As the sons of King Sagara relentlessly dug into the earth, their quest for the lost sacrificial horse sent tremors through all the worlds. The gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, and Nagas—troubled and fearful—gathered together and approached Brahma, the Grandfather of all beings. With anxious faces, they bowed before the great-souled creator and, deeply disturbed, spoke: “O Lord, the sons of Sagara are tearing up the earth, and many mighty beings who dwell in the waters are being slain. The horse, the very cause of the sacrifice, has been taken away, and all creatures suffer at the hands of Sagara’s sons.” Hearing their plea, Brahma, the revered Grandfather, addressed the anxious assembly of gods, who were bewildered by the shadow of impending doom. He reassured them: “This earth belongs to the wise Vāsudeva, consort of Mādhava, and he alone is her true master. In the form of Kapila, he upholds the earth. By the fire of his wrath, the sons of Sagara will meet their end. The ancient divisions of the earth will be revealed, and the destruction of Sagara’s sons, foreseen by those with far-seeing vision, will come to pass.” Comforted by Brahma’s words, the thirty-three chief gods, filled with relief and joy, returned to their abodes as they had come. Meanwhile, the sons of Sagara pressed on with their furious digging. The earth resounded with a noise like thunder as they split her surface, their determination unyielding. Having tunneled through the entire earth and circled it completely, all the Sagaras returned to their father and reported: “We have traversed the whole earth, and all powerful beings—gods, demons, rākṣasas, piśācas, serpents, and nāgas—have been slain. Yet we have not found your horse, nor the one who took it. What should we do next?” King Sagara, his anger rising, replied, “Dig again, my sons. Break through the earth’s surface once more. When you find the horse-thief, return, your purpose accomplished.” Obeying their father’s command, the sixty thousand sons of Sagara plunged deeper, tunneling toward the netherworld. As they dug, they encountered a colossal elephant, mountain-like and with deformed eyes, who supported the earth itself upon his head. Whenever this mighty elephant, weary from his burden, shook his head to rest at the junction of the quarters, the earth would quake. Honoring this guardian of the quarter, the sons of Sagara circumambulated him and then pressed onward, breaking through to the next region. In the southern direction, they found another great elephant, Mahāpadma, immense and mountain-like, bearing the earth upon his head. Amazed, they circled him as well before moving on. In the west, they encountered Saumanasa, another mighty elephant of the quarters, and after showing him due respect, they continued their search, digging toward the direction of the moon. In the north, they beheld the snow-white Bhadra, auspicious and powerful, carrying the earth. After greeting and circumambulating him, they once again broke open the earth’s surface. At last, in the renowned northeastern direction, driven by anger, they dug deep into the earth. There, the great-souled and impetuous sons of Sagara beheld Kapila, the eternal Vāsudeva himself. Near this divine being, they saw the sacrificial horse wandering freely, and their hearts filled with incomparable joy. But in their triumph, the sons of Sagara believed Kapila to be the destroyer of their sacrifice. With eyes blazing with anger, wielding spades, ploughs, trees, and stones, they charged at him, shouting, “Stop! Stop! You have stolen our sacrificial horse! You are wicked-minded! Know us to be the sons of Sagara who have now arrived!” Hearing their words, Kapila, the immeasurable and great-souled, was overcome by wrath. He uttered a mighty roar, and in an instant, by the fire of his fury, all sixty thousand sons of Sagara were reduced to ashes. Time passed, and Sagara, noticing the long absence of his sons, turned to his grandson, a youth radiant with his own brilliance. “You are brave and wise, equal in splendor to your ancestors,” Sagara said. “Seek the path of your fathers, by which the horse was led away. Within the earth dwell powerful and mighty beings; for your protection, take up your sword and bow. Honor those worthy of respect, and if any stand in your way, overcome them. Return successful, having completed my sacrifice.