Devapi, having attained great wisdom, became the revered preceptor of the gods, a sage among sages. His lineage continued through his two noble sons, Cyavana and Ishtaka, both renowned for their virtue and greatness of soul. Meanwhile, Shantanu ascended the throne as king. He was not only learned but also famed as a great healer. It was said of Shantanu that whoever he touched—even a man worn and aged by the years—would regain his youth, such was the miraculous power attributed to this righteous king. Because of this, Shantanu’s fame spread far and wide among the people. Shantanu, in his righteousness, took the river goddess Jahnavi as his wife. From their union was born a son, Devavrata, who came to be known as Bhishma, the illustrious grandsire of the Pandavas. In due course, Shantanu also begot another son, Vichitravirya, who was beloved by his people and brought them much benefit. When Vichitravirya passed without children, the sage Krishna Dvaipayana—Vyasa—fathered sons upon Vichitravirya’s widows, thus ensuring the royal line continued. From this lineage were born three sons: Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura. Dhritarashtra’s wife Gandhari bore him a hundred sons, the eldest of whom was Duryodhana, lord of all Kshatriyas. Pandu, on the other hand, had two wives, Madri and Pritha (Kunti). By divine blessing, sons were born to Pandu: Yudhishthira from Dharma, Vrikodara (Bhima) from Vayu, and Dhananjaya (Arjuna) from Indra, whose prowess was said to rival even that of Shakra. Madri bore the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, sons of the Ashvin twins. The Pandavas, in turn, gave rise to the next generation. Draupadi, the wife of all five brothers, bore five sons, one to each Pandava, with Yudhishthira’s son Shrutavidha being the eldest. Bhimasena, through Hidimba, fathered Ghatotkacha, and through Kashya, had a son named Sarvavrika. Vijaya (Arjuna), Madri’s son, begot Suhotra, while Sahadeva and Vaideya had Niramitra and Langali. From Partha (Arjuna) and Subhadra was born the valiant charioteer Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu and Uttara, the daughter of King Virata, had a son named Parikshit. Parikshit succeeded his father and became king, establishing the Brahmins of the Vajasaneya tradition. At this point, Vaisampayana, out of resentment, declared that the words spoken by another—presumably about the tradition—would not go unchallenged. He proclaimed that as long as he lived, those words would not be praised, and even after his passing, so it would be for Janamejaya, Parikshit’s son. Janamejaya, after worshipping Prajapati with full-moon offerings and understanding the will of the Lord, witnessed the destruction that had been destined to occur at his sacrifice. Janamejaya, the illustrious son of Parikshit from the Paurava line, performed the great horse sacrifice twice and established the Vajasaneyi tradition. In fact, Janamejaya conducted three ashvamedha sacrifices, thereby setting forth a new order. However, these sacrifices diminished the number of chief horses, affected the women-dwellers, and reduced the people of the central region. Afflicted by these consequences, Janamejaya was cursed by the Brahmins and met his end. Janamejaya’s son, Shatanika, was powerful and valorous, and the Brahmins consecrated him as king. Shatanika’s son was Ashvamedhadatta, vigorous and strong, and from him was born Parapuramjaya. The righteous and widely renowned Adhisamakrishna now rules in their line, under whose reign a most difficult and lengthy sacrifice—lasting three years—was accomplished, two years of which were performed at Kurukshetra and on the banks of the Drishadvati. At this juncture, the assembled sages addressed Suta, the learned narrator. They expressed their wish to hear not only of the past but also of the future: the fate of the people, the kings yet to arise, the measure of the coming ages, their virtues and faults, and the happiness or sorrow that would befall people in matters of righteousness, desire, and wealth. They urged Suta to speak truthfully of all he knew, as he had heard and seen it. Suta replied that he would recount everything as it had been narrated to him by Vyasa, the wondrous sage, including the events of the coming Kali Yuga and the future Manvantaras. He promised to declare all that was yet to come, beginning with the future kings. He began by listing the royal lines—the Ailas, the Ikshvakus, and the Saudyumnas—within which the auspicious land of Ikshvaku was established. Suta promised to recount the names and deeds of all the kings who would arise in these dynasties, as well as those who would come after them: Kshatriyas, Parashavas, Shudras, and the twice-born; the Andhas, Shakas, Pulindas, Tulikas, Yavanas, Kaivartas, Abhiras, Shabaras, and other Mleccha tribes. He would declare them all in the order of the years. Turning back to the present, Suta noted that Adhisamakrishna now ruled among the descendants of Puru. He then foretold the lineage that would follow. Adhisamakrishna’s son would be Nirvakra. When the city of Nagasahvaya was claimed by the Ganga, Nirvakra would abandon that city and reside in Kaushambi. Nirvakra’s son would be Ushna, whose son would be Citraratha. Citraratha would beget Shucidratha, and Shucidratha’s son would be Vritiman. Vritiman’s son, Sushena, would be famed for his strength, and Sushena would father Sutirtha. Sutirtha’s son would be Rucha, whose heir would be Trichakshu. Trichakshu’s son would be Sukhibala, and Sukhibala’s heir would be the king Paripluta. In turn, Paripluta’s son would be the ruler Sunaya. Thus, the lineage and the destiny of kings, as well as the fate of the people and the land, were faithfully recounted, as revealed by the sages and preserved in the sacred tradition.