After the sage and his wife had spoken their minds regarding which of their sons might be given, Śunaḥśepa himself, the middle son, addressed them, O Rāma. He said, “Father says the eldest cannot be sold, mother says the youngest; I believe the middle one can be sold, prince, so take me.” At the end of these words, the king of mighty arms spoke to the Brahmin, offering crores of gold, along with heaps of jewels and gems in exchange. Delighted, the king accepted Śunaḥśepa in return for a hundred thousand cows, O descendant of Raghu, and departed. The illustrious royal sage Ambarīṣa, famed for his splendor, quickly mounted Śunaḥśepa onto his chariot and set out without delay. Having taken Śunaḥśepa, the illustrious king—best among men—rested at Puṣkara at midday, O descendant of Raghu. As the king rested, Śunaḥśepa, renowned and illustrious, arrived at the sacred Puṣkara and saw Viśvāmitra. Weary, afflicted, and his face downcast from thirst and exhaustion, he beheld his maternal uncle, the sage Viśvāmitra, engaged in austerities among other sages. Overcome with distress, Śunaḥśepa fell into the sage’s lap and cried out, “I have no mother, no father, nor any relatives or kin. O gentle one, foremost of sages, you ought to protect me by righteousness. For you, best of men, are the refuge and creator of all. Let the king accomplish his purpose, let me have long and unending life. Having performed supreme austerity, may I attain the heavenly world. Be my protector, for I am without protector, with a benevolent heart. Like a father to his son, O righteous one, you ought to save me from sin.” Hearing these words, the great ascetic Viśvāmitra comforted Śunaḥśepa in many ways, and then called his own sons to him. He said, “For the sake of whom fathers desire sons, wishing for good and for the benefit of the next world—now is that time come. This boy, son of a sage, seeks refuge with me. My sons, do what is pleasing by giving him your very life. All of you, who have performed virtuous deeds and are devoted to righteousness, become the sacrificial victim for the king and satisfy the fire. Śunaḥśepa will have a protector, the sacrifice will proceed without hindrance, the gods will be gratified, and my word will be fulfilled.” But when they heard their father’s words, his sons, beginning with Madhucchandā, replied tearfully and with pride, “How can you abandon your own sons and save another’s child, O lord? We see this as improper, like eating the flesh of a dog.” Hearing this, Viśvāmitra’s eyes reddened with anger, and he spoke, “This has been spoken without fear, yet it is condemned even by righteousness; having disregarded my words, it is harsh and hair-raising. All of you, like the descendants of Vasiṣṭha, will eat dog meat by birth; for a full thousand years you shall remain on earth.” Having pronounced this curse upon his sons, the great sage then turned to the distressed Śunaḥśepa, assuring him of protection and well-being. He instructed, “Bound with sacred cords, adorned with red garlands and unguents, approach the Viṣṇu-post and, with words, invoke the fire. And, O young sage, you should sing these two divine verses at the sacrifice of Ambarīṣa; then you will attain success.” Śunaḥśepa, having carefully learned the two verses, quickly addressed Ambarīṣa, the lion among kings: “O lion among kings, great in wisdom, let us go quickly; O king of kings, end your vow and proclaim the completion of the rite.” Hearing these words, the king, filled with joy, swiftly went to the sacrificial enclosure, tireless and eager. With the approval of the officiating priests, the king marked Śunaḥśepa with a sacred sign, bound him to the post, and clothed him in red garments. Thus bound, the sage’s son praised Indra and Indra’s younger brother with excellent words, as was proper for the rite. Then Indra, the thousand-eyed, pleased by the secret hymn of praise, granted long life to Śunaḥśepa. The king, best of men, completed the sacrifice and obtained abundant fruits, O Rāma, by the grace of the thousand-eyed one. Viśvāmitra, too, righteous-souled and of great austerity, continued his penance at Puṣkara for another hundred years, O best of men. When those thousand years were complete, all the gods approached the great sage, who had bathed after his vow, wishing to grant him the fruit of his austerity. Brahmā, of immense brilliance, spoke these pleasing words: “You are a sage, blessed one, by your own virtuous deeds.” Having spoken thus, the lord of the gods returned to heaven, and Viśvāmitra, full of energy, undertook even greater austerities. Then, after a long time, Menakā, the foremost of apsarases, began to bathe at Puṣkara, O best of men. The mighty and radiant son of Kuśika, Viśvāmitra, beheld Menakā there, incomparable in beauty, shining like lightning in a cloud.