Honored among his ministers and attendants, King Viśvāmitra, overflowing with joy, addressed the revered sage Vasiṣṭha. “O Brāhmaṇa,” he said, “you have shown me the highest hospitality. Listen, O master of eloquence, as I speak. Grant me Śabalā, your spotted cow, in exchange for a hundred thousand cows. She is a jewel among cattle, and kings, as you know, are collectors of such treasures. Therefore, O twice-born, give me Śabalā by right.” Vasiṣṭha, the foremost among sages, responded with calm righteousness. “O King Viśvāmitra, I will not give up Śabalā for a hundred thousand cows, nor for hundreds of millions. Nor will I part with her for heaps of silver. I am not fit to give her away, O subduer of foes. Śabalā has always been mine, as steadfastly as the fame of a virtuous man. Through her, I obtain offerings for gods and ancestors, and my very livelihood. The sacred fire-ritual, offerings, oblations, the utterance of svāhā and vaṣaṭ, and various branches of knowledge—all these depend on her. She is my everything, my source of satisfaction and truth. For many reasons, O king, I cannot give you Śabalā.” Viśvāmitra, undeterred, spoke again with heightened eagerness and intensity. “I will give you elephants adorned with golden chains and goads, their necks encircled with collars of gold. Fourteen thousand such golden elephants, and chariots made of gold, drawn by four white horses. Eight hundred horses, adorned with tinkling bells, born of noble lineage and great strength, and a thousand and ten more, all for you, O steadfast one. I will give you a crore of cows, of various colors and ages; let the spotted one be given to me. As many jewels or as much gold as you desire, O best of twice-born, I will give you all that; let the spotted one be given to me.” Yet, Vasiṣṭha, wise and venerable, replied firmly, “I will not give you the spotted one under any circumstance, O king. This alone is my treasure, this alone is my wealth; this alone is my everything, this alone is my very life. The new and full moon sacrifices, and all the rites duly performed—these alone are mine, O king, as are the various other rituals. All my rites depend upon her, O king, there is no doubt. Why speak at length? I will not give up the wish-fulfilling cow.” Now, as the story continues, when Vasiṣṭha refused to part with Kāmadhenu, Viśvāmitra, unable to accept defeat, began to drag away the spotted cow. Distressed and weeping, Śabalā pondered in sorrow, “Abandoned by the supremely noble Vasiṣṭha, why am I, so miserable, being led away by the king’s men, filled with great grief? What wrong have I done to that great-souled sage, that he, seeing me innocent and devoted, abandons me, though he is righteous?” With these thoughts and sighs, she swiftly shook off the king’s men by the hundreds and rushed with the speed of the wind to the feet of the great sage. Standing before Vasiṣṭha, weeping and crying out, her voice resounding like thunderclouds, she spoke: “O venerable one, son of Brahmā, why have you abandoned me, that the king’s soldiers are taking me away from your presence?” Vasiṣṭha gently replied, as to a grieving sister, “I do not abandon you, Śabalā, nor have you done me any wrong. But this mighty king is taking you from me by force. My strength is not equal to the king’s, especially today; he is powerful, a Kshatriya, and lord of the earth. His army, crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots, bristling with banners, makes him even stronger.” Śabalā, skilled in speech, humbly replied, “They do not say that the strength of a Kshatriya is greater. O Brahman, the divine power of Brahmanic strength surpasses that of Kshatriyas. Your strength is immeasurable; Viśvāmitra, though of great might, is not stronger than you—your energy is unassailable. Command me, O great-splendored one, endowed with Brahmanic power; I shall destroy the pride, strength, and effort of that wicked one.” Thus addressed, Vasiṣṭha said, “Release your power, destroyer of enemy forces.” Hearing his words, Surabhi, the wish-fulfilling cow, bellowed and produced hundreds of Pahlavas. These Pahlavas destroyed all of Viśvāmitra’s army before his eyes. Viśvāmitra, enraged and his eyes blazing with fury, retaliated, destroying the Pahlavas with his weapons, both great and small.