Dear listener, hear now the tale of Sagara, as it was once spoken. At a time long past, King Sagara, desiring the continuation of his noble lineage, had two wives. A great sage, pleased with their devotion, granted them a boon: one wife would bear a single son, the continuer of the line, while the other would give birth to sixty thousand sons. Joyfully, the two princesses, hands folded in reverence, addressed the sage, “O Brāhmaṇa, which of us shall have the one son, and which the many? We long to know, and may your words come true.” The supremely righteous sage Bhṛgu replied, “Let it be as you each desire. Let one of you have a single son to continue the line, and the other, many mighty and renowned sons. Each of you, choose as your heart wishes.” Hearing this, Keśinī, in the presence of the king, chose to have a single son who would continue the royal line. Sumati, the sister of Suparṇa, wished for sixty thousand energetic and illustrious sons. After bowing to the sage and circumambulating him, the king and his wives returned to their city. In time, Keśinī gave birth to Sagara’s firstborn, a son named Asamañja. Sumati, however, bore a gourd-like mass, and when it was split open, sixty thousand sons emerged. Nurses raised these infants in jars filled with ghee, and as the years passed, all grew to handsome and vigorous youth. Thus, Sagara was blessed with sixty thousand sons, radiant in their prime. Yet, the eldest, Asamañja, began to act cruelly. He would seize children and throw them into the waters of the Sarayu, laughing as they struggled, causing grief among the citizens. His wickedness could not be tolerated, and so, for the good of the people, Sagara banished Asamañja from the city. Asamañja’s son, Aṃśumān, however, was a man of great strength, beloved by all, gentle in speech, and wise as he matured. Resolved to perform a grand Vedic sacrifice, Sagara, with his teachers, prepared for the sacred rite. Now, O Rama, hear how this sacrifice unfolded. When the sage Viśvāmitra had finished his account, Rama, delighted, respectfully asked, “O Brāhmaṇa, tell me in detail—how did my ancestor Sagara complete his sacrifice?” Viśvāmitra, smiling, replied, “Listen, O Rama, to the tale of the great-souled Sagara. His father-in-law was Himavat, lord of mountains. Sagara’s sacrifice was held between Mount Himavat and Mount Vindhya, a region famed for holy rites. There, Aṃśumān, a mighty archer, tended the sacrificial horse as Sagara had commanded. But during the sacrifice, Indra, king of the gods, assuming the form of a demoness, stole the horse. As the noble animal was carried away, the priests cried out, ‘The sacrificial horse is being taken! O King, slay the thief and bring back the horse, else the sacrifice will be ruined and bring us misfortune.’ Hearing their plea, Sagara addressed his sixty thousand sons: ‘O best among men, I see no other way. I am bound in this great sacrifice, attended by noble priests. Go forth, my sons! Search the entire earth, encircled by ocean. Each of you cover a stretch of one yojana in breadth. Dig the earth wherever you see the horse’s tracks, and seek out the thief. I shall remain here, consecrated, with my grandsons and the priests, until the horse is found. May fortune be with you.’ Obedient to their father’s command, the mighty princes set out, fanning across the earth. Failing to find the horse above ground, they began to break open the earth with arms as hard as thunderbolts, using spears and terrible ploughs. The ground roared with the tumult, as if elephants, demons, and fierce rakshasas were being slain. They dug for sixty thousand yojanas, reaching even the deep region of Rasatala. Thus, the princes, digging everywhere, traversed the entire Jambudvipa, the great continent crowded with mountains, in their relentless quest. So unfolds the story of Sagara’s sons, their birth, their deeds, and the beginning of their extraordinary search, all set in motion by the king’s great sacrifice.