In the unfolding of creation, seven sages are remembered—Rajas, Gātra, Ūrdhvabāhu, Savana, Anaya, Sutapā, and Śukra. These illustrious beings are the renowned seers of their era. From the great-souled Vasiṣṭhas, countless lineages sprang forth in the age of Svāyambhuva, their descendants numbering in the hundreds of millions. Thus, in summary, has the creation of the sages and their progeny been described, for to recount each detail would be impossible, O twice-born ones. Among the mind-born sons of Fire-Brahmā was one of Rudra’s very essence. His beloved was Svāhā, and together they brought forth three mighty sons: Pāvaka, Pavamāna, and Śuci. Pavamāna is known as the churned one, Pāvaka as lightning, and Śuci, who shines within the sun, is called Sāura. These three are also called Havyavāha, Kavyavāha, and Saharakṣa. Their offspring, in turn, are gods, ancestors, and suras, and their descendants and grandsons number forty-nine in all. These beings, established in three kinds of acts—those of desire, of occasion, and of constancy—are all to be known as ascetics and observers of sacred vows. All are of Rudra’s essence, devoted to Rudra. Therefore, whatever is offered into the fire, when done with Rudra in mind, is indeed offered to Rudra himself—of this, there is no doubt. Thus has the lineage of the fires been recounted. As for the ancestors, I will not speak further in detail, O Brāhmaṇas, for their place is among the six seasons, being identified with the cycles of time. The ancestors are thus said to be the seasons themselves, as taught by the Veda. From the seasons, all beings—moving and unmoving—are born. Therefore, these ancestors are called seasonal, for they are intimately linked with the times of the year. These great-souled ancestors, possessed of self-mastery and purity, are remembered as of two kinds: the Āgniṣvāttas and the Barhiṣads. The non-sacrificers and sacrificers, respectively, dwell among the departed. From these ancestors, Svadhā bore two daughters, famed throughout the worlds: Menā and Dharanī, who support the entire cosmos. Menā is the daughter of the Āgniṣvāttas, Dharanī of the Barhiṣads. Menā, wedded to Himavat, gave birth to Maināka, Krauñca, Gaurī, and Gaṅgā—the latter purified by her contact with the body of Bhava. The earth, Dharanī, was the wife of Meru and, endowed with divine herbs, bore Mandara, her son with a beautifully adorned neck. This illustrious Mandara, through the power of his austerities, became the very abode of Śrīkaṇṭha Śiva. Again, the earth gave birth to thirty renowned daughters, as well as Velā, Niyati, and Āyati. Āyati and Niyati became the wives of the sons of Bhṛgu, whose lineages in the Svāyambhuva epoch have already been described. From the ocean, Velā bore a faultless daughter named Savarṇā, who became the wife of Prācīnabarhis. Sāmudrī gave birth to ten sons for Prācīnabarhis, known as the Prāchetasas, masters of the science of archery. Among these, in the Svāyambhuva epoch, Dakṣa was born as a son due to the curse of Triambaka, during the reign of Manu Cākṣuṣa. Thus, O sages, I have described in due order, neither too briefly nor too elaborately, the lineages of the great-souled sons of Brahmā, such as Dharma. The divine lineages have been recounted, adorned with hosts of gods, active in sacred rites, prolific in offspring, and endowed with great splendor. This arrangement of beings, originating from the progenitors, is so vast that it cannot be fully enumerated, even in hundreds of millions of years. The lineages of kings also proceed in two illustrious branches on earth: the Solar and Lunar dynasties, most meritorious among men. From these lineages arose Ikṣvāku, Ambarīṣa, Yayāti, Nāhuṣa, and many others renowned for their virtue. There are also other royal sages, adorned with various virtues, but what is the use of recounting those ancient ones whose fruits have already passed? Moreover, where the divine narratives of the Lord are being told, mention of others is not approved by the virtuous; thus, I do not wish to speak at length. Incidentally, for the sake of illustrating the Lord’s greatness, the accounts of creation and its expansions have been told here. Now, you ask: How did the goddess, daughter of Dakṣa, after abandoning her Dākṣāyaṇī form, become the daughter of Himavat and Menā in ancient times? And how was Rudra reproached by the great-souled Dakṣa? What was the cause by which Bhava was censured? And how was Dakṣa born, O Maruta, as a result of Bhava’s curse, in the interval between the Cākṣuṣa and the previous Manu? Listen, and I shall recount the story of Dakṣa—his shallow mind, his sinful and reckless conduct, which brought disgrace upon the gods and sages. Once, all the gods and demons, together with the Siddhas and supreme sages, journeyed to the peak of the Himalaya to behold Īśāna, the great Lord. At that time, the god and goddess, seated upon a divine throne, received those foremost among gods and twice-born sages. Dakṣa, too, arrived there with the immortals, wishing to see his son-in-law Hara and his own daughter Satī. Yet, out of self-regard, the god—though Dakṣa had come with the goddess—did not especially acknowledge the gods and others present.