In days long past, King Sagara’s sons were raised in an extraordinary way: nurses tended them in jars filled with ghee, and in time, every one of them grew into vibrant youth. Thus, after many years, Sagara had sixty thousand sons, each endowed with remarkable beauty and vigor. Yet among them, the eldest son, Asamañja, behaved in a most troubling manner. He would seize children and, O descendant of Raghu, throw them into the waters of the Sarayu. Watching them drown, he would laugh, delighting in such cruel acts and disturbing the peace of good people. Because he caused such harm to the citizens, Sagara banished him from the city. However, Asamañja’s son, Aṃśumān, grew into a man of great strength and virtue, beloved by all for his kind speech and, in due time, wisdom blossomed within him. At length, Sagara resolved to perform a great Vedic sacrifice. With his mind firmly set, the king, accompanied by his teachers, prepared for the sacred rite. Now, listen to the next part of this tale as recounted in the glorious Rāmāyaṇa. When Viśvāmitra had finished his story, Rāma, radiant and delighted, spoke to the sage: “O Brāhmaṇa, I wish to hear in detail how my ancestor, Sagara, completed his sacrifice.” Viśvāmitra, smiling with pleasure, replied, “Listen, O Rāma, to the story of the great-souled Sagara. His father-in-law was the renowned Himavat. Having reached Mount Vindhya, the two mountains gazed upon each other, and there, in that sacred region famed for sacrifices, Sagara’s ritual was to take place. The mighty archer Aṃśumān, following Sagara’s will, tended the sacrificial horse.” But as the sacrifice was underway, Indra, assuming the form of a demoness, stole the horse. As the noble animal was spirited away, the priests cried out to Sagara, “O King, your sacrificial horse is being taken! If the thief is not found and the horse not returned, the ritual will be tainted, bringing misfortune upon us all.” Sagara addressed his sixty thousand sons: “My sons, I see no path but for you to pursue the thief. I am engaged in this great sacrifice, purified by mantras and attended by noble priests. Go forth and 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 find the thief who took the horse. I, with my grandsons and the priests, will remain here until you return. May good fortune be yours.” Obedient to their father’s command, the mighty princes set out, traversing the earth. When they could not find the horse, they began to break open the ground with arms as powerful as thunderbolts, piercing the earth with spears and terrible ploughs. The ground roared with a sound like elephants or fierce rakshasas being slain. For sixty thousand yojanas, they broke through the earth, reaching even the deep region of Rasatala. Thus, the princes, digging everywhere, traversed all of Jambudvipa, crowded with mountains. Witnessing this upheaval, all the gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, and Nagas, their minds deeply troubled, approached Brahma, the Grandfather of all. With anxious faces, they pleaded, “O Lord, the sons of Sagara are digging up the whole earth, killing many great beings who dwell in the waters. The sacrificial horse has been stolen, and in their search, all creatures are suffering.” Hearing their plea, Brahma replied, “This entire 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, and by the fire of his wrath, the sons of Sagara will be consumed. The ancient divisions of the earth will be revealed, and the destruction of Sagara’s sons, foreseen by those of far vision, will come to pass.” With these words, the thirty-three chief gods, filled with great joy, departed as they had come, their concerns eased by the Grandfather’s assurance.