Vayu Purana

इयञ्चासीत् समुद्रान्ता मेदिनीति परिश्रुता। दुहितृत्वमनुप्राप्ता पृथिवीत्युच्यते ततः ।। २.

This earth, bounded by the ocean, was renowned as Medinī; having attained the status of daughter, she is then called Pṛthivī.

प्रथिता प्रविभक्ता च शोभिता च वसुन्धरा। सस्याकरवती राज्ञा पत्तनाकरमालिनी। चातुर्वर्ण्यसमाकीर्णा रक्षिता तेन धीमता ।। २.

The earth, widespread, divided, and splendid, adorned with fields and cities, filled with the four castes, was protected by that wise king.

एवंप्रभावो राजासीद्वैन्यः स नृपसत्तमः। नमस्यश्चैव पूज्यश्च भूतग्रामेण सर्वशः ।। २.

That king Vainya, of such power, was the foremost among rulers; he was to be honored and worshipped by all living beings.

ब्राह्मणैश्च महाभागैर्वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः। पृथुरेव नमस्कार्यो ब्रह्मयोनिः सनातनः ।। २.

By the highly fortunate brāhmaṇas, accomplished in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, Pṛthu alone is to be saluted, being of Brahma's lineage and eternal.

पार्थिवैश्च महाभागैः प्रार्थयद्भिर्महद्यशः। आदिराजा न मस्कार्यः पृथुर्वैन्यः प्रतापवान् ।। २.

By the highly fortunate kings, seeking great fame, the first king, Pṛthu Vainya, mighty in splendor, is not to be disregarded.

योधैरपि च संग्रामे प्रार्थयानैर्जयं युधि। आदिकर्त्ता नराणां वै नमस्यः पृथुरेव हि ।। २.

Even by warriors in battle, seeking victory in war, Pṛthu alone, the first doer among men, is to be saluted.

यो हि योद्धा रणं याति कीर्त्तयित्वा पृथुं नृपम्। स घोररूपे संग्रामे क्षेमी तरति कीर्तिमान् ।। २.

Whoever, as a warrior, enters battle after praising King Pṛthu, crosses the fierce conflict safely and attains fame.

वैश्यैरपि च राजर्षिर्वैश्यवृत्तिसमास्थितैः। पृथुरेव नमस्कार्यो वृत्तिदाता महायशाः ।। २.

Even among the Vaiśyas, the royal sage Pṛthu, who upheld the occupation of the Vaiśyas, is to be revered, for he was the giver of livelihood and possessed great fame.

एते वत्सविशेषाश्च दोग्धारः क्षीरमेव च। पात्राणि च मयोक्तानि सर्वाण्येव यथाक्रमम् ।। २.

These specific calves, the milkers, the milk itself, and the vessels—all these have been described by me in due order.

ब्रह्मणा प्रथमं दुग्धा पुरा पृथ्वी महात्मना। वायुं कृत्वा तदा वत्सं बीजानि वसुधातले ।। २.

In the beginning, the great-souled Brahmā milked the earth, making Vāyu the calf and the seeds on the earth's surface the milk.

ततः स्वायम्भुवे पूर्वन्तदा मन्वन्तरे पुनः। वत्सं स्वायम्भुवं कृत्वा दुग्धा ग्रीष्मेण वै मही ।। २.

Then, in the earlier Svāyambhuva Manvantara, the earth was again milked, making Svāyambhuva Manu the calf and Grīṣma the milker.

* मनौ स्वारोचिषे दुग्धा मही चैत्रेण धीमता। मनुं स्वारोचिषं कृत्वा वत्सं सस्यानि वै पुरा ।। २.

In the Svārociṣa Manvantara, the wise Manu Svārociṣa made himself the calf and milked the earth, with crops as the milk, in ancient times.

उत्तमेऽनुत्तमेनापि दुग्धा देवभुजेन तु । मनुं कृत्वोत्तमं वत्सं सर्वसस्यानि धीमता ।। २.

In the Uttama Manvantara, the god Devabhuja, making Uttama Manu the calf, wisely milked the earth for all crops, even with Anuttama as the milker.

पुनश्च पञ्चमे पृथ्वी तामसस्यान्तरे मनोः। दुग्धेयं तामसं वत्सं कृत्वा तु बलबन्धुना ।। २.

Again, in the fifth Tāmasa Manvantara, Balabandhu made Tāmasa the calf and milked this earth.

चारिष्णवस्य देवस्य संप्राप्ते चान्तरे मनोः। दुग्धा मही पुराणेन वत्सञ्चारिष्णवं प्रति ।। २..

When the Manvantara of Cāriṣṇava Deva arrived, the ancient one milked the earth, making Cāriṣṇava the calf.

चाक्षुषेऽपि च सम्प्राप्ते तदा मन्वन्तरे पुनः। दुग्धा मही पुराणेन वत्सं कृत्वा तु चाक्षुषम् ।। २.

Again, when the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara came, the ancient one milked the earth, making Cākṣuṣa the calf.

चाक्षुषस्यान्तरेऽतीते प्राप्ते वैवस्वते पुनः । वैन्येनेयं मही दुग्धा यथा ते कीर्तितं मया ।। २.

After the end of the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara and with the arrival of Vaivasvata, Vainya milked this earth, as I have described to you.

एतैर्दुग्धा पुरा पृथ्वी व्यतीतेष्वन्तरेषु वै। देवादिभिर्मनुष्यैश्च तथा भूतादिभिश्च या ।। २.

Thus, in the past intervals, the earth was milked by gods and others, by humans and beings such as these.

एवं सर्वेषु विज्ञेया ह्यतीतानागतेष्विह। देवा मन्वन्तरेष्वस्य पृथोस्तु श्रृणुत प्रजाः ।। २.

In this way, it should be understood that in all past and future Manvantaras, the gods are present; now listen to the progeny of Pṛthu.

पृथोस्तु पुत्रौ विक्रान्तौ जज्ञातेऽन्तर्द्धिपालिनौ। शिखण्डिनी हविर्द्धानमन्तर्द्धानाद्व्यजायत ।। २.

Pṛthu had two mighty sons, Antarddhāna and Pālin; from Antarddhāna was born Śikhaṇḍinī and Havirdhāna.

हविर्द्धानात्षडाग्नेयी धिषणाऽजनयत्सुतान्। प्राचीनबर्हिषं शुक्रं गयं कृष्णं व्रजाजिनौ ।। २.

From Havirdhāna and his wife Dhiṣaṇā, six sons were born: Prācīnabarhis, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, Vraja, and Ajina.

प्राचीनबर्हिर्भगवान् महानासीत् प्रजापतिः। बलुश्रुततपोवीर्यैः पृथिव्यामेकराढसौ। प्राचीनाग्राः कुशास्तस्य तस्मात्प्राचीन बर्ह्यसौ ।। २.

Prācīnabarhis, the blessed and great lord of creatures, was a sovereign on earth, renowned for his strength, asceticism, and knowledge; his sacred grass faced east, hence he was called Prācīnabarhis.

समुद्रतनयायान्तु कृतदारः स वै प्रभुः। महतस्तमसः पारे सवर्णायां प्रजापतेः। सवर्णाऽऽधत्त सामुद्री दश प्राचीन बर्हिषः ।। २.

That lord took as wife the daughter of the ocean, Savarṇā, born beyond the great darkness; from Savarṇā, Prācīnabarhis had ten sons called the Pracetas.

सर्वे प्रचेतसो नाम धनुर्वेदस्य पारगाः। अपृथग्धर्मचरणास्तेऽतप्यन्त महत्तपः। दशवर्षसहस्राणि समुद्रसलिलेशयाः ।। २.

All were known as the Pracetas, masters of the science of archery, united in righteous conduct; they performed great austerities for ten thousand years, lying in the waters of the ocean.

तपश्चरत्सु पृथिवीं प्रचेतःसु महीरुहाः। अरक्ष्यमाणामाववृर्बभूवाथ प्रजाक्षयः ।। २.

While the Pracetas practiced austerities, the trees grew unchecked on earth, and as a result, there was a decline of living beings.

प्रत्याहते तदा तस्मिंश्चाक्षुषस्यान्तरे मनोः । नाशकन् मारुतो वातुं वृतं खमभवद्द्रुमैः। दशवर्षसहस्राणि न शेकुश्चेष्टितुं प्रजाः ।। २.

When, in that interval between Cākṣuṣa Manu and the next, the wind was repelled and could not blow, for the sky was blocked by trees, for ten thousand years the living beings were unable to move.

तदुपश्रुत्य तपसा सर्वे युक्ताः प्रचेतसः। मुखेभ्यो वायुमग्निञ्च ससृजुर्ज्जातमन्यवः ।। २.

Hearing of this, all the Pracetas, steadfast in austerity and filled with wrath, released wind and fire from their mouths.

उन्मूलानथ तान् वृक्षान् कृत्वा वायुरशोषयत्। तानग्निरदहद्वोर एवमासीद् द्रुमक्षयः ।। २.

Then the wind uprooted those trees and dried them up; fire consumed them as well—thus there was the destruction of the trees.

द्रुमक्षयमथो बुद्ध्वा किञ्चिच्छेषेषु शाखिषु। उपगम्याब्रवीदेतान् राजा सोमः प्रचेतसः ।। २.

When the destruction of the trees was known, and only a few branches remained, King Soma approached the Pracetas and spoke to them.