निःस्वाध्यायवषट्काराः प्रजास् तस्मिन् प्रजापतौ प्रवृत्तं न पपुः सोमं हुतं यज्ञेषु देवताः
When that lord of creatures ruled, the people no longer uttered the svadhyaya or the vashat call; the gods did not drink soma, nor was the oblation offered in sacrifices.
न यष्टव्यं न होतव्यम् इति तस्य प्रजापतेः आसीत् प्रतिज्ञा क्रूरेयं विनाशे प्रत्युपस्थिते
In that lord of creatures arose a cruel resolve: 'Let there be no sacrifices, let there be no offerings,' as destruction approached.
अहम् इज्यश् च यष्टा च यज्ञश् चेति भृगूद्वह मयि यज्ञो विधातव्यो मयि होतव्यम् इत्य् अपि
O best of Bhrigus, I am the worship, the worshipper, and the sacrifice itself; the sacrifice must be performed for me, and the offerings must be made to me.
तम् अतिक्रान्तमर्यादम् आददानम् असांप्रतम् ऊचुर् महर्षयः सर्वे मरीचिप्रमुखास् तदा
Then all the great sages, led by Marichi, addressed him, who had overstepped all bounds and acted inappropriately.
वयं दीक्षां प्रवेक्ष्यामः संवत्सरगणान् बहून् अधर्मं कुरु मा वेण एष धर्मः सनातनः
We shall undertake the vow for many years; do not commit unrighteousness, O Vena, for this is the eternal law.
निधने ऽत्रेः प्रसूतस् त्वं प्रजापतिर् असंशयम् प्रजाश् च पालयिष्ये ऽहम् इतीह समयः कृतः
You are born at the death of Atri, and are indeed the lord of creatures; I will protect the people—such was the agreement made here.
तांस् तथा ब्रुवतः सर्वान् महर्षीन् अब्रवीत् तदा वेणः प्रहस्य दुर्बुद्धिर् इमम् अर्थम् अनर्थवित्
As all those great sages spoke thus, Vena, lacking understanding, laughed and replied to them with these harmful words.
स्रष्टा धर्मस्य कश् चान्यः श्रोतव्यं कस्य वा मया श्रुतवीर्यतपःसत्यैर् मया वा कः समो भुवि
Who else is the creator of righteousness? Whose words should I hear? Who on earth is equal to me in learning, heroism, austerity, and truth?
प्रभवं सर्वभूतानां धर्माणां च विशेषतः संमूढा न विदुर् नूनं भवन्तो मां विचेतसः
You are surely deluded and lack discernment, for you do not know my true nature as the origin of all beings and especially of righteousness.
इच्छन् दहेयं पृथिवीं प्लावयेयं जलैस् तथा द्यां वै भुवं च रुन्धेयं नात्र कार्या विचारणा
If I wished, I could burn the earth, flood it with waters, or block the heavens and the earth—there is no need for deliberation here.
यदा न शक्यते मोहाद् अवलेपाच् च पार्थिवः अपनेतुं तदा वेणस् ततः क्रुद्धा महर्षयः
When, due to delusion and pride, the king could not be removed, then the great sages, angered, acted against Vena.
तं निगृह्य महात्मानो विस्फुरन्तं महाबलम् ततो ऽस्य सव्यम् ऊरुं ते ममन्थुर् जातमन्यवः
The great-souled sages, their wrath aroused, restrained the mighty, struggling Vena and then vigorously churned his left thigh.
तस्मिन् निमथ्यमाने वै राज्ञ ऊरौ तु जज्ञिवान् ह्रस्वो ऽतिमात्रः पुरुषः कृष्णश् चेति बभूव ह
As the king's thigh was being churned, there arose a man, exceedingly short and dark in complexion.
स भीतः प्राञ्जलिर् भूत्वा तस्थिवान् द्विजसत्तमाः तम् अत्रिर् विह्वलं दृष्ट्वा निषीदेत्य् अब्रवीत् तदा
Frightened, he stood with folded hands before the best of twice-born; seeing him distressed, Atri then said, 'Sit down.'
निषादवंशकर्तासौ बभूव वदतां वराः धीवरान् असृजच् चापि वेणकल्मषसंभवान्
He became the progenitor of the Nishada lineage, O best of speakers, and also created the fishermen, born from Vena's impurity.
ये चान्ये विन्ध्यनिलयास् तथा पर्वतसंश्रयाः अधर्मरुचयो विप्रास् ते तु वै वेणकल्मषाः
And those others who dwell in the Vindhya and on mountains, who delight in unrighteousness, O brahmins, are also tainted by Vena's sin.
ततः पुनर् महात्मानः पाणिं वेणस्य दक्षिणम् अरणीम् इव संरब्धा ममन्थुर् जातमन्यवः
Then again, the great-souled sages, their wrath aroused, churned Vena's right hand like a fire-stick.
पृथुस् तस्मात् समुत्पन्नः कराज् ज्वलनसंनिभः दीप्यमानः स्ववपुषा साक्षाद् अग्निर् इव ज्वलन्
From that hand arose Prithu, blazing like fire, shining with his own radiance, as if he were Agni himself manifest.
अथ सो ऽजगवं नाम धनुर् गृह्य महारवम् शरांश् च दिव्यान् रक्षार्थं कवचं च महाप्रभम्
Then he took up the great-sounding bow named Ajagava, along with divine arrows for protection, and a radiant armor.
तस्मिञ् जाते ऽथ भूतानि संप्रहृष्टानि सर्वशः समापेतुर् महाभागा वेणस् तु त्रिदिवं ययौ
When he was born, all beings everywhere became delighted, and the illustrious Vena went to heaven.
समुत्पन्नेन भो विप्राः सत्पुत्रेण महात्मना त्रातः स पुरुषव्याघ्रः पुंनाम्नो नरकात् तदा
O Brahmins, by the birth of this noble son, that tiger among men was saved from the hell named Put.
तं समुद्राश् च नद्यश् च रत्नान्य् आदाय सर्वशः तोयानि चाभिषेकार्थं सर्व एवोपतस्थिरे
Then the oceans and rivers, bringing all kinds of jewels and waters for the consecration, all approached him.
पितामहश् च भगवान् देवैर् आङ्गिरसैः सह स्थावराणि च भूतानि जङ्गमानि च सर्वशः
The blessed Grandfather, together with the gods, the Angirases, all stationary and moving beings, were present.
समागम्य तदा वैण्यम् अभ्यषिञ्चन् नराधिपम् महता राजराजेन प्रजास् तेनानुरञ्जिताः
Having assembled, they anointed the son of Vena as king of men with the great royal consecration, and the people were pleased by him.
सो ऽभिषिक्तो महातेजा विधिवद् धर्मकोविदैः आधिराज्ये तदा राज्ञां पृथुर् वैण्यः प्रतापवान्
Thus consecrated with proper rites by those skilled in dharma, the mighty Pṛthu, son of Vena, became the sovereign of kings.
पित्रापरञ्जितास् तस्य प्रजास् तेनानुरञ्जिताः अनुरागात् ततस् तस्य नाम राजाभ्यजायत
His subjects, formerly displeased with his father, were won over by him; from their affection, he became known as 'the king'.
आपस् तस्तम्भिरे तस्य समुद्रम् अभियास्यतः पर्वताश् च ददुर् मार्गं ध्वजभङ्गश् च नाभवत्
As he approached the ocean, the waters held back for him, the mountains made a path, and no banners were broken.
अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी सिध्यन्त्य् अन्नानि चिन्तनात् सर्वकामदुघा गावः पुटके पुटके मधु
The earth yielded crops without plowing, food was produced by mere thought, cows granted every wish, and honey was found in every hollow.
एतस्मिन्न् एव काले तु यज्ञे पैतामहे शुभे सूतः सूत्यां समुत्पन्नः सौत्ये ऽहनि महामतिः
At that very time, during the auspicious ancestral sacrifice, a wise Sūta was born on the day of the Sūti rite.
तस्मिन्न् एव महायज्ञे जज्ञे प्राज्ञो ऽथ मागधः पृथोः स्तवार्थं तौ तत्र समाहूतौ महर्षिभिः
In that great sacrifice, a learned Māgadha was also born, and both were summoned by the great sages to praise Pṛthu.