The god, in his boundless grace, bestowed upon him a maiden who was truly a jewel among women—so rare and radiant that even the gods marveled at her. This destroyer of enemies took the beloved girl, whose eyes wandered with curiosity and charm, and began to teach her. She was not only endowed with beauty and allure but was also modest in her demeanor. With care, he instructed her in the sublime science of song. As time passed, he married this maiden, who was the mind-born daughter of the Gandharvas. Gifted in the art of playing the vīṇā, he was deeply skilled in the science of music. With devotion, he worshipped the great god—Tripurāntaka, the destroyer of Tripura—through his melodious songs. Eventually, a Gandharva named Subāhu took this maiden and brought her to his own city. From their union were born sons: Suṣeṇa, Vīra, Sugrīva, Subhojana, and Ravāhana, as well as Punarvasu, Ābhijita, and Saṃbabhūva. These heroic sons of Devaka were born, each equal in might to the gods themselves. Devaka also had seven daughters, whom he gave in marriage to Vasudeva. Among these daughters, Devakī stood foremost, renowned for her lovely form. In their lineage came Subhūmī, Rāṣṭrapāla, Tuṣṭimān, and Śaṅkura. From this line was born Śūra; from Śūra, Śamista; and from him, Pratikṣatra. The wise Śūra’s son was Vasudeva, and to Vasudeva was born a son who would become the hope of the worlds. The son of Devakī was Hari himself—Kṛṣṇa—whom the gods themselves entreated to descend. Vasudeva’s wife also gave birth to Saṃkarṣaṇa, known as Rāma or Balabhadra, the eldest, wielder of the plough. This lord Halāyudha, Saṃkarṣaṇa, was verily Śeṣa himself, the great serpent. Mādhava—Kṛṣṇa—was born from both Devakī and Rohiṇī by divine arrangement. Through Vasudeva’s design, a son was also born to Yaśodā. But before these divine births, O best of sages, the cruel Kaṃsa had slain all the previous children. Yet, in time, Devakī gave birth to Rāma, lord of the world, Balabhadra, and then to Kṛṣṇa, whose chest was marked with the auspicious Śrīvatsa symbol. From her were born two sons, both fierce and skilled in arms. To them, sons were born by the hundreds, and then by the thousands. Among these sons, Cāruśravā, Cāruyaśas, Pradyumna, and Śaṅkha became the most distinguished of all. Jāmbavatī, Kṛṣṇa’s wife with a pure and gentle smile, approached him and spoke: “Grant me, O slayer of the Dānavas, a son equal to the lord of the gods.” The subduer of enemies, a treasure house of austerity, resolved to undertake severe penance for this purpose. Having performed intense and difficult austerities, he obtained Rudra himself as a son. For the sake of a son, he practiced terrible austerity, the very source of penance itself. He awakened his own divine essence of consciousness and journeyed to the hermitage of the great sage Upamanyu, chief among the wise. There, bearing the conch, discus, and mace in his hands and marked with the Śrīvatsa sign, he arrived at a place frequented by the hermitages of sages, resounding with the chants of the Vedas. The hermitage was adorned with pure, sweet, and cool lakes, and was home to sages, their sons, and assemblies of great ascetics, all engaged in sacred pursuits.