Anshuman

Sagara, tormented by the loss of his sixty thousand sons and the stalled sacrifice, commands his grandson Anshuman to retrieve the horse from hell. Anshuman descends through the torn earth, finds the sage Kapila and the horse, and bows before the ancient rishi — asking not just for the horse, but for water to purify his dead fathers.

Narada brings Sagara the news that his sixty thousand sons have been burned to ashes by Kapila's energy. Sagara steadies himself, recalling the words of Sthanu, and summons his grandson Anshuman — but before telling him about the dead, he reveals something else: he had already banished Anshuman's father, his own son Asamanja, for the welfare of the citizens. Yudhishthira asks why, and Lomasha recounts how Asamanja used to seize the infants of the city and throw them into the river.

After completing the sacrifice, Sagara is honored by the gods and hands the kingdom to his grandson Anshuman before departing to heaven. Anshuman rules well, then passes the throne to his son Dilipa — who, grieving for his dead ancestors, tries desperately to bring down the Ganga but fails, and eventually hands the burden to his son Bhagiratha before retiring to the forest.