In days of old, O king, it was well known that wherever Hari, the Lord of sacrifice, was worshipped with due rites and offerings, he bestowed upon the rulers of that land all that they desired. Yet, in the kingdom of Vena, the course of righteousness was challenged. Vena, puffed up with pride, declared before all, “Who is greater than I? Who else is worthy of worship besides me? Who is this Hari, called the Lord of sacrifice, whom you regard as supreme?” He proclaimed further, “Brahma, Janardana, Shambhu, Indra, Vayu, Yama, Ravi, Agni, Varuna, Dhata, Pusha, Earth, and the Moon—all these deities, who grant both curses and blessings, reside within the body of the king. Know that the king is the very embodiment of all the gods. Thus, let my command be obeyed: let there be no gifts, no sacrifices, and no offerings, O twice-born ones. Just as a woman’s highest duty is to serve her husband, so too is it your duty, O twice-born, to obey my command.” The sages, alarmed at this unrighteous decree, humbly entreated Vena: “Grant us permission, O great king. Do not let righteousness perish. The transformation of offerings sustains the world.” But though they pleaded with him again and again, Vena remained obstinate and refused to yield. Anger and indignation welled up in the hearts of the sages. They turned to one another and cried, “Let him be slain! Let this sinner be slain! He who reviles Vishnu, the eternal Lord and personification of sacrifice, is unworthy to rule the earth.” Resolute in their purpose, the assembly of sages struck down King Vena with blades of kuśa grass, empowered by sacred mantras, punishing him for his blasphemy against the divine. Soon after, dust began to rise everywhere, and the people approached the sages, asking, “What is this?” The people explained that in the absence of a king, theft had arisen in the land; those greedy for others’ property had begun to seize it. Fierce-hearted thieves stirred up great clouds of dust as they plundered and looted. Distressed by the chaos, the wise sages deliberated together. Seeking to restore order, they resolved to churn the thigh of the king, who had left no son, in hopes of producing an heir. From their churning, a man emerged—dark as a burnt pillar, bald-headed, and very short. Cleverly, he asked the sages, “What shall I do?” They replied, “Sit down,” and thus he became known as Niṣāda. From him were born the Niṣādas, dwellers of the Vindhya mountains, marked by sinful deeds. Through this act, the king’s accumulated sins departed from him, and the Niṣādas became the destroyers of Vena’s wickedness. Then, the sages churned Vena’s right hand. From their effort arose Prithu, son of Vena, radiant and powerful, blazing like fire. From the heavens descended a primordial bow named Ājagava, along with divine arrows and armor. At Prithu’s birth, all beings everywhere rejoiced. Even Vena, through the merit of his noble son, was delivered from the hell called Puṇ and ascended to heaven. The oceans and rivers, bringing their jewels and waters, came together for Prithu’s consecration. Pitamaha Brahma himself, along with the gods, the descendants of Angiras, and all beings—both moving and unmoving—assembled and anointed Prithu, son of Vena, as king. Seeing the discus mark on Prithu’s right hand, Pitamaha recognized him as a portion of Vishnu and was supremely satisfied. Indeed, the mark of Vishnu’s discus is found on the hands of all universal emperors, whose power is unimpeded even by the gods. Thus, Prithu, endowed with great energy and valor, was duly consecrated as king, ruling with vast dominion and righteousness. Where his father had alienated the people, Prithu won them over with affection and virtue, earning the true title of ‘king.’ The very elements honored him: the waters stilled before him as he approached the ocean, the mountains made way, and his banners were never broken. The earth yielded crops without tilling, food was provided effortlessly, cows bestowed all that was desired, and honey was found in every vessel. At the auspicious ancestral sacrifice held at Prithu’s birth, a wise Suta was born on the day of the Sutyā. At that same great sacrifice, a learned Magadha was also born. The eminent sages proclaimed both Suta and Magadha, instructing them, “Let this king, Prithu, son of Vena and full of valor, be praised; your actions are fitting, and you are the proper recipients of praise.” With hands joined in reverence, Suta and Magadha addressed the Brahmins, saying, “The deeds of this newly born king are not yet known to us. His qualities are not yet established, nor is his fame; upon what should we base our praise, and what should we declare?” The sages replied, “This mighty universal emperor will perform great deeds; let him be praised for the virtues he will possess.” Hearing this, King Prithu was filled with supreme satisfaction. “One is praised for good qualities,” he declared, “therefore, virtues are praiseworthy to me. Whatever qualities these two will describe today in their praise, I too will strive to embody. And if they mention anything that should be avoided, I will avoid it.” Thus resolved, the king set his mind firmly upon righteousness, determined to be worthy of the praise bestowed upon him.