Vayu Purana

अलभन्ती तदा त्राणं वैन्यमेवान्वपद्यत । कृताञ्जलिपुटा देवी पूज्या लोकैस्त्रिभिः सदा

Unable to find protection, she turned to Vainya alone; the goddess, always revered by the three worlds, stood before him with joined palms.

उवाच वैन्यं नाधर्मं स्त्रीवधे परिपश्यसि । कथं धारयिता चासि प्रजा राजन् मया विना

She said to Vainya: 'You do not consider it unrighteous to kill a woman; how will you sustain the people, O king, without me?'

मयि लोकाः स्थिता राजन् मयेदन्धार्यते जगत् । मदृते च विनश्येयुः प्रजाः पार्थिवसत्तम

'O king, the worlds exist in me; by me the universe is supported. Without me, O best of kings, the people would perish.'

न मामर्हसि वै हन्तुं श्रेयश्चेत्त्वं चिकीर्षसि । प्रजानां पृथिवीपाल श्रृणु चेदं वचो मम ॥१५५ . उपायतः समारब्धाः सर्वे सिद्धन्त्युपक्रमाः. हत्वापि मां न शक्तस्त्वं प्रजानां पालने नृप

'You ought not to kill me, if you wish for the welfare of the people, O protector of the earth. Listen to my words: all undertakings begun with a method reach completion. Even if you kill me, O king, you will not be able to protect the people.'

अन्नभूता भविष्यामि जहि कोपं महाद्युते । अवध्याश्च स्त्रियः प्राहुस्तिर्यग्योनिशतेष्वपि । मत्वैवं पृथिवीपाल धर्मं न त्यक्तुमर्हसि

'I will become the source of food; abandon your anger, O greatly radiant one. Women are said to be inviolable, even among a hundred animal species. Knowing this, O protector of the earth, you should not abandon righteousness.'

एवं बहुविधं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा राजा महामनाः । क्रोधं निगृह्य धर्मात्मा वसुधामिदमब्रवीत्

Hearing these many words, the king of great mind, self-controlled and righteous, suppressed his anger and spoke to the earth.

एकस्यार्थाय यो हन्यादात्मनो वा परस्य वा । एकं प्राणं बहून् वापि कामं तस्यास्ति पातकम्

'Whoever kills for the sake of one—whether himself or another—one life or many, that person incurs sin, whether he desires it or not.'

यस्मिंस्तु निहते भद्रे लभन्ते बहवः सुखम् । तस्मिन्हते शुभे नास्ति पातकञ्चोप पातकम् ॥२.१.

'But if, by the death of one, many obtain happiness, then in such a beneficial killing, there is no sin, nor even the shadow of sin.'

६२.१६२ सोऽहं प्रजानिमित्तं त्वां वधिष्यामि वसुन्धरे । यदि मे वचनं नाद्य करिष्यसि जगद्धितम्

'Therefore, for the sake of the people, I will slay you, O Earth, if today you do not act according to my word for the good of the world.'

त्वां निहत्याद्य बाणेन मच्छासनपराङ्मुखीम् । आत्मानं प्रथयित्वेह धारयिष्याम्यहं प्रजाः

'Having slain you today with an arrow, since you turn away from my command, I myself will make myself renowned here and sustain the people.'

सा त्वं वचनमासाद्य मम धर्मभृतां वरे । सञ्जीवय प्रजा नित्यं शक्ता ह्यसि न संशयः

'Therefore, O best of upholders of righteousness, accept my words: always revive the people—you are indeed capable, there is no doubt.'

दुहितृत्वञ्च मे गच्छ एवमेतं महद्वरम् । नियच्छे त्वान्तु धर्मार्थं प्रयुक्तं घोरदर्शने

Become my daughter; in this way, this is a great means. I restrain you now for the sake of righteousness, O terrifying one.

प्रत्युवाच ततो वैन्यमेवमुक्ता सती मही । एवमेतदहं राजन् विधास्यामि न संशयः

Then, thus addressed, the virtuous Earth replied to Vainya: 'So it is, O King; I will do this without doubt.'

वत्सन्तु मम तं यच्छ क्षरेयं येन वत्सला । समाञ्च कुरु सर्वत्र मां त्वं धर्मभृतां वर । यथा विष्यन्दमानञ्च क्षीरं सर्वत्र भावये

Let a calf be given to me, by which, O affectionate one, I may yield; and make me uniform everywhere, O best of the righteous, just as milk flows everywhere, so may I be everywhere.

तत उत्सारयामास शिलाजालानि सर्वशः । धनुष्कोट्या ततो वैन्यस्तेन शैला विवार्द्धिताः

Then Vainya cleared away all the layers of stone with the tip of his bow; by that, the mountains were removed.

मन्वन्तरेष्वतीतेषु विषमासीद्वसुन्धरा । स्वभावेनाभवंस्तस्याः समानि विषमाणि च

In the past Manvantaras, the Earth was uneven by nature; her even and uneven places arose from her own nature.

न हि पूर्वनिसर्गे वै विषमे पृथिवीतले । प्रविभागः पुराणां वा ग्रामाणां वापि विद्यते

Indeed, in the former creation, on the uneven surface of the earth, there was no division of cities or villages.

न सस्यानि न गोरक्षा न कृषिर्न वणिक्पथः । चाक्षुषस्यान्तरे पूर्वमेतदासीत्पुरा किल । वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे तस्मिन्सर्वस्यैतस्य सम्भवः ॥२.१.

There were no crops, no cattle-keeping, no agriculture, nor trade routes; in the interval before the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, this was the state in ancient times. In the Vaivasvata Manvantara, all this came into being.

६२.१७२ समत्वं यत्र यत्रासीद्भूयस्तस्मिंस्तदेव हि । तत्र तत्र प्रजास्ता वै निवसन्ति स्म सर्वदा

Wherever there was evenness, there, indeed, people always dwelt.

आहारः फलमूलन्तु प्रजानामभत्किल । वैन्यात्प्रभृति लोकेऽस्मिन्सर्वस्यैतस्य सम्भवः

The food of the people was fruit and roots, it is said; from Vainya onward, in this world, all this came into being.

कृच्छ्रेण महता सोऽपि प्रनष्टास्वोषधीषु वै । स कल्पयित्वा वत्सन्तु चाक्षुषं मनुमीश्वरः । पृथुर्दुदोह सस्यानि स्वतले पृथिवीं ततः

With great difficulty, even he lost the plants; then the Lord, having appointed a calf, the Cākṣuṣa Manu, Prithu milked the earth for crops from her own surface.

सस्यानि तेन दुग्धानि वैन्येन तु वसुन्धराम् । मनुञ्च चाक्षुषं कृत्वा वत्सम्पात्रे च भूमये । तेनान्नेन तदा ता वै वर्त्तयन्ते प्रजाः सदा

By him, Vainya, the earth was milked for crops; having made Cākṣuṣa Manu the calf and a vessel for the earth, by that food, the people always lived.

ऋषिभिः स्तूयते वापि पुनर्दुग्धा वसुन्धरा । वत्सः सोमस्त्वभूत्तेषां दोग्धा चापि बृहस्पतिः

Again, praised by the sages, the earth was milked; Soma was their calf, and Brihaspati was the milker.

पात्रमासीत्तु छन्दांसि गायत्र्यादीनि सर्वशः । क्षीरमासीत्तदा तेषां तपो ब्रह्म च शाश्वतम्

The vessel was the Vedic metres, all beginning with Gayatri; their milk was austerity and eternal Brahman.

पुनः स्तुत्वा देवगणैः पुरन्दरपुरोगमैः । सौवर्णं पात्रमादाय अमृतं दुदुहे तदा । तेनैव वर्त्तयन्ते च देवा इन्द्रपुरोगमाः

Again, praised by the hosts of gods led by Purandara, taking a golden vessel, they then milked out ambrosia; by that, the gods led by Indra live.

नागैश्च स्तूयते दुग्धा विषं क्षीरं तदा मही । तेषाञ्च वासुकिर्दोग्धा काद्रवेया महौजसः

Praised by the Nagas, the earth was milked for poison as milk; among them, Vasuki was the milker, and the powerful Kadru's sons were the calves.

नागानां वै द्विजश्रेष्ठ सर्पाणाञ्चैव सर्वशः । तेनैव वर्त्तयन्त्युग्रा महाकाया महोल्बणाः । तदाहारास्तदाचारास्तद्वीर्यास्तु सदाश्रयाः

For the Nagas and all the serpents, O best of twice-born, by that they, fierce, great-bodied, and mighty, live; their food, conduct, and strength always depend on that.

श्राम(आम)पात्रे पुनर्दुग्धा त्वन्तर्द्धानमियं मही । वत्सं वैश्रवणं कृत्वा यक्षैः पुण्यजनैस्तथा ॥२.१.

Again, in a vessel of shell-lac, this earth was milked for hidden treasures; making Vaishravana the calf, along with the Yakshas and virtuous beings.

६२.१८२ दोग्धा च जतुनाभस्तु पिता मणिवरस्य सः । यक्षात्मजो महातेजा वशी स सुमहाबलः । तेन ते वर्त्तयन्तीति परमर्षिरुवाच ह

Jatunahbha, the father of the jewel-lord, was the milker; the great-souled, mighty son of a Yaksha. By that, they live, so the great sage said.