As the sage Viśvāmitra prepared for his journey, he turned to Rāma and said warmly, “You too, O tiger among men, shall accompany us. There, you are worthy to behold a wondrous and precious bow. This bow, O best of men, was once bestowed in a great assembly by the gods themselves. It is immeasurably powerful and awe-inspiring, shining with supreme brilliance at the sacrifice. Neither gods, nor gandharvas, nor asuras, nor rākṣasas, nor any human has ever been able to string it. Even mighty princes, eager to test their strength, have all failed to string this bow. “This mighty bow, O descendant of Kakutstha, belongs to the great-souled king of Mithilā. There, you shall see both the bow and the most wondrous sacrifice. The king of Mithilā, ever praised by the gods, once requested this supreme bow as the fruit of his sacrifice. Now, O tiger among men, this sacred bow is kept in the king’s palace, honored with fragrant scents and the incense of aguru wood.” Having thus spoken, the great sage readied himself for departure, accompanied by the assembly of seers and Rāma, after bidding farewell to the forest dwellers. He addressed them, “Farewell to you all. Accomplished in my purpose, I now go from Siddhāśrama to the northern bank of the Jāhnavī, to the rocky heights of the Himālayas.” With these words, the illustrious Kauśika, rich in austerity, set out toward the north. As Viśvāmitra departed, a great host of followers—devotees of the Vedas—accompanied him for a distance as long as a hundred carts. Even the deer and birds of Siddhāśrama followed the great-souled sage out of affection. Eventually, as the sun began to set, the assembly of seers and the birds turned back after traveling a long distance. When night fell, they bathed and performed the sacred fire offerings. Then, led by Viśvāmitra, those of immeasurable energy sat down to rest. Rāma, together with his brother Lakṣmaṇa, honored the sages and sat before the wise Viśvāmitra. Filled with curiosity, Rāma, radiant and mighty, politely questioned the sage: “Revered one, what is this land, adorned with flourishing forests? I wish to hear about it—please tell me truly.” Thus addressed, the virtuous sage Viśvāmitra, amidst the assembly of seers, began to narrate the history of that land: “There was once a great ascetic named Kuśa, born from Brahma himself, steadfast in his vows, a knower of righteousness, and honored by the virtuous. This 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—each radiant, energetic, and intent on upholding the duties of the warrior class. “Kuśa addressed his righteous and truthful sons, saying, ‘My sons, govern well; by upholding righteousness, you will obtain great merit.’ Hearing their father’s words, these four noble princes each established their own cities. Kuśāmba, of great splendor, founded the city of Kauśāmbī; Kuśanābha, righteous in soul, established Mahodaya; Asūrtarajas founded Dharmāraṇya; and Vasu, the wise ruler, established the excellent city of Girivraja. “O Rāma, this land here belongs to Vasu, the great soul, and these five excellent mountains shine all around us. The delightful river Sumāgadhī, famed among the Māgadhas, flows here, gracing the midst of these five chief mountains like a garland. This, O Rāma, 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 the celestial nymph Ghṛtācī, O descendant of Raghu. Adorned with youth and beauty, splendidly decorated, these maidens entered the garden grounds like a hundred rivers in the rainy season. Singing, dancing, and playing instruments, adorned with fine ornaments, they experienced supreme delight. Beautiful in every limb and unmatched in form on earth, they moved through the gardens like stars among clouds. “Seeing these maidens, endowed with every virtue, beauty, and youth, the wind-god, lord of all beings, was captivated and spoke to them: ‘I desire you all; you shall become my wives. Abandon your human state, and you will attain long life. Youth is fleeting among humans, but you shall have unfading youth and become immortal.’ “Hearing the words of the wind-god, whose actions are effortless, the hundred maidens laughed and replied, ‘O best of the gods, you move within all beings; all are aware of your power. Why, then, do you disregard us? We are the daughters of Kuśanābha, O divine one. We practice austerity to protect ourselves from being removed from our proper place. Let not such a time come, O misguided one, when you would dishonor our truthful father. We ourselves, following our own duty, seek a husband through him. For our father is our lord and our highest deity; whoever our father gives us to, he shall be our husband.’ “Thus, O Rāma, did the daughters of Kuśanābha uphold their virtue and devotion to righteousness.