As the ages unfold, the noble lineages of kings are born again and again—first in the Treta Yuga, then returning as the Kali Yuga draws to its close. Thus, they follow the great wheel of time, their destinies intertwined with the rise and fall of the yugas, until the very end of the Manvantara. Once, when the mighty Rāma, son of Jamadagni, swept away the Kshatriya order in his wrath, the world was left bereft of rulers. Yet, from the ashes, the royal houses and dynasties were restored, as Kshatriya rulers rose anew. Now, listen as I recount the creation of these two great lineages. The Aila, Ikshvaku, and Nanda lines alternate in their prominence, each giving rise to kings who succeed one another, just as other Kshatriya rulers do. Within the Aila and Ikshvaku lines, a hundred royal families flourished, each with their own consecrated rulers. The Bhojas, it is said, were twice as numerous, and the Kshatriya class itself was divided into four distinct parts, as has been explained before. Now hear of those who outshone their peers: there were a hundred Prativindhyas, a hundred Nagas, and a hundred horses. Among the kings, a hundred bore the name Dhritarashtra, eighty were known as Janamejaya, and a hundred each were called Brahmadatta, Shirin, and Virin. Then came a hundred Puromas, followed by the Shvetakashas and the Kushas. After them, a thousand of old were known as the Shatabindavas. All of these royal sages performed the great Ashvamedha sacrifices, giving generously and upholding the sacred order. Indeed, the kings and sages of old numbered in their hundreds and thousands. Now, in the present interval of Manu Vaivasvata, listen as I recount the lineages that have arisen in this world. Yet, it is not possible to recount in detail each generation and their succession, even if one were to spend hundreds of years in the telling. For, in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, twenty-eight yugas have already passed, and with them, countless royal sages. Now, hear of those who are yet to come. There will be forty more yugas, each with its own kings, stretching until the end of the Vaivasvata period. All this I have told you, both in summary and in detail, but because of their great multitude, it is not possible to recount every single one, even if we were to count all the yugas. Among these, twenty-five sons of Yayati, renowned throughout the peoples, have been mentioned. These sons uphold the worlds for me, maintaining order and prosperity. Those who recite and hear these accounts attain rare and desirable rewards in this world: long life, fame, wealth, sons, and even the endless joys of heaven. By the very act of reciting and listening, they support the worlds themselves. Thus, O twice-born, I have told you the third section of this history in order and in detail—what more would you have me relate? Having heard this third section as recited by the wise Suta, the foremost sages, eager for deeper knowledge, inquired about the fourth section. The sages said, “You have recounted the third section in proper sequence; now, please narrate in detail the fourth section, which deals with dissolution. Tell us of all the previous Manvantaras, and those yet to come, of the Saptarshis, and of those who belong to the present interval of Manu. Also, describe in detail the nature of the great elements and their components—tell us everything, in order and in full.” Suta replied, “I shall relate all this exactly as it is, O best of sages, including the fourth section on dissolution. Now, O twice-born, listen as I describe in detail and in proper order the account of the present Manu, Vaivasvata, the great-souled one. “Hear from me the summary of the Manvantaras, along with the seven that are yet to come, and also the dissolution of the worlds. I have described these in groups of seven; now listen as I summarize the Manvantaras that are still to unfold. “I shall declare to you the coming Manvantara of Sāvarṇi, the son of Vaivasvata; listen, in brief, to what is yet to be. “In that time, seven great sages will be remembered: Kauśika, Gālava, Jāmadagnya Bhārgava, Dvaipāyana, Vasiṣṭha, Kṛpa the son of Śāradvat, Ātreya the radiant, and Ṛṣyaśṛṅga Kāśyapa. Along with them, Bhāradvāja and Drauṇi—the illustrious Aśvatthāman—will be counted among the seven eminent seers of the future. “There will be three groups of gods: Sutapas, Amitābhās, and Sukhās, each group numbering twenty. Now, listen as I declare their names. “The Sutapas are: Ṛta, Tapas, Śukra, Dyuti, Jyotis, Prabhākara, Prabhāsa, Bhāsakṛt, Dharma, Tejas, Raśmi, Ṛtu, Virāṭ, Arciṣmān, Dyotana, Bhānu, Yaśa, Kīrti, Budha, and Dhṛti—these twenty are renowned as the Sutapas. “The Amitābhās are: Prabhu, Vibhu, Vibhāsa, Jetā, Hantā, Arihā, Ṛtu, Sumati, Pramati, Dīpti, Deha, Muni, Naya, Jyeṣṭha, Sama, Satya, and Viśruta—these twenty are their names. “The Sukhās are: Dama, Dātā, Vida, Soma, Vittavid, Yama, Nidhi, Homa, Havya, Huta, Dāna, Deya, Dātā, Tapas, Śama, Dhruva, Sthāna, Vidhāna, Niyama—these twenty are the chief ones, declared in the first Sāvarṇi Manvantara. “These gods are the sons of Mārīca, of the great-souled Kaśyapa, and they will be present in the coming Sāvarṇi Manvantara. Among them, Indra will be Bali, the son of Virocana, renowned since ancient times—heroic, powerful, unwavering, truthful, and accomplished. “The nine sons of Manu Sāvarṇi will be: Cariṣṇu, Ājya, Viṣṇu, Vāc, Sumati, and others. In the other Sāvarṇi Manvantaras, I shall declare nine more; those other Sāvarṇi Manus will be the sons of Brahmā himself. “In this way, the cycles of time, the lineages of kings and sages, and the hosts of gods and Manus continue, all following the eternal order, until the dissolution of the worlds.