Saṃjñā, troubled in heart, sought counsel and asked, “Tell me, what should I do?” In response, she confided her plan: “With your blessing, I wish to go to my father’s house.” She entrusted her earth-born counterpart with a solemn task, saying, “Remain here in my place, without fear, in this house. My two sons and my daughter of radiant complexion are entrusted to your care.” She further instructed, “This must never be revealed to the lord, my husband, by you.” The earth-born woman, understanding the gravity of Saṃjñā’s words, replied, “O goddess, one cannot grasp the sky and attain the goal; I will follow your instructions. Go, goddess, to your own abode.” With this agreement, Saṃjñā, feeling ashamed, departed for the house of her father, Tvaṣṭṛ, the ascetic. Upon her arrival, her father saw her and, angered, admonished Saṃjñā: “Go to your husband; do not despise the radiant one.” Despite these repeated instructions, Saṃjñā remained in her father’s house for a thousand years. Even as her father urged her again and again to return to her husband, Saṃjñā transformed herself into a mare, concealing her true form, and journeyed to the northern lands of the Kurus, where she grazed on grass. Meanwhile, from the earth-born Saṃjñā, the Sun begot two sons, each endowed with his own radiance. Both were equal in likeness to the elder Manu. One was Śrutaśravas, wise in righteousness, and the other was Śrutakarman. Śrutaśravas would one day be known as Manu Sāvarṇi, while Śrutakarman would be recognized as the planet Saturn, Śanaiścara. Thus, Śrutaśravas became Manu Sāvarṇi. The earth-born Saṃjñā showed greater affection for her own son than for her earlier children. Manu accepted this, but Yama did not. Yama, often scolded by his stepmother and distressed, grew angry. In his childishness and under the force of destiny, he threatened Saṃjñā with his foot. Outraged, Savarṇā, his mother, cursed him: “Because you threatened your father’s illustrious wife with your foot, this foot of yours will surely fall off—there is no doubt.” Troubled by the curse, Yama and the righteous Manu reported everything to their father. Yama pleaded, “Greatly disturbed by fear of the curse and overcome by words of reason, whether from childhood or from delusion, I am worthy of being saved by you. O lord of the world, best among those who suffer, I have been cursed by my mother; may your favor protect us from this great danger.” Vivasvat, thus addressed, spoke to Yama: “Without doubt, my son, there is a great cause behind this. It is by this cause that anger entered you, who know righteousness and speak truth. It is not possible to make your mother’s words false. Worms will take your flesh and go to the earth; after that, O greatly wise one, you will regain your foot and happiness. Thus, your mother’s words will come true; by the removal of the curse, you too will be protected.” Then Vivasvat questioned Saṃjñā: “For what reason, even though your children are equal, do you show greater affection to one?” Saṃjñā, wishing to avoid the matter, did not tell him. But Vivasvat, concentrating himself, perceived the truth through the power of yoga. Angered and wishing to curse her, he sought to destroy her, but Saṃjñā revealed everything as it truly was. Upon hearing this, Vivasvat, still angry, went to Tvaṣṭṛ. Tvaṣṭṛ, according to custom, honored the blazing one. Desiring to appease him, Tvaṣṭṛ said gently, “This form, endowed with excessive brilliance, does not suit you. Unable to endure that, Saṃjñā wanders in the green forest; today you will see her, your own wife, who conducts herself virtuously. Praiseworthy and youthful, having resorted to yoga, O protector of cows, let it be favorable thus, if the time is deemed proper. At the end, the original, excellent form will be transformed, O subduer of foes; the form of Vivasvat was in all directions—across, above, and below.” Because of this, the Sun, lord of the day, felt ashamed of his form. Tvaṣṭṛ, the great ascetic, considered making a disc. With permission, Tvaṣṭṛ set about creating a new form and approached Mārtaṇḍa Vivasvat. Using a whirling device, Tvaṣṭṛ cut away the excessive brilliance, and the radiance, once removed, shone forth separately. Desiring to behold one more beautiful than his beloved, the Sun entered into yoga and saw a mare in his own wife. Invisible to all beings, by his radiance and will, the Sun took the form of a horse and placed himself in her mouth. Saṃjñā, resisting union out of suspicion of another male, expelled that inferior seed of Vivasvat through her nostrils. From this act, two divine beings were born—the Ashvins, best among healers, remembered as Nasatya and Dasra, the twin Ashvins. These two are sons of Martanda, the eighth Prajapati. The radiant Sun revealed himself to Saṃjñā in a pleasing form. Seeing him, Saṃjñā was delighted and fainted; meanwhile, Yama, afflicted in mind by the curse, suffered greatly.