As the king devoted himself to auspicious deeds, the river—who cared deeply for him—was filled with sorrow on his behalf. Moved by compassion and concern, she resolved upon a remarkable course of action. “I shall become a woman and go to him,” she thought, “so that such a son as he deserves may be born. Today, I will become the giver of a son to him.” With this resolve, the river transformed herself into a maiden of extraordinary beauty and revealed her presence to the king. The king, enchanted by her, desired her company. From their union, the best among maidens gave birth to a son endowed with every virtue—Babhru, who was even superior to the great Devāvṛdha. In this noble lineage, those who know the ancient tales are renowned for extolling the virtues of the high-souled Devāvṛdha. Babhru himself became the foremost among men, and Devāvṛdha was counted equal to the gods. Remarkably, Devāvṛdha had one hundred and sixty thousand sons, all of whom attained immortality—surpassing even Babhru and Devāvṛdha in merit. These sons were steadfast in sacrifice, charity, austerity, wisdom, devotion to Brahman, and unwavering in their vows. Among their descendants, Bhoja, a man of radiant beauty, married Mṛtakāvatī, the daughter of Śarakānta. She bore him four sons: Kukura, Bhajamāna, Śyāma, and Kaṃbalabarhiṣa. Kukura’s son was Vṛṣṭi, and Vṛṣṭi’s son was Dhṛti. From Dhṛti came Kapotaromā, whose son was Tittiri. Tittiri had many sons, the wisest among them being Nari. Nari’s names were well known: Candana, Udaka, and Dundubhi. Abhijit, who had previously been childless, was encouraged with joy by the sages. Desiring a son, the noble Abhijit performed a great ashvamedha sacrifice. As he moved among the assembly, from its very center arose his son, Punarvasu—blind, yet learned, righteous, and a great giver of sacrifices. Punarvasu had twins: Vasu and Arijita, as well as the renowned Ahuka and Ahuki, celebrated among the wise. At this point, the tradition tells of extraordinary verses, along with their appendages, describing the leaders of armies and the protectors of the ranks. There were ten thousand chariots thundering like clouds, and the Bhojas—though not known for falsehood, sacrifice, or lavish gifts—were pure and wise, and none could surpass them. Thus is the lineage of the Ahukas described. Ahuka gave his sister Ahuki in marriage in the land of Avanti. Ahuka’s own daughter bore two sons: Devaka and Ugrasena, both born of divine wombs. Devaka’s sons—Devavan, Upadeva, Sudeva, and Devarakshita—were as resplendent as the gods. Devaka’s seven daughters—Devaki, Shrutadeva, Yashoda, Shrutishrava, Shrideva, Upadeva, and Surupa—were all given in marriage to Vasudeva. Ugrasena had nine sons, with Kamsa as the eldest, followed by Nyagrodha, Sunama, Kanka, Shanku, and Subhu, as well as Rashtrapala, Baddhamushti, and Samushtika. Ugrasena’s five daughters included Kamsa, Kamsavati, Surabhi, Rashtrapali, and Kanka—distinguished women all. Thus, Ugrasena and his children are described as descendants of Kukura. Bhajamāna’s son was the chief charioteer, Viduratha. From Viduratha came Rajadhideva and Shura. Rajadhideva had two esteemed sons, Shonashva and Shvetavahana, both devoted to the warrior’s path. Shonashva’s five sons—Shami, Rajasharma, Nimurtta, Shatrujit, and Shuchi—were all skilled in battle. Shami’s son was Pratikshatra, whose son was Bhoja, followed by Hridhika. Hridhika had ten sons of great valor, the eldest being Kṛtavarman, as well as Śatadhanvan, the most excellent, Devārha, Subhānu, Bhīṣaṇa, Ajāta, Vijāta, Karaka, and Karaṃdhama. Devārha’s learned son was Kaṃbalabarhiṣa, whose sons were Asamaujā and Samaujā. Ajāta’s son had two sons, both named Samaujas, and Samauja had three sons—Sudaṃśa, Suvaṃśa, and Kṛṣṇa, all renowned for their righteousness. Whoever continually recites this lineage of the Andhakas is said to attain a vast and prosperous lineage himself. Kroṣṭu took as his wives Gāndhārī and Mādrī. Gāndhārī gave birth to Sunitra, known for his affection to friends. Mādrī bore Yudhājit, then Devamīḍhuṣa, Anamitra, and Śini—five sons of distinction. Anamitra’s son was Nighna, who had two sons of his own: Prasena, famed for his valor, and Śaktisena. Prasena possessed a peerless jewel, Syamantaka, acclaimed as the king of all jewels on earth. Wearing this gem upon his heart, Prasena shone with brilliance. Śauri (Krishna) requested the jewel from him for the sake of the kingdom, but though powerful, Govinda (Krishna) did not obtain it, nor did he seize it. One day, adorned with the jewel, Prasena went out hunting. In a cave, he heard a sound made by some creature. Entering the darkness, Prasena came face to face with a bear.