After casting aside his mother’s mortal form, the illustrious Kakshivat attained the exalted state of Brahminhood. At that sacred moment, his father addressed him, saying, “Because of you, I am a father. With a righteous and renowned son, I am fulfilled.” Having thus spoken, the father, now released from all bonds, too attained the supreme abode of Brahman. Kakshivat, now established in Brahminhood, became the father of a thousand sons. Among them, the Kaushmandas and the Gautamas are especially remembered as his descendants. Thus has been recounted the meeting of Dirghatamas, Bali, and Vairochana, and the lineage that sprang from them. Bali, having praised his five sinless sons, spoke words of satisfaction. Righteous in soul and fulfilled, he was enveloped in yogic power, becoming invisible to all beings as he awaited the proper time. In that land, the heir of Anga, King Dadhivahana, ruled. Dadhivahana’s son was the king called Diviratha, and from Diviratha’s line came the wise and noble king Dharmaratha. Dharmaratha, resplendent and glorious, together with the great-souled king Shukra, drank the sacred Soma on the mountain at Vishnu’s abode. Dharmaratha’s son was Citraratha; his son was Satyaratha, from whom was born Dasharatha. This Dasharatha became known as Lomapada, whose daughter was Shanta. In time, a heroic descendant of Dasharatha, famed for his mighty fourfold army, arose. By the favor of the sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, this king was blessed with a son who increased his lineage. The son of Caturaṅga is remembered as Pṛthulākṣa, and Pṛthulākṣa’s son was named Campa. The city founded by Campa, called Campā, was formerly known as Mālinī. By the favor of Pūṛṇabhadra, Campa’s son was Haryaṅga. From Vibhāṇḍaka, at a great sacrifice, his son Vāraṇa—also called Śatruvāraṇa—was born. By the power of mantras, Vāraṇa brought down to earth a splendid vehicle. Haryaṅga’s heir was Bhadraratha. Bhadraratha in turn had a son, Bṛhatkarmā, lord among men. His son was Bṛhadbhānu, and from him was born a great-souled king. Bṛhadbhānu begot a son named Jayadratha, from whom came the king Bṛhadratha. From Bṛhadratha sprang Viśvajit and Janamejaya. His heir was Aṅga, and from Aṅga was born the renowned king Karṇa. Karṇa’s sons were Vṛṣasena and Pṛthusena. These, then, are the sons of Aṅga, the kings whose lineage has been recounted in detail and succession. Now, the question arises: how is Karṇa, famed as the son of a charioteer, also called the son of Aṅga? To answer this, the story continues. Bṛhadbhānu’s son was Bṛhanmanā, a king who had two wives, both daughters of the king of the Śibis: Yaśodevī and Satyā. Yaśodevī bore the king Jayadratha, while Satyā, wife of Bṛhanmanā, gave birth to the illustrious son Vijaya. Vijaya’s son was Bṛhatputra, whose son was Bṛhadratha; Bṛhadratha’s son was Satyakarmā, a man of great mind. Satyakarmā’s son was Adhiratha, known as a charioteer, who accepted and raised Karṇa as his own. Thus, Karṇa is called the son of a charioteer. This is the true account of Karṇa’s lineage. Turning now to the line of Pūru: Pūru’s son was the mighty king Janamejaya, whose son Prācītvata established the eastern region. Prācītvata’s son was Manasyu, whose heir was King Pītāyudha. Pītāyudha’s son was Dhundhu; Dhundhu’s son was Bahuvidha, and his son was Sampāti. Sampāti’s son was Raṃhavarcā, and his son was Bhadrāśva. Bhadrāśva, by his union with Dhṛtā, had ten sons with mothers who were Apsaras. These sons were Auceyu, Hṛṣeyu, Kakṣeyu, Saneyuka, Dhṛteyu, Vineyu, Sthaleyu, Dharmeya, Samnateyu, and Punyeyu. These ten are known as the sons of Ucchaiorjvala, the wife of Takshaka’s son. From Ucchaiorjvala, Antinara was born, who became king. Antinara, with his wife Manasvini, fathered noble and illustrious sons, among whom were Amurtarayas, a valiant one, and Trivana, a righteous man. Gauri, the third daughter, became the auspicious mother of Mandhata. From Ilina, a daughter was born who gave birth to sons devoted to Brahmanic speech and valor; this daughter was Shubhada. Upadanavi, too, obtained four sons from Ilina: Rishyanta, Dushyanta, Praveera, and Anadha. From Dushyanta, the universal emperor, was born Samitinjaya. From Shakuntala, Dushyanta’s beloved, was born Bharata, after whom the Bharatas are named. When doubts arose about Bharata’s parentage, a bodiless voice declared, “The mother is the bellows, the father the begetter; the son born from him is truly his. Acknowledge your son, Dushyanta; do not slight Shakuntala. The son leads the father, who has sown the seed, from Yama’s abode. You are the creator of this child; Shakuntala speaks the truth.” Long ago, when all of Bharata’s sons perished in a terrible destruction brought about by the wrath of their mothers, the Maruts, storm deities, intervened. They brought a son of Brihaspati and transferred him to Bharata, thus ensuring the continuation of the line. How did Bharadvaja, the radiant son of Brihaspati, come to be transferred by the Maruts to Bharata for the sake of a son? The story is thus: when his wife was pregnant, the sage Ushija remained on earth. Observing his brother’s wife, Brihaspati spoke, setting the stage for the next chapter in this sacred lineage.