Once upon a time, when the virtuous king Dasaratha, surrounded by his priests and friends, was reflecting about the nuptials of his sons, to that high-souled one engaged in thought in the midst of his counsellors came the mighty ascetic Visvamitra.
अथ राजा दशरथस्तेषां दारक्रियां प्रति॥ चिन्तयामास धर्मात्मा सोपाध्यायः सबान्धवः। तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य मन्त्रिमध्ये महात्मनः॥ अभ्यागच्छन्महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः।