I’ll become covered in food. Control your rage, glorious king. 52 For females mustn’t be killed, they say, even those born as animals. You shouldn’t stray from the customary practice, your majesty.
53 After listening to this speech with its several aspects, the proud king curbed his rage, and he replied to the jewel-bearing earth in a dutiful frame of mind.
6. The Milking of the Earth
1 Prithu said:
A person who kills many creatures for the sake of just one, be it himself or another, commits a crime here in this world. 2 But a killing is justified if many will thrive happily as a result. There’s no crime in such a killing, my dear. It’s not even a minor offence. 3 My command is for the good of the world, jewel-bearing earth, and if you won’t obey it today, I’ll kill you myself for the sake of my subjects. 4 If you turn your back on my command, I’ll kill you with an arrow today, and then I’ll extend my body sideways and support my subjects myself. 5 You must do as I command, prize pillar of propriety, and nourish all my subjects, for you’re certainly capable of maintaining them. 6 Become my milk-making daughter, and then I’ll lower this vicious-looking arrow that’s poised to kill you.
7 The jewel-bearing earth said:
I’ll arrange it all, hero, no doubt about it. But make a calf for me, so that I can lactate for it as a loving mother. 8 And make me level all over, prize pillar of propriety, so that my flowing milk can provide refreshment everywhere.
9 Vaishampāyana said:
So, using the tip of his bow, Vainya extracted hundreds and thousands of rocks and stacked up the rocky mountains with them. 10 Indeed, during the preceding creation, when the surface of the earth was uneven, there was nothing to separate the towns and villages, 11 and there were no grains, no cowherding, no ploughing, and no trade routes. It’s only since Vainya that all these things developed, supreme king.
12 Then the subjects all happily made their homes wherever the ground was level, impeccable king. 13 The subjects collected fruits and roots, but we’ve heard that that was a very difficult business. 14–15 So majestic Prithu Vainya appointed lord Manu, son of the self-born, as the calf, and he then milked all kinds of grain out from the earth and into his own hand, tiger among men. And the subjects always thrive on that food to this day, my boy.
16 The jewel-bearing earth is said to have been milked again, by the seers. Their calf was Soma, and their milker was Angiras’s son, 17 the brilliant Brihaspati. The Vedic hymns were the bucket, Bhārata, and the milk was beyond compare. It was asceticism, and the eternal sacred word.
18 The broad earth is then said to have been milked again, by the companies of gods led by Indra the smasher of citadels, using a golden bucket. 19 Indra Maghavat was now the calf, and the mighty sun was the milker, and the milk was the invigorating draught on which the gods subsist.
20 The jewel-bearing earth is said to have been milked yet again, by the immeasurably powerful ancestors, using a silver bucket. To them she yielded the ritual offering for the ancestors, which is made with the call of svadhā. 21 Their calf was the majestic Yama Vaivasvata, and their milker was Time, who drives the world onwards and brings it to an end.
22 And she’s said to have been milked by the snakes. They appointed Takshaka as their calf, and they used a bottle-gourd for a bucket. Poison was the milk, best of men. 23 Majestic Dhritarāshtra Airāvata, your majesty, was the milker for the snakes and serpents, best of the Bhāratas. 24 Cruel, huge, and powerful, they thrive because of that poison alone. It’s their livelihood, their tradition, their power, and their recourse.
25 The jewel-bearing earth is said to have been milked yet again, by the demons, using an iron bucket. To them she yielded the magic spells they use to destroy their enemies. 26 Prahrāda’s son Virochana was the Daityas’ calf, and mighty Madhu, who had two heads, was their milker and priest. 27 The demons are all sorcerers to this day. They thrive because of their magic. Their cunning knows no bounds, and their power knows no bounds either.
28 The jewel-bearing earth is said to have been milked again in ancient times, your majesty, by the dark-elves, into an unfired bucket. To them she yielded the power always to remain invisible, your majesty. 29 The dark-elves—and also the ogres—appointed Kubera Vaishravana as their calf. The great seer Vyāsa says that they thrive in this world because of that power.
30 The jewel-bearing earth was milked again, by monsters and fiends, into the skull of a corpse. To them she yielded the right to eat people, bull among men. 31 Their milker, descendant of Kuru, was Rajatanābha. Their calf, descendant of Kuru, was Sumālin, and their milk was blood. 32 The monsters thrive on that milk, as do the fiends and the gangs of sprites—and even the dark-elves, who resemble immortals.
33 Again she was milked, by the light-elves and the companies of celestial nymphs, into a lotus petal. They appointed Chitraratha as their calf, and to them she yielded their lovely smells, best of men. 34 Their milker, best of the Bhāratas, was Suruchi, the mighty great king of the light-elves, who looked like the sun.
35 The jewel-bearing goddess earth is said to have been milked yet again, by the rocky mountains. To them she yielded the herbs with their distinctive forms, as well as various gemstones. 36 Their calf was the Himālaya, their milker was the great Mount Meru, and their bucket was of course made out of stone. And because of that milk, the mountains thrive.
37 The jewel-bearing earth is said to have been milked by trees and plants, using a bucket made of flame-tree wood. To them she yielded the ability to grow shoots even after being burned or cut.
38 This jewel-bearing earth is the arranger and the disposer. She’s the purifier, the foundation and the very source of everything mobile and immobile, the fulfiller of all desires, the milking cow, the propagator of all grains. 39 The ocean-edged earth became known as Medinī, the Fatty Lady, when she was covered all over by the fat of Madhu and Kaitabha.*40 Subsequently, Bhārata, the goddess earth was called Prithvī, the Broad Lady, after becoming, by arrangement, the milk-making daughter of King Prithu Vainya. 41 Once Prithu had cleansed the jewel-bearing earth and divided her up, she flourished, garlanded by towns and cities, paying her tribute in grain.
42 Such was the power of King Vainya. He should be honoured and revered by the multitudes of living beings, best of kings, no doubt about it. 43 Momentous brahmins who’ve mastered the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences should honour that same Prithu as the primordial bestower of their livelihood. 44 Momentous kings, and those who aspire to kingship, should honour majestic Prithu Vainya as the first king. 45 Intrepid warriors who seek victory in battle should honour him as the first king too, for the king is the foremost of warriors. 46 Indeed, a warrior who goes into combat after praising King Prithu is praiseworthy and secure, and survives encounters of the most violent kind. 47 Vaishyas too—the wealthy, who practise the vaishya livelihood—should honour that same Prithu as the famous bestower of their livelihood. 48 And that same Prithu should also be honoured by honest shūdras who serve the other three classes and seek the supreme good.
49 I’ve described these different calves, milkers, types of milk, and buckets. What else shall I describe for you?
7. The Eras of the Fourteen Manus
1 Janamejaya said:
Describe the eras of all the Manus in detail, great ascetic—and their initial offspring, Vaishampāyana. 2 How many Manus are there, and how long exactly are they Manu for? I want to hear an accurate account of the eras of the Manus, brahmin.
3 Vaishampāyana said:
It’s impossible to narrate the eras of the Manus in full detail even in a hundred years, my boy. But even so, listen to my summary, descendant of Kuru.
4 Manu the son of the self-born, my boy, and Manu Svārochisha, and Auttama and Tāmasa, and Raivata and Chākshusha; and Vaivasvata, who’s said to be the current Manu, descendant of Kuru, 5 and Manu Sāvarna, my boy, and Bhautya and Rauchya, and the four Manus known as the Merusāvarnas. 6 I’ve listed the past, present, and also the future Manus, my
boy, as per the sacred text. I’ll now list their seers, their sons, and their companies of gods.
7 Marīchi, Lord Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vasishtha: these are the seven sons of Brahmā.*8 And in the era of Manu the son of the self-born,† your majesty, the seven seers were established in the northern quarter, and the gods were called the Yāmas. 9 Agnīdhra and Agnibāhu; Medhas, Medhātithi, and Vasu; Jyotishmat, Dyutimat, Havya, Savana, and Putra— 10 these were the ten mighty sons of Manu the son of the self-born. So that’s the era of the first Manu related for you, your majesty.
11 Vasishtha’s son Aurva and Kashyapa’s son Stamba; Prāna and Brihaspati; Datta, Atri, and Chyavana. These—as declared by Vāyu the wind god, my boy—were the great seers of great discipline 12 in the era of Manu Svārochisha.‡ And the gods were known by the name of Tushitas. Havirdhra, Sukriti, Jyotis; Āpa, Mūrti, Ayasmaya; 13 Prathita and Nabhasya, and Nabha and Sūrya—these, my boy, were the sons of the great Manu Svārochisha, famed for their great valour and enterprise, your majesty. 14 And that’s the era of the second Manu that I’ve narrated for you.
Hear about the third era, your majesty, which I’ll now describe. 15 Seven sons of the golden embryo were born powerful and brilliant, and were known as the Vāsishthas, the sons of Vasishtha: 16 I mention them as the seers at this time, your majesty. Listen now as I list Manu Auttama’s ten charming sons. 17 Isha, Ūrjas, and Tanūpa; Madhu and Mādhava; Shuchi, Shukra, and Saha; Nabhasya and Nabha. And the gods at that time were the Bhānu gods. That’s that Manu era described.
18 Listen as I tell you about the era of the fourth Manu. At that time, Bhārata, the seven seers were Kāvya, Prithu, and Agni; Jahnu and Dhātri, Kapīvat and Akapīvat, your majesty. 19 Their sons and grandsons are celebrated in the old stories, Bhārata my boy. And the companies of gods in the era of Manu Tāmasa were the Satyas. 20 Dyuti, Tapasya, and Sutapas; Tapomūla and Tapodhana, Taporati and Akalmāsha; Tanvin, Dhanvin, and Parantapa— 21 these were Manu Tāmasa’s ten powerful sons, your majesty, as declared by Vāyu the wind god. And that was the fourth era.
22 The next seven seers were Vedabāhu and Yadudhra, the sage Vedashiras, Hiranyaloman and Parjanya, Ūrdhvabāhu son of Soma, and Satyanetra son of Atri. 23 The gods in the era of this Manu are said to have been the Abhūtarajases and the ones known as the Prakritis, plus Pāriplava and Raibhya. 24 Now listen as I list this Manu’s sons. Dhritimat, Avyaya, and Yukta; Tattvadarshin and Nirutsuka, 25 Aranya and Prakāsha; Nirmoha, Satyavāch, and Kriti—the sons of Manu Raivata. And this was the fifth era.
26 I’ll describe the sixth one for you, so pay attention, your majesty. Bhrigu, Nabha, and Vivasvat; Sudhāman and Virajas, 27 Atināman and Sahishnu—these were the seven great seers in the era of Manu Chākshusha, my boy. Listen for the gods: 28 the Ādyas, Prabhūtas, and Ribhus, the heaven-dwelling Prithukas, and of course the Lekhas, supreme king. Five groups of gods are remembered: 29 the great and mighty sons of the seer Angiras. And Manu Chākshusha had ten famous sons: Nadvalā’s sons, great king, Ūru and the others.* That’s the era of the sixth Manu, your majesty, as it’s handed down.
30 Atri and Lord Vasishtha, the great seer Kashyapa, Gautama and Bharadvāja, and also Vishvāmitra, 31 and as the seventh, Jamadagni, the glorious son of the great Richīka: these are the seers in the sky at the present time. 32 The Sādhyas, Rudras, and Vishvas; the Vasus, Maruts, and Ādityas; and the Ashvins, two gods known as sons of Vivasvat— 33 these live in the present era, that of Manu Vaivasvata. And that great man had ten sons, beginning with Ikshvāku.
34 Bhārata, your majesty. In every direction there are sons and grandsons of these famous and mighty great seers. 35 In every Manu’s era seven groups of seven of them stand by, in the eastern quarter, for the maintenance of propriety and the protection of the world. 36 When the Manu’s era finishes, four of those groups of seven, having done their duty, go to heaven—Brahmā’s salubrious heaven— 37 and others take up austerities and fill the role instead, Bhārata, moving on in the same way when they’re done.
38 The eras I’ve described, descendant of Kuru, are those of the seven past Manus,* Bhārata. Learn from me about all the future ones.
39 The Sāvarnas are Manus, my boy: learn from me about those five. One of them is Vivasvat’s son,† and four are the preeminent patriarch Kashyapa’s sons, who attained the same status (sāvarna) as Meru and thus became the Merusāvarnas, my boy. 40 These are Daksha’s mighty grandsons, sons of his daughter Priyā, your majesty. They’re engaged in prolonged austerities on the summit of Meru. 41 The son of patriarch Ruchi named Rauchya is known as a Manu, and so is the son of Ruchi named Bhautya, who was born from the goddess Bhūti. These seven are known in this world as future Manus.
42 Also known are seven future great seers in the sky, awaiting the era of Manu Sāvarna in this world. Listen for them: 43 Rāma, Vyāsa, and Ātreya, all of them brilliant and learned, and Drona’s glorious son Ashvatthāman Bhāradvāja, 44 and Gotama’s son, namely Sharadvat Gautama, and Gālava Kaushika, and Ruru Kāshyapa. These truest of sages are the great seven of the future. 45 And Manu Sāvarna’s ten future sons, Bhārata, are Varīvat and Avarīvat; Sammata, Dhritimat, and Vasu; Charishnu, Ādhya, and Dhrishnu; Vājin and Sumati.
46 A person who gets up at daybreak to recite the names of these great past and future seers always prospers easily, that’s for sure.
47 For a full thousand ages, my boy, the earth with her oceans and towns has to be protected by these lords of the people, by their descendants, and by the aforementioned austerities. And at the end of that period there’s always a cosmic dissolution. 48 The era of each Manu is said to consist of seventy* of those complete ages that I just mentioned to you—ages that each contain a krita, a tretā, and so on.†
49 The fourteen famous Manus are promoters of fame. All of them are masters of the Vedas and the old stories and masters of the people, your majesty, and praising them brings wealth.
50 At the end of every Manu’s era there’s a destruction, and after every destruction there’s a creation. It’s surely impossible, even in a hundred years, to give a complete account of the eras— 51 or, indeed, of the creations and destructions of creatures, Bhārata. At the end of every Manu’s era there’s said to be a destruction,‡ bull of the Bhāratas, 52 and when that happens the gods and brahmin seers wait there with what remains, maintaining their austerities, their continence, and their knowledge. But when a thousand ages have elapsed, that’s said to be the end of a cosmic cycle, and nothing remains. 53 On those occasions all beings are burned up by the sun’s rays, my lord, and, taking their lead from Brahmā and the companies of Ādityas, 54 at the end of every cosmic cycle they’re absorbed again and again into the supreme god, mighty Hari Nārāyana, the creator of all beings.
The eternal god is unmanifest. This whole world is his.
55 Now, supreme Bhārata, I’ll tell you about the offspring of Vaivasvata the current Manu, glorious king— 56 an old tale that’s being narrated in connection with the Vrishni lineage, where that noble and mighty Hari was born in the Vrishni clan.
The Solar Lineage
8. The Birth of the Gods
1 Vaishampāyana said:
Vivasvat was born to Kashyapa from Daksha’s daughter Aditi, tamer of the foe, and Vivasvat’s wife was Tvashtri’s daughter Sanjnyā, a radiant goddess known in the three worlds as Surenu.*2 As a result of her own self-discipline, that woman named Sanjnyā, the wife of great glorious Mārtanda, was youthful, beautiful, and radiant here in this world. But she became dissatisfied with her husband’s appearance.
3 Because of his innate fiery energy, Mārtanda Āditya’s body had in fact been born with its limbs burned right off, and it really didn’t look too good.†4 Kashyapa, who didn’t know what had happened, said out of affection: This child can’t be dead (mrita) while he’s still in the egg (anda).
That’s why Kashyapa’s son was called Mārtanda Dead-Egg. 5 But Kashyapa’s son Vivasvat always had an extraordinary quantity of
fiery energy, my boy, and he used it to roast the three worlds.
6 That supreme heater, the son of Aditi, had three children from Sanjnyā, descendant of Kuru: a girl, and two patriarchs. 7 Patriarch Manu Vaivasvata, the god of ancestral rites, was first, and Yama and Yamunā were born as twins.
8 So Sanjnyā noticed that Vivasvat’s body was dark in colour, and, being unwilling to put up with it, she created Savarnā the Lookalike, her own shadow. That Sanjnyā was a magician, and her shadow stood up. 9 The shadow put her palms together and bowed, your majesty, and said to Sanjnyā: You with your shining smile and your lovely skin, tell me what I must do. I’m at your command. Instruct me.
10 Sanjnyā said:
I’m leaving, if you please. I’m going to my own house, my father’s house. You must live in this house for me without fear, 11 and look after these two boys and this girl with the slender waist for me, and keep this a secret from his lordship.
12 Savarnā said:
For your sake, goddess, I’ll never reveal your scheme, as long as I’m not grabbed by the hair or cursed. Off you go, goddess, as you please.
13 After appointing Savarnā and obtaining her agreement, clever Sanjnyā came into Tvashtri’s presence, somewhat ashamed. 14 But when the lovely lady had come before her father, her father rebuked her and ordered her again and again to go back to her husband. 15 So the blameless woman hid her own form, became a mare, and headed off. She went to the land of the Northern Kurus* and grazed on grass alone.
16 Then, thinking that she was Sanjnyā, the son of Aditi had, from the second Sanjnyā, a son who was just like himself. 17 His lordship thought the child looked like the firstborn Manu, my boy, so he was named Manu too. He’s known as Sāvarna the Lookalike.†18 But then, of course, the Sanjnyā who’d risen up from the earth showed inordinate love towards her own son, my boy, in a way that she didn’t towards the older ones. 19 And although Manu forgave her for this, Yama didn’t. Because of his fury and his youth, or because of the future consequence, Yama Vaivasvata threatened that same Sanjnyā with his foot. 20 So then mother Savarnā, deeply offended, cursed him in anger: May this foot of yours drop off!
Krishna's Lineage Page 7