In ancient times, there were renowned ascetics among the twice-born who had royal origins. Among them were Viśvāmitra the king, Māndhātṛ, Saṃkṛti, and Kapi—kings who, through their discipline, became great sages. From the lineage of Kapi came Purukutsa, Satyavrata, Ṛthu, Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Amīḍha, Bhāga, and Anyonya, all celebrated for their ascetic accomplishments. Alongside them were Kakṣīvat, Śijaya, and other mighty chariot-warriors, as well as Rathītara, Runda, Viṣṇuvṛddha, and other righteous kings. These noble souls, though born as warriors, earned the title of royal sages through their severe austerities and spiritual achievements. In this way, they attained great success, their stories ever remembered among the wise. Now, let us listen further to the tale of Ayu’s illustrious lineage. Turning to another sacred account, Sūta spoke of the birth of Soma, the radiant moon. Soma’s father was the venerable sage Atri, himself descended from Vaivipra. Atri was so resplendent that by his own brilliance he sustained all the worlds. He performed only auspicious deeds in thought, word, and deed, and stood in deep meditation with arms uplifted, unmoving like a stone or wooden pillar, shining with immense radiance. Atri’s austerity was extraordinary, famed as the “great penance” of old, which he maintained for three thousand divine years. Throughout this time, he stood steadfast, his vital seed held upwards, devoid of all desire. From this supreme self-control and purity, Soma, the wise twice-born, was born. From Atri’s purified soul, Soma emerged, rising upward. The brilliant Soma flowed from Atri’s eyes, illuminating all ten directions. At first, ten goddesses together sought to bear this wondrous embryo, as ordained by the rite, but none could sustain its radiance. Suddenly, the shining embryo, overflowing with brilliance, left the goddesses and the directions, and shone upon the worlds like the nourishing moon. Unable to bear the embryo, the goddesses saw the moon fall to the earth with their help. Witnessing this, Brahma, the grandsire of all worlds, placed Soma upon a divine chariot, desiring the welfare of all beings. This chariot, it is said, was made of the gods themselves, steadfast in righteousness and truth, yoked with a thousand white horses. As Soma descended, the gods—the seven renowned mind-born sons of Brahma—praised Atri’s son, the supreme soul. Angiras and the son of Bhrigu, with many hymns from the Rig, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas, also offered their praises. As Soma was thus extolled, his radiance grew ever brighter, nourishing the three worlds in every way. Mounted on his chariot, Soma made a vast circumambulation of the earth, thrice seven times, reaching the edge of the ocean. Wherever his radiance touched the earth, plants sprang forth, shining with his energy. These plants, in turn, sustained the world and all four kinds of creatures, for Soma is the nourisher of the universe. Having gained such radiance through his penance, praise, and deeds, Soma continued his austerities for another hundred thousand years. The golden-hued goddesses, who sustain the world by their power, became the vessels for Soma’s all-pervading essence, and he became celebrated for his wondrous deeds. Then Brahma, the knower of the Supreme, granted Soma sovereignty over seeds, plants, waters, and the most exalted of the twice-born sages. Thus anointed with great power as king of kings, Soma, the foremost among the radiant, nourished the worlds by his very nature. The twenty-seven daughters of Daksha, famed for their great vows, were given to Soma by their father, Prachetas Daksha; these are the Nakshatras, the lunar constellations. Having attained this supreme sovereignty, Soma performed the grand Rājasūya sacrifice, bestowing a thousand hundred gifts. At this great sacrifice, Hiranyagarbha was the Udgata; Brahma attained the state of Brahman; and the blessed Lord Hari Nārāyaṇa was the Sadasya, surrounded by the foremost Brahmarshis, with Sanatkumara at their head. It is said that Soma gave the southern gift, namely the three worlds themselves, to these foremost Brahmarshis and to the assembly. Nine goddesses—Sinī, Kuhū, Vapuḥ, Puṣṭi, Prabhā, Vasu, Kīrti, Dhṛti, and Lakṣmī—attended upon him. Having completed the concluding bath of the sacrifice, Soma shone forth as the supreme king of kings, ruling over all ten directions, worshipped by gods and sages alike, serene and untroubled. Yet, having attained such sovereignty, so difficult to obtain and praised by sages, Soma’s mind became unsettled, and his discipline faltered. Though requested by the gods and divine sages, he did not return Tārā to Aṅgiras at that time. Uśanas, who had once been the disciple of Bṛhaspati, Aṅgiras’ son, seized Tārā from him, moved by their old bond. Because of this, the blessed Rudra became Bṛhaspati’s supporter, seizing his heel and readying his bow in his defense. The foremost among Brahmarshis, filled with great soul, then turned his supreme weapon upon the gods, threatening their fame and glory. A great and terrible battle ensued, visible to the desire of Tārakā, between the gods and the Dānavas, bringing devastation to the worlds. In the midst of this turmoil, the three remaining gods and those known as the Tuṣitas sought refuge in Brahma, the primeval god and grandsire. Brahma, restraining Uśanas and Rudra, and as the eldest Śaṅkara, returned Tārā to Aṅgiras. When Tārā, wife of the lord of stars, was seen to be pregnant, Bṛhaspati said to her, “You must not cast out the embryo.” Thus, the tale of Soma, the moon, and the celestial drama unfolded, each event woven into the fabric of the universe by the will of the divine.