A page from Ancient Literature

Grave sins and crimes drove Vena to hell as he had begun to think that he was a god on earth. Terrible thought was a severe lethal flaw. It becomes apparent that a man filled with ego and pride, stops to think of man, society and the world around, assumes the role of an arbiter of destiny of people, and ultimately, only death greets him as ultimate reality. No sin or crime goes unpunished.

Know that love for man and humanity changes everything into n perpetual joy and celestial joy and contentment. A man of humanity begins to think of the wellbeing of human beings and society. It is difficult for gods even to be equal to him in Yajna and charity.

However, it was different with mahatma Prithu.  He emerged out of the right arm of Vena when sages churned it in immense anger the legend speaks. Soon Prithu freed Vena from hell called Pum. To enthrone and crown him, the sea and all rivers appeared at the place with jewels and water. It was a great occasion. To coronate the future king, sage Angirasa led the Supreme Creator Brahma, the celestial and the created beings -the animate and the inanimate, to the capital of future king on one of the most propitious occasions. Prithu, after taking over the command of the nation, tried to make people happy and prosperous, who had suffered atrocities during the regime of Vena.

He was a kindhearted and generous king and did everything to make people happy. He became the real king because as a true sovereign, he was only interested to see people happy and flourishing where justice prevailed.  Benign nature in its wide-ranging images obeyed, stood in humility and glorified the king.

When he started his journey beyond the sea, water was calm and still. Mountains made a way so that he continues movement and the destined journey to attain the objective. The flag of king’s chariot never stopped fluttering and no one violated its sanctity.  People felt something divine in his presence. The entire land of the vast empire offered sufficient grain. It grew crops without tilling or sowing, and thus, the holy land registered celestial presence of the king. A mere thought transformed itself into reality and materialized inner desires. He thought and the work stood complete. With a true and pure heart, he thought of people and a mere wish fulfilled the desires of people instantaneously. All the cows of the kingdom were Kamadhenus, and therefore, satisfied the requirements of people while each leaf of trees contained honey in plenty.

During the period, Prithu organized a Pitmahah Yajna to worship Supreme Brahma. On the auspicious day of Somabhishava, from the land of Sooti - land from where soma liquid comes out, the wise Suta took birth. Magadha, the most learned man also emerged out of the great Yajna. Great sages Suta and Magadha admired the king in the presence of other sages, and therefore, said, “You should praise Prithu. This work suits your capability and the great emperor is the right person you should praise.”

Wise Magadha and Suta said to holy sages, “Through the glory of karmas we please all gods, goddesses and sages.  O sages, we do not know anything about name, karma, attributes and glory of the king, and therefore, it is difficult to eulogize the most outstanding king what you say about him.” Holy sages understood the dilemma of the wise men.

They said, “You should praise the king for virtues and attributes that will appear in future.”

Surprisingly, wise Suta and Magadha counted karmas and other attributes while they sang in praise of Prithu. The great king fulfilled the need of karmas truly in the real sense. He translated all karmas wise men Suta and Magadha enumerated into facts and truths of life for people to see and follow. From that day onward, the tradition to shower blessings, eulogies and tributes started. The practice of praise and worship of Suta, Magadha and other exalted souls took firm roots. When Suta and Magadha finished praises, the great emperor was very happy, and therefore, gave his kingdom of Anup to Suta and Magadha to Magadha.

When the sages found the king very pleased and cheerful, they said to people, “The king will provide you livelihood.”

When people around heard encouraging words, they ran toward king Prithu and said, “Please arrange for our livelihood.”

When the entire public of the empire surrounded the emperor from all sides, the king rushed to Prithvi with bow and arrows so that he helps and benefits ordinary people. Holy Prithvi trembled with fears, transformed ‘the self’ into a cow and ran fast. Prithu took bow and arrow, and chased the cow.  Holy cow was full of fears and anxiety and went to Brahmaloka and other celestial lands. However, she found king Prithu ahead with divine bow and arrows in hands. He appeared more brilliant and shinning because of the fire-emitting arrows. The generous king was also a great man of yoga, and therefore, it was difficult even for gods to subdue him.

~*~

Prithu was a dedicated person, who for the love of people, requested the divine cow for blessings and he knew that all the worlds were situated in the hallowed cow, and therefore, if the king kills, it will cause destruction.

Holy cow, a sacred object of prayers and worship could not find shelter anywhere in the three lokas, and therefore, she appeared before Prithu with folded hands and said, “O king, all lokas are situated in me. I carry and situate all the sanctified worlds on the back. I hold the burden of all the worlds. If I die because of this reason or if you wipe out my existence, you will also destroy the worlds and its created beings. You must understand the truth quite clearly. O guardian of the Earth, if you wish to benefit public, then you should not kill me. I will say something. You must listen. If efforts are made in right perspective one can accomplish perfectly all karmas. You can think over the solution, I suggest and thereby, if you implement you shall be able to keep population alive. Even if you kill me, you will not be able to look after the population.  O wise man, you should abandon anger and I shall work as you wish. In the Yoni of triag, a woman is not worth assassination. If this is true, then you should not discard dharma.”

When Prithu heard clear urgings of sacred cow, he said, “O cow, a man, who kills for a selfish purpose or for the benefit of another kills many living beings, and therefore, he is eternally condemned. However, if one kills a wicked person so that he benefits many people, then it is no sin or crime. Therefore, O Prithvi –Vasundhara, I shall kill you to benefit public.  If it does not benefit on request and pleas, I shall destroy you with the arrow, and then I shall take shape of Prithvi and benefit public. Therefore, you should obey and protect life of public because you are capable of carrying the burden.  You should become my daughter, and only then I shall stop the arrow ready to slaughter you.”

Prithvi spoke, “O brave man, I shall do everything. You should not doubt. You should find out a calf for me so that I am overwhelmed with motherly love and give milk. O the greatest among the dharmatma -a man of dharma, level the entire earth so that milk flows properly all over.”

Prithu was pleased to hear.

~*~

Prithu performs a great miracle and begins the real world where everyone lives and prospers in love and peace. Good, obligatory and proper transactions among living beings start, and therefore, the cow and the earth fulfill desires of living beings and because of this truth, Prithvi is the primeval reason of survival, one gets the brief.

Now, king Prithu dug out thousands of mountains with the pointed mouth of arrow and gathered them at one place. All mountains increased enormously in size, as the act of the king was stupendous. Prior to this, the land was not level and so proper division of towns and villages was not possible. At that time, no grain, no arrangement for the protection and rearing up of cows, no agricultural activities and no commercial transactions occupied people, and related activities were non-existent. All kinds of such activities started in times of Prithu, one of the sons of Vena. People of the kingdom began settling down in the levelled, even and straight part of the land, and thereafter, build houses and different kinds of dwellings. At that time, only fruit and roots were available for the public to eat and that too, after if one exerted in a big way and made suitable efforts.

To help public, Prithu transformed Swayambhuva Manu into a calf and began to milk cow with hands people believe. Thus, the king extracted different kinds of grains and various precious things out of Prithvi. Further, various kinds of precious minerals, jewels and metals came out of Prithvi. In fact, generous earth as Prithu wished, requested and asked, offered all kinds of essential living support for the use of people so that they live a comfortable life. Adequate grains helped man survive and all come out of holy Prithvi but now, man had begun to exert hard on time so that earth is munificent and liberal. At that time, all holy men, sages, gods, Pitres, Nagas, Daityas, Yaksasasa, Gandharavas, mountains and trees took advantage of holy Prithvi, the primordial reason of survival. Everyone got benefits from the bounteous nature of Prithvi while each one adhered to assigned duties.

To facilitate the entire functioning further, the moon of sages turned into a calf and Brihaspati did work of milking. Milk was Brahma an embodiment of tapa and penance, and the Vedas acted as right and perfect disciples. Gods picked up a golden pot and milked healthy milk. For the gods, lord Indra became a calf and sun god did milking. Pitres and ancestors held a pot or bowl of silver and the most magnificent Yama acted as calf. For them, Antak milked and the milk was Swadha.

~*~

Similar efforts to survive are obvious among the Nagas, the Asuras, Kubera, the Yaksasasa, the Raksasasa and other celestial beings. Milk proves an inevitable means of subsistence, the story continues.

Surprising momentum continued and all created beings collected their share of milk as desired. In the process, Taksaka became a calf for all the Nagas and the pot of milk was Tumbi. Snake Airavata did milking for the Nagas, and thus, they milked poison. For Asuras, Madhu was the milkman. He milked and the liquid contained Maya -delusion. At that time, Virochana was the calf and collected milk in a bowl of iron.  However, Yaksasasa carried a fragile pot where Kubera became the calf. Yaksa Rajatnabha milked for them and the knowledge of disappearance and turning invisible was the milk that came to the share of Yaksasasa share.

Among Raksasasa, Raksasa Sumali became a calf and he milked in a vessel, which was like a khopari -a skull type bowl. Among Gandharavas, Chitraratha did the work of calf and lotus flower was the pot. Surichi milked it and the sweet essence was its milk. This way, everything on earth got its share of milk depending upon the nature of living beings. Thus, each living being on earth was able to get his share of attributes from the divine cow.

King Prithu was the first man on earth, who worked for the wellbeing and comfortable living of each living being whether among the objects of nature or birds or trees or anything else including the gods, the demons or the daityas, the yaksasasa and the raksasa.  He left none without the gift of milk. Prithvi was the source of benedictions and blessings. Still, the same Prithvi is fulfilling the burden of man’s wants at its own risk, and thus, man is responsible for distress or misery if natural calamity, pollution or contamination, fury or anger, disturb. He tries to extract more than it is necessary. Exploitation of natural resources hurts mother Earth –Prithvi, who on the request and command of Prithu ages back agreed to provide everything. However, modern man’s greed casts a shadow of death and destruction around and continues to violate tenets of dharma.

One truth becomes obvious to humankind. Multi - dimensional acts of charity of Prithvi continued to benefit man for millions of years and still it has not disappointed a greedy man. He runs about, flies above, dives deep into the depths of oceans, flies fast on man-made speedy aircrafts or jets or rockets, and lands up at other planets in search of more material comforts but despite stunning  attainments, he fails to satisfy thirst, hunger and curiosity. He knows and still ignores. He knows death is very near, destruction is round the corner, and Yama waits at the door but still he is indifferent. That is a tragedy. Now, when total devastation comes, no Markandeya to witness annihilation will live, and no divine child to help a Markandeya will come forward. This is the way of the world. Ancient wisdom and vision still hold good but alas, man is lost in the deafening sounds of material growth and affluence sans ethical principles.

Thus, a very contemporary thought took birth ages ago where Prithu was the benefactor of created beings, and Prithvi was a source of material progress and life giving food on the request of Prithu.

The most sacred Vasundhara –Prithvi, is the source of different foods, material comforts and richness, and in truth, generous Prithvi is the origin and foundation of created beings - the animate and the inanimate. She bestows blessing and fulfills every wish and desire of man without prejudice. All kinds of grains sprout out of the womb of Earth -gracious and bountiful Prithvi.

The cow-like Prithvi was famous as Madani. It was under the control of Prithu up to the depths of oceans. Thereafter, as king Prithu desired Bhu-devi -Earth or Vasundhara, became his daughter so people call it Prithvi. Prithu carried out investigations and further research, and so the whole land –Prithvi became a storehouse of grains and attained the figure of overall prosperity so that ultimately, it benefits humanity.

With the passage of time, villages and towns emerged and added beauty and glory to Prithvi. Such was the miraculous and divine power of Prithu, who enjoyed blessings of all the sages and the gods. Thus, a son of king Vena, Prithu, with tremendous divine power brought about a huge transformation. Because of divine characteristics and virtues, all created beings worshipped Prithu. Prithvi was thus, an ardent admirer of Prithu. Greatness of virtuous nature of king, and strict adherence to the laws of dharma helped the king in establishing proper system - organizations and institutions for the guidance of man within so that he lives and prospers.

Nothing without dharma is possible in the world. Adharma, injustice, violence and greed might offer immense pleasure and delight but ultimately, such joys prove transitory. If man learns the truth, he is sure to bring happiness and peace. Humanity needs some Prithu, who thinks of the wellbeing and happiness of people and nothing else!