O Rāma, listen now to the wondrous tale of Sagara’s sons and their search for the lost sacrificial horse. As the sixty thousand sons of Sagara delved deep into the earth, they came upon a mighty sight at the junction of the quarters: a colossal elephant, the guardian of that direction. Whenever this great elephant, weary from his burden, shook his massive head to rest, the earth itself would tremble. Honoring the grandeur of this guardian, the sons of Sagara respectfully circled him and pressed onward, breaking through the boundaries of the earth into the netherworld. Their journey carried them next to the eastern quarter, and then to the southern, where again they encountered an enormous elephant. This was Mahāpadma, a being of immense soul, vast as a mountain, bearing the weight of the earth upon his head. The sons of Sagara gazed upon him in awe and wonder. Circumambulating this mighty being in reverence, they pressed on, breaking through to the western direction. There, too, in the west, they beheld Saumanasa, another elephant of the quarters, immense as a mountain. They honored him, questioned him, found him unharmed, and then began to dig toward the direction of the moon. Turning north, O scion of Raghu, they saw Bhadra, the snow-white elephant of auspicious form, steadfastly supporting the earth. They greeted Bhadra with respect, circled him, and broke open the surface of the earth once more. Finally, reaching the renowned northeastern direction, the sons of Sagara, driven by anger, dug furiously into the earth. There they beheld a wondrous sight: Kapila, the eternal Vāsudeva, seated in serene majesty. Nearby, the sacrificial horse wandered, and the sons of Sagara, overjoyed at its sight, were filled with incomparable happiness. Yet, seeing Kapila, whom they believed to be the destroyer of their sacrifice, their joy turned to fury. Their eyes blazing with anger, they seized spades, ploughs, trees, and stones, and rushed upon 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, overwhelmed by great wrath, uttered a mighty roar. In that instant, by the immeasurable power of the great-souled Kapila, all sixty thousand sons of Sagara were reduced to ashes. Now, O Rāma, listen to what happened next. When Sagara realized that his sons had been gone for a long time, he called his grandson, who shone with his own radiance. “You are brave, accomplished in knowledge, and equal in brilliance to your ancestors,” he said. “Seek the path your fathers took, by which the horse was led away. Powerful beings dwell within the earth; take your sword and bow for protection. Salute those worthy of respect, but if any cause obstacles, you must overcome them. Return victorious and complete my sacrifice.” Thus instructed by the great Sagara, the radiant prince took up his bow and sword and set out swiftly. He entered the subterranean path excavated by his ancestors, urged on by the king’s command. As he journeyed, he was honored by gods, demons, yakshas, spirits, birds, and serpents alike. Soon he beheld one of the elephants of the directions. He circled it reverently, inquired after its well-being, and asked about his ancestors and the one who had taken the horse. The wise elephant replied, “Āsamañja, your purpose will be fulfilled; you will soon return with the horse.” Encouraged, the prince questioned each of the elephants of the directions in turn. All the guardians honored him and assured him, “You will return with the horse.” Following their guidance, he came to the place where his ancestors, the sons of Sagara, had been reduced to heaps of ashes. Overcome by sorrow, the prince cried out in distress, deeply afflicted by their fate. Not far away, he saw the sacrificial horse wandering, but his heart was heavy with grief. Desiring to perform the water-rite for the departed souls, he searched for water, but found no reservoir. As he cast his gaze around, he saw the king of birds, Suparṇa—Vainateya, the mighty Garuḍa, who was the maternal uncle of his ancestors and swift as the wind. Vainateya spoke to him: “Do not grieve, tiger among men. This death is accepted by the world. These mighty ones were burned by the immeasurable Kapila. You should not offer them ordinary water. Only Gaṅgā, eldest daughter of Himavat, is fit for their water-rite. When the purifier of worlds, Gaṅgā, washes over these ashes, all sixty thousand sons will attain the heavenly realm. Go now, gather the horse, and complete your ancestor’s sacrifice.” Hearing these words, the radiant and powerful prince swiftly took the horse and returned to the consecrated king. There, he recounted all that had happened, including the message spoken by Suparṇa. Thus unfolded the story of Sagara’s sons, their fateful quest, and the promise of Gaṅgā’s purifying grace.