Among the gathering, King Saṃvaraṇa’s gaze fell upon a maiden whose beauty surpassed all others. As her eyes met his, she was instantly struck by the arrow of love. Overwhelmed, the king’s seat became unsteady, and he fell from his horse to the ground. Those nearby hurried to him, sprinkling water upon his face, and in a moment, he regained consciousness. Comforted by their gentle words, soothing as cool water, Saṃvaraṇa felt restored. Moved by an inner longing, he ascended to the summit of Meru, moving freely as if a god. From that moment onward, he neither ate during the day nor slept at night, his heart consumed by the fire of longing. The treasure of his austerities tormented him, and he suffered greatly. Seeking relief, Saṃvaraṇa entered the presence of the blazing deity—the Sun—whom he saw standing in his radiant chariot. With reverence, the king greeted the Sun and stepped into the chariot alongside him. There, the illustrious Varuṇi shone, radiant like a second sun. When the Sun questioned his purpose, Saṃvaraṇa explained the reason for his coming: it was for the sake of the Sun’s daughter, whom he wished to wed. The gods listened as the best of the twice-born, who had come on behalf of King Saṃvaraṇa, made the request. Meanwhile, the maiden herself, recalling the prince she had seen, joined her palms and spoke to Varuṇi, the goddess. “I saw the prince in the forest—he appeared as the child of an immortal. By his marks, I recognize him: his hips are like a lion’s, his waist slender and marked with three folds. His hands and feet are shaped like lotus petals, his head shines, shaped like a parasol. His fingers are long and well-jointed, his teeth beautiful, both on his hands and feet. He is red in five places, dark in four, and bent in three. My lord, her husband, had once before considered this prince upon the earth. The wise do not speak of giving to another when another is desired; O lord, forgive me.” Understanding that the Sun’s daughter desired Saṃvaraṇa, the Sun joyfully declared, “That very Saṃvaraṇa, son of Ṛkṣa, is now coming to my hermitage by name.” When Saṃvaraṇa arrived and saw the sage Vasiṣṭha, he bowed his head in reverence and then beheld Tapatī. He asked, “Who is this lady, O best of twice-born?” Varuṇi replied to the king, “At your request, I entreated the Sun; he gave her, and I brought her to your hermitage.” Delighted by these words, the king took Tapatī’s hand according to the proper rite. She rejoiced in the splendid palaces, just as the daughter of the Daityas delighted in mighty Indra’s heaven. Their son was consecrated with the sacred rites from birth, nourished with clarified butter like fire is fed. At the age of nine, he underwent the rite of initiation and became thoroughly versed in the Veda and scriptures. He became renowned on earth as Puruṣottama, named Kuru, the son of Saṃvaraṇa. Kuru made efforts to arrange a marriage within a noble family. For his sake, his father requested and gave her also to Kuru. Together with his slender-waisted consort Paulomī, Kuru enjoyed happiness, like Maghavan (Indra) with his own beloved. Knowing this, Saṃvaraṇa anointed Kuru for the kingdom according to the prescribed rites. Kuru protected the earth and its people as a father cares for his own children. He was the protector of all, a mighty guardian of the people. As long as his fame was firmly established, he dwelt among the gods. The king traveled across the whole earth for the sake of fame.