In the ancient lineage of kings, Ayutāyu was born, whose son was Akrodhana. From Akrodhana came Atithi, and his son was Ṛkṣa. Ṛkṣa fathered Bhīmasena, who in turn begot Dilīpa. From Dilīpa was born Pratīpa, and from Pratīpa, Devāpi. Pratīpa also had three royal sons: Śantanu, Bāhlīka, and another brother. Bāhlīka’s line continued through his son Somadatta, who fathered Bhūri and Bhūriśravā. Śantanu’s own sons were Śala and the great, righteous Bhīṣma, born of the river goddess Gaṅgā. With Satyavatī, Śantanu had two sons: Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya. Vicitravīrya’s wives, Ambikā and Ambālikā, gave birth to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, respectively. From a maidservant was born Vidura, known for his wisdom. The sage Vyāsa fathered, through Gāndhārī, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who became the father of a hundred sons, the eldest being Duryodhana. Pāṇḍu, meanwhile, was blessed with five illustrious sons. Each of the five Pāṇḍavas had a son with Draupadī: Pratibandhya, Śrutasoma, Śrutakīrti, Śatānīka, and Śrutakarman, each born in order from the five brothers. Other mothers of their sons were Yaudheya, Hiḍimbā, Kauśī, Subhadrikā, Vijayā, and Reṇumatī, each bearing a son from one of the Pāṇḍavas in turn. Among the sons, Devaka, Ghā, Utkaca, and the all-pervading Abhimanyu were notable, followed by Suhotra, Niramitra, and Parīkṣit, the son of Abhimanyu. Parīkṣit’s son was Janamejaya, and after him, the succession of kings continued. Hari, the Supreme Lord, declared the names of the kings who followed: Śatānīka, Aśvamedhadatta, Adhisomaka, Kṛṣṇa, Aniruddha, Uṣṇa, and Citraratha. Thereafter came Śucidratha, Vṛṣṇimān, Supeṇa, Sunīthaka, Nṛcakṣu, Mukhābāṇa, Medhāvī, and Nṛpañjaya. The lineage continued with Pāriplava, another Medhāvī, Nṛpañjaya, Bṛhadratha, Haristigman, Śatānīka, and Sudānaka, followed by Udāna, Ahninara, Daṇḍapāṇi, Nimittaka, and Kṣemaka. After Kṣemaka came Śūdra and his son, the previous father. The Bṛhadbalas were recounted, along with the kings of the Ikṣvāku lineage. After Bṛhadbala came Urukṣaya, then Vatsavyūha, and others. From Vatsavyūha was born Sūrya, then Sahadeva, Bṛhadaśva, Bhānuratha, Pratīcya, Pratītaka, Manudeva, Sunakṣatra, Kinnara, and Antarikṣaka. The line continued with Suparṇa, Kṛtajit, the righteous Bṛhadbhrāja, Kṛtañjaya, Dhanañjaya, Saṃjaya, and Śākya. Śuddhodana, Bāhula, Senajit, Kṣudraka, Sumitra, and Kuḍava followed. From Sumitra descended the Magadhas, among whom were Jarāsandha, Sahadeva, Somāpi, Śrutaśravā, Ayutāyus, Niramitra, Sukṣatra, and Bahukarmaka. Śrutañjaya, Senajit, Bhūri, Śuci, Kṣemya, Suvrata, Dharma, Śmaśrula, and Dṛḍhasenaka continued the lineage. Then came Sumati, Subala, Nīta, Satyajit, Viśvajit, and Iṣuñjaya—these kings were known as the Bārhadrathas. After these kings, there would arise rulers who were unrighteous and of the Śūdra class. In that time, the blessed and eternal Nārāyaṇa himself, the source of all the heavens, would descend to earth. The cycles of creation and dissolution were described: there is the occasional, elemental, and absolute dissolution. In dissolution, the earth is destroyed in water, water in fire, fire in air, air in space, space in ego, ego in intellect, intellect in mind, mind in the vital self, the vital self in the unmanifest, and finally, all merges into the Supreme Self. That Supreme Self is the Lord, Viṣṇu, the one Nārāyaṇa, the eternal Person. All else—worlds and heavens—are perishable, but he alone is imperishable and supreme. Seeing that all kings and others meet their end, one should avoid sin. By steadfastly practicing righteousness and forsaking sin, one attains Hari. Brahmā then spoke of Lord Hari’s descents: the Lord himself incarnated to protect the Manus and others, to destroy demonic conduct and preserve Vedic law and its branches. Taking various forms, beginning with the Fish, the Unborn One made his descents. As the Fish, he slew the demon Hayagrīva, the thorn among horses. Keśava retrieved the Vedas and protected the Manus and others. As the Tortoise, he supported Mount Mandara for their benefit. During the churning of the ocean of milk, the god Dhanvantari appeared, holding a full water-pot and the nectar of immortality. He taught the eightfold science of Ayurveda to Suśruta, and, taking the form of a beautiful woman, Hari gave the nectar to the gods. Descending as the Boar, he slew Hiraṇyākṣa, upheld the earth, and protected the gods. Then, as Narasiṃha, the Man-Lion, he destroyed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the enemy of the gods, and protected the Vedas, dharma, and the righteous. Afterward, Paraśurāma, lord of the world, was born from Jamadagni. Hari made the earth devoid of kṣatriyas twenty-one times, slaying Kārtavīrya in battle and giving the earth to Kaśyapa. After performing a great sacrifice, the mighty-armed one dwelt on Mount Mahendra. Then Rāma, the destroyer of the wicked, was to manifest in fourfold form, born as the son of Daśaratha, with Bharata as his younger brother, along with Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna. Jānakī, the devoted wife of Rāma, accompanied him. Rāma, honoring his father’s promise, acted for the welfare of his mothers. He journeyed to Śṛṅgavera, Citrakūṭa, and the Daṇḍaka forest. There, he cut off the nose of Śūrpaṇakhā and slew Khara and Dūṣaṇa. Later, he killed the night-wandering demon Rāvaṇa, who had abducted Sītā, along with Rāvaṇa’s brother, in the city of Laṅkā. Rāma then established Vibhīṣaṇa as king of the rākṣasas. With Sugrīva and Hanumān at his side, he ascended the celestial Puṣpaka chariot, together with his devoted Sītā.