The noble king, having found the two sheep abandoned, returned home. But when he did not see his beloved, sorrow overwhelmed him, and he lamented deeply. Driven by longing, he wandered across the earth, searching everywhere for her. At last, his search led him to Kurukshetra, where, at the Plaksha ford, he saw her. There in a lotus-filled pond, she was delighting in the water, playing with five beautiful Apsaras. As Urvashi, the fair-browed one, noticed the king nearby, she turned to her companions and said, “This is that supreme man to whom I once belonged.” She pointed him out, and the five Apsaras, adorned with crested hair, became visible to him as well. The king’s heart leapt with joy at the sight of Urvashi. He spoke many tender words to her: “Come here, stay, remain in my mind, dwell in my speech, O beautiful one.” They exchanged subtle words, full of affection and longing. Then Urvashi said to Ila, “O lord, I am pregnant by you. After a year, your son will be born—there is no doubt.” The king spent a single night alone with her. Filled with happiness, the illustrious king returned to his city. When a year had passed, he came again to Urvashi. After spending one more night with her, the great-minded king, still tormented by desire, pleaded in distress, “Be with me always.” Urvashi replied, “The Gandharvas have granted you a boon; choose it, great king, and tell them yourself.” The king replied, “I choose to always dwell in the same world as the great-souled Gandharvas.” The Gandharvas agreed, saying, “Let it be so.” The Gandharvas then filled a vessel for Agni and said to the king, “By performing a sacrifice with this, O king, you will attain the highest world.” Taking his newborn son, the king set out for the city, but he left the boy in the forest and returned home. Once more, taking the visible fire, he noticed an ashvattha tree nearby and marveled at it. He went to the Gandharvas with Agni and reported what he had seen. Hearing this, Agni instructed him to make a fire-stick from the ashvattha wood. Obeying, the king fashioned a fire-stick and kindled the sacred fire as prescribed. “By sacrificing with this, you will attain our world, O king,” said Agni. The king kindled the fire, divided it threefold, and performed the sacrifice. Having completed many kinds of sacrifices, he attained the world of the Gandharvas. In the Treta age, that mighty charioteer Gandharva dwelt there; in former times there had been but one fire, and Ila established those women. Thus, O best of the twice-born, Ila the king was endowed with great power, ruling in the most sacred land, adorned by illustrious sages. He established his kingdom at Prayaga, the illustrious city on the northern bank of the Yamuna, at Pratishthana. Ila had six sons, all radiant with the brilliance of Indra: Āyu, Dhīmān, Amāvasu, Viśvāyu, Śatāyu, and Gatāyu, all known among the Gandharvas. Viśvāyu, Śatāyu, and Gatāyu were sons of Urvashi. From Amāvasu was born King Bhīma, and then Viśvajit. Bhīma’s heir was the illustrious king Kāñcanaprabha, whose learned and mighty son was Suhotra. Suhotra’s son was Jahnu, born of Keśikā. After performing a great sacrifice, the river Gaṅgā flowed forth. For a destined purpose, she flooded the land. Seeing the sacrificial enclosure submerged by Gaṅgā, Suhotra’s son, the angry and red-eyed Varada, said to Gaṅgā, “Immediately receive the fruit of your arrogance! All this of yours is now fruitless; I shall drink up the water.” And so the royal sage drank up the waters of Gaṅgā. The gods and seers, desiring Gaṅgā’s return, caused her to issue forth again as Jāhnavī, his daughter. Jahnu then took Kāverī, the granddaughter of Yuvanāśva, as his wife. By the curse of Yuvanāśva, Gaṅgā was thus produced, and Kāverī, the best of rivers, became Jahnu’s blameless wife. Jahnu begot a beloved and righteous son named Suhotra through Kāverī, and Suhotra’s son was Ajaka. Ajaka’s illustrious heir was Balākāśva; his son was Gaya, renowned for his character, and Gaya’s son was Kuśa. Kuśa had four sons, all radiant with Vedic splendor: Kuśāśva, Kuśanābha, Amūrtta, and Araśovasu. Kuśastamba, the best of kings, performed austerities for a thousand years desiring a son. At the end of his penance, he beheld Śatakratu, the thousand-eyed Purandara himself, who, pleased by Kuśastamba’s austerities, became capable of granting him a son. Thus Purandara arranged to become his son, and Gādhi, also called Kauśika, was born. Gādhi’s wife was of the Paurukutsa line, and from her Gādhi was born. Earlier, she had a blessed daughter named Satyavatī, whom Gādhi gave in marriage to the sage Ṛcīka. From Satyavatī, the Bhārgava sage, a descendant of Bhṛgu, became her husband. For the sake of a son, Ṛcīka prepared a sacrificial oblation for Gādhi as well. Then the steadfast Ṛcīka summoned them and said, “This oblation is to be used by you and your mother, O blessed one. In your mother will be born a son, radiant and foremost among Kshatriyas, unconquered by Kshatriyas in battle, and a destroyer of Kshatriya heroes. For you also, a son will be produced—steadfast, rich in austerity, peaceful in nature, and a foremost among the twice-born.” In this way, the noble line of Ila, blessed by the gods and sages, flourished on earth.