Thus, O King, the great-souled Yayāti, aided by his grandsons—who were bound to him by deep friendship—was carried beyond the bonds of earth. Renouncing the world after a life filled with noble deeds, Yayāti ascended to heaven, his virtuous actions spreading his renown across the world. All these events, O best of men, have been narrated to you in their entirety—the deeds and destinies of the line of Nahusha, whose fame endures in the Paurava dynasty, the very lineage in which you yourself were born. When King Shatanika heard this account from the learned Shaunaka, he was filled with wonder and joy, shining with happiness like the full moon at its brightest. In gratitude, the king honored Shaunaka with gifts of jewels, cows, gold, and many kinds of splendid garments. Shaunaka accepted all that the king offered, but, ever generous, he distributed these treasures among the Brahmins before vanishing from sight. But the listeners, eager to know more, entreated, “We wish to hear in detail about the lineage of Yayāti. Tell us how his descendants, beginning with his eldest son Yadu, became established in the world.” The narrator replied, “I shall recount for you the lineage of Yadu, the eldest and most powerful among Yayāti’s sons. Listen as I relate it in order and in detail. Yadu had five sons, all mighty chariot-warriors and archers, their prowess equal to the sons of the gods. Their names were Sahasrajit, the eldest, followed by Kroshtu, Nila, Antika, and Laghu. Sahasrajit’s heir was a king named Shatajit, who in turn had three illustrious sons: Haihaya, Haya, and Venuhaya. From Haihaya was born the renowned Dharmanetra, whose son was Kunti, and Kunti’s son was Samhata. Samhata’s heir was King Mahishman, who fathered the valiant Rudrashrenya. Rudrashrenya became king in Varanasi, as previously mentioned, and his son was King Durdama. Durdama’s son was the wise and powerful Kanaka, who had four sons celebrated throughout the world: Kritavirya, Kritagni, Kritavarma, and Kritaujas. It was from Kritavirya that Arjuna was born. This king Arjuna, famed as Kārtavīrya, came into the world with a thousand arms, becoming lord of the seven islands. He undertook severe austerities for ten thousand years, worshipping Dattatreya, the son of Atri. Pleased with his devotion, Dattatreya granted him four supreme boons. First, Arjuna requested a thousand arms. Next, he asked for the strength to restrain the wicked and to prevent the virtuous from turning to unrighteousness. He sought the power to conquer the earth in battle, to rule it justly, and, in war, the right to punish those who transgressed their limits. With these boons, Arjuna—Kārtavīrya—conquered the whole earth, with its seven islands, mountains, and encircling oceans, all according to the law of the Kshatriyas. At his wish, a thousand arms appeared upon him, and his chariot and banner manifested as well, as tradition tells. This wise king is said to have performed ten thousand unobstructed sacrifices upon the islands. All his sacrifices were abundant in gifts, adorned with golden sacrificial posts and altars. The gods themselves arrived in their aerial chariots to witness these ceremonies, which were further beautified by the presence of Gandharvas and Apsarases. At one such sacrifice, the Gandharva Nārada, beholding the greatness of Kārtavīrya, sang a song in his praise: ‘Surely, no Kshatriya shall attain the path of Kārtavīrya—whether by sacrifices, gifts, austerities, valor, or learning.’ Armed with sword, discus, bow, and arrows, Kārtavīrya traversed the seven islands in his chariot, watching over the land as a yogi and protector against thieves. He reigned for eighty-five thousand years, becoming a universal emperor whose treasury overflowed with all precious gems. Such was his mastery that he himself became a herdsman and protector of the fields; by his yogic power, he brought rain as Arjuna, the rain-bringer. With a thousand arms, each hardened by the string of the bow, he shone with a thousand rays, resplendent like the autumn sun. Among his many feats, he conquered the son of the serpent Karkoṭaka at Māhiṣmatī and settled him in that city. During the rainy season, this mighty king would cross the rushing ocean currents for sport, delighting in the challenge of the opposing stream. As he played along the shore, adorned with garlands of rival flowers, the river Narmadā, frightened by the force of his waves, approached him timidly. With his thousand arms, he would plunge into the great ocean, making the swollen Narmadā surge with power. When he agitated the ocean with his thousand arms, even the mighty demons dwelling in the netherworld became motionless. He churned the ocean, scattering great waves, submerging fish and whales, and tossing up foaming masses that made the sea impassable. The gods, startled as if by the churning of Mount Mandara, wondered if nectar would soon be born. The great serpents, too, became still, their heads motionless like banana trunks at sunset, stilled by the wind. Thus, with his bow strung and five arrows set, he bewildered Ravana and his army in Lanka by force. Having conquered and bound Ravana, Kārtavīrya brought him to Mahishmati and imprisoned him there. Then, the sage Pulastya himself came to Arjuna, seeking to appease the mighty king and secure Ravana’s release.