Vayu Purana

अहमिज्यश्च पूज्यश्च सर्वयज्ञे द्विजातिभिः । मयि यज्ञो विधातव्यो मयि होतव्यमित्यपि

'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.'

तमतिक्रान्तमर्यादमाददानमसाम्प्रतम् । ऊचुर्महर्षयः सर्वे मरीचिप्रमुखास्तथा

All the great sages, led by Marīci, addressed him, who had transgressed the bounds of propriety and acted in unprecedented ways.

वयं दीक्षां प्रवेक्ष्यामः संवत्सरशतान् बहून् । माऽधर्मं वेन कार्षीस्त्वं नैष धर्मः सनातनः । निधने च प्रसूतोऽसि प्रजापतिरसंशयः

'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 certainly be reborn as a lord of creatures.'

पालयिष्ये प्रजाश्चेति त्वया पूर्वं प्रतिश्रुतम् । तांस्तथा वादिनः सर्वान् ब्रह्मर्षीनब्रवीत्तदा

'You previously promised: I will protect the people.' Thus addressed by all those sages, he spoke to the Brahmarṣis.

स प्रहस्य तु दुर्बुद्धिरिदं वचनकोविदः । स्रष्टा धर्मस्य कश्चान्यः श्रोतव्यं कस्य वै मया

But that wicked-minded man, skilled in speech, laughed and said: 'Who else is the creator of dharma? Whose words should I listen to?'

वीर्यश्रुततपःसत्यैर्मया वा कः समो भुवि । महात्मानमनूनं मां यूयं जानीत तत्त्वतः

'Who on earth is equal to me in strength, learning, austerity, and truth? Know me truly as the great-souled one, lacking nothing.'

प्रभवः सर्वलोकानां धर्माणाञ्च विशेषतः । इच्छन् दहेयं पृथिवीं प्लावयेयं जलेन वा । सृजेयं वा ग्रसेयं वा नात्र कार्या विचारणा

'I am the source of all worlds, especially of dharmas; if I wish, I could burn the earth, flood it with water, create or destroy it—there is no need for deliberation here.'

यदा न शक्यते स्तम्भान्मानाच्च भृशमोहितः । अनुनेतुं नृपो वेनस्ततः क्रुद्धा महर्षयः

When King Vena, deluded by pride, could not be restrained by persuasion, the great sages, enraged, acted.

निगृह्य तं महाबाहुं विस्फुरन्तं यथाऽनलम् । ततोऽस्य वामहस्तं ते ममन्थुर्भृशकोपिताः ॥२.१.

Seizing that mighty-armed man, who thrashed about like fire, they, greatly angered, churned his left arm.

६२.१२० तस्मात् प्रमथ्यमानाद्वै जज्ञे पूर्वमभिश्रुतः । ह्रस्वोऽतिमात्रं पुरुषः कृष्णश्चापि तथा द्विजाः

From that churning, there was first born a man, as previously foretold, who was extremely short and dark-skinned, O twice-born.

स भीतः प्राञ्जलिश्चैव स्थितवान् व्याकुलेन्द्रियः । तमार्त्तं विह्वलं दृष्ट्वा निषीदेत्यब्रुवन् किल

Frightened, with joined palms and agitated senses, he stood there; seeing him distressed and bewildered, they said, 'Sit down.'

निषादवंशकर्त्ताऽसौ बभूवानन्तविक्रमः । धीवरानसृजत्सोऽपि वेनकल्मषसम्भवान्

He became the progenitor of the Niṣāda lineage, possessing endless vigor; he also created fishermen, born from Vena's sin.

ये चान्ये विन्ध्यनिलयास्तुम्बुरातुवराः खसाः । अधर्मरुचयश्चापि सम्भूता वेनकल्मषात्

And others dwelling in the Vindhya mountains—Tumbura, Tuvara, Khasas—those inclined to unrighteousness, also arose from Vena's sin.

पुनर्महर्षयस्तस्य पाणिं वेनस्य दक्षिणम् । अरणीमिव संरम्भान्ममन्थुर्जातमन्यवः

Then the great sages, filled with anger, churned Vena's right hand, as if it were an arani stick.

पृथुस्तस्मात् समुत्पन्नः करास्फालनतेजसः । पृथोः करतलाद्वापि यस्माज्जातः पृथुस्ततः । दीप्यमानः स्ववपुषा साक्षादग्निरिवोज्वलन्

From that, Pṛthu was born, radiant with the energy of the striking hand; because he was born from Pṛthu's palm, he was called Pṛthu, shining with his own form like blazing fire.

आद्यमाजगवं नाम धनुर्गृह्य महारवम् । शरांश्च बिभ्रद्रक्षार्थं कवचञ्च महाप्रभम्

Taking up the foremost bow called 'Ajagava', which resounded greatly, and bearing arrows for protection, along with a splendid armor,

तस्मिञ्जातेऽथ भूतानि संप्रहृष्टानि सर्वशः । समुत्पन्ने महारात्रि वेनश्च त्रिदिवङ्गतः

When he was born, all beings became joyful everywhere; at the arising of the great night, Vena departed to heaven.

समुत्पन्नेन राजर्षिः स सत्पुत्रेण धीमता । पुरुषव्याघ्रः पुन्नाम्नो नरकात्र्त्रायते ततः

With his wise son thus born, the royal sage, a tiger among men, named Pṛthu, rescued his ancestors from hell.

तं नद्यश्च समुद्राश्च रत्नान्यादाय सर्वशः । समागम्य तदा वैन्यमभ्यषिञ्चन्नराधिपम् । महता राजराज्येन महाराजं महाद्युतिम्

Then, rivers and oceans, bringing all kinds of jewels, gathered together and anointed Vainya as king of men, with the great royal kingdom, making him a mighty, radiant monarch.

६२.१३० सोऽभिषिक्तो महाराजा देवैरङ्गिरसः सुतैः । आदिराजो महाराजः पृथुर्वैन्यः प्रतापवान्

He was consecrated as a great king by the sons of Angiras among the gods; Pṛthu Vainya, the illustrious, became the first and foremost king.

पित्राऽपरञ्जितास्तस्य प्रजास्तेनानुरञ्जिताः । ततो राजेति नामास्य अनुरागादजायत

His subjects, whom his father had not won over, were won over by him; thus, from their affection, he acquired the name 'Rāja' (King).

आपस्तस्तम्भिरे चास्य समुद्रमभियास्यतः । पर्वताश्च विशीर्यन्ते ध्वजभङ्गश्च नाभवत्

The waters stood still for him as he approached the ocean; mountains shattered, and there was no breaking of banners.

अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी सिद्ध्यन्त्यन्नानि चिन्तया । सर्वकामदुघा गावः पुटके पुटके मधु

The earth yielded crops without being plowed, food was produced by mere thought; cows gave all desired things, and honey was found in every vessel.

एतस्मिन्नेव काले च यज्ञे पैतामहे शुभे । सूतः सूत्यां समुत्पन्नः सौत्येऽहनि महामतिः । तस्मिन्नेव महायज्ञे जज्ञे प्राज्ञोऽथ मागधः

At that very time, during the auspicious ancestral sacrifice, a wise Sūta was born on the day of the Sūtya; in that great sacrifice, a learned Māgadha was also born.

ऐन्द्रेण हविषा चापि हविः पृक्तं बृहस्पतेः । जुहावेन्द्राय देवेन ततः सूतो व्यजायत

With the oblation for Indra, and also the oblation mixed with that of Bṛhaspati, the god offered it to Indra; from that, the Sūta was born.

प्रमादस्तत्र सञ्जज्ञे प्रायश्चित्तञ्च कर्मसु । शिष्यहव्येन यत्पृक्तमाभिभूतं गुरोर्हविः । अधरोत्तरचारेण जज्ञे तद्वर्णवैकृतम्

There, error arose, and expiation in the rites; what was mixed with the disciple's oblation overcame the teacher's oblation; through lower and upper conduct, that variation of caste was produced.

यच्च क्षत्रात्सम्भवद्ब्राह्मण्यां हीनयोनितः । सूतः पूर्वेण साधर्मतुल्यधर्मः प्रकीर्त्तितः

And what was born from a Kṣatriya father and a Brahmin mother, of inferior origin, the Sūta, is declared to have the same duties as the previous one.

मध्यमो ह्येष सूतस्य धर्मः क्षत्रोपजीवनम् । रथनागाश्च चरितं जघन्यञ्च चिकित्सितम्

This is the middle duty of the Sūta: living by service to Kṣatriyas; driving chariots and elephants, and the lowest is medical treatment.

पृथोः स्तवार्थं तौ तत्र समाहूतौ सुरर्षिभिः । तावूचुर्मुनयः सर्वे स्तूयतामेष पार्थिवः । कर्मैतदनुरूपं वां पात्रं स्तोत्रस्य चाप्ययम् ॥२.१.

For the purpose of praising Pṛthu, those two were summoned there by the divine sages; all the sages said: 'Let this king be praised; this deed and you both are fit for the hymn.'