by Bibek Debroy
Chapter 4(15)
‘Maitreya said, “After this, the brahmanas again churned the arms of the king, who had no son. A male and a female were born. The rishis knew about the brahman and knew that the couple was born from the illustrious one’s portion. They were extremely satisfied and said, ‘This one 1392 is a portion of the illustrious Vishnu, the protector of the world. And this one 1393 has been born as a portion of Lakshmi, who is never separated from the supreme being. This man will be the first king and his fame will be extensive. This great king will be named Prithu, because his fame will be extensive. 1394 This goddess possesses excellent teeth and is an ornament among all qualities and ornaments. This beautiful one will have the name of Archi and will be attached to Prithu. 1395 Desiring to protect the world, Hari’s portion has directly been born through him. And this is Shri, who is inseparable from him, and has therefore been born.’ The brahmanas praised him. The best among gandharvas sang his praise. The Siddhas showered down excellent flowers. The celestial women danced. Conch shells, trumpets, drums and kettledrums were sounded in the sky. All the gods, the rishis and large numbers of ancestors assembled there. Brahma, the preceptor of the universe, arrived there, with the gods and the lords among the gods. He saw the signs of the wielder of the mace 1396 on the right hand of Vena’s son. Because of the signs of the lotus on the soles of his feet, he 1397 thought that he was Hari’s portion. An unobstructed mark of the chakra 1398 is a sign of the Parameshthi’s portion. The consecration was undertaken by brahmanas who knew about the brahman. From every direction, people brought ingredients required for the consecration. The rivers, oceans, mountains, serpents, cattle, birds, animals, the sky, the earth and all the creatures brought tribute and assembled. The king was dressed in excellent garments and wonderful ornaments. With his ornamented wife, Archi, he was as resplendent as a second Agni and was instated. O brave one! Dhanada brought him an excellent golden throne. Varuna brought him an umbrella that was as radiant as the moon, dripping with water. Vayu brought him whisks made out of yak hair. Dharma brought a garland that would bring glory. Indra brought an excellent diadem and Yama a staff to be used for controlling. Brahma gave him armour permeated with the brahman. Bharati 1399 gave him an excellent necklace. Hari gave him the sudarshana chakra and his wife bestowed uninterrupted prosperity on him. Rudra gave him a sword with the marks of ten moons. Ambika gave him a shield with the marks of one hundred moons. Soma gave him horses that were made out of amrita. Tvashta gave him a chariot that was the embodiment of beauty. Agni gave him a bow made out of the horns of goats and bulls. Surya gave him arrows that were as brilliant as his rays. The earth gave him sandals that had the power of yoga. The sky brought an offering of collections of flowers. Those who travel in the sky gave him the knowledge of drama, singing, the playing of musical instruments and the power to disappear. The rishis conferred infallible benedictions. The ocean gave him a conch shell born from the ocean. The oceans, mountains and rivers granted the great-souled one passage for his chariot. The sutas, magadhas and bandis were stationed there and sung his praise.
‘“Prithu, Vena’s powerful son, understood that he was being praised. He seemed to smile and addressed them in words that rumbled like clouds. Prithu said, ‘O amiable sutas, magadhas and bandis! You have spoken about my qualities, but they are yet to manifest themselves in this world. On what basis are these praises being ascribed to me? May they exist in me and may your words not be rendered false. O speakers of sweet words! Therefore, enough of what has been heard. Save them for the future and compose words of praise then. Indeed, when there are discussions about Uttamashloka’s qualities, civilized people do not praise contemptible people like me. If a person has the capacity to invoke great qualities in him, why will he allow his followers to praise him, when they are still non-existent? A person who thinks that he might obtain learning in the future, does not realize that his intelligence is crooked and that people laugh at him. Even if powerful people are famous, they do not like their own praise. A generous and humble man censures this. O sutas and others! We are not yet known in this world for any superior deeds. Like a foolish person, how can I engage you to sing my praise?’”’
Chapter 4(16)
‘Maitreya said, “The singers heard what the king said and their minds were satisfied by his words, which were like amrita. However, urged by the sages, they continued to sing his praise. ‘Our description of your greatness has not been enough. You are the noble god, who has used his maya to descend here. Though you have been born from Vena’s limbs, the intelligence of lords of speech is bewildered, when they seek to describe your glory. We are interested in hearing about the exploits of the generous Prithu, who has descended as Hari’s portion, and whose account is like amrita. We have been instructed and urged by the sages. We will seek to spread accounts of your praiseworthy deeds. He is foremost among those who uphold dharma. He makes people follow dharma. He protects the ordinances of dharma and chastises those who act in a contrary way. For the welfare of both the worlds, 1400 from time to time, his own body will manifest the different bodies of the guardians of the worlds. At the right time, he will generate riches and at the right time, release them, like the powerful and radiant sun. 1401 Vena’s son will be tolerant of crimes, even if he continually suffers from them. He will be compassionate towards beings. Like the behaviour of the earth, he will always be forgiving towards those who are suffering. He is the divinity Hari, who has assumed the form of a king among men. When the god 1402 does not shower down, like Indra, he will protect the subjects who find it difficult to remain alive. He will delight the world with a face that is the embodied form of the moon. His affectionate glances and his bright smiles will render everything beautiful. His path will be difficult to understand and his acts will be mysterious. His intelligence will be deep and he will guard his riches. He will alone be the reservoir of an infinite number of qualities and greatness. Like Prachetas, 1403 Prithu’s nature will be hidden from view. He will be impossible to assail and impossible to withstand. Even when he is near, he will seem to be far away. Vena’s son, who has arisen from the fire, 1404 will be impossible to overcome. Through his spies, he will see the acts of creatures, whether they are overt or covert. Like the breath of life in bodies, he will be like an indifferent witness. He will not punish those who do not deserve to be punished, even if they happen to be the sons of his enemies. He will punish even his own sons. His punishment will be based on the path of dharma. Right up to Mount Manasa, Prithu’s wheel of rule will be unrestricted and will extend to everywhere that the illustrious sun god illuminates with his rays. 1405 Through his own deeds, he will delight the world. Since he delights the minds of the subjects, he will be known as rajan. 1406 He will be firm in his vows and will not waver from the truth. He will be devoted to brahmanas and will serve the aged. For all creatures, he will be a refuge. He will bestow honours and be affectionate towards the distressed. He will revere other men’s wives like his own mother. He will treat his own wife like one half of his own self. Towards the subjects, he will be as gentle as a father. He will be a servant to those who know about the brahman. Those with bodies will love him like their own selves. He will enhance the joy of his well-wishers. He will associate with those who are free from all attachments. Against the wicked, his hand will wield the rod of chastisement. He is the illustrious lord of the three worlds himself, who, mysterious in his atman, has made his portion descend. Because of the futile constructs of lack of knowledge, one sees him as manifesting in many different forms. This brave king is a protector and guardian of the earth’s sphere, from Mount Udaya onwards. 1407 He will be astride his victorious chariot and with a bow, will circle the sun from the right to the left, just as the sun does. Here and there, kings, along with the guardians of the world, will bring him tribute. Their women will consider him as the original king. Like the one with the chakra as a weapon, his fame will extend. He will be the lord of subjects. To provide a means of subsistence to subjects, this supreme king
will milk the earth, like a cow. Playfully, he will use the ends of his bow to shatter the mountains, just as Indra does, and will level the earth. He will twang his own bow, made out of the horns of goats and bulls. When he travels around, he will be impossible to resist. At that time, wicked people will hide themselves in different directions. He will be like a lion with its tail raised up. He will perform one hundred horse sacrifices at the source of Sarasvati. When the hundredth sacrifice is going on, Purandara will steal the sacrificial horse. In his grove, alone, he will meet the illustrious Sanatkumara and will worship him with devotion. He will then obtain unadulterated knowledge and obtain the supreme brahman. Prithu will be extensive in his valour and famous for his bravery. Everywhere he goes, he will hear words and songs about himself. His unrestricted wheel of rule will conquer the directions. With his own energy, he will uproot the stakes of the world. He will be the immensely fortunate lord of the earth, and the asuras and the gods, with Indra, will sing about him.’”’
Chapter 4(17)
‘Maitreya said, “Vena’s illustrious son was thus glorified because of his qualities and deeds. He greeted and honoured them back and gave them whatever they wished for. He honoured the varnas, with brahmanas at the forefront, the servants, the advisers, the citizens of the city and the countryside, the guilds and the ordinary people.”
‘Vidura asked, “The earth can assume many different forms. Why did she assume the form of a cow? When Prithu milked her, who was the calf? How did the milking take place? The goddess is naturally uneven. How did he level her? The horse was meant for a sacrifice. Why did the god steal it? O brahmana! The illustrious Sanatkumara is supreme among those who know about the brahman. When he obtained jnana and vijnana, what destination did the royal sage obtain? O lord! I am devoted to no one other than you and the illustrious Krishna. His auspicious activities are excellent to hear, such as when he resorted to former bodies. I am devoted to you and Adhokshaja. You should therefore tell me about how he milked the earth, in the form of Vena’s son.”’
Suta said, ‘Maitreya was urged by Vidura to speak about Vasudeva’s account. He praised him and, pleased, replied.
‘Maitreya continued, “O dear one! Prithu was instated by the brahmanas and the ministers as a protector of the people. But at that time, the surface of the earth did not yield any food. The subjects were hungry and their bodies were emaciated. They went to their protector and addressed him. ‘O king! Our stomachs are burning with hunger, like fire in the hollow of a tree. You are our lord now and will find a means of livelihood for us. You are our refuge and we have come to you for refuge. O divinity in the form of a lord of men! We are afflicted by hunger, please try to give us some food, before we perish because our store of food is exhausted. As a guardian of the people, you will indeed find a means of sustenance for us.’ Prithu heard the piteous lamentations of the subjects. O best among the Kuru lineage! He thought for a long time about the reason. Using his intelligence, he decided on the course of action. 1408 Enraged, like the destroyer of Tripura, he picked up his bow and arrow and targeted an arrow in the earth’s direction. On seeing that he had picked up the weapon, the earth trembled. She adopted the form of a cow and started to run away, like a terrified female deer that is being pursued by a hunter. At this, Vena’s son became angry and his eyes turned as red as the rising sun. Fixing an arrow to his bow, he pursued her, wherever she tried to run away. The goddess ran to the directions and the sub-directions and to the space between heaven and earth. But wherever she ran, she saw him pursue her, with the upraised weapon. Just as people cannot avoid death in the worlds, she could not find any escape from Vena’s son. Therefore, with a scared and grieving hurt, she returned.
‘“She told the immensely fortunate one, ‘O one who knows about dharma! O one who is affectionate towards those who seek refuge! Since you have been instated as the protector of all creatures, save me too. That being the case, why do you want to kill a distressed person like me, who has not committed a crime? Since you are regarded as someone who knows about dharma, how can you strike a woman? Even if women commit crimes, people do not strike them. O king! That apart, someone like you is compassionate and devoted to those who are distressed. I am like a strong boat on which the world is established. After having shattered me, how will you sustain yourself and these subjects on the waters?’ Prithu replied, ‘O earth! Since you have disobeyed my commands, I will kill you. You have taken your share in the sacrifice, but have not given us the wealth. Every day, you eat green grass, but do not yield milk from your udders. Since you are wicked in this way, punishment is indicated. The seeds of herbs were earlier created by Svayambhu. But you are indeed wicked in intelligence. Despite this, you are hiding them within yourself and not releasing them. You are ignoring me. They are lamenting, afflicted and overcome by hunger. I will slice your flesh with my arrows and pacify them. For kings, the slaying of a wicked and self-centred person who is not compassionate towards creatures, regardless of whether the person is a man, a woman or a eunuch, is not considered to be killing. You are insolent and obstinate and have used your maya to assume this form. I will use my arrows to reduce you to pieces as small as sesamum seeds. I will use the strength of my yoga to sustain the subjects.’ He was the embodied form of rage and was like Death personified. The trembling earth joined her hands in salutation and spoke to him. The earth said, ‘I bow down to the supreme Purusha. He uses his maya to manifest himself in many diverse forms that are characterized by gunas. I use my understanding to bow down to his true form. He is not affected by material objects, the sense of being a doer and delusion. The creator fashioned me, with the collection of gunas in different kinds of creation, as a resting place for those beings. The self-ruling one has now presented himself, raising his weapon to kill me. Whom will I turn to for refuge? Using his own maya and himself as the only refuge, at the beginning, the inconceivable one created all mobile and immobile objects. Indeed, he is the one who exerts to confer protection. How can a person who is devoted to dharma desire to kill me? The supreme lord is one, but is seen to appear in many different forms because of his maya. It is because of this that even those with cleansed souls find it difficult to realize him. He is the one who created the creator. People can certainly not fathom his deeds. His powers are the cause behind creation, preservation and destruction. Material objects, action, controllers, consciousness and the sense of the atman flow from him. He is the one who manifests and withdraws his powers. I bow down to the supreme Purusha, the cause behind everything. O lord! You have created this universe, the elements, the senses and the inner organs. O one without birth! As the original boar, you raised me out of the waters of rasatala and instated me. You raised me out of the waters and established me, like a boat, desiring to protect the subjects. That valiant form was that of Dharadhara. 1409 For the sake of milk, he now wishes to slay me, holding a fierce arrow. Indeed, people cannot understand the actions of their lords, especially those like me, whose intelligence is confused by maya and the gunas of creation. Confounded, my mind does not comprehend your ways. I bow down to those brave ones who ensure fame.’”’
Chapter 4(18)
‘Maitreya said, “Despite being addressed in this way, Prithu was still angry and his lips quivered. Scared, she steadied herself and spoke again. ‘O lord! Please control your rage and listen to what I have to say. Like a bee, a learned man accepts the essence from everywhere. Whether it is for the welfare of men in this world or in the next world, sages who have realized the truth have prescribed some modes. If one follows the principles that have been instructed earlier properly, with undiluted devotion, one easily attains the objective. Neglecting those, an ignorant person starts to determine his own modes. He deviates and despite trying repeatedly, he does not attain the objective. O lord of the earth! I have seen that the herbs that were formerly created by Brahma were being enjoyed by those who were wicked and were not firm in their vows. Rulers of the world, like you, did not protect me and neglected me. The
world became full of thieves. The herbs were meant for sacrifices and I hid them. After a long period of time, within me, those herbs and grains have indeed diminished. Therefore, you should try to extract them through means that have been indicated earlier. O brave one! O mighty-armed one! Think of a calf to whom I am devoted, a vessel for the milk and a person who can do the milking. O one who desires to protect creatures! I will then be milked and yield all the objects of desire as milk. O illustrious one! You will obtain the desired food that will nourish. O king! O lord! Level me, so that when the rainy season is over, the beneficial water that is showered down by the god remains on me.’ The king accepted the agreeable and beneficial words that the earth spoke.
‘“He made Manu the calf and milked all the herbs and grains with his own hand. Everywhere, other learned ones also extracted the essence of everything. As determined by Prithu, others also milked the objects of their desire. O excellent one! The rishis made Brihaspati the calf and their senses the vessel and milked the pure hymns. The large number of gods made Indra the calf and milked soma juice into a golden vessel. This milk gave them valour, energy and strength. The daityas and danavas made Prahlada, the bull among asuras, the calf. In an iron vessel, they milked sura and asava. The gandharvas and apsaras made Vishvavasu a calf. In a vessel that was the cup of a lotus, they milked the sweet and beautiful art of singing and dancing. The immensely fortunate ancestors made Aryama the calf. Using an unbaked earthen vessel, those divinities of shraddha ceremonies devotedly milked kavya. The Siddhas thought of Kapila as a calf. They used resolution as a vessel to milk the siddhis. The vidyadharas milked the knowledge of travelling through the sky. There were others, well versed in maya. They thought of Maya as a calf. Using their will as a vessel, they milked Maya and the extraordinary technique of disappearing. The yakshas, rakshasas, bhutas, pishachas and those who eat raw flesh made the lord of bhutas 1410 a calf. Using a vessel made out of a skull, they milked asava that was made out of blood. In this way, snakes without hoods, scorpions, snakes and serpents made Takshaka the calf. Using their holes as vessels, they milked poison. Herbivores made the bull 1411 a calf. Using the forest as a vessel, they milked green grass. Animals with sharp teeth and predatory beasts made the lion a calf. Using their own bodies as vessels, they milked flesh. Birds used Suparna as a calf and milked movable and immovable creatures. The trees made the banyan tree the calf and extracted their own juices as milk. The mountains made the Himalayas the calf. Using their own slopes as vessels, they milked many kinds of minerals. Every species used the foremost among it as a calf. They had their own respective vessels and their own respective milk. As determined by Prithu, every object of desire was milked from the earth. In this way, Prithu and the others survived on the food the earth provided and each had his own respective food. O extender of the Kuru lineage! There were differences in the vessels used for milking and variations in the milk that was yielded. King Prithu was pleased that every object of desire had been milked. Affectionately, he thought of her as his daughter and loved her like a daughter. Using the ends of his own bow, the king of kings shattered the tops of the mountains. The lord who was Vena’s son made the surface of the earth almost level. Thus, like a father, Vena’s illustrious son provided a means of subsistence for the subjects. Here and there, as they deserved, he constructed habitations for them. Villages, cities, habitations, many kinds of forts, residences for cowherds, pens for animals, camps, mines, agricultural settlements and villages on mountains were established. Before Prithu, there was no such planning of cities, villages and other places. Without any fear, here and there, they dwelt happily.”’