This chapter describes the history of Puru and his descendant Dushmanta. The son of Puru was Janamejaya, and his son was Pracinvan. The sons and grandsons in the line of Pracinvan, one after another, were Pravira, Manusyu, Carupada, Sudyu, Bahugava, Samyati, Ahamyati and Raudrasva. Raudrasva had ten sons -- Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthandileyu, Kriteyuka, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu. The son of Riteyu was Rantinava, who had three sons -- Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha. The son of Apratiratha was Kanva, and Kanva's son was Medhatithi. The sons of Medhatithi, headed by Praskanna, were all brahmanas. The son of Rantinava named Sumati had a son named Rebhi, and his son was Dushmanta.

While hunting in the forest, Dushmanta once approached the asrama of Maharishi Kanva, where he saw an extremely beautiful woman and became attracted to her. That woman was the daughter of Visvamitra, and her name was Sakuntala. Her mother was Menaka, who had left her in the forest, where Kanva Muni found her. Kanva Muni brought her to his asrama, where he raised and maintained her. When Sakuntala accepted Maharaja Dushmanta as her husband, he married her according to the gandharva-vidhi. Sakuntala later became pregnant by her husband, who left her in the asrama of Kanva Muni and returned to his kingdom.

In due course of time, Sakuntala gave birth to a Vaishnava son, but Dushmanta, having returned to the capital, forgot what had taken place. Therefore, when Sakuntala approached him with her newly born child, Maharaja Dushmanta refused to accept them as his wife and son. Later, however, after a mysterious omen, the King accepted them. After Maharaja Dushmanta's death, Bharata, the son of Sakuntala, was enthroned. He performed many great sacrifices, in which he gave great riches in charity to the brahmanas. This chapter ends by describing the birth of Bharadvaja and how Maharaja Bharata accepted Bharadvaja as his son.