The animal to be sacrificed at the sacrificial performance of King Ambarīsa having been stolen away by Indra appearing in disguise, the arch-priest enjoined the king to secure a human beast as a substitute. Wandering in search of such a beast, Ambarīsa saw the sage Rcīka at Bhrgutunga and requested him to hand over his juvenile son in exchange for a hundred thousand cows. On the parents declining to part with their eldest and youngest sons, the middle one, Śunahśepa by name, voluntarily offered himself for being sold and the king returned with him to his capital.

At the instance of Viśwāmitra the sages assembled at his hermitage commence a sacrifice; on the gods failing to appear at the sacrifice to accept the offerings, Viśwāmitra sends Trisańku bodily to heaven by dint of his own spiritual power, but the latter is expelled by Indra, on which Viśwāmitra stops him in the air and proceeds to create a new heaven and desists from his purpose only on the gods granting his desire.

Viśwāmitra assures Trisańku of his help, sends word to a number of sages, inviting them to conduct a sacrifice for Trisańku, and pronounces a curse on those who decline to come.

Having been repulsed by Vasistha’s sons as well, Trisańku gets ready to seek another priest, whereupon he is degraded by the curse of Vasistha’s sons to the position of a Cāndāla and approaches Viśwāmitra with the same request.

Viśwāmitra embarks on a severe course of austerities with a view to attaining Brahmanhood. In the meantime, King Trisańku of Ayodhyā requests Vasistha to conduct for him a sacrifice which may enable him bodily to ascend to heaven and, on Vasistha declining to comply with his request, approaches his sons for the same purpose.

With his Brahmanical staff alone Vasistha renders ineffectual all the mystic missiles discharged by Viśwāmitra, whereupon the latter condemns military strength and makes up his mind to practise austerities with a view to attaining Brahmanhood.

His entire army having been exterminated by the warriors produced by Śabalā and his hundred sons reduced to ashes by the very roar of Vasistha even as they assailed him, Viśwāmitra retires to the Himālayas for austerities and, receiving a number of missiles from Lord Śiva, tries them on the inmates of Vasistha’s hermitage; VVasistha meets him with a mere staff appropriate to a Brāhmana.

On Viśwāmitra attempting to take her away by force, Śabalā seeks to know Vasistha’s mind, and at his instance produces a multitude of warriors that disperse Viśwāmitra’s army.

Heartily entertained alongwith his army by Vasistha with delicious foods and drinks yielded by his cow of plenty, Viśwāmitra asks of him the cow, which Vasistha declines to part with.

Vasistha enjoins his cow of plenty, Śabalā by name, to yield necessary articles for entertaining Viśwāmitra.