Markandeya said, “O king, after the death of Ikshvaku, a highly virtuous king of the name of Sasada, ascending the throne of Ayodhya ruled this earth.  And from Sasada was descended Kakutstha of great energy.  And Kakutshta had a son of name Anenas.  And Anenas had a son named Prithu and Prithu had a son named Viswagaswa and from Viswagaswa sprang Adri and from Adri sprang Yuvanaswa and from Yuvanaswa sprang Sravastha and it was by this Sravastha that the city called Sravasthi was built and from Sravastha was descended Vrihadaswa and from Vrihadaswa sprang Kuvalaswa and Kuvalaswa had twentyone thousand sons and all these sons were fierce and powerful and skilled in learning.  And Kuvalaswa excelled his father in every quality.  And when the time came, his father Vrihadaswa installed him—­the brave and highly virtuous Kuvalaswa—­on the throne.  And having thus made over the royal dignity to his son, that slayer of foes—­king Vrihadaswa of great intelligence—­retired into the woods for asceticism.”

“Markandeya continued, ’O king, when the royal sage Vrihadaswa was about to retire into the woods, that best of Brahmanas, Utanka heard of it.  And Utanka who was possessed of great energy and immeasurable soul, approached that foremost of all wielders of weapons and best of men.  And approaching him, the Rishis began to persuade him to give up asceticism.  And Utanka said, ’O king, to protect (the people) is thy duty.  It behoveth thee to do that duty of thine.  Let us be free from all anxiety through thy grace.  Possessed as thou art of a great soul, protected by thee, the earth will be freed from all dangers.  Therefore, it behoveth thee, not to retire into the woods.  Great merit attaches to the act of protecting people in this world.  Such merit can never be acquired in the woods.  Let not thy heart, therefore, turn to this course.  The merit, great king, that was acquired in days of old by great royal sages by protecting their subjects was so great that nothing equal to it could be seen.  The king should always protect his subjects.  It behoveth thee, therefore, to protect thy people.  O lord of the earth, I cannot (at present) perform my ascetic devotions peacefully.  Close to my asylum there is a sea of sands known by the name of Ujjalaka.  And it occupies a level country and is without any water.  And it extends many yojanas in length and breadth and in that desert dwells a chief of the Danavas called Dhundhu by name.  And Dhundhu is the son of Madhu and Kaitabha, and is fierce and terrible and possessed of great prowess.  And endued with immeasurable energy, that Danava, O king, dwelleth under the ground, and, O king, it behoveth thee to retire into the woods, having first slain that Asura.  That Asura is now lying still in the observance of an ascetic penance of great austerity and, O king, the object he hath in view is sovereignty over the celestials as also of the three worlds.  And, O king, having, obtained a boon from the Grandsire of