At the conclusion of the great sacrifice, the assembled priests addressed the gods who had gathered to accept their share of the offerings. They said, “Let a boon be granted to the sacrificer.” The gods, thus entreated, turned to King Nimi and asked what blessing he desired. Nimi replied, “O blessed ones, there is no greater sorrow in this world than the separation of body and soul. Therefore, I wish never again to assume a body, but instead to dwell in the eyes of all beings.” The gods graciously granted his request, and from that moment, Nimi came to reside in the eyes of all creatures—thus it is that all beings blink. With King Nimi’s passing and no son to succeed him, the sages grew concerned that the land would be left without a ruler. To remedy this, they performed a sacred churning of his body in the forest. From this act, a boy was born, and because he emerged from the process of birth itself, he was called Janaka. Janaka’s son was Videha, who was also known as Vaideha, for he was his father’s son. From Mathana came Mithi, and his line continued with Udāvasu, followed by Nandivardhana, then Suketu, and Devarāta. Next came Bṛhadukūtha, Mahāvīrya, Satyadhṛti, Dhṛṣṭaketu, and Haryaśva, whose son was Maru. Maru’s son was Pratibandhaka, from whom descended Kṛtaratha, Kṛti, Vibudha, Mahādhṛti, Kṛtirāta, Mahāroma, Suvarṇaroma, and Hrasvaroma. Then was born Sīradhvaja. While Sīradhvaja was performing a sacrifice seeking the blessing of a child, his daughter Sītā arose from the furrow of the earth. Sīradhvaja’s brother was Kuśadhvaja, the lord of Sāṅkāśya, and Sīradhvaja’s wife was Bhānumatī. From Bhānumatī came Śatadyumna, whose son was Śuci, and then Ūrjjacavaha. His son was Satyadhvaja, followed by Kuni (or Kriṇi), then Añjana, and then Ṛtujit. After him came Ariṣṭanemi, Śratāyu, Sūryāśva, Sañjaya, Kṣemāri, and Danena. From Danena came Mīnaratha (or Mānaratha), then Satyaratha, Sātyarathi, Sātyaratharupagu, and Śruta. From Śruta came Śāpa, and then the radiant Suvarjjā, son of Mitrāvaruṇa. Suvarjjā’s son was Subhāsa, followed by Suśruta, Jaya, Vijaya, Ṛta, Sunaya, Vītahavya, Sañjaya, Dhṛti, and Bahulāśva. Bahulāśva’s son was Kṛti, and in Kṛti the illustrious line of Janaka was established. These, then, are the kings of Mithilā, among whom many have ruled with devotion to the knowledge of the Self. At this point, Maitreya addressed the sage Parāśara, saying, “O venerable one, you have described to me the descendants of the Sun. Now I wish to hear about the royal lineage of Soma as well. Please tell me, O Brāhmaṇa, about those whose glorious line still endures, whose fame is steadfast and whose faces shine with grace.” Parāśara replied, “Listen, O best of sages, to the story of Soma’s lineage, renowned for its splendor, from which many kings of the earth have arisen. Hear their tale as I recount it in order. This line has been adorned by powerful and virtuous kings such as Nahuṣa, Yayāti, and Kārtavīrya Arjuna, all renowned for their strength, valor, brilliance, and noble deeds. Atri, the son of Brahmā, was born from the lotus that sprang from the navel of the divine Nārāyaṇa, the creator of all worlds. From Atri came Soma, the Moon. The blessed Brahmā, the lotus-born, appointed Soma as the lord over all plants, herbs, and the stars. Soma performed the great Rājasūya sacrifice, and with the power and authority he thus attained, pride grew within him. Overcome by arrogance, Soma abducted Tārā, the wife of Bṛhaspati, the revered preceptor of the gods. Despite repeated pleas from Bṛhaspati, Brahmā, and all the divine sages, Soma refused to release her. Because of this enmity, Uśanā (Śukra) became Soma’s supporter, while the blessed Rudra, having received knowledge from Aṅgirasa, took the side of Bṛhaspati. With Uśanā’s encouragement, the Daityas and Dānavas—including Jambha and Kumbha—marshaled their strength on Soma’s behalf. For Bṛhaspati, Indra and the armies of the gods became his allies. Thus, a fierce battle erupted between the two sides, known as the war for Tārā. Weapons were unleashed by both gods and demons, and the tumult shook the hearts of all, disturbing even the world itself. Seeking refuge, the gods and demons turned to Brahmā. The blessed lotus-born Lord pacified Śaṃkara, the demons, and the gods, and arranged for Tārā to be returned to Bṛhaspati. Upon her return, Bṛhaspati noticed that Tārā was pregnant and said, “This child is not born in my domain; he belongs to another. Cast him away, do not keep him out of excessive boldness.” At his command, Tārā, ever devoted to her husband, expelled the fetus onto a reed stalk. As soon as the child was born, he shone with great brilliance, absorbing the radiance of the gods. Both Bṛhaspati and Soma, seeing the extraordinary beauty of the boy, desired him as their own, and the gods, filled with doubt, questioned Tārā: “Tell us the truth, O fortunate one—whose son is this, Soma’s or Bṛhaspati’s?” Embarrassed, Tārā remained silent, though the gods questioned her again and again. At last, the boy, about to curse her, spoke: “Why, wicked woman, do you not tell me who my father is? Today, because of your unjust shame, I will punish you so that you will never again speak with such excessive hesitation.” But the blessed Pitāmaha (Brahmā) intervened, restraining the boy and questioning Tārā himself. When asked by Brahmā, Tārā, still ashamed, finally replied, “He is Soma’s.” Hearing this, the Moon Lord, his cheeks radiant and breath quickened, embraced the boy joyfully and said, “Well done, well done, child, you are wise.” He named him Budha.