Asamañja, the son of King Sagara, became infamous for his cruel deeds. He would laugh as he watched innocent people drown, delighting in sinful acts and obstructing the virtuous. His behavior, so harmful to the citizens, compelled his father to banish him from the city. Yet Asamañja’s son, Aṃśumān, was altogether different—a man of great strength, admired by all, who spoke kindly and wisely to everyone. In time, King Sagara resolved to perform a grand Vedic sacrifice, gathering his teachers and preparing for the ritual with firm intent. Now, O listener, let us turn to the thirty-ninth chapter of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. After hearing Viśvāmitra’s tale, Rāma, radiant and delighted, addressed the sage: “May good befall you, O Brāhmaṇa. I wish to hear in detail how my ancestor completed his sacrifice.” Viśvāmitra, pleased and curious, responded warmly: “Listen, O Rāma, to the story of the great-souled Sagara. His father-in-law was the renowned Himavat. When they reached Mount Vindhya, the two mountains gazed at one another, and there, between them, the sacrifice took place. That region is highly esteemed for sacrificial rites. There, the mighty archer Aṃśumān, following Sagara’s will, tended the sacrificial horse.” But during the sacrifice, Indra, assuming the form of a demoness, stole the horse. As the noble animal was carried away, the priests cried out to King Sagara: “The sacrificial horse is being led away during the ceremony. O descendant of Kakutstha, slay the thief and bring back the horse, or else a flaw will mar the sacrifice and bring misfortune to us all.” The king agreed, determined not to leave the ritual incomplete. He addressed his sixty thousand sons: “O best among men, there is no other way but for you to pursue the demons. I am engaged in this great sacrifice, purified and attended by noble priests. Go forth, my sons, and search everywhere. May good fortune be yours. Follow the entire earth, encircled by the ocean, and each of you cover a stretch of one yojana in breadth. Dig the earth as far as the horse’s tracks are visible, seeking the thief who took the horse, by my command. I will remain here, consecrated and accompanied by my grandsons and the priests, until the horse is found. May good fortune be yours.” Obeying their father, the sixty thousand royal princes set out joyfully across the earth. When they could not find the horse, they began to break open the ground with arms as hard as thunderbolts, piercing the earth with spears like lightning and with terrible ploughs. The ground roared with the sound of elephants, demons, and formidable rakshasas being slain. They broke the earth for sixty thousand yojanas, reaching the excellent region of Rasatala, traversing the entire Jambudvipa, crowded with mountains. Witnessing this devastation, the gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, and Nagas, their minds troubled, approached Grandfather Brahma. With anxious faces, they pleaded: “O Lord, Sagara’s sons are digging up the entire earth, slaying many great beings who dwell in the waters. The sacrificial horse is being led away, and all creatures are suffering because of Sagara’s sons.” Now, O listener, hear the fortieth chapter of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa. Hearing the gods’ words, Grandfather Brahma replied to them, who were troubled and deluded by the power of Death: “This entire earth belongs to the wise Vāsudeva; she is the consort of Mādhava, and that blessed Lord alone is the master. Assuming the form of Kapila, he constantly upholds the earth; by the fire of his wrath, Sagara’s sons will be burned. The ancient division of the earth will be revealed, and the destruction of Sagara’s sons, foreseen by those of far vision.” Hearing Brahma’s words, the thirty-three best of the gods rejoiced and returned to their realms. Meanwhile, a tremendous sound arose from Sagara’s sons as they split the earth, a noise like thunder. Having broken through the whole earth and circled it, all the Sagaras together spoke to their father: “We have traversed the whole earth, and all the powerful beings—gods, demons, rākṣasas, piśācas, serpents, and nāgas—have been slain.” Thus unfolds the tale, as told in the sacred Rāmāyaṇa, of Sagara’s sons and the sacrificial horse, echoing through the ages.