Sumati, the revered wife of King Sagara, gave birth to a most extraordinary offspring. Her womb took the shape of a great gourd, and when it was finally opened, from within emerged sixty thousand sons. These countless princes, still fragile and new to the world, were entrusted to the care of devoted nurses, who placed each child in a jar filled with pure ghee. There, nurtured with great attention, the sons of Sagara grew, and in due time, they all blossomed into beautiful and youthful men. Thus, after many years, Sagara was blessed with sixty thousand sons, each radiant with youth and vigor. Among them, the eldest, Asamañja, brought concern to his father’s heart. For, O descendant of Raghu, Asamañja would seize the children of the city and, with cruel laughter, cast them into the waters of the Sarayu, delighting in their distress and causing great harm among the people. Because of these wicked deeds, Sagara, though grieved, banished Asamañja from the city. Yet Asamañja’s son, Aṃśumān, grew up to be a man of great strength, winning the affection of all through his gentle speech and, in time, gaining wisdom. In those days, King Sagara, steadfast and resolute, decided to perform a grand Vedic sacrifice. He prepared for this sacred ritual along with his teachers, seeking to uphold the ancient rites. It was at this point, O Rama, that Viśvāmitra, radiant like blazing fire, completed his tale. Filled with delight at the sage’s words, Rama asked with reverence, “O Brāhmaṇa, may good befall you—tell me in detail how my ancestor Sagara completed his sacrifice.” Viśvāmitra, his heart gladdened, replied, “Listen, O Rama, to the story of the great-souled Sagara. His father-in-law was the illustrious Himavat. When Sagara’s sacrifice was to be performed, it took place in the region between Mount Himavat and Mount Vindhya, a land renowned for sacred rites. There, the mighty archer Aṃśumān, following his grandfather Sagara’s will, tended the sacrificial horse.” But at that very time, Indra, king of the gods, took the form of a demoness and stole the sacrificial horse. As the noble animal was spirited away, the priests alerted Sagara: “O King, the sacrificial horse has been stolen! If the thief is not found and the horse returned, a flaw will mar the sacrifice and bring misfortune upon us all.” Hearing their anxious words, Sagara addressed his sixty thousand sons. “My sons, I see no other way than for you to pursue the one who has stolen the horse. I am engaged in this great sacrifice, pure and attended by wise priests; therefore, go forth and search the entire earth, encircled by the ocean. Each of you, cover a stretch of one yojana in breadth. Dig the earth as long as you see the horse’s tracks. Find the thief, and return the horse, for the completion of our sacred rite. I, along with my grandsons and the priests, shall remain here until the horse is found. May good fortune attend you.” Obedient to their father’s command, the sixty thousand princes, mighty and eager, set out across the world. They searched every corner but found no trace of the horse. Undaunted, they began to break open the earth with arms as hard as thunderbolts, digging wherever the horse’s trail might have led. With spears like lightning and terrible ploughs, they tore into the ground, whose roar echoed like the cries of elephants, demons, and fearsome rakshasas being slain. Relentlessly, they dug for sixty thousand yojanas, reaching even the deep regions of Rasatala. The princes traversed the entire Jambudvipa, crowded with mountains, leaving no place untouched. Their actions shook the world, and all the gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, and Nagas, their minds agitated and fearful, approached Brahma, the Grandfather of all. With troubled faces, they prayed before the great-souled Brahma, saying, “O Lord, Sagara’s sons are digging up the whole earth, and many beings who dwell in the waters are being destroyed. All this is because the sacrificial horse has been stolen, and the princes, in their search, bring harm to all creatures.” Hearing their plea, Brahma, the revered Grandfather, replied, “This earth belongs to the wise Vāsudeva; she is the consort of Mādhava, and that blessed Lord alone is her master. Assuming the form of Kapila, he upholds the earth. By the fire of his wrath, the sons of Sagara will be consumed. Thus, the ancient divisions of the earth will be revealed, and the destruction of Sagara’s sons, long foreseen by the wise, shall come to pass.” So, O Rama, thus unfolded the fateful search for the sacrificial horse, and the destiny of Sagara’s mighty sons drew near, as ordained by the gods and the will of the Supreme.