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.
मथ्यमाने च तत्राभूत्पृथुर्वैन्यः प्रतापवान्। दीप्यमानः स्ववपुषा साक्षादग्निरिव ज्वलन्। ३९ आद्यमाजगवं नाम खात्पपात ततो धनुः। शराश्च दिव्या नभसः कवचं च पपात ह
As they churned, Pṛthu, son of Vena, radiant and powerful, arose, blazing in his own form like fire; a primordial bow named Ājagava fell from the sky, along with divine arrows and armor.
तस्मिन् जाते तु भूतानि संप्रहृष्टानि सर्वशः
When he was born, all beings rejoiced everywhere.
सत्पुत्रेणैव जातेन वेनोपि त्रिदिवं ययौ। पुन्नाम्नो नरकात् त्रातः सुतेन सुमहात्मना
With the birth of a noble son, even Vena ascended to heaven, rescued from the hell named Puṇ by his virtuous son.
तं समुद्रा श्च नद्यश्च रत्नान्यादाय सर्वशः। तोयानि चाभिषेकार्थं सर्वाण्येवोपतस्थिरे
Then the oceans and rivers, bringing all their jewels and waters for the consecration, approached him together.
पितामहश्च भगवान्देवैराङ्गिरसैः सह। स्थावराणि च भूतानि जङ्गमानि च सर्वशः। समागम्य तदा वैन्यमभ्यसिञ्चन्नराधिपम्
The revered Pitamaha, together with the gods and the descendants of Angiras, and all the immobile and mobile beings, assembled and then anointed Vainya as king.
हस्ते तु दक्षिणे चक्रं दृष्ट्वा तस्य पितामहः। विष्णोरंशं पृथुं मत्वा परितोषं परं ययौ
Seeing the discus in his right hand, Pitamaha recognized Prithu as a portion of Vishnu and attained supreme satisfaction.
विष्णुचक्र करे चिह्नं सर्वेषां चक्रवर्तिनाम्। भवत्यव्याहतो यस्य प्रभावस्त्रिदशैरपि
The mark of Vishnu’s discus on the hand is found in all universal emperors; whose power remains unimpeded even by the gods.
महता राजराज्येन पृथुर्वैन्यः प्रतापवान्। सोभिषिक्तो महातेजा विधिवद्धर्मको विदै
Prithu, son of Vena, endowed with great energy and valor, was duly consecrated as king, possessing vast royal dominion and righteousness.
पित्रा पराजितास्तस्य प्रजास्तेनानुरञ्जिताः। अनुरागात्ततस्तस्य नाम राजेत्यजायत
His subjects, previously defeated by his father, were won over by him; from their affection, his name as 'king' arose.
आपस्तस्तंभिरे चास्य समुद्र मभियास्यतः। पर्वताश्च ददुर्मार्गं ध्वजभङ्गश्च नाभवत्
The waters stood still for him as he approached the ocean; the mountains gave way, and no banner was broken.