The World Conquest of Lavana and Ankusha

Delighted by the princes, King Vajrajangha resolves to marry Lavana to Shashichula, his daughter by Queen Lakshmi, together with thirty-two other princesses, and to marry Ankusha at the same time to Kanakamala, daughter of King Prithu of Prithvipura and Queen Amritavati, whom he loves like his own daughter. He sends a clever envoy to Prithu.

Prithu honours the envoy until he mentions the marriage, then flares up: a groom is judged by nine qualities, lineage, character, wealth, beauty, equality, strength, age, country and learning, and lineage comes first; how can he give his daughter to boys whose family nobody knows? He spares the envoy only because a messenger merely repeats what he is told. Vajrajangha marches out, asks once more through elders and, refused again, begins laying waste Prithu's land, capturing its guardian King Vyaghraratha, while Prithu summons his ally, the lord of Podanapura.

When Vajrajangha calls his own sons with their army, the twins learn of the quarrel over Ankusha's bride and insist on going, though Vajrajangha's sons and the whole court try to stop them. Sita, fearful, tells them they are boys meant for eating and play, but they answer that a coward is useless however grown, that the earth belongs to warriors, and that a tiny spark burns a whole forest. With tears of pride and sorrow she sees that they are true warriors; they bathe, eat, put on armour, bow to the Siddhas and to their mother and ride out amid good omens.

In five days they reach Vajrajangha, and Prithu advances with brothers, friends, sons and kings of Anga, Vanga, Magadha and other lands. The twins plunge into the enemy host like lightning, so fast that only the falling warriors are seen, and in the blink of an eye Prithu's army flees like elephants and deer before a lion. As Prithu too turns to run, they call out: are you not ashamed to flee from boys whose lineage is unknown? Stand, and we will tell you our lineage with our arrows.

Prithu turns back, joins his hands and praises them: the lineage of heroes is known by their deeds, not by words, and their valour proves they are born of the noblest royal line; he calls them his lords and begs forgiveness. At his humility their anger melts, for the great are won by a bow, as a flood spares the bending reed but uproots the proud tree. Prithu takes them to his city and gives Kanakamala to Madanankusha in a splendid wedding.

After one night the brothers set out to conquer the world: Suhma, Magadha, Anga and Vanga, then with the king of Podanapura to Lokaksha, where they subdue the proud King Kuberakanta as Garuda subdues a serpent; then Lampaka and its mighty King Karna, and Vijayasthala, whose hundred brothers yield at the mere sight of them. Crossing the Ganga to the north of Kailasa, they receive tribute from many kings, cross the Sindhu and bow the kings along the Lavana ocean.

They bring under their sway the lands of Bhiru, Yavana, Kashmira, Hidimba, Barbara, Kusinara, Suryaraka, Khasha, Vindhya, Mekhala, Shurasena, Bahlika, Uluka, Koshala, Gandhara, Sauvira, Kalinga and many more, lands of many tongues, dress and riches; some kings bow of their own accord, some are defeated and some flee. Returning with thousands of kings and their tribute, they approach Pundarikapura, where Sita, watching from the seventh storey, asks what dust is rising and is told her sons are coming home victorious.

The city is decorated as Ayodhya was for Rama and Lakshmana's return, with auspicious jars at the gates. Dust-covered from the march, the twins bow with joined hands to their mother, who holds them to her heart and lays her hand on their heads, lost in an ocean of joy. They go on governing alongside their uncle Vajrajangha, and the chapter says that whoever reads or hears it gains great merit and the good fortune of such mighty, obedient children.