At the command of the Lord, King Bali was instructed to establish the four fixed classes within his realm. Obedient to this divine directive, Bali found supreme peace, his heart settled and his kingdom flourishing. In time, the wise king returned to his own place, and prosperity blossomed across the lands of Vanga, Anga, Suhila, Pundra, and Kalinga. Now, let us hear of the lineage of these peoples. All of Bali’s sons were born of the field, descended from sages, begotten in Sudenna by the mighty sage Dirghatamas. The sages, curious, asked: “How did Bali’s five sons come to be born of the field by Dirghatamas, O Lord? Tell us, we wish to know.” The Suta began his tale: Once, there was a renowned sage named Ashija, wise and celebrated, whose wife was Mamata, a woman of great soul. Ashija’s youngest son was Brihaspati, priest of the gods and radiant in brilliance. Brihaspati approached Mamata, but she was unwilling, saying, “I am already pregnant with your elder brother’s child, eight months along. This great embryo pleases me, O Brihaspati; Ashija, who chants the six-limbed Veda, is Brahma incarnate. Your seed is unfailing, yet you should not unite with me; let it be as you wish, when the time comes.” Despite her words, Brihaspati, driven by desire, did not restrain himself. He united with her, and as he released his seed, the child already in the womb spoke: “A twice-born should not be placed here; there can be no union of two in this place. Your seed is unfailing, but I came here first.” Angered by this, Brihaspati cursed the child in the womb—his brother’s son, the sage. “Because you spoke to me thus at such a time, when all beings desire birth, out of delusion, you shall enter long darkness.” Due to this curse, the sage was born as Dirghatamas, and Ashija, famed and mighty, was as strong as Brihaspati. Dirghatamas, holding his seed upward, dwelt in his brother’s hermitage and learned the dharma of cattle from the bull. His paternal uncle, Ashija’s brother, built him a dwelling. While Dirghatamas lived there, a bull arrived by chance. Seeking darbha grass for ritual, Dirghatamas wandered with Surabhi, and seized the bull, which was tossing its horns. Though restrained, the bull did not move. Then it spoke: “Release me, O foremost of the strong. Never before, O father, have I encountered anyone as powerful as you, who carries Lord Tryambaka, since I was born on earth. Release me, O best of the strong; I am pleased with you—choose a boon.” Dirghatamas replied, “You are my life—where could I go? Therefore, I will not release you; I am another’s property, a four-footed being.” The bull, enveloped in darkness, addressed Dirghatamas: “For us, O father, there is neither sin nor theft; we do not know what is to be eaten or not eaten, nor what is to be drunk or not drunk, in any way. We do not discern what is to be done or not done, nor what is to be approached or avoided; O Brahmin, we are not afflicted by sin—this is the law for cows.” Hearing the very name of cows, Dirghatamas became agitated and released the bull. With devotion and reverence, he sought the favor of the cows. Having gained their favor, he departed, embracing the dharma of cows with steadfast dedication in his mind. Then, by fate, Dirghatamas, his mind bewildered, desired the younger wife of Auttathya, who was restless and weeping. Śaradvān, thinking him arrogant, could not tolerate this and, relying on the law of cows as his strength, considered his daughter-in-law as equal. Seeing this reversal, Śaradvān reflected; knowing what was to come, the great-souled one did not wish for Dirghatamas’s death. With eyes reddened in anger, Śaradvān spoke: “You do not discern what is proper or improper; yet, invoking the law of cows, you desire your daughter-in-law. You are of bad conduct—I now cast you off; go your way according to your own actions. Because you are blind, old, and difficult to maintain, you are abandoned; I consider you wicked.” The Suta continued: Then, in that cruel act, such a thought arose in Śaradvān’s mind. After rebuking Dirghatamas repeatedly and seizing him with his arms, he placed him in a chest and cast him into the waters of the Ganges. Carried by the current, the chest floated in the ocean for seven days. Then Bali, the righteous king, expert in the essence of dharma and artha, saw Dirghatamas, together with his wife, as he was sinking near the current. Bali, son of Virocana, righteous in soul, took him up and sheltered him in the inner apartments, nourishing him with food and delicacies. Pleased, Dirghatamas offered Bali a boon of his choice. Bali, the bull among the Dānavas, chose a boon for offspring: “O most fortunate one, giver of honor, together with my wife, grant me sons endowed with righteousness and prosperity, for the sake of progeny.” Dirghatamas replied, “So be it.” The king then sent his wife, Sudeṣṇā, to the sage. But seeing that he was blind and old, the queen did not go herself; instead, she adorned her maidservant and sent her in her place. In that maidservant of Śūdra birth, the self-controlled sage, righteous in soul, begot two sons, Kakṣīvat and Cakṣuṣ, both of great energy. When King Bali saw them, he ensured they were properly educated in all rites, and they became masters, learned in the Vedas.