Urvashi spoke gently to Ila, saying, “The Gandharvas have granted you a boon, O great king; choose what you wish and tell them yourself.” Ila, with a heart full of devotion, replied, “I wish always to dwell in the same world as the great-souled Gandharvas.” The Gandharvas consented, saying, “So be it,” and blessed him with their boon. Then, the Gandharvas filled a vessel for Agni and said to Ila, “By performing a sacrifice with this, O king, you will attain the highest world.” Taking a young boy with him, Ila set out for his city. Yet, leaving the boy behind in the forest, he returned home. Once more, he took up the visible fire and, as he journeyed, saw an ashvattha tree standing nearby. The sight of this sacred tree filled him with wonder. Eager to share what he had seen, Ila went to the Gandharvas with Agni. Hearing his report, Agni instructed him, “Make a fire-stick from the wood of the ashvattha tree.” Following this guidance, Ila fashioned a fire-stick, kindled the sacred fire as prescribed, and was told, “By sacrificing with this, you will attain our world, O king.” He kindled the fire and divided it threefold, then performed the sacrifice with devotion. Through many kinds of sacrifices, Ila attained the world of the Gandharvas. In the Treta age, the mighty Gandharva charioteer dwelt there, and in those ancient days there was but one fire; Ila established the women in that land. Thus, O best of the twice-born, King Ila’s power shone forth in that most sacred land, adorned by great sages. Ila established his illustrious kingdom at Prayaga, on the northern bank of the Yamuna, at Pratishthana. He had six sons, all radiant with the brilliance of Indra: Āyu, Dhīmān, Amāvasu, Viśvāyu, Śatāyu, and Gatāyu, renowned in the world of the Gandharvas. Viśvāyu, Śatāyu, and Gatāyu were born of Urvashi; from Amāvasu came King Bhīma, and then Viśvajit. The illustrious Bhīma’s heir was the king Kāñcanaprabha, whose mighty and learned son was Suhotra. Suhotra’s son, born of Keśikā, was Jahnu. After Jahnu performed a great sacrifice, the river Gaṅgā flowed forth. Yet, for a purpose to be fulfilled in the future, Gaṅgā flooded the land, inundating the sacrificial enclosure. Angered by this, Suhotra’s son Varada, his eyes red with fury, addressed Gaṅgā, “Immediately receive the fruit of your arrogance! All this of yours is now fruitless; I shall drink up the water.” So saying, the royal sage drank up Gaṅgā herself. The gods and seers, distressed, brought forth Jāhnavī as his daughter, and Jahnu took Kāverī, the granddaughter of Yuvanāśva, as his wife. By the curse of Yuvanāśva, Gaṅgā was thus manifested, and Kāverī, the best of rivers, became Jahnu’s blameless wife. Through Kāverī, Jahnu begot a beloved and righteous son named Suhotra, and his son was Ajaka. Ajaka’s illustrious heir was Balākāśva, whose son was Gaya, renowned for his character. Gaya’s son was Kuśa. Kuśa had four sons, all radiant with Vedic splendor: Kuśāśva, Kuśanābha, Amūrtta, and Araśovasu. Among them, Kuśastamba, the best of kings, performed severe austerities for a thousand years, desiring a son. At the end of his penance, he beheld Śatakratu, the thousand-eyed Purandara himself. Pleased by Kuśastamba’s fierce austerities, Purandara became capable of granting him a son and arranged to become his son himself. Thus Gādhi, also known as Kauśika, was born. Gādhi’s wife was from 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. Ṛcīka, of the Bhārgava lineage and a descendant of Bhṛgu, became her husband. For the sake of a son, Ṛcīka prepared a sacrificial oblation for Gādhi as well. The steadfast Ṛcīka summoned his wife and said, “This oblation is to be used by you and your mother, O blessed one. In your mother’s womb will be born a son, radiant and a foremost among Kshatriyas, unconquered 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.” Having spoken thus, Ṛcīka, devoted to austerity, entered the forest for penance. At that time, Gādhi and his wife visited Ṛcīka’s hermitage, under the pretext of pilgrimage, to see their daughter. Satyavatī, ever faithful to her husband, took both portions prepared by the sage and joyfully reported them to her mother, without distraction. By fate, her mother gave her own portion to Satyavatī, and Satyavatī, not knowing, prepared her own portion for herself. As a result, Satyavatī conceived a pregnancy—auspicious, yet destined to bring destruction to Kshatriyas, with a radiant and terrifying form. Ṛcīka, perceiving this by yogic insight, addressed his beautiful wife: “O gentle one, your mother will succeed, due to the exchange of portions; your son will be fierce in deeds and exceedingly cruel. Your mother will bear such a son, rich in austerity, for I have devoted the entire Brahman, through my penance, to that.” Hearing this, Satyavatī, the illustrious one, sought to appease her husband: “Let my son not be like this; let another be an outcast among Brahmins.” The sage replied, “O gentle one, neither I nor you have desired this; your son will be fierce in action, due to both his father and mother.