Wherever the goddess Earth, the bearer of all beings, went in her distress, she found King Vainya’s son, Pṛthu, ever before her—his weapon raised, determined and unyielding. Trembling with fear and seeking protection from his arrows, the Earth approached the mighty king and spoke: “O King, to kill a woman is a great sin—do you not see this? Why do you pursue me so relentlessly, seeking to slay me?” Pṛthu replied, “When a wicked one is slain, the welfare of many is secured; such an act brings merit, not sin.” The Earth pleaded, “If you kill me for the sake of your people, O best of kings, who then will be their support? Who will uphold your subjects if I am destroyed?” Pṛthu answered with resolve, “If you, O Earth, turn away from my command, I shall strike you down with my arrows. Yet even then, by the power of my own yoga, I will sustain these people.” Overcome with fear, her body trembling, the Earth bowed before the king and spoke again, “All endeavors succeed when undertaken with proper means. Therefore, I will show you a way—if you wish, do as I say. O lord of men, I have digested all the great plants within me; if you desire, I will yield them to you, transformed into milk. For the welfare of your people, O upholder of dharma, make a calf by which I may be milked. Make the milk equal everywhere, so it may be distributed evenly, and let the seed—the essence of the best plants—be produced everywhere.” Then, with the tip of his bow and the strength of his foot, Pṛthu cast aside hundreds of thousands of mountains, leveling the land. By his power, the mountains grew and were set in their places. For, in the previous creation, O Maitreya, there had been no division of land or villages upon the Earth’s uneven surface. There were no crops, no tending of cattle, no agriculture, nor any trade routes; all these began with Vainya’s son, Pṛthu. Wherever the land was leveled, there the people chose to dwell. At that time, people survived only on fruits and roots—and even these were scarce, for the herbs had perished. Moved by compassion, Pṛthu appointed Manu, the lord Svāyambhuva, as the calf, and with his own hand, he milked the Earth, drawing forth all kinds of crops for the welfare of the people. By that food, O dear one, people continue to live even now, sustained constantly. Thus, Pṛthu became the giver of life, the very father of the Earth. For this reason, the all-supporting Earth came to be known as Pṛthivī. Then, O sage, the gods, sages, demons, Rākṣasas, mountains, Gandharvas, serpents, Yakṣas, ancestors, and trees—each took their own vessel and, with their chosen calves and milkers, drew from her their own kind of milk. She is the nourisher, the supporter, the sustainer, and the provider; thus, the Earth, sprung from the sole of Viṣṇu’s foot, is the source of all. Such was the power of Pṛthu, the valiant son of Vainya, the first king, born for the delight of the people. Whoever recounts the story of Pṛthu’s birth finds that no evil deed ever bears fruit for them. Hearing this excellent account of Pṛthu’s birth and greatness always brings relief from bad dreams. Radiant in form and blazing like fire, Pṛthu entered the sky as the primordial Ajagava and from there took up the bow. He performed deeds befitting a protector of the Earth and then ruled the world in righteousness. With a long sacrifice, the people worshipped Hari, the lord of all gods and sacrifices, praying for well-being and offering him his due share. In the line of Pṛthu, two sons of great might and preservers of prosperity were born—Śikhaṇḍinī and Havirddhāna; from Antarddhāna they appeared. From Havirddhāna, six sons were born to Dhiṣaṇā, the daughter of Agni: Prācīnabarhis, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, Vraja, and Ajina. Prācīnabarhis, blessed and a great lord of creatures, raised these fortunate sons of Havirddhāna. Because of him, the sacred kuśa grass, with its tips facing east, became renowned on earth, and Prācīnabarhis himself became famous as a mighty one. The king, Prācīnabarhis, married Savarṇā, the wise daughter of the ocean, and established his household on the far shore of the great darkness. From Savarṇā, he had ten sons, all called Pracetases, accomplished in the science of archery. Practicing the same righteous conduct, these ten performed great austerities for ten thousand years, dwelling in the waters of the ocean. Maitreya, ever eager to learn, asked, “For what purpose did the great-souled Pracetases perform such austerities in the ocean’s waters, O great sage? Please tell me.” Parāśara replied, “The Pracetases were instructed by their father, whose mind was vast, to increase the progeny, as appointed by the lord of creatures. Prācīnabarhis said, ‘I have been commanded by Brahmā, the god of gods, that my sons should increase the progeny. I have told you this, and you have agreed. Therefore, my sons, for my satisfaction, diligently promote the growth of progeny; the command of the lord of creatures is to be properly honored by you.’” Hearing these words, the sons of the king replied, “So be it,” and then, eager for guidance, questioned their father further, ready to fulfill their sacred duty.