After a thousand ages have elapsed, they’re born all over again. 56 All the companies of gods are born again, my boy, but the thirty-three gods‡ are born because they want to be. They’re all said to come into and out of being, your supreme majesty. 57 Just as the sun rises and sets in this world, descendant of Kuru, so the classes of gods spring up in age after age.
58 Bhārata, we’ve heard that Diti had two sons by Kashyapa: Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyāksha. And there was a daughter, Simhikā, who became Viprachitti’s wife.
59 Hiranyakashipu had four sons, who were famously strong: Anuhrāda and Hrāda, and the mighty Prahrāda, 60 and the fourth was Samhrāda. Then Hrāda’s son was Hrada, and Āyus was Hrada’s son, and so were Shiva and Kāla—Death. And Virochana was the son of Prahrāda, and Bali was the son of Virochana, 61 and Bali had a hundred sons, your majesty. The eldest of them was Bāna, and there were Dhritarāshtra, and Sūrya the sun, and Chandramas the moon, and Indratāpana the Tormentor of Indra, 62 and Kumbhanābha Bucket-Navel, and Gardabhāksha Donkey-Eyes, and Kukshi. Those are the first few, and the eldest of them, the mighty Bāna, was Shiva Pashupati’s favourite. 63 In a former age, Bāna had won the favour of Umā’s masterful husband, and the wish he asked for was: Can I have a pleasure-garden near yours?*
64 Hiranyāksha had five sons, who were cunning and extremely powerful: Jharjhara and Shakuni, and Bhūtasantāpana the Tormentor of Beings, and bold Mahānābha, and also Kālanābha.
65 Daksha’s daughter Danu had a hundred sons. They were violently enterprising, self-disciplined, and daring. Listen for the main ones: 66 Dvimūrdhan Two-Heads, and Shakuni, and splendid Shankushiras, and Ayomukha and Shambara, Kapila and Vāmana, 67 Marīchi and Maghavat, Ilā and Gargashiras, Vikshobhana and Ketu, Ketuvīrya and Shatahrada, 68 Indrajit and Sarvajit; and also Vajranābha, and Ekachakra with his great arms, and Tāraka with his great strength, 69 and Vaishvānara and Puloman, Vidrāvana and Mahāshiras Big-Head, Svarbhānu and Vrishaparvan, and Viprachitti the bold. 70 All these sons of Danu were begotten by Kashyapa. They’re the mighty Dānavas, and Viprachitti is their leader.
71 Prabhā was Svarbhānu’s daughter, Shachī was Puloman’s daughter, Sharmishthā was Vrishaparvan’s daughter, and Upadānavī had a horse’s head.
72 Pulomā and Kālakā were the two daughters of Vaishvānara. They were virtuous and had many children—they were married to Marīchi’s son Kashyapa. 73 From those two daughters Marīchi’s son, who was possessed of great austerity, had sixty thousand sons, the truest of the Dānavas. 74 Those sons of Pulomā and Kālakā, the Paulomas and the Kālakeyas, were powerful Dānavas. Because of a favour granted by Brahmā the Grandfather, they lived in a golden fortress and the gods couldn’t kill them. Arjuna the ambidextrous archer killed them.*
75 Apart from them, there were other ruthless and potent Dānavas born from Simhikā—the sons of Viprachitti. 76 Born from the union of a Daitya and a Dānava, they were powerful, their deeds were hostile, and there were thirteen of them, called the Simhikeyas: 77 Vyanga and Shalya, and Bala and Mahābala, both of them mighty, and Vātāpi and Namuchi, Ilvala and Khasrima, 78 Ājjika and Naraka, and also Kālanābha, Saramāna, and bold Sharakalpa. 79 These were really the best of the Dānavas, and they swelled Danu’s lineage. They had sons and grandsons by the hundreds and thousands.
80 The Nivātakavachas, who furthered themselves by means of very severe austerities, were born in the family of Samhrāda Daitya.
81 Six highly virtuous daughters of Tāmrā are mentioned: Kākī, Shyenī, and Bhāsī; Sugrīvī, Shuchi, and Gridhrikā. 82 Kākī Ulūkī produced birds such as owls, Shyenī produced hawks, Bhāsī vultures, Gridhrikā greedy raptors, 83 and Shuchi the different kinds of water birds. And as for Sugrīvī, scorcher of your foes, she produced horses, camels, and donkeys. That’s Tāmrā’s lineage enumerated.
84 Vinatā had two sons, Aruna and Garuda. Garuda the eagle was supreme among those who fly, and ruthless in his deeds.
85 From Surasā came a thousand serpents whose strength knew no bounds—ones with several heads, my boy, huge ones that fly through the sky. 86 Another thousand snakes were born as sons of Kadrū, powerful ones with multiple heads, whose strength knew no bounds. But those ones were subjugated by Garuda the eagle. 87 Principal among them are always Shesha, Vāsuki, and Takshaka, Airāvata and Mahāpadma, the pair Kambala and Ashvatara, 88 Ailāpatra and Shankha, Karkotaka and Dhananjaya, Mahānīla and Mahākarna, Dhritarāshtra and Balāhaka, 89 Kuhara and Pushpadamshtra, Durmukha Nasty-Face and Sumukha Nice-Face, Shankha and Shankhapāla, Kapila and Vāmana, 90 Nahusha and Shankharoman, and Mani. And that’s just the start. Note also the Krodhavasha—Controlled by Anger—group:† everyone in it has fangs.
91 The population of the supporting earth is remembered in terms of those born on land, those born with wings, and those born in water. And Surabhi gave birth to the cows, didn’t she, so she’s the cow queen. 92 Irā produced the trees, climbers, creepers, and all the species of grass, Khasā produced the dark-elves and monsters, Muni produced the celestial nymphs, 93 and Arishtā produced the noble light-elves, whose strength knows no bounds.
The descendants of Kashyapa have now been listed, mobile and immobile. 94 And they had sons and grandsons by the hundreds and thousands. This is handed down as the creation in the era of Manu Svārochisha, my boy. 95 But it’s said that here in the era of Manu Vaivasvata, the creatures were produced while Brahmā himself was making offerings at a great rite hosted by Varuna.
96 On that occasion long ago, the Grandfather produced seven brahmin seers all by himself. They were born from his mind, as his sons. 97 Then, Bhārata, during the war of the gods and the Dānavas, after her sons had been destroyed, Diti won Kashyapa’s favour. 98 Kashyapa was thoroughly gratified by her, and in a gracious mood he granted her a wish. For her wish she chose 99 a son of boundless vigour, fit for the task of killing Indra. And the great ascetic granted her the wish she asked for. 100 Unflustered, the son of Marīchi granted the wish and told her:
Your son will be Indra’s killer, if he’s in the womb for a hundred years. 101 If you maintain purity, firm in your resolve and totally devoted to it, and if you carry him to term, then you’ll have such a son.
102 The queen gave her great ascetic husband her agreement, your majesty, and then the virtuous woman conceived the embryo. 103–04 By winning favours from the highest echelons of inexhaustibly potent gods, Kashyapa had prepared fearsome semen that the immortals would never kill. And after he’d deposited the embryo inside Diti as promised, he set off back for the hills, ready for a vow of austerity.
105 Indra the untoppled, the Punisher of Pāka, was desperate to get his hands on what was inside her. And in her hundredth year minus one, he saw his opportunity: 106 Diti went to bed without cleaning her feet, and went to sleep. He entered her belly and, with his thunderbolt in his hand, he cleaved the foetus into seven pieces. 107 As it was being broken up by the thunderbolt, the foetus howled out, and Shakra told it again and again: Don’t howl (mā rud).
108 When the embryo was in seven pieces, Indra the bane of his foes was still furious, and using that same thunderbolt he split each piece into seven. The pieces became the gods called the Maruts, bull of the Bhāratas, 109 the fifty-minus-one gods who assist the god with the thunderbolt in his hand. They were called the Maruts because that’s exactly what Maghavat said.
110 So that’s how Hari supplied the patriarchs for class after class of flourishing creatures, Janamejaya. And he supplied kingdoms one after another, but Prithu’s was the first, Bhārata. 111 Hari Krishna is the cosmic person, the hero, the conqueror, the patriarch, manifest as the rain and the sun. This whole world is his.
112 This chapter is called the Creation of Beings, bull of the Bhāratas. A person who knows it in its entirety isn’t at risk of being reborn in this world—so how could they be at risk in the other world?
4. The Installation of the Sovereigns
1 Vaishampāyana said:
After installin
g Prithu Vainya as the emperor, the Grandfather went on to distribute a series of sovereignties. 2 He installed Soma as king of brahmins, plants, planets and constellations, sacrifice, and asceticism. 3 He installed Varuna as king of the waters, Lord Kubera Vaishravana as king of kings, Vishnu as king of the Ādityas, bright Fire as king of the Vasus, 4 Daksha as king of the patriarchs, Vāsava as king of the Maruts, and Prahrāda, whose strength knows no bounds, as king of the Daityas and Dānavas. 5 He installed Yama Vaivasvata as king of the ancestors, and also king of dark-elves, monsters, and terrestrial kings. 6 He installed trident-wielding Shiva Girīsha as king of all sprites and fiends, the Himālaya as king of the mountains, and the ocean as king of the rivers. 7 The master made Chitraratha king of light-elves, Vāsuki king of snakes, and Takshaka king of serpents. 8 Then he appointed Airāvata king of elephants, Uchaihshravas king of horses, Garuda king of birds, 9 the tiger king of wild beasts, and the bull king of the cows, and he installed the fig-tree as king of trees.
10 In this way, the Grandfather distributed a series of sovereignties. Then, Bhārata, he established the guardians of the quarters. 11 He installed King Sudhanvan, the son of patriarch Vairāja, as quarter-guardian in the eastern quarter. 12 He installed a king called Shankhapada, the eminent son of patriarch Kardama, in the south. 13 He then installed the eminent King Ketumat, a lofty son of Rajas, in the western quarter, 14 and he installed King Durdharsha, the golden-haired son of patriarch Parjanya, in the northern quarter. 15 Even today this whole earth, with her seven continents and her towns, is properly protected by those four in accordance with his instructions. 16 And at a rājasūya rite those four ruling kings installed Prithu for dominion over other kings, using the ordinance found in the Veda.
17 Then, when Chākshusha’s boundlessly brilliant era as a Manu was over, the Grandfather appointed Manu Vaivasvata to sovereignty over the earth. 18 If you’d like to hear the detailed account of Manu Vaivasvata, I’ll narrate it as a favour for you, supreme and impeccable king. For Vaivasvata is the main authority set out in the old lore.
19 Janamejaya said:
Tell of Prithu’s birth in detail, Vaishampāyana, and tell how the jewel-bearing earth was milked by that great man, 20 and how she was milked by the ancestors, gods, seers, Daityas, snakes, dark-elves, and trees. 21 And tell of their different buckets, Vaishampāyana, and of their calves and their different milks—all of them, in order. 22 And sir, tell the reason why the great seers once drilled Vena’s hand in anger.
23 Vaishampāyana said:
Janamejaya, I’m at your service. Listen, and I’ll narrate the origin of Prithu Vainya for you, with care and concentration. 24 But I wouldn’t relate it for anyone who was tarnished, narrowminded, undeserving of instruction, undisciplined, ungrateful, or unwholesome, your majesty. 25 Hear the mystery declared by the seers, your majesty, as it truly is—equivalent to the Veda, and conducive to heaven, fame, long life, and wealth. 26 This is the Birth of Prithu Vainya, and if a person always recites it after paying homage to the brahmins, then they don’t regret anything they have or haven’t done.
5. The Birth of Prithu
1 Vaishampāyana said:
Once there was a guardian of propriety, a patriarch by the name of Anga—a master to match Atri, born in Atri’s lineage.*2 His son was Vena, but Vena wasn’t too proper. Indeed, that patriarch was born from Sunīthā, the daughter of Death. 3 Because of the detrimental effect of his maternal grandfather, Vena, the son of Death’s daughter, abandoned his proper duties and behaved however he pleased towards people. 4 He set up bad laws. Transgressing against virtue and Veda, that king delighted in vice.
5 Under that patriarch, the subjects stopped studying the Veda and making the call of vashat, and so although the gods still took their places at rituals, they couldn’t drink the soma that was offered.†6 When his ruin was at hand, the patriarch issued a cruel decree outlawing offerings and oblations, 7 descendant of Kuru. He said: I’m the subject of worship, the object of worship, and the act of worship. Worship must be directed to me. Offerings must be made to me.
8 He’d overstepped the mark by demanding something he wasn’t entitled to, and so, led by Marīchi, all the great seers told him: 9 We’re going to begin preparatory ritual observances lasting a great number of years. Don’t act improperly, Vena. These aren’t the customs that the virtuous respect. 10 For it was in their place of residence that you were born as the patriarch. There’s no doubt about that. You made an agreement—you said you’d protect your subjects . . .
11 While all the great seers were still speaking, Vena, the idiot, burst out laughing and said this worthless piece to them:
12 Who else creates the customs? Who do I have to listen to? You fools just don’t understand me. I’m special. 13 If I want to, I can burn the earth, then flood her with water. I can withstand heaven and earth. There’s no point in discussing it.
14 When King Vena couldn’t be brought to heel because of his arrogance and conceit, the great seers lost their temper. 15 Roused to anger, those great men grabbed him, and as the mighty king struggled, they drilled his left thigh. 16 Then, as the king’s thigh was drilled, a man was produced. He was an oversized dwarf, black all over. 17 He was afraid, Janamejaya, and he stood up with his palms together in respect. Atri took one look at the worried fellow and said: Get down (nishīda).
18 He went on to establish the lineage of the forest hunters (nishādas), great orator. He also produced the fisherfolk, who originated from Vena’s sins. 19 Note that the other people who live in the Vindhya mountains and have a taste for wickedness—the noisy Tumburas—are Vena’s sins too, my boy.
20 As if they were using a fire-drill, the noble great seers then went on to drill Vena’s right hand. 21 Prithu arose from that hand like a flame, blazing with his own beauty like a fire burning for all to see. 22 For the purpose of protection he held a fabulous bow with a loud twang, named Ājagava, as well as celestial arrows and shining armour. 23 And as soon as he was born the creatures were delighted and came rushing towards him from all sides, your majesty.
Vena went off to the third heaven. 24 Because of the son (putra) who’d been produced—a great and good son, descendant of Kuru—he was saved (trā) from the hell called Put,* tiger among men.
25 The oceans and rivers gave Prithu all manner of jewels, as well as the waters for his consecration. They all paid their respects to him, without exception. 26 The revered Grandfather, the gods and Āngirasas, and all beings stationary and mobile 27 then assembled and installed Vena’s son as the ruler of the people, the majestic protector of his subjects, with broad sovereignty over the kings.
28 The brilliant and glorious King Prithu Vainya was installed as emperor in the proper manner, by people familiar with the protocols. 29 The citizens had been averse to his father, but they were devoted to him, and it’s because of their affection (ranj) for him that the title of king (rāja) was instituted. 30 When he approached, the waters solidified the ocean for him, the mountains gave him passage, and no one laid a finger upon his standard. 31 The earth bore fruit without being ploughed—food came just by thinking about it. Cows yielded whatever was desired, and every tree-hollow had honey in it.
32 During that same period, at a splendid ritual hosted by the Grandfather, the quick-witted storyteller was born on the day of the soma-pressing, at the place where the soma was pressed. 33 And at the same great ritual the canny praise-singer was born too. The great seers called them forth together, so that they might praise Prithu. 34 All the seers told them: Praise this king. That’s a suitable duty for you two, and the king’s a suitable recipient.
35 Then the storyteller and praise-singer said to all the seers: By doing our specific duties, we’ll entertain gods and seers. 36 But brahmins, we’re not actually familiar with any achievement, characteristic, or reported glory of this splendid king which we might use to compose his eulogy with.
37 The seers instructed them: Praise him with deeds of the future.
So they d
id, and in due course the mighty Prithu accomplished those very deeds. 38 And in the three worlds ever since then, Janamejaya, when it comes to eulogies, the words of benediction are spoken by storytellers, praise-singers, and bards.
39 When the pair finished their eulogy King Prithu was overjoyed, and he gave the marshlands to the storyteller, and Magadha to the praise-singer (māgadha). 40 When the great seers witnessed that, they were overjoyed in turn, and they told the subjects that the king would provide livelihoods for them. 41 Prompted by the words of the great seers, your majesty, the subjects then hastened to Vainya, asking him to provide them with a livelihood. 42 And when his subjects mobbed him, the mighty man took up his bow and arrows, and in his desire for his subjects’ welfare, he harassed the earth.
43 Trembling in fear of Vainya, the broad earth turned into a cow and ran away. As she was running away, Prithu took his bow and ran after her. 44 In fear of Vainya she ran to the heavens, Brahmā’s heaven and so on . . . but she found the son of Vena in front of her every time, holding his bow 45 and his sharpened and flaming arrows, blazing with energy as brightly as ever, a great master of tricks, unconquerable even by the immortals. 46 Failing to find shelter, she—she who is always to be revered by the three worlds—folded her palms together in respect and reported to that same Vainya. 47 She said to him:
Don’t you know it’s wrong to kill a woman? And how would you support your subjects without me, your majesty? 48 The people depend on me, your majesty. I support the whole world. Be aware, your majesty, that it’s because of me that your subjects don’t perish. 49 If you want to do what’s best for your subjects, you really shouldn’t kill me, your majesty.
Listen to my advice. 50 If any enterprise, once begun, comes to fruition, it’s because of strategy. So find a strategy you can use to preserve your subjects, your majesty. 51 If you kill me, you’ll not be able to nourish your subjects, your majesty.
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