Ah, how wondrous was the power of Dhruva’s austerity! How deep his learning, how pure his offerings! The seven sages, moved by his steadfastness, established Dhruva in the heavens, and thus he became the master of the sky, his brilliance shining above all. From Dhruva, two beings, Puṣṭi and Bhavya, were born—brought forth from the earth itself. Puṣṭi declared, “Become my shadow,” and Bhava, the lord, took her as his wife. When he spoke the truth, a divine woman appeared at once—her form radiant and adorned in celestial ornaments, accompanied by her own shadow. In this Chāyā, Puṣṭi gave birth to five flawless sons: Prācīnagarbha, Vṛṣaka, Vṛka, Vṛkala, and Dhṛti. Prācīnagarbha’s wife, Bhūvarcā, bore a son named Udāradhiya, who, in a previous birth, had been Indra himself. After a thousand years, Udāradhiya partook of food but once, and having fulfilled his destined era, he attained the position of Indra. Bhadrā, the wife of Udāradhiya, gave birth to Divanjaya. From Divanjaya and Varāṅgī came Ripu and Ripunjaya. Ripu’s wife, Bṛhatī, bore a son, Cākṣuṣa, who was endowed with all brilliance. Cākṣuṣa Manu, son of Prajāpati and the noble Araṇya, was born of Puṣkariṇī and Vāruṇī. To Manu, auspicious sons were born from Nadvalā, who herself was the blessed daughter of Vairāja Prajāpati. These sons were Ūru, Pūru, Śatadyumna, Tapasvī, Satyavāk, Kavi, Agniṣṭuda, Atirātra, Sudyumna, and the tenth, Abhimanyu. Āgneyī, illustrious and radiant, gave birth to six sons from her thighs: Aṅga, Sumanasa, Svāti, Kratu, Aṅgirasa, and Śiva. Aṅga’s only son was Sunītha, and from Sunītha came Vena. But Vena, through his misconduct, incited great anger among the sages. For the sake of the people, the sages churned Vena’s right hand, and from this act emerged a great king—Vainya—renowned as Pṛthu. He was born with a bow and armor, blazing with energy. Pṛthu Vainya, descended from the Kṣatriya line, became the protector of all the worlds. To sing of his greatness, the skilled Sūta and Māgadha were brought forth. Under Pṛthu’s wise rule, the earth was milked for grains, with the help of the gods and sages, ensuring the livelihood of all people. The ancestors, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Apsarases, all virtuous beings, plants, and mountains—each received their share as the earth was milked in various vessels, yielding the desired sustenance and thus supporting the worlds. The sages then spoke: “O great-minded one, tell us in detail of Pṛthu’s birth, and how, in ancient times, the earth was milked by that great soul. Describe how it was done by gods, Nāgas, Brahmarṣis, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Apsarases, and all beings. Tell us of the special vessels, milkers, the milk itself, and the calves chosen by each group. And explain why, in times past, Vena’s hand was churned by the angry sages. Tell us all of this.” The narrator replied, “O Brāhmaṇas, I will describe for you the origin of Pṛthu Vainya. Listen attentively and with devotion, O best of the twice-born. I will not recount this sacred story to the impure, the sinful, the unworthy, or to those without vows, under any circumstances. This tale is heavenly, glorious, life-extending, sacred, and in harmony with the Vedas. It is a secret of the sages, and only the envy-free should listen. Whoever ensures this story of Pṛthu Vainya’s origin is heard by mortals, after honoring the Brāhmaṇas, will be free from regret for deeds done or left undone. That king was a protector of dharma, powerful like Atri. Aṅga, counted among the progenitors and born in the lineage of Atri, had a son named Vena, who was not exceedingly righteous. Vena’s mother was Sunīthā, daughter of Death, and thus, through the fault of his maternal grandfather, Vena—descended from Time—was born. Vena abandoned righteousness out of desire and greed, and under his rule, dharma was set aside. He transgressed the Vedas and scriptures, and became devoted to unrighteousness. The people ceased reciting the Vedas and performing the vaṣaṭ call, yet the gods continued to drink soma from sacrifices held nearby. As destruction approached, Vena imposed a cruel vow: “No one shall perform sacrifices or offer oblations.” He declared, “I alone am to be worshipped and honored in all sacrifices by the twice-born. Sacrifices must be offered to me, and oblations poured for me.” All the great sages, led by Marīci, addressed Vena, who had overstepped all bounds and acted in ways never seen before: “We will undertake initiation for many hundreds of years. O Vena, do not act unrighteously—this is not the eternal dharma. At your death, you will surely be reborn as a lord of creatures. You once promised: I will protect the people.” Thus admonished, Vena responded to the Brahmarṣis. But that wicked-minded man, skilled in speech, laughed and said, “Who else is the creator of dharma? Whose words should I heed? Who on earth is equal to me in strength, learning, austerity, and truth? Know me as the great-souled one, lacking nothing. I am the source of all worlds, especially of dharmas. If I wished, I could burn the earth, flood it with water, create or destroy it—there is no need for further deliberation.” When King Vena, deluded by pride, could not be restrained by persuasion, the great sages, enraged, took action. Seizing that mighty-armed man, thrashing about like fire, they, in their anger, churned his left arm.