At the palace gates, a staff-bearing attendant approached the king with urgency, his voice reverent. “O lord,” he announced, “a radiant man stands at the entrance—he shines like the young sun, his flaming, reddish matted locks blazing, and his splendor is immense.” The attendant described how this extraordinary guest had transformed the very threshold: the place was now adorned with fans and banners, with noble horses and elephants, men and gleaming weapons, all glowing with a brilliance like gold. With humility, the attendant urged, “Go quickly and inform the king that the sage Viśvāmitra has arrived.” Hearing these words, the noble king immediately rose from his golden seat, joined by his ministers and vassals. Surrounded by a great retinue of kings on foot and praised by his assembled vassals, the king proceeded, accompanied by the revered sages Vasiṣṭha and Vāmadeva, toward the entrance. There, at the threshold, stood the great sage Viśvāmitra—a tiger among sages. His presence was like the sudden descent of the sun to earth, radiant with the spiritual brilliance of a Brahmin and the mighty vigor of a warrior. His broad shoulders were wreathed in matted locks, roughened by intense ascetic practice and streaked by the passage of time, resembling a mountain draped in twilight clouds. Tranquil and handsome, radiant and majestic, his body shone with unimpeded glory. His presence was at once gracious and awe-inspiring, serene yet intense, and a profound, overflowing brilliance seemed to inspire all who saw him. In his hand, he held a smooth lute, his mind ever unfading, and he was accompanied by the one blameless companion—endless duration of life itself. His heart brimmed with compassion; his clear and gentle eyes seemed to sprinkle nectar upon the people by their very gaze. With glances both bright and dark, his shining, elevated brows bestowed both joy and a touch of awe on all who beheld him. As the king approached and saw the sage from afar, he bowed low in homage, his jeweled crown touching the earth in reverence. The sage, too, greeted the lord of the earth with words as sweet and noble as the sun greeting Indra. All the twice-born, led by Vasiṣṭha, joined in honoring Viśvāmitra with due welcome and respect. “O noble one,” they declared, “by your radiant and unhesitating presence, we are blessed, just as lotuses are by the sun. That which is beginningless, undisturbed, and free from decline—that blissful happiness—we have attained today by seeing you, O sage. Surely today we are counted among the foremost of the righteous, for by virtue of righteousness, we have become the focus of your arrival.” Thus, conversing joyfully among themselves, the kings and great sages entered the assembly hall and took their seats. Seeing the sage, radiant and somewhat awe-inspiring, the king, his face beaming with delight, personally offered Viśvāmitra the welcoming water. The sage accepted it, performing the prescribed ritual, and then honored the king by circumambulating him. Having been honored, the sage’s face shone with joy as he inquired after the king’s welfare and security. He met with Vasiṣṭha, the foremost among sages, greeting him with a smile and honoring him appropriately before asking after his well-being. After mutually honoring one another, all gathered for a moment, their hearts joyful, and entered the royal palace together. Once seated upon their respective seats, their collective brilliance shining even more brightly, they respectfully inquired after each other’s welfare. The wise Viśvāmitra, now seated, was offered water for washing his feet, water for welcoming, and cows, again and again, as a sign of honor. Having duly honored the sage, the king, with joined palms and a pure heart, joyfully spoke: “Just as the arrival of nectar, as rain in a drought, or as sight to the blind, so is your coming here. Just as the gain of desired wealth, the birth of a son to the childless, or obtaining in waking what was seen in a dream, so is your arrival. Just as union with what is wished for, the arrival of a beloved one, or the recovery of what was lost, so is your coming here. Just as joy arises from ascending to the sky, or from the return of one thought dead, so, O Brahman, is my welcome to you, great sage, at your arrival. For who would not feel delight at the presence of one dwelling in Brahmaloka? O sage, your arrival is just so; I speak the truth to you. “What is your highest wish, and what shall I do for you? You are worthy of honor to me, O Brahmin, and you have come, supremely righteous. You are to be honored as a royal sage, your subjects illumined by your austerity; having attained the state of a brahmarshi, you are worthy of my reverence, O venerable one. Just as I feel delight from ablution with Ganga water, so too does the sight of you bring joy that cools me within. Free from desire, fear, and anger, detached and free from affliction—O Brahman, it is truly wondrous that you have come to me. “I perceive myself, pure and free from stain, situated in an auspicious field, like the full moon immersed in water, O best of those who know what is to be known. Your arrival, O sage, seems to me as if Brahman itself has appeared directly; I am purified and blessed by your coming. By the merit of your arrival, O noble one, my heart is gladdened; today my birth is fulfilled, and my life is truly well-lived.” With these words, the king expressed the profound joy and honor that filled the palace, as all present basked in the luminous presence of the great sage Viśvāmitra.