The story begins with a woman expressing her sorrow—not for herself, but for the king who has been deprived of his son. She tells the bird that her own fortune is meager and her grief is for the king’s loss. The bird assures her that she will soon ascend the fire, and urges her to trust in these words. With steadfast devotion, the wife approaches the blazing fire, her mind fixed on her husband. Yet, instead of perishing, she rises into the sky, moving freely alongside the queen, Sunābha’s daughter. By divine power, the two remain in the heavens for five days, enjoying each other’s company. During this time, the king’s semen falls from the sky. Meanwhile, Citrā, Viśālā, and Haritālinī—the wives of the Seven Sages—see the fallen semen and, desiring eternal youth, believe it to be nectar. With their husbands’ permission, they drink what is found in the lotus. By drinking only this semen, which originated from the king, they become tainted. Soon, all these wives abandon it, and their weeping fills the world with sorrow. Moved by their cries, Brahmā, the lord of the gods and grandsire of the worlds, approaches them and comforts them, saying, “Children, do not weep, you are mighty.” With his words, these women become the Maruts, born in the interval of Manu Svāyambhuva. The illustrious Kratudhvaja is born as the son of Svārociṣa. For the sake of austerity, kings journey to the great mountain Meru. Indra, known as Vipascit and the thousand-eyed, becomes fearful of their growing power. He instructs Pūtanā, a beautiful woman, to go to Meru and create an obstacle to their austerities. Pūtanā, endowed with beauty, descends near the hermitage where a gentle river flows. She enters the river to bathe. There, an aquatic being drinks the semen discharged by the kings, causing them to lose their austerity and return to the kingdom of the Six. After a long time, the aquatic being, Grāhī, assumes the form of a conch. A fisherman, spotting the great conch on land, approaches it. Soon, great yogis, bearers of yoga, arrive at the scene. The conch-woman gives birth to seven children, who, without mother or father, move about in the water. They are told, “Do not weep,” and these sons become known as the Maruts. The speaker then brings all of them to the deities. Thus, the Maruts arise during the Svārociṣa Manvantara of Manu. In the lineage of Uttama, there is a king, lord of Niṣadha. His son, Jyotishman, excels in virtue and righteousness. Jyotishman’s wife, fair-hipped and auspicious, is the noble daughter of the preceptor of the gods. She herself gathers fruits, flowers, water, sacred sticks, and kusa grass, faithfully serving her husband. Through her devotion and austerity, she becomes thin, her veins visible. Yet, despite her emaciation, her beauty shines in every limb. Seeing her condition, she speaks: “For the sake of a child, we both must undertake austerities.