnava people were commanded to keep beards. All were deprived of Vedic study and ritual by the great king. Thus, the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, Koṇisarpas, Māhiṣakas, Darvas, Colas, and Sakeralas—all these were originally Kṣatriyas, but their dharma was taken away by Sagara, acting under Vasiṣṭha’s command. Victorious in righteousness, King Sagara conquered the earth and, after being consecrated, set a horse to roam for the Aśvamedha sacrifice. As the horse wandered, it was seized near the southern shore of the eastern ocean and mysteriously taken into the earth. Determined to recover the horse, Sagara and his sons began to dig the land. Their efforts led them deep into the great ocean, where they finally arrived. There, they beheld the primeval Lord Hari, Kṛṣṇa—Viṣṇu himself in the form of Kapila—lying in deep sleep. When Kapila awoke, his gaze blazed forth, and all the great sages present were burned up, save for four who remained: Barhiketu, Suketu, the righteous king Dharmaratha, and the valiant Pañcanada. These four kings became the progenitors of Sagara’s line. The blessed Lord Hari Nārāyaṇa bestowed an unfailing boon upon Sagara: an unbroken lineage for Ikṣvāku and undiminishing fame. The Lord also granted Sagara a son—the ocean itself—and everlasting residence in heaven. The ocean, receiving the offering, honored the great king, and by this act, Sagara earned his name, Sāgara. He recovered the horse for the Aśvamedha from the ocean. Sagara, renowned for his austerity, performed a hundred horse sacrifices. It is said he had sixty thousand sons. But how did these mighty and heroic sons come to be? Sagara had two wives, both purified by austerities. The elder was Keśinī, daughter of the king of Vidarbha. The younger, unmatched in virtue and beauty, was the daughter of Ariṣṭanemi. The sage Aurva granted them a boon: one wife would bear sixty thousand sons, while the other could choose a single son to continue the lineage. Keśinī accepted the boon of sixty thousand sons, while the younger requested one son to continue the line. From her was born the illustrious king Pañcajana. Keśinī gave birth to a gourd filled with seeds, in which sixty thousand embryos, each the size of a sesame seed, were contained. In due time, these embryos developed happily. They were placed in jars filled with ghee, each tended by a nurse. After ten months, all sixty thousand sons emerged in order, increasing Sagara’s joy. Born from the middle of the gourd, these sons were endowed with the energy of Nārāyaṇa, which had entered their great souls. Pañcajana, the single son, became a king; his son was the mighty Aṃśumān. Aṃśumān’s son was Dilīpa, known as Khaṭvāṅga, who, after coming from heaven to earth, lived only for a moment. Dilīpa, through resolve, intelligence, and truth, conquered the three worlds. His heir was the great king Bhagīratha. Bhagīratha, lord of his line, brought down Gaṅgā, the best of rivers, led her to the ocean, and even made her his daughter. Thus, Gaṅgā is called Bhāgīrathī by those who reflect on the lineage. The king, son of Bhagīratha, became renowned as Śruta. Śruta’s son was Nābhāga, supremely righteous. Nābhāga’s son was Ambarīṣa, who became the father of Sindhudvīpa. Ayutajit, the valiant heir of Sindhudvīpa, had a son named Ṛtuparṇa, renowned for his great fame. Ṛtuparṇa, powerful and a friend of Nala, was skilled in the divine science of dice. His son was Ārtaparṇi, famed among kings. Sudāsa was his son, a king and companion of Indra. Sudāsa’s son was the king called Saudāsa. Saudāsa was also known as Kalmāṣapāda and Mitrasaha, earning fame far and wide. Kalmāṣapāda’s son was renowned as Sarvakarman. Thus, the illustrious line of Sagara continued, each king adding to the glory and righteousness of their dynasty, blessed by the boons of the gods and the wisdom of sages.