Once, there were seven ascetics who, empowered by the strength of the Vedas, performed a fearsome act without fear: they consumed a cow. In the course of time, as a consequence of this deed, they passed away and were reborn as hunters in ten different cities. Yet, they retained the memory of their past lives and remained devoted to honoring their ancestors. In these new lives, a sense of detachment awakened within them. They gave up their lives in righteousness, fasting unseen at sacred places, seeking to purify themselves. Afterward, they were born as deer on Mount Kālañjara. There, through knowledge and the practice of yoga, they renounced even that form, their minds filled with detachment. Dying by falling, they were next born as seven yogins in the city of Mānasa. These seven, known by their names and deeds, were Sumanas, Kusumavasu, Cittadarśin, Sudarśin, Jñāta, Jñānasya, and Pāraga. Devoted to their eldest, the foremost among them, they practiced yoga and became pure of heart. Yet, three of them, whose minds wavered, fell from the path of yoga. At this time, there was a radiant king named Anuha, famed for his strength and valor, who delighted in pleasures amidst women. In the lineage of the Panchalas there was also one among the aquatic beings, powerful and surrounded by many vehicles, who yearned for sovereignty. A Brahmin, devoted to his father's path and the performance of ancestral rites, saw two other ministers—both strong and possessing many vehicles. Desiring the position of minister, these two excellent Brahmins, sons of Vibhrāja, became ministers; one was known as Brahmadatta. The sons of these two ministers were Puṇḍarīka and Subāla, while Brahmadatta was consecrated as king in the splendid city of Kampilya. This valiant king of the Panchalas, devoted to his ancestors and a performer of śrāddha, was a master of yoga who understood the minds of all beings. The king’s wife was Sannati, daughter of Sudeva and formerly of Kapila’s lineage. Learned in the Vedas through her devotion to ancestral duties, she ruled the kingdom together with the king’s son. One day, the king and Sannati visited a garden. There they observed a pair of insects entangled in a quarrel of love. The male insect, standing before the female whose face was turned downward and whose body was scorched by the arrows of Kāma, addressed her in a faltering voice. He praised her beauty and devotion, describing her golden color, lovely smile, and sweet mouth. He spoke of their shared joys and sorrows, but wondered why she always kept her face down. Burning with anger, the female replied, accusing him of eating sweetmeat powder without her, giving it away, and then neglecting her for another. The male, whom the king recognized as an ant, pleaded for forgiveness, explaining that he had given the treat to another only because she resembled his beloved. He promised never to repeat the offense and begged her to be gracious, declaring that her anger meant death for him, while her favor fulfilled all his desires. He entreated her to always show compassion, and, hearing his words, she was pleased. The ant offered herself for enchantment, and Brahmadatta, understanding all this, smiled gently. Brahmadatta could comprehend the speech of all creatures due to the power of his previous actions. Bhishma, curious, asked how Brahmadatta had acquired such understanding and inquired about a group of four chakravaka birds—where they were born, in what family, and with what virtues. Pulastya replied that in that very city, the chakravaka birds were born as the sons of an aged Brahmin. Wise, steadfast, and devoted to austerity, they remembered their past births and were known for their noble character. Intent on attaining the highest perfection, they told their father, Sudaridra, of their resolve. The old ascetic, distressed, questioned their righteousness in abandoning him, their poor and aged father. The sons reassured him, saying they had arranged for his livelihood: a king, following an ancient vow, would grant him abundant wealth if he recited in the morning. They spoke of Brahmins at Kurukshetra, hunters at Dashapura, animals at Kalanjara, and chakravaka birds at Manasa. With these words, they departed again for the forest to pursue asceticism, leaving their father behind. Even in his old age, the Brahmin set out to fulfill his purpose. Meanwhile, in that land, there was a king named Anuha, lord of the Panchalas. And so the story of these souls, journeying through many forms and lives, continued to unfold.