Recounting his own pedigree, Janaka offers the hand of his two daughters, Sītā and Ūrmilā, to Śrī Rāma and Laksmana, respectively.

Janaka sends for his younger brother, Kuśadhwaja, from Sānkāśyā. Invited by him, Daśaratha meets Janaka at the latterís palace, where at the instance of Daśaratha, Vasistha glorifies the race of Ikswāku.

With a large number of followers, Daśaratha proceeds to Mithilā for the wedding and is received with signal honour by Janaka and his people and comfortably lodged.

Reaching Ayodhyā, the counsellors of Janaka tell Daśaratha how Śrī Rāma broke the bow of Lord Śiva in Janaka’s custody and won the hand of his daughter, and convey to him their masterís invitation for the wedding, on which Daśaratha makes up his mind in consultation with Vasistha to depart for Mithilā at an early date.

Urged by Viśwāmitra, Śrī Rāma bends the bow, sent by Janaka to the sacrificial hall, in order to string it and in the process breaks it, whereupon Janaka with the concurrence of Viśwāmitra sends his counsellors to Ayodhyā to invite Emperor Daśaratha for the wedding.

On Viśwāmitra apprising Janaka of the eagerness of Śrī Rāma and Laksmana to see his famous bow, Janaka reveals to him its glory and tells him how he got it as well as Sītā and also of his pledge to give her in marriage to Śrī Rāma if he would string it.

On Viśwāmitra not ceasing from his austerities even on his being conferred the title of a Brahmarsi by Brahmā, Vasistha, as urged by gods, recognizes it and here ends the narration of Śatānanda. Having worshipped Viśwāmitra, King Janaka then returns to his palace.

Petrifying by means of a curse Rambhā, the celestial nymph sent by Indra to wean him from his austerities, Viśwāmitra resolves upon a further course of austerities.

Brahmā pays a visit to Viśwāmitra at Puskara and rewards him with the status of a Rsi (seer). There he feels enamoured of Menakā, a celestial nymph deputed by Indra, and enjoys life with her for ten years. At last he realizes his folly and retires to the Himålayas, where he renews his austerities and is rewarded with the status of a Maharsi by Brahmā. Still dissatisfied, he prosecutes his austerities with renewed vigour.

On reaching Puskara, while Ambarīsa is taking rest, Śunahśepa approaches Viśwāmitra, who was practising austerities there, and inquires of him a means of escaping death without meeting with the king’s opposition, whereupon Viśwāmitra teaches him a prayer each for propitiating Indra and Lord Visnu, respectively, by reciting which the boy secures release from Ambarīsa’s bondage and the latter gets the reward of the sacrifice without sacrificing him.