From that time onward, O Raghava, that place became known as Jātarūpa—gold—shining with the brilliance of fire. All the grasses, trees, creepers, and shrubs there took on a golden hue. Then, the gods, together with Indra and the hosts of wind deities, entrusted the nurturing of the newborn child to the Krittikas. The Krittikas, firmly resolved, made an excellent agreement to give their milk to the newborn. With one voice, they declared, “He is the son of all of us.” All the gods then proclaimed, “He shall be called Kartikeya. Throughout the three worlds, he will be renowned as our son—there is no doubt.” Hearing these words, the gods bathed the radiant child, who had emerged from the streaming flow of the embryo, and his splendor was like blazing fire. Because he had flowed forth from the embryo, the gods named him Skanda. Thus, O descendant of Kakutstha, Kartikeya, mighty-armed and resplendent as fire, was born. At that moment, the excellent milk of the Krittikas appeared. The child, now with six faces, took milk from the breasts of all six mothers. In a single day, having taken their milk, the mighty one—though still tender in body—vanquished the hosts of demon armies by his own strength. Then, all the immortals, led by Agni, anointed this one of great brilliance as the commander of the divine armies. O Rama, thus I have recounted to you the full story of Ganga and the auspicious, blessed birth of the boy. O Kakutstha, any man on earth who is devoted to Kartikeya, and who is blessed with sons and grandsons, will attain the world of Skanda. Thus ends the thirty-seventh sarga in the Bālakāṇḍa of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, the first poem. Here begins the thirty-eighth sarga in the Bālakāṇḍa of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Having narrated that sweetly-worded story to Rama, Viśvāmitra again addressed Kakutstha with further words. “O hero, there was once a king of Ayodhyā, a righteous ruler named Sagara, who longed for offspring but was childless. His elder queen was Keśinī, daughter of the king of Vidarbha, virtuous and truthful. The second wife of Sagara was Sumati, sister of Suparṇa and daughter of Ariṣṭanemi. Together with his two wives, the great king Sagara performed severe austerities, reaching Mount Himavat at the Bhṛguprasravaṇa peak. After a hundred years had passed, the sage Bhṛgu, foremost among the truthful, was pleased by their penance and granted Sagara a boon: ‘O sinless one, you will be blessed with great offspring and attain incomparable fame in the world, O best of men. One of your wives will bear a single son, the continuer of your line; the other will bear sixty thousand sons.’ Hearing the sage’s words, the two queens, their hands joined in reverence and their hearts full of joy, asked, ‘O Brāhmaṇa, which of us shall have the single son, and which shall bear the many? Please tell us, may your words come true.’ The supremely righteous Bhṛgu replied, ‘Let it be as you each desire. Let one have a single son to continue the line, or let there be many mighty, renowned, and energetic sons—let each choose the boon she wishes.’ Keśinī then chose to have a single son to continue the line, while Sumati, sister of Suparṇa, chose to have sixty thousand sons, all energetic and renowned. Having circumambulated the sage and bowed to him with their heads, the king and his wives returned to their city. In due course, Keśinī bore Sagara a firstborn son, who became known as Asamañja. Sumati, O tiger among men, gave birth to a gourd-like womb, from which, when it was split open, sixty thousand sons emerged. Nurses raised them in jars filled with ghee, and in time, all attained youth and beauty. Thus, after a long while, Sagara had sixty thousand sons, all handsome and vigorous. But the eldest son, Asamañja, would seize children and, laughing, throw them into the waters of the Sarayu, delighting in watching them drown and behaving most sinfully, causing distress among the people. Because of these harmful actions, Sagara banished Asamañja from the city. Yet Asamañja’s son, Aṃśumān, was a man of great strength, approved by all and gentle in speech. In time, wisdom arose in him. Sagara, O best of men, resolved to perform a great sacrifice. Having made up his mind, the king, together with his teachers, began preparations for the Vedic ritual. Hear now the thirty-ninth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa. Having listened to Viśvāmitra’s words at the end of the story, Rama, delighted, addressed the sage, who shone like fire. “I wish to hear, may good befall you, this story in detail: how did my ancestor, O Brāhmaṇa, complete the sacrifice?