वेनस्य पाणौ मथिते सम्बभूव महामुने। वैन्यो नाम महीपालो यः पृथुः परिकीर्त्तितः
When the great sages churned Vena's arm, O great sage, there arose a king named Vainya, who is renowned as Prithu.
येन दुग्धा मही पूर्वं प्रजानां हितकारणात्
It was he who, for the benefit of the people, first milked the Earth.
मैत्रेय उवाच किमर्थं मथितः पाणिर्वेनस्य परमर्षिभिः। यत्र जज्ञे महावीर्यः स पृथुर्मुनिसत्तम
Maitreya said: For what reason did the exalted sages churn Vena's arm, from which the mighty Prithu was born, O best of sages?
श्रीपराशर उवाच सुनीथा नाम या कन्या मृत्यो प्रथमतोऽभवत्। अङ्गस्य भार्या सा दत्ता तस्यां वेनो व्यजायत
Sri Parashara said: Sunitha, who was first the daughter of Mrityu, was given as a wife to Anga; from her, Vena was born.
स मातामहदोषेण तेन मृत्योः सुतात्मजः। निसर्गादेष मैत्रेय दुष्ट एव व्यजायत
Because of his maternal grandfather's fault, being the son of Mrityu's daughter, Maitreya, he was by nature wicked from birth.
अभिषिक्तो यदा राज्ये स वेनः परमर्षिभिः। घोषयामास स तदा पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपतिः
When Vena was consecrated as king by the exalted sages, he proclaimed throughout the land as its sovereign.
न यष्टव्यं न दातव्यं न होतव्यं कथञ्चन। भोक्ता यज्ञस्य कस्त्वन्योऽह्यहं यज्ञपतिः प्रभुः
"No one shall perform sacrifices, give gifts, or make offerings in any way; who else but I is the enjoyer of sacrifice? Today, I alone am the lord and master of sacrifices."
ततस्तमृषयः पूर्वं संपूज्यं पृथिवीपतिम्। ऊचुः सामाकलं वाक्यं मैत्रेय समपस्थिताः
Then those sages, having first honored the king, approached him, O Maitreya, and spoke these conciliatory words.
ऋषय ऊचुः। भोभो राजन् शृणुष्व त्वं यद्वदाम महीपते। राज्यं देहोपकाराय प्रजानां च हितं परम्
The sages said: "O king, listen to what we say, O lord of the earth; kingship is for the benefit of the body and for the highest good of the people."
दीर्घसत्रेण देवेशं सर्वयज्ञेश्वरं हरिम्। पूजयिष्याम भद्रं। ते तस्यांशस्ते भविष्यति। १७ यज्ञेन यज्ञपुरुषो विष्णुः संप्रीणितो नृप। अस्माभिर्भवतः कामान्सर्वानेव प्रदास्यति
By a long sacrifice, we shall worship Hari, the lord of all sacrifices and the god of gods; may all be well with you. A portion of that will be yours. By sacrifice, the sacrificial Person, Vishnu, is pleased, O king, and he will grant all your desires through us.
यज्ञैर्यज्ञेश्वरो येषां राष्ट्रे संपूज्यते हरिः। तेषां सर्वेप्सितावाप्तिं ददाति नृप भूभृताम्
Where Hari, the lord of sacrifice, is duly worshipped in a kingdom by sacrifices, O king, he grants all desired objects to those rulers.
वेन उवाच मत्तः कोऽभ्यधिकोन्योस्ति कश्चाराध्यो ममापरः। कोयं हरिरिति ख्यातो यो वो यज्ञेश्वरो मतः
Vena said: "Who is greater than I, or who else is worthy of worship besides me? Who is this Hari, known as the lord of sacrifice, whom you consider supreme?"
ब्रह्मा जनार्दनः शम्भुरिन्द्रो। वायुर्यमो रविः। हुतभुग्वरुणो धाता पूषा भूमिर्निंशाकरः
Brahma, Janardana, Shambhu, Indra, Vayu, Yama, Ravi, Agni, Varuna, Dhata, Pusha, Earth, and the Moon—
एते चान्ये च ये देवाः शापानुग्रहकारिणः। नृपस्यैते शरीरस्थाः सर्वदेवमयो नृपः
And these and other gods, who bestow curses and blessings, all reside in the king's body; the king is the embodiment of all the gods.
एवं ज्ञास्वा मयाज्ञप्तं यद्यथा क्रियतां तथा। न दातव्यं न यष्टव्यं न होतव्यं च भो द्विजाः
Know this as my command: let it be done exactly as I order; no gifts, no sacrifices, and no offerings are to be made, O twice-born ones.
भर्तृशुश्रूषणं धर्मो यथा स्त्रीणां परो मतः ममाज्ञापालनं धर्मो भवतां च तथा द्विजाः
Just as service to the husband is considered the highest duty for women, so too, obedience to my command is your duty, O twice-born.
ऋषय ऊचुः देह्यनुज्ञां महाराज मा धर्मो यातु संक्षयम्। हविषां परिणामोऽयं यदेतदखिलं जगत्
The sages said: Grant permission, O great king, do not let righteousness perish; this transformation of offerings is what sustains the entire world.
श्रीपराशर उवाच इति विज्ञाप्यमानोऽपि स वेनः परमर्षिभिः। यदा ददाति नानुज्ञां प्रोक्तः प्रोक्तः पुनः पुनः
Śrī Parāśara said: Even though repeatedly entreated by the eminent sages, Vena did not grant permission, despite being urged again and again.
ततस्ते मुनयः सर्वे कोपामर्षसमन्विताः। हन्यतां हन्यतां पाप इत्यूचुस्ते परस्परम्
Then all the sages, filled with anger and indignation, exclaimed to one another, 'Let him be slain, let him be slain, this sinner!'
यो यज्ञपुरुषं विष्णुमनादिनिधनं प्रभुम्। विनिन्दत्यधमाचारो न स योग्यो भुवः पतिः
He who reviles Viṣṇu, the Lord, the eternal and primordial sacrifice-personified, with wicked conduct, is not fit to be ruler of the earth.
इत्युक्त्वा मंत्रपूतैस्तैः कुशैर्मुनिगणानृपम्। निजघ्नुर्निहतं पुर्वं भगवन्निन्दनादिना
Having spoken thus, the assembly of sages struck down the king with blades of kuśa grass purified by mantra, for his prior blasphemy against the divine.
ततश्च मुनयो रेणुं ददृशुः सर्वतो द्विज। किमेतदिति चासन्नात्पप्रच्छुस्ते जनास्तदा
Then, O twice-born, the sages saw dust rising everywhere; approaching, the people asked, 'What is this?'
आख्यातं च जनैस्तेषां चोरीभूतैरराजके। राष्ट्रे तु लोकैरारब्धं परस्वादानमातुरैः
And the people told them that, in the absence of a king, theft had arisen in the realm, and those eager for others' property had begun to seize it.
तेषामुदीर्णवेगानां चोराणां मुनिसत्तमाः। सुमहद्दृश्यते रेणुः परवित्तापहारिणाम्
Among those thieves, whose impulses had grown fierce, O best of sages, a great cloud of dust was seen, stirred up by those who plundered others' wealth.
ततः संमंत्र्! य ते सर्वे सुनयस्तस्य भूभृतः। ममन्थुरूरुं पुत्रार्थमनपत्यस्य यत्नतः
Then, after deliberation, all those wise ones churned the thigh of that king, who had no son, with effort, seeking an heir.
मथ्यमानात्समुत्तस्थौ तस्योरोः पुरुषः किल। दग्धस्थूणाप्रतीकाशः खल्वाटास्योतिह्रस्वकः
From the churning, a man emerged from his thigh, resembling a burnt pillar, bald-headed, and very short.
किं करोमीति तान्सर्वान्स विप्रानाह चातुरः। निषीदेति तमूचुस्ते निषादस्तेन सोऽभवत्
He cleverly asked all the sages, 'What shall I do?' They replied, 'Sit down,' and thus he became known as Niṣāda.
ततस्तत्संभवा जाता विन्ध्यशैलनिवासिनः। निषादा मुनिशार्दूल पापकर्मोपलक्षणाः
From him were born the Niṣādas, dwellers of the Vindhya mountains, O tiger among sages, marked by sinful deeds.
तेन द्वारेण तत्पापं निष्क्रान्तं तस्य भूपतेः। निषादास्ते ततो जाता वेनकल्मषनाशनाः
Through that passage, the king's sin departed; thus the Niṣādas were born, destroyers of Vena's wickedness.
तस्यैव दक्षिणं हस्तं ममन्थुस्ते ततो द्विजाः
Then the twice-born sages churned his right hand.