When it became known that a certain prince had taken to the ways of banditry, the strongest among them—deemed the best of the mighty—killed her, and together with the sons of Viśvāmitra, he partook of her flesh. When this grievous act reached the ears of the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha, he immediately cast the prince aside and addressed him sternly, saying, “O cruel one, let your body be pierced with three iron spikes—such is your fate, unless you are not the lowest of men. For you have committed threefold transgressions: you failed to please your father, you killed the sacred cow of your teacher, and you ate what is forbidden while in exile.” Witnessing these three iron spikes, the great ascetic referred to him as Triśaṅku—meaning “three-spiked”—and from that time onward, he was known by this name. Later, when Viśvāmitra returned to care for his family, he was pleased with Triśaṅku and offered him a boon. Urged to choose, the prince asked his teacher for guidance, for at that time a twelve-year drought had struck the land, bringing fear of famine. Viśvāmitra, after consecrating Triśaṅku in his ancestral kingdom, enabled him to perform sacrifices. In the presence of the gods and Vasiṣṭha, the sage Kauśika (Viśvāmitra) raised Triśaṅku bodily to heaven. As Vasiṣṭha looked on, the sight was wondrous indeed, and to this day, those learned in the Purāṇas recite verses about this marvel. By the grace of Viśvāmitra, Triśaṅku shines in heaven among the gods, blessed by the wisdom and power of that great sage. There, in the sky, moves the beautiful Triśaṅku constellation, powerless yet adorned with the moon in winter, marked by three aspects, and embellished by his very name. Triśaṅku’s wife was Satyaratā, a noblewoman of the Kekaya lineage. She bore him a son, the sinless Hariścandra. This king, Hariścandra, son of Triśaṅku, became renowned for performing the Rājasūya sacrifice and for his fame as a universal sovereign. Hariścandra’s son was the mighty Rohita, whose own son was Harita, and from Harita descended Caṃcu Hārīta. Caṃcu’s sons were Vijaya and Sudeva, with Vijaya earning his name by conquering all the warrior clans. From Vijaya’s line came Ruruka, a king skilled in righteousness and wealth. Ruruka’s son was Hṛtaka, and from Hṛtaka came Bāhu. This king Bāhu, however, was beset by misfortune: he was overthrown by the Haihayas and Tāla-jaṅghas, as well as by the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, and Pahlavas. Even in the righteous Satya Yuga, Bāhu was not exceedingly virtuous. His son Sagara was born together with poison, and after reaching the hermitage of Bhṛgu, he was protected by Turva. King Sagara, having obtained the fire weapon from the Bhārgava sage, conquered the earth and slew the Tāla-jaṅghas and the Haihayas. He then drove out the Śakas and Pahlavas from their righteous ways, and likewise expelled the Kṣatriyas and Pāradas from their proper duties, acting as a true knower of dharma. At this, the sages inquired: “How did King Sagara come to be born together with poison? And why did he, in anger, expel the Śakas and other great Kṣatriyas from their family duties and dharmas?” The Sūta replied: Once, King Bāhu’s kingdom was seized by the combined might of the Haihayas, Tāla-jaṅghas, and Śakas. The Yavanas, Pāradas, Kāmbojas, and Pahlavas also joined this alliance, advancing on behalf of the Haihayas. These powerful Kṣatriya leaders took the kingdom, and Bāhu, now bereft of his realm, retreated to the forest with his wife, where he practiced austerity with a righteous heart. After some time, the aged and weakened king went to fetch water, but died along the way. His pregnant wife, a Yādava woman, followed him in grief. Out of jealousy, her co-wife gave her poison, hoping to destroy her unborn child. After preparing her husband’s funeral pyre and placing him upon it, she was seen by Aurva, a sage of the Bhṛgu lineage, who, moved by compassion, restrained her. In Aurva’s hermitage, she gave birth to her son along with the poison. Thus was born Sagara, mighty-armed and righteous. Aurva performed the birth rites for Sagara, taught him the Vedas and scriptures, and bestowed upon him a powerful weapon. From Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma), Sagara received the fire weapon, which even the demons could not withstand. Empowered by this and his own strength, Sagara destroyed the Haihayas in his wrath, as Rudra would destroy herds of beasts. Thereafter, the king resolved to annihilate the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, and Pahlavas. As Sagara’s might threatened them, these groups sought refuge with Vasiṣṭha, the great sage. Vasiṣṭha, moved by their plea, restrained Sagara and assured them of protection. Hearing his teacher’s words, Sagara acted according to dharma and altered their appearance: he shaved half the heads of the Śakas and sent them away; the Yavanas and Kāmbojas had their heads completely shaved; the Pāradas were made to wear their hair loose, and the Pahlavas were required to keep beards. All of them were deprived of the right to Vedic recitation and ritual utterances by Sagara, as instructed by Vasiṣṭha. Thus, the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pahlavas, Pāradas, and other groups such as the Kelisparśas, Māhiṣikas, Dārvās, Colas, and Khasas—all these Kṣatriyas had their dharma rejected by Sagara, the great soul, in accordance with Vasiṣṭha’s guidance. Having conquered the earth and established righteousness, King Sagara, victorious in dharma, released the sacrificial horse as part of the Aśvamedha sacrifice. As the horse roamed, it reached the shores of the eastern and southern oceans, and there, it disappeared into the earth.