In days of old, there was born a daughter named Sannati and a son called Vedabāhu. These children, together with others of their lineage, came to be known as the Bālakhilyas, renowned for their upward-flowing spiritual energy. Among them shone the daughter Pundarīkākṣā, whose radiance was said to embody the brilliance of all. There were seven mighty sons, Sutapā and Śukra among them, each remarkable in strength. From this noble line, Svāhā, through her union with Pāvaka, was blessed with three illustrious sons: Nirmathya, Pavamāna, and Vaidyuta. These sons are remembered as the children of Pāvaka, and from their descendants came forth forty-five more, making in all the celebrated forty-nine fires. All these fires are considered to be manifestations of Rudra’s essence, each bearing on their foreheads the sacred three lines. They are divided into two groups: the Agniṣvāttas and the Barhiṣads, both learned in Brahman, accomplished in yoga, and esteemed as foremost among sages. In this divine lineage, Gaṅgā, the sole purifier of all worlds, was born from Himavat. The supreme glory of this goddess had already been sung and properly described. And now, as the tale continued, attention turned to the creation of Manu. Śatarūpā gave birth to two sons, both knowledgeable in dharma and possessed of great strength. One of them, a devoted worshipper of Lord Nārāyaṇa, attained the highest spiritual abode. From his consort Śliṣṭā, he had five sons, all faultless and of good character. Having worshipped Lord Viṣṇu, the mighty Janārdana, at the sacred place of Śālagrāma, these sons remained devoted to Nārāyaṇa, pure in conduct, and steadfast in their duties. In the wife of Prajāpati Vīraṇa, of great soul, and in the daughter of the powerful Vairāja, the Prajāpati, were born noble sons: Agniṣṭut, Atirātra, Sudyumna, and Abhimanyu, as well as Aṅga, Sumanasa, Svāti, Kratu, Aṅgirasa, and Śiva. Among them, one was renowned as Pṛthu, the mighty protector of all beings. By the command of Brahmā, together with the mighty Indra, the Sūta—the reciter of the Purāṇas—was born, a form assumed by Hari himself through his divine illusion. That ancient form, who had arisen in ages past, was none other than myself, O best of sages, to whom Hari, the Supreme Person, graciously imparted the Purāṇa. By his command, the telling of the Purāṇa became our livelihood. Pṛthu, the universal sovereign, radiant and steadfast in his own duty, journeyed to Mount Govardhana. There, having mastered his senses, he performed great austerities. The god Dāmodara himself appeared before the king and spoke but a single word; then Hṛṣīkeśa returned to his own divine nature. Pṛthu ruled his kingdom with justice, O Madhusūdana. In time, three sons were born to him: Khikhaṇḍana, Havirdhāna, and Antardhāna—all righteous, endowed with beauty, and well-versed in the Vedas and their branches. By the force of destiny, the knower of dharma, Antardhāna, resolved to embrace renunciation. At a certain time, he journeyed to the slopes of the Himalayas, a region frequented by perfected beings. There, he beheld the abodes of yogins—some attainable, some unattainable—places inaccessible to those hostile to Brahman. The land was adorned with hermitages of siddhas and filled with groves of lotuses and water-lilies, a fitting retreat for those seeking the highest truth.