Gandharva

Having told the ancient tale of Tapati and Samvarana, the gandharva turns to Arjuna and reveals the direct connection: Arjuna's very name and lineage descend from that solar princess.

After hearing the gandharva speak, Arjuna is filled with joy and curiosity. He asks the celestial being to tell him in detail about the illustrious sage Vashishtha, the priest of his ancestors.

The gandharva describes the sage Vashishtha, who conquered the unconquerable passions and endured the murder of his sons without vengeance. He then turns the tale into direct counsel for Arjuna: a king who wishes to conquer the earth must first appoint a qualified Brahmana as his priest.

Arjuna, listening to the Gandharva's tales, asks a pointed question: how did the famous hostility between the two great sages, Vashishtha and Vishvamitra, begin? The Gandharva agrees to recount the entire ancient story, setting the stage for a tale of power, pride, and transformation.

A celestial gandharva tells Arjuna the story of the sage Vashishtha, driven to despair after losing his sons. The sage tries to drown himself, but the rivers themselves refuse to take his life, washing him ashore or splitting apart to avoid him.

Arjuna, having heard the gandharva's tale, is left with a pointed question. He asks why a cursed king would send his own wife to his preceptor, and why that revered sage would agree to such an arrangement.