Vaishampayana said:—The invincible king Richeyu had none to equal him. His wife was Ivalanā, the daughter of Takshaka (1). That saintly queen gave birth to the saintly emperor Matināra. He had three highly pious sons (2). Of them the first was Tangsu, the second Pratiratha and the youngest was Suvāhu. He had another well-known daughter by name Gouri who was the mother of Māndhāta (3). They were all well-read in the Vedas, conversant with the knowledge of Brahman, truthful, well-versed in the use of arms, powerful and skillful in war-fare (4). O king, Pratiratha’s son was Kanwa whose son was Medhātithi. From him the twice-born ones derived the family of Kānyāyana (5). O Janamejaya, he had a daughter by name Ilini. Tangsu, far more powerful than even the Brahmavādins, espoused her (6). His son was the royal saint Surodha, who propagated religion, was Brahmavādhin, powerful and heroic. His wife was Upadānavi (7). She had four warrior sons. They were Dushmanta, Sushvanta, Pravira and Anagha (8). The heroic Bharata was Dushmanta’s son. (In his boyhood) he passed by the name of Sarvadamana, was high-souled and gifted with the strength of ten million elephants (9). Noble Dushmanta begat on Sakuntalā a son by name Bharata who became Lord Paramount. From him you have all derived the name of Bhāratas (10). A voice from heaven spoke to the king Dushmanta. "The mother is only a leathern case. The son belongs to the father. He takes after him by whom he is begotten (11). O Dushmanta, take care of your son and do not disregard Sakuntalā. O king, a son, born of a portion of the father, releases him from the abode of Death (12). Through you she has conceived. Sakuntalā has spoken the truth." As described by me before when the sons of the king Bharata were all destroyed by the anger of their mother, the great ascetic Bharadwaja, the son of Angira’s son Vrihaspati, was chosen as a son of Bharata by Marutas, the presiding deities of Yajnas (13–14). This instance, of the Marutas assigning this duty to the intelligent Bharadwāja on behalf of Bharata, is often cited (15). Bharadwāja honored the Marutas with sacrifices. When the power of procreating sons was withdrawn from Bharata, Bharadwāja begat a son whose name was Vitatha. When his grandson Vitatha was born Bharata repaired to heaven (16-17).