Having vanquished all the Rakshasas who threatened the sacred sacrifices, Rama—the delight of the Raghus—was honored by the assembled sages, much as Indra was once honored after his victory. With the completion of the sacrifice, the great sage Vishvamitra, seeing the land cleansed of evil, spoke to Kakutstha, saying, “O mighty-armed one, my purpose is fulfilled; you have accomplished your teacher’s command. O illustrious hero, you have truly sanctified this Siddhashrama.” Praising Rama in this way, Vishvamitra then led the two princes to the evening rites. Now begins the thirty-first sarga in the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, Balakanda. Having fulfilled their purpose, Rama and Lakshmana spent that night at Siddhashrama, joyful and delighted in their hearts. When dawn arrived, after completing their morning rituals, the brothers approached Vishvamitra and the other sages together. Greeting the foremost sage, radiant as fire, they addressed him with gentle and noble words: “O tiger among sages, here we stand as your attendants. Command us, best of sages—what shall we do?” Hearing this, all the great sages, with Vishvamitra at their head, addressed Rama: “O best of men, Janaka, the king of Mithila, will soon perform a most righteous sacrifice. We shall journey there. And you, O tiger among men, shall go with us; there you are worthy to behold the wondrous and precious bow. This bow, immeasurably powerful and terrible, was once bestowed in the assembly by the gods and shines supremely at the sacrifice. Neither gods, nor gandharvas, nor asuras, nor rakshasas, nor any humans whatsoever are able to string it. Mighty princes have tried, desiring to test its strength, but none have succeeded. This bow belongs to the great-souled king of Mithila; there, O descendant of Kakutstha, you will see both the bow and the wondrous sacrifice. The supreme bow was requested as the fruit of the sacrifice by the king of Mithila, who is ever praised by all the gods. O Raghava, that bow is kept in the king’s palace as a sacred object, honored with fragrant incense and aguru wood.” Having spoken thus, the great sage made ready to depart, together with the assembly of seers and Rama, after bidding farewell to the forest dwellers: “Farewell to you all; I shall go, accomplished, from Siddhashrama to the northern bank of the Jahnavi, to the rocky heights of the Himalayas.” So saying, the tiger among sages, Kauśika—rich in austerity—set forth toward the north. As the great sage departed, a host of followers accompanied him—a distance of a hundred carts—these were devoted to the Vedas. Groups of deer and birds, dwellers of Siddhashrama, followed the great-souled, austere Vishvamitra. Then, after traveling a long distance, as the sun was setting, the assembly of seers and the birds turned back. When the sun had set, they bathed and performed fire offerings. Led by Vishvamitra, those of immeasurable energy sat down. Rama and Saumitri, having duly honored the sages, sat before the wise Vishvamitra. Filled with curiosity, Rama, radiant and mighty, questioned the sage: “Revered one, what is this land, adorned with flourishing forests? I wish to hear—may it be well with you—please tell me truly.” Thus addressed by Rama, the virtuous sage, amidst the assembly of seers, began to narrate the story of that land. He told them: “There was a great ascetic named Kusha, born from Brahma, steadfast in his vows, knower of righteousness, and honored by the virtuous. That great soul, endowed with immense strength, begot four worthy sons with a noble and virtuous woman from Vidarbha. Their names were Kuśāmba, Kuśanābha, Asūrtarajas, and Vasu—radiant, energetic, and intent on upholding the duties of the warrior class. Kusha addressed his sons, who were righteous and truthful: ‘My sons, govern well; by upholding righteousness, you will obtain great merit.’ Hearing their father’s words, those four foremost among men, the noble princes, each established their own cities. Kuśāmba, of great splendor, founded the city of Kauśāmbī; Kuśanābha, righteous in soul, established the city of Mahodaya. Asūrtarajas made a city called Dharmāraṇya; and Vasu, the ruler, founded the excellent city of Girivraja. O Rama, this land of Vasu, the great soul, is here; and these five excellent mountains shine all around. The delightful river Sumāgadhī, famed among the Māgadhas, flows here, gracing the midst of these five chief mountains like a garland. This, O Rama, is the Māgadhī river of the great Vasu, long frequented, fertile, and abundant with crops. Kuśanābha, the royal sage, righteous in soul, begot a hundred incomparable daughters with Ghṛtācī, O descendant of Raghu. They, adorned with youth and beauty, splendidly decorated, entered the garden grounds like a hundred rivers in the rainy season.