Harivamsha

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘Vasundhara105 replied, “O brave one! There is no doubt that I will arrange all this. Search out a calf for me, so that, driven by maternal affection, I can yield milk. O supreme among those who uphold dharma! Make my surface smooth and flat everywhere, so that the milk I yield does not flow away to uneven terrain.”’

  Vaishampayana continued, ‘Using the ends of his bow, Vena’s son removed hundreds and thousands of mountains and made other mountains rise. The surface of the earth was no longer as uneven as it had been during the earlier creation. At that time, cities and villages could not be constructed. The growing of crops, tending to cattle and agriculture couldn’t happen. Nor were there routes for traders. O Indra among kings! Because of what Vena’s son had done, all these became possible. O unblemished one! In all the places that had become plain, all the subjects found pleasure in residing. We have heard that food for the subjects consisted of fruits and roots and that this led to great hardship. O tiger among men! Therefore, he106 thought of the lord Svayambhu Manu as a calf and used his own hands to milk the earth. That is how Prithu, Vena’s powerful son, created all the crops. O son! It is on the basis of that food that the subjects always survived. It has been heard that the rishis milked the earth again. Soma was the calf and the immensely energetic Brihaspati, the son of Angiras, did the milking. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! At that time, the hymns were the vessels. The eternal and unmatched brahman,107 the essence of austerities, was manifested in the form of milk. It has been heard that using golden vessels, the large number of gods, with Purandara108 at the forefront, again milked the earth. Maghavan was the calf and the lord Savita did the milking. The gods sustain themselves on that energetic milk.109 It has been heard that the ancestors, who are infinitely valorous in their abodes, used silver vessels to milk the earth again. The powerful Vaivasvata Yama was the calf then. Kala, the one who brings an end and who destroys all beings, was the one who did the milking. It has been heard that the nagas also did a milking, using Takshaka as a calf. O supreme among men! They used a gourd as a vessel and the milk was poison. O best among the Bharata lineage! O lord of the earth! Airavata did the milking for the nagas and the powerful Dhritarashtra did it for the sarpas.110 Those fierce ones are giant in form and immense in strength, sustaining themselves on that111 for obtaining food, their conduct, their valour and their austerities. It has been heard that the asuras milked the earth again. They used an iron vessel and obtained the maya112 that destroys all enemies. Virochana’s son, Prahlada, was the calf. The immensely powerful Madhu, who possessed two heads, was the officiating priest and the one who did the milking for the daityas. Since then, all the asuras know about maya and base themselves on maya. Their immense wisdom and infinite strength is also based on that. O king! It has been heard that the yakshas milked the earth again. O great king! They used a vessel that had not been baked and obtained the undecaying antardhana.113 The auspicious yakshas made Vaishravana114 the calf. The supreme rishi has said that they sustain themselves on that.115 O bull among men! The rakshasas and pishachas milked the earth again. They used the skulls of corpses as vessels and their offspring sustained themselves on that. O extender of the Kuru lineage! Rajatanabha was the one who did the milking. O Kouravya! Sumali was the calf and the milk was blood. The rakshasas, the yakshas, who are the equals of the immortals, the pishachas and the large number of bhutas subsist on that. The large number of gandharvas and apsaras milked again, using a lotus leaf as a vessel. O supreme among men! They made Chitraratha the calf and obtained pure fragrances. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! At that time, the extremely strong and great-souled king of the gandharvas, Suruchi, whose complexion was like that of the sun, was the one who did the milking. It has been heard that the mountains milked the goddess earth again and the personified forms of herbs and many kinds of jewels manifested themselves. The Himalayas were the calf and the giant mountain of Meru did the milking. The mountains were the vessels and the mountains sustain themselves on what was obtained. It has been heard that the trees and plants also milked the earth. They used palasha116 as a vessel and obtained the power of regenerating, even when severed or burnt down. A blossoming sala tree did the milking and Plaksha was the calf.

  ‘The sacred earth is the one who generates and sustains. She is the origin and the foundation for everything, mobile and immobile. She is like a cow that can be milked to yield every object of desire. She is the one who germinates every kind of crop. This earth, which extends up to the frontiers of the ocean, is also famous as Medini. Every part of her was flooded by the fat from Madhu and Kaitabha.117 O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Since she followed the instructions of King Prithu, Vena’s son, and became his daughter, the goddess is also spoken of as Prithvi.118 Prithu divided the earth and cleansed her. He made her prosperous and the yielder of crops, with cities and habitations. O supreme among kings! This was the power of the king who was Vena’s son. There is no doubt that the large number of creatures should bow down before him and worship him. The immensely fortunate brahmanas, accomplished in the Vedas and the Vedangas,119 should also worship Prithu, because he gave them their eternal means of subsistence. So should immensely fortunate kings who desire to remain kings. The powerful Prithu, Vena’s son, was the first king and deserves to be worshipped. Brave warriors who desire to obtain victory in a battle should also worship that first king. That king was the first warrior. If a warrior chants the name of King Prithu and advances into battle, even if that encounter is extremely terrible in form, he surpasses it with ease and obtains fame. There may be prosperous vaishyas who are engaged in the livelihood of vaishyas. If they bow down before Prithu, who provided a means of subsistence, they will obtain great fame. There may be pure shudras who are engaged in serving the other three varnas. If they desire supreme benefit, they should also worship Prithu. I have specifically spoken to you about the calves, the ones who did the milking, the milk and the vessels. What will I describe to you next?’

  Chapter 7

  Janamejaya said, ‘O Vaishampayana! O one who is rich in austerities! Please describe in detail all the manvantaras, how they were created and how they were destroyed. O brahmana! I wish to hear about the Manus and their durations. I wish to hear the true account of the manvantaras.’

  Vaishampayana replied, ‘O son! I am incapable of describing it in detail, even if I were to speak for one hundred years. O Kouravya! I will tell you about the manvantaras in brief. Listen. O son! Earlier, there were Svayambhu Manu, Svarochisha Manu, Outtama, Tamasa, Raivata and Chakshusha. O Kouravya! The present Manu is said to be Vaivasvata. O son! It is said that the four Manus who will come are Savarni Manu, Bhoutya, Rouchya and Merusavarni. O son! These are the past, present and future Manus. I have recounted them to you, as I have heard them. I will now tell you about the rishis, their sons and the large number of gods. Marichi, Atri, the illustrious Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya and Vasishtha—these are Brahma’s seven sons. O king! They are established as the saptarshis120 in the northern direction. At the time of Svayambhu Manu, the gods were the Yamas. Agnidhra, Agnibahu, Medha, Medhatithi, Vasu, Jyotishmat, Dyutimat, Havya, Savana and Putra—these were the ten immensely energetic sons of Svayambhu Manu. O king! I have thus spoken to you about the first manvantara. At the time of Svarochisha Manu, Vasishtha’s son, Ourva, Stamba, Kashyapa, Prana, Brihaspati, Datta and Atrishchyavana—these were the maharshis, great in their vows. Vayu121 has spoken about them. At that time, it has been said that the gods were known as the Tushitas. O son! The great-souled Svarochisha Manu’s sons were Havirdhra, Sukriti, Jyoti, Apa, Murti, Ayasmaya, Prathita, Nabhashya, Nabha and Surya. O protector of the earth! They were extremely energetic and valorous and I have spoken about them. I have thus spoken to you about the second manvantara. O lord of men! I will now tell you about the third. Listen. Hiranyagarbha gave birth to extremely energetic sons known as the Urjas. These seven became famous as Vasishtha’s sons and were known as the sons of Vasishtha.122 I have spoken about the rishis. O great king
! I will now recount the ten handsome sons of Outtama Manu. Listen. They were Isha, Urja, Tanupa, Madhu, Madhava, Shuchi, Shukra, Saha, Nabhasya and Nabha. The gods of that manvantara are said to be the Bhanus. I will now tell you about the fourth manvantara. Listen. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! O king! Kavya, Prithu, Agni, Jahnu, Dhata, Kapivat and Akapivat were the saptarshis. O son! O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Their sons and grandsons have been mentioned in the Puranas. During the manvantara of Tamasa Manu, the gods were the Satyas. Dyuti, Tapasya, Sutapa, Tapomula, Tapodhana, Taporati, Kalmasha, Tanvi, Dhanvi and Parantapa—these were the ten extremely strong sons of Tamasa Manu. O great king! Vayu has spoken about what happened after the fourth manvantara. Vedabahu, Yadudhra, the sage Vedashira, Hiranyaloma, Parjanya, Urdhvabahu, the son of Soma, and Satyanetra, the son of Atri, were the saptarshis thereafter.123 During this manvantara, the gods are said to have been the Abhutarajas, Prakritis, Pariplavas and Raibhyas. Listen to me. I will tell you about his sons. Dhritimat, Avyaya, Yukta, Tatvadarshi, Nirutsaka, Aranya, Prakasha, Nirmoha, Satyavak and Kriti—these were the sons of Raivata Manu. O lord of men! After the fifth manvantara, I will tell you about the sixth. Listen. Bhrigu, Nabha, Vivasvat, Sudhama, Viraja, Atinama and Sahishnu—these were the seven saptarshis. O son! Hear the names of the gods during the manvantara of Chakshusha Manu. O Indra among kings! The names of the five categories of gods is said to be Adya, Prabhuta, Ribhu, Prithuka and Lekha. These were the residents of heaven. All these great-souled and immensely energetic ones were the sons of the rishi Angiras. O great king! O king! Through Nangla, it is said that there were ten famous sons, Uru and others.124 During the current period of Vaivasvata Manu, the saptarshis are Atri, the illustrious Vasishtha, the great rishi Kashyapa, Goutama, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra and Jamadagni, the son of the illustrious and great-souled Richika, as the seventh. They are now in heaven. During vaivasvata manvantara, the gods are said to be Sadhyas, Rudras, Vishvadevas, Vasus, Maruts, Adityas and Ashvins. During the current manvantara, Vaivasvata Manu had ten great-souled sons. Of these, Ikshvaku was the foremost. O king! O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The deeds, sons and grandsons of these extremely energetic maharshis exist in all the directions. In every manvantara, the forty-nine125 are established in the sub-directions, to ensure the observance of dharma and the protection of the worlds. When each manvantara is over, twenty-eight of these winds go to heaven, having completed their tasks. They go to Brahma’s world, where there is no disease. Others, who are full of austerities, take their places. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! O Kouravya! Including the current one, I have thus spoken to you about seven manvantaras. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Now listen to all the manvantaras that will come. O son! Listen to me. There are actually five Savarni Manus. Of these, one is the son of Vivasvat and four are the sons of Prajapati Parameshthi. O king! They are the maternal grandsons of Daksha and the sons of Priya. These extremely energetic ones performed great austerities on the slopes of Mount Meru and became Merusavarnis. The son of Ruchi Prajapati is said to be Rouchya Manu. Ruchi had sons through the goddess Bhuti126 and they are known as Bhoutyas. In this world, these are said to be the seven manvantaras that are yet to come. Savarni manvantara will arrive soon and the seven maharshis for this future one are said to be in heaven. Listen. Rama, Vyasa, the extremely learned Diptimanta, Atri’s son, the extremely radiant Ashvatthama, descended from Bharadvaja and Drona’s son, Sharadvat Goutama,127 descended from Goutama, Galava, descended from Koushika, and Ruru, descended from Kashyapa—in future, these seven great-souled ones will become the supreme sages. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Savarni Manu will have ten sons—Varivat, Avarivat, Sammata, Dhritimat, Vasu, Charishnu, Adhya, Dhrishnu, Vaji and Sumati. Arising at the right time, if a man always recites the names of the past and future maharshis, he obtains happiness. O son! For a full one thousand yugas, the earth, with its oceans and habitations, are ruled by kings. Thereafter, the subjects and their austerities are always destroyed.

  ‘I will now tell you that a little more than seventy yugas, divided into krita, treta and the others, is said to be a manvantara. The recital of the names of the fourteen Manus leads to an extension of fame. O king! The Vedas and all the Puranas speak of the powers of these Vishnus and their subjects and offspring. This recital is blessed. There is destruction at the end of a manvantara. There is creation at the end of a period of destruction. Even if I speak for one hundred years, I am incapable of describing this. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! O bull among the Bharata lineage! In every manvantara, we have heard about the creation of subjects and their destruction. However, some gods and brahmana rishis are not destroyed, but remain. They are full of austerities, brahmacharya and learning. It is said that when one thousand yugas have been completed, a kalpa is over. All the creatures are then burnt down by the rays of the sun. O lord! Placing Brahma at the forefront, the large number of Adityas merge into the lord Hari Narayana, the best of the gods. At the end of a kalpa, he is the one who repeatedly creates all beings. He is the eternal and unmanifest god. This entire universe belongs to him. O best among the Bharata lineage! O immensely radiant one! It is the time of Vaivasvata Manu now and the time for creation has presented itself. I will speak to you about the ancient Vrishni lineage. The lord and great-souled Hari was born there, in the Vrishni lineage.’

  Chapter 8

  Vaishampayana said, ‘O scorcher of enemies! Vivasvat128 was born through Kashyapa and Daksha’s daughter. Vivasvat’s wife was the goddess Samja, the daughter of Tvashtri. The beautiful one is famous in the three worlds by the name of Surenu. The illustrious one was the wife of the great-souled Martanda. Though she was named Samja129 and possessed youth, beauty and the radiance of her own austerities, she was not content with her husband’s form. The sun god Martanda blazed in his own energy. This burnt her body and she didn’t wish to approach near. Because she had done it innocently, Kashyapa had pronounced, “This egg will certainly not be dead.”130 That is the reason he is spoken of as Martanda. O son! Vivasvat always possessed a surfeit of energy. Because of this, Kashyapa’s son scorched the three worlds excessively. O Kouravya! Aditya, supreme among those who scorch, had three children through Samja. One was a daughter and two were Prajapatis. The first was Vaivasvata Manu and Prajapati Shraddhadeva131 came next. Yama had a twin sister named Yamuna. Samja was unable to countenance Vivasvat’s dark complexion. She constructed a form that was just like her, with the same complexion, and this was known as Chhaya.132 O lord of men! Using her powers of maya, Samja created Chhaya, who arose. Chhaya joined her hands in salutation and bowed down before Samja. “O one with the beautiful smiles. Tell me. What is my task? Instruct me. I am standing here, awaiting your instructions. O one with the beautiful complexion! Command me.” Samja replied, “O fortunate one! I am leaving for my father’s abode. Without any fear, you dwell in my residence. I possess two sons and this daughter, slender at the waist. Take care of them and do not reveal to the illustrious one what has happened.” Savarna said, “O goddess! Depart cheerfully. O queen! Unless my hair is seized, or unless I am cursed, I will not divulge what has transpired.” Having instructed Savarna and hearing her reply, the spirited one bashfully went to Tvashtri.

  ‘When she reached her father, her father reprimanded the auspicious one. He repeatedly directed her to return to her husband. However, the one with the unblemished form did not return. She assumed the form of a mare, went to the Uttara Kuru region, and began to roam around amidst the grass there. Taking the second Samja to be the real Samja, Aditya had a son through her and he was just like him in form. O son! The lord was just like the preceding Manu and because of this, he came to be known as Savarni Manu.133 O son! Samja134 was ordinary. Therefore, she was more affectionate towards her own son and not towards the elder children. Manu pardoned this. But Yama was incapable of tolerating it. In childish anger and with force, Vaivasvata Yama showed the beautiful one his foot and censured her. His mother was extremely miserable. In rage, Savarna cur
sed him. “Your foot will fall down.” Yama went to his father, joined his hands in salutation, and told him everything. He was anxious because of the severe curse and agitated because of Samja’s words. He asked his father to withdraw the curse and said, “A mother should be affectionate towards all her sons. However, she neglects us and displays more affection towards the youngest. I raised my foot towards her, but it did not touch her body. Even if I have done that in childish folly, you should pardon me. O lord of the worlds! O supreme among those who scorch! I have been cursed by my mother. O lord of the earth! Through your favours, let my foot not fall down.” Vivasvat replied, “O son! You know about dharma and you are truthful in speech. There is no doubt that there must have been a grave reason for anger to have entered you. I am incapable of rendering your mother’s words false. Worms will seize flesh from your foot and roam around on the surface of the earth. In that way, your mother’s words will come true and you will also be freed from your curse.” Aditya asked Samja, “All the sons are equal. Nevertheless, why do you display greater affection towards one?” Despite being repeatedly asked by Vivasvat, she did not reply. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! At this, the illustrious one desired to curse and destroy her. She then told Vivasvat everything truthfully.135

  ‘Hearing this, Vivasvat was enraged and went to Tvashtri. Following the proper rites, Tvashtri worshipped Vibhavasu.136 He comforted the one who wished to burn everything down in his wrath. Tvashtri said, “You do not deserve this excessive energy in your form. Unable to tolerate it, Samja is wandering around, amidst the grass in the forest. O lord of the earth! You will now see your praiseworthy wife, the performer of auspicious deeds. She possesses the strength of yoga and has resorted to that yoga.137 O god! O scorcher of enemies! If this appeals to you, it is my view that I should now reduce your form and make it handsome.” O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Tvashtri approached Martanda Vivasvat, raised him on a wheel and began to slice off his energy. When the energy was sliced away, his form became resplendent. He became more and more handsome and seemed to be even more beautiful. By resorting to yoga, he saw his own wife in the form of a mare. Thanks to her energy and her vows, she was incapable of being assaulted by any creature. Adopting the form of a horse, the illustrious one arrived in front of her. However, taking him to be someone else’s husband, she refused to have intercourse with him and ejected Vivasvat’s semen through her nose. The gods who are supreme physicians, the Ashvins, were generated from this.138 The two Ashvins are known by the names of Nasatya and Dasra. They were the sons of Martanda, the eighth Prajapati. O Janamejaya! The sun god then showed himself to her in his beautiful form and on seeing her husband, she was satisfied.