Philosophy and Religion / Harivamsa

Harivaṃśa

6. The origin of the Earth

PRITHU said:-He, who for one individual destroys many lives either belonging to his own side or to his opposite party, commits a sin in this world (1).

By slaying that harmful person at whose death many become happy one is not visited by sin, either great or small (2).

If by the destruction of one wicked person the well-being of many is secured such an act leads to the acquisition of virtue (3).

I shall therefore, for the behoof of my subjects, kill you, O earth. If you do not satisfy this command of mine conducive to the well-being of the world I shall kill you with this arrow who have neglected my command.

And having buried my own self (under the earth) I shall uphold my subjects for ever (4-5).

O you ever observant of pious rites, do you, during my regeme, give life to my subjects for you are capable of protecting them (6).

Do you give milk for me and then I will withdraw the dreadful arrow that I have taken up for your destruction (7).

THE EARTH said:-O hero, forsooth shall I carry out all that you have said. If works are undertaken along with the means they always prove a success (8).

So do you resort to the means by which all the subjects may be protected. Behold this my calf. Being attached to it I shall give milk (9).

O you foremost of the pious, do you level my surface all over, so that my milk may reach everywhere (10).

VAISHAMPAYANA said:-Thereupon Vena's son, with the end of his bow, uprooted thousands of hills for which they multiplied greatly (in number) (11).

Vena's son Prithu then levelled the surface of the earth. In the past Manwantara she was of uneven surface (12).

The earth was by nature both even and uneven; such was her state in Chakshusha Manwantara (13).

The earrh having been uneven in the previous Manwantara there existed no regular division of the cities and villages (14).

There was no corn, no rearing of kine, agriculture or trade. There was neither truth, untruth, avarice nor pride (15).

O king, now with the advent of Vaivaswata Manwantara, agriculture, trade and the keeping of kine have originated from Vena's son Prithu (16).

O sinless one, at that time people desired to makes their habitations at all those places of the earth which were levelled (17).

Then with great difficulty people could live upon fruits and roots. This I have heard (18).

Having converted the Manu Swayambhuva into a calf the powerful son of Vena, Prithu, the foremost of men, milched the earth for all sorts of corns with his own hands (19).

On that food, O my child, the people are daily living even now. I have heard the earth was again milehed by the Rishis. Soma became their calf; the son of Angiras, the highly energetic Vrihaspati, milched her.

The Vedas were the vessels, O descendant of Bharata, and the eternal devotion to Brahman was the incomparable milk (20-21).

I have heard she was again milched by all the celestials headed by Purandara with golden vessels (in their hands) (22).

Then Maghavān (Indra) became the calf and the lord Sun milched her. A continued flow of milk came out on which the Devas are living (23).

I have heard the earth was again milched by the ancestral manes of unlimited prowess, with silver vessels (in their hands) (24).

The powerful son of Vivaswat became the calf and Antaka, the destroyer of Lokas (worlds), milched her (26).

O foremost of men, I have heard, that making Takshaka the calf, the Nāgas milched her with the cavity of their palms as vessels and got poison for the milk (26).

O foremost of Bharatas, O king, the powerful Airavata Dhritarashtra became the milcher when the Nāgas and serpents milched her (27).

By that poison the huge serpents of deadly venom are living their dreadful lives. They live on poison, they give out poison and poison constitutes their energy (23).

I have heard that the earth was again milched by Asuras with iron vessels for the illusory power capable of over-powering the enemies (29).

Pralhāda's son Virochana became their calf and the highly powerful, two-headed Madhu, the priest of the Daityas milched her (30).

By that Māyā (illusory power) the Asuras have been rendered adepts in illusion. The Asuras, endued with immeasurable wisdom, are therefore so very powerful (31).

I have heard, O monarch, that the earth was again, in the days of yore, milched by Yakshas for eternal disappearance from view with uncouth vessels (32).

The highly effulgent and pious Yakshas made Vaisravana their calf. The ascetic three-headed son of Yaksha, by name Rajatanābha, the father of Maninābha, milched (the earth).

By that (power of disappearance into another’s body) they are now still living. This the great saint Nārada has said (33-34).

O foremost of men, with a view to afford gratification to their children the earth was again milched by the Rākshasas and Pishāchas with the skulls of dead bodies (35).

O glory of the Kuru race, Rajatanābha milched (the earth) for them. Sumāli became the calf and blood came out for the milk (36).

By that bloody milk the immortal Yakshas, Rākshasas, Pishāchas and other ghosts are keeping their lives (37).

O foremost of men, having made Chitraratha their calf the Gandharvas and Apsarās again milched her with lotus vessels for sweet perfume (38).

O foremost of Bharatas, the greatly powerful and the high-souled king of Gandhavas, Suruchi, resembling the Sun itself, milched (her) for them (39).

O king, I have heard that the mountains again milched her for the herbs in forms and various jewels (40).

Himavāna became the calf and the great mountain Sumeru milched (her). Other great mountains were the vessels and by that the mountains are increasing in proportions (41).

I have heard, O king, that the trees, in the days of yore, once milched her with Palāsa leaves as vessels for reviving the scorched and burnt trees and creepers (42).

The blossoming Sāla tree milched her and the Plaksha tree became the calf. That purifying Earth, who sustains all, is the instrument of the birth and preservation of the entire mobile and immobile creations. When milched she gives all desired-for objects and produces all corns (43-44).

Extending up to the ocean she was celebrated under the name of Medini. Her entire surface was filled with the fat (of the demons) Madhu and Katabha. Therefore was she called Medini by Brahmā and others (45).

O descendant of Bharata, when she was brought under the subjection of the king Prithu, the son of Vena and became his daughter¹ she came by the name of Prithivi.

Being divided and purified by Prithu the earth has become full of corns, mines, cities and provinces. O best of kings, such a powerful king was the son of Vena (46–47).

Undoubtedly he is an object of reverence and adoration of all creatures. Prithu, born of eternal Brahmā, is worthy of the adoration even of the great Brāhmanas, well-read in the Vedas and all their divisions.

The powerful prime king Prithu, the son of Vena, deserves also the adoration of the great kings who desire kingdoms. The first king of the heroes, Prithu, is also worthy of the adoration of the valiant warriors who wish for victory in battle (48–50).

The warrior, who issues out for battle after reciting the name of the king Prithu, is crowned with success and glory even in dreadful battles (51).

The illustrious king Prithu, who conferred livelihood on all, is worthy of the adoration of the wealthy Vaisyas who carry on trade (52).

The first king is also worthy of the adoration of the pure Sudras who serve the three other Varnas and who wish for supreme well-being (53).

O monarch, I have thus described the various calves, those who milched, the various sorts of milk and vessels. What more shall I describe te you? (54)

Footnotes

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