Deprived of his kingdom and tormented by the sons of Raji, Indra found himself in deep distress. Burdened by the loss of his sovereignty and his share of the sacrificial offerings, Indra went to Bṛhaspati, the wise preceptor of the gods. With sorrow in his voice, he pleaded, “O Bṛhaspati, I am afflicted, stripped of my kingdom and my portion of the sacrifices. O lord of wisdom, please make every effort so that I may regain my throne.” Moved by Indra’s plight, Bṛhaspati performed powerful rites to pacify the planets and conducted nourishing rituals to fill Indra with strength and pride. Then, in a cunning turn, Bṛhaspati approached the sons of Raji. Though himself deeply learned in dharma, he adopted for their sake the doctrine of the Jinas—teachings outside the Vedas—and led them astray. The lord of wisdom caused the sons of Raji to abandon the three Vedas, recognizing that they were now outside the sacred tradition and lost in endless argument. Seizing this opportunity, Indra struck down all those who had deviated from dharma with his thunderbolt. Now, let me tell you of the seven righteous sons of Nahuṣa: Yati, Yayāti, Śaryāti, Uttāna, Para, Ayati, and Viyati. These seven noble souls expanded the great lineage. Yati, even as a youth, chose the path of yoga and became a sage of the Vaikhānasa order. Yayāti, ever steadfast in dharma, ruled the kingdom with unwavering righteousness. Yayāti took as his wives Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, and Devayānī, the virtuous daughter of Bhārgava. Let me now recount the names of Yayāti’s five heirs. Through Devayānī, he had two sons: Yadu and Turvasu. Śarmiṣṭhā bore him Druhyu and Pūru. Of all his sons, Yadu and Pūru became the great enhancers of their lineages. Now I shall tell you of the lineage of Pūru, O king, from which you yourself are born. From Yadu arose the mighty Yādavas, among whom were the illustrious Balarāma and Keśava. To lighten the earth’s burden and for the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas, Yadu had five sons, each radiant like the sons of the gods: Sahasrajit, the eldest; then Kroṣṭā, Nīla, Añjika, and Raghu. Sahasrajit’s heir was a king named Śatajita. Śatajita had three supremely righteous sons: Haihaya, Haya, and Tālahaya. From Haihaya was born Dharmanetra, famed for his virtue; Dharmanetra’s son was Kuṃti, and his son was Saṃhata. Saṃhata’s heir was the noble king Mahiṣmān, whose son was the valiant Bhadrasena. In the ancient city of Vārāṇasī, as told before, Bhadrasena’s son was the righteous Durdama. Durdama’s son was Bhīma, also called Dhanaka, mighty in strength. Dhanaka had four renowned sons: Kṛtāgni, Kṛtavīrya, Kṛtadharmā, and Kṛtaujā. From Kṛtavīrya came Arjuna. This Arjuna was born with a thousand arms, a mighty king who ruled over the seven islands. For ten thousand years, he performed severe austerities, worshipping Dattātreya, who was born in the line of Kārtavīrya. Dattātreya, the supreme being, was pleased and granted Arjuna four boons. The first boon Arjuna requested was a thousand arms; next, he asked for freedom from fear even when contemplating unrighteousness. He also wished to conquer the earth through battle, to gain strength through righteousness, and to have the power, even in war, to defeat those superior to himself. With these boons, Arjuna conquered the earth with its seven islands and cities, encircled by seven oceans, all according to the kṣatriya law. To this wise and determined king, a thousand arms were indeed granted, and all his sacrifices overflowed with gifts. At his grand sacrifices, every post and altar was made of gold, and the gods themselves arrived, adorned and resplendent, in their celestial chariots. Gandharvas and Apsarases always attended him, and at his sacrifice, the Gandharva Nārada sang hymns of praise. Through sacrifices, gifts, austerities, valor, and learning, Arjuna traversed the seven continents with the speed of the wind. He ruled for eighty-five thousand years, becoming the emperor of the earth with its seven continents. He was the protector of cattle and the guardian of fields, and through his union with rain, he became like Parjanya himself, the bringer of showers. Arjuna, with a thousand arms hardened by the bowstring, shone with a thousand rays like the autumn sun. This illustrious ruler in Māhiṣmatī possessed the force of the ocean in the rainy season. Delighting in his own pleasure, he played amidst the opposing currents of the river, the waves adorned with foam, bound by his sport. The Narmadā, her waves garlanded and frowning, approached him cautiously. He alone, among the Manu lineage, plunged boldly into the great ocean. Lifting the force of the waters with his hand, pleasing his beloved, he churned the great ocean with his thousand arms. The great demons dwelling in the netherworld became submerged and motionless, frightened by the agitation of his mighty thighs, fearing the emergence of nectar. The great serpents bowed their heads, unmoving in awe. This mighty archer hurled arrows at Rāvaṇa himself. Taking up his bow, Arjuna bewildered the lord of Laṅkā with five arrows, overpowering Rāvaṇa and his entire army. Having conquered and bound him, Arjuna brought Rāvaṇa to Māhiṣmatī and imprisoned him. Then I myself went before Arjuna, seeking to appease his wrath.