अथ तौ चक्रतुः स्तोत्रं पृथोर्वैन्यस्य धीमतः। भविष्यैः कर्मभिः सम्यक्सुस्वरौ सूतमागधौ
Then Suta and Magadha, skilled and melodious, composed a hymn for Prithu, son of Vena, describing his future deeds.
सत्यवाग्दानशीलोयं सत्यसन्धो नरेश्वरः। ह्रीमान्मैत्रः क्षमाशीलो विक्रान्तो दुष्टशासनः
This king speaks truth, is generous, steadfast in his promises, modest, friendly, patient, courageous, and punishes the wicked.
धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च दयावान् प्रियभाषकः। मान्यान्मानयिता यज्वा ब्रह्मण्यः साधुसम्मतः
He knows righteousness, is grateful, compassionate, speaks kindly, honors the honorable, performs sacrifices, reveres Brahmins, and is esteemed by the virtuous.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च व्यवहारस्थितौ नृपः। ६३ सूतेनोक्तान् गुणानित्थं स तदा मागधेन च। चकार हृदि तादृक् च कर्मणा कृतवानसौ
The king, impartial toward friend and foe in matters of governance, listened to the virtues spoken by the charioteer and the Magadha, and he held them in his heart and acted accordingly.
ततस्तु पृथिवीपालः पालयन्पृथिवीमिमाम्। इयाज विविधैर्यज्ञैर्महद्भिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः
Then the ruler of the earth, protecting this world, performed various great sacrifices, giving abundant gifts.
तं प्रजाः पृथिवीनाथमुपतस्थुः क्षुधार्दिताः। ओषधीषु प्रणष्टासु तस्मिन्काले ह्यराजके। तमूचुस्ते नताः पृष्टास्तत्रागमनकारणम्
The people, afflicted by hunger, approached the lord of the earth when the plants had perished and there was no king; bowing, they explained the reason for their coming when asked.
प्रजा ऊचुः अराजके नृपश्रेष्ठ धरित्र्! या सकलौषधीः। ग्रस्तास्ततः क्षयं यान्ति प्रजाः सर्वाः प्रजेश्वर
The people said: In the absence of a king, O best of kings, O earth, all the plants have been consumed, and thus all the people, O lord of the people, are perishing.
त्वन्नो वृत्तिप्रदो धात्रा प्रजापालो निरूपितः। देहि नः क्षुत्परीतानां प्रजानां जीवनौषधीः
You have been appointed by the Creator as the protector of the people, the giver of livelihood; grant us, who are afflicted by hunger, the life-giving plants.
श्रीपराशर उवाच ततस्तु नपतिर्दिव्यमादायजगवं धनुः। शरांश्च दिव्यान्कुपितः सोन्वधावद्वसुन्धराम्
Śrī Parāśara said: Then the prince, taking his divine bow and arrows, enraged, pursued the earth.
ततो ननाश त्वरिता गौर्भूत्वा च वसुन्धरा। सा लोकान्ब्रह्मलोकादीन्संत्रासादगमन्मही
Then, swiftly, the earth became a cow and fled, terrified, through the worlds, including Brahma's realm.
यत्र यत्र ययौ देवी सा तदा भूतधारिणी। तत्र तत्र तु सा वैन्यं ददृशो!ऽभ्युद्यतायुधम्
Wherever the goddess, bearer of beings, went, there she saw Vainya with his weapon raised.
ततस्तं प्राह वसुधा पृथुं राजपराक्रमम्। प्रवेपमाना तद्बाणपरित्राणपरायणा
Then the earth, trembling and seeking protection from his arrows, spoke to Pṛthu, the mighty king.
पृथिव्युवाच स्त्रीवधे त्वं महापापं किं नरेन्द्र। न पश्यसि। येन मां हंतुमत्यर्थं प्रकरोषि नृपोद्यमम्
The earth said: Killing a woman is a great sin, O king; do you not see this? Why do you make such an effort to slay me?
पृथुरुवाच एकस्मिन् यत्र निधनं प्रापिते दुष्टकारिणि। बहूनां भवति क्षेमं तस्य पुण्यप्रदो वधः। ७४ पृथिव्युवाच प्रजानामुपकाराय यदि मां त्वं हनिष्यसि आधारः कः प्रजानां ते नृपश्रेष्ठ भविष्यति
Pṛthu said: When a wicked one is slain, the welfare of many is secured; the killing of such brings merit. The earth said: If you kill me for the sake of the people, O best of kings, who will be their support?
पृथुरुवाच त्वां हत्वा वसुधे बाणैर्मच्छासनपराङ्मुखीम्। आत्मयोगबलेनेमा धारयिष्याम्यहं प्रजाः
Pṛthu said: Having slain you with arrows, O earth, who turn away from my command, I will sustain these people by the power of my own yoga.
श्रीपराशर उवाच ततः प्रणम्य वसुधा तं भूयः प्राह पार्थिवम्। प्रवेपिताङ्गी परमं साध्वसं समुपागता
Śrī Parāśara said: Then, bowing, the earth again spoke to the king, her body trembling, overcome with great fear.
पृथिव्युवाच उपायतः समारब्धाः सर्वे सिद्ध्यन्त्युपक्रमाः। तस्माद्वदाम्युपायं ते तं कुरुष्व यदीच्छसि
The earth said: All endeavors succeed when undertaken with proper means; therefore, I will tell you a way—do it if you wish.
समस्ता या मया जीर्णा नरनाथ महौषधीः। यदीच्छसि प्रदास्यामि ताः क्षीरपरिणामिनीः
All the great plants I have digested, O lord of men; if you desire, I will give them to you transformed into milk.
तस्मात्प्रजाहितार्थाय मम धर्मभृतां वर। तं तु वत्सं कुरुष्व त्वं क्षरेयं येन वत्सला
Therefore, for the welfare of the people, O best of those who uphold dharma, make a calf by which I may yield milk.
समां च कुरु सर्वत्र येन क्षीरं समंततः। वरौषधीबीजभूतं बीजं सर्वत्र भावये
Make the milk equal everywhere, so that it may be distributed evenly; let the seed, the essence of the best plants, be produced everywhere.
श्रीपराशर उवाच तत उत्सारयामास शैलान् शतसहस्रशः। धनुष्कोट्या पदा वैन्यस्तेन शैला विवर्द्धिताः
Śrī Parāśara said: Then, with the tip of his bow and with his foot, Vainya cast aside mountains by the hundreds of thousands; by him, the mountains were made to grow.
न हि पूर्वविसर्गे वै विषमे पृथिवीतले। प्रविभागः पुराणां वा ग्रामाणां वा पुराऽभवत्
For, in the previous creation, O Maitreya, there was neither division of lands nor of villages on the uneven surface of the earth.
न सस्यानि न गोरक्ष्यं न कृषिर्न वणिक्पथः। वैन्यात्प्रभृति मैत्रेय सर्वस्यैतस्य सम्भवः
There were no crops, no tending of cattle, no agriculture, nor any trade routes; all these arose, O Maitreya, beginning with Vainya.
यत्रयत्र समं त्वस्य भूमेरासीद्द्विजोत्तम। तत्रतत्र प्रजाः सर्वा निवासं समरोचयत्
Wherever, O best of twice-born, the earth was level, there all the people chose to dwell.
आहारः फलमूलानि प्रजानामभवत्तदा। कृच्छ्रेण महता सोपि प्रणष्टास्वौषदीषु वै
At that time, the food of the people was fruits and roots; and even that, with great difficulty, when the herbs had perished.
स कल्पयित्वा वत्सं तु मनुं स्वायंभुवं प्रभुम्। स्वपाणौ पृथिवीनाथो दुदोह पृथिवीं पृथुः। सस्यजातानि सर्वाणि प्रजानां हितकाम्यया
Having appointed Manu, the lord Svāyambhuva, as the calf, Pṛthu, the lord of the earth, milked the earth with his own hand, drawing forth all kinds of crops for the welfare of the people.
तेनान्नेन प्रजास्तात वर्तन्तेद्यापि नित्यशः
By that food, O dear one, the people continue to live even now, constantly.
प्राणप्रदाता स पृथुर्यस्माद्भूमेरभूत्पिता। ततस्तु पृथिवीसंज्ञामवापाखिलधारिणी। ८९ ततश्च देवैर्मुनिभिर्दैत्यै रक्षोभिरद्रि भिः। गन्धर्वैरुरगैर्यक्षैः पितृभिस्तरुभिस्तथा
Pṛthu became the giver of life, the father of the earth; therefore, the all-supporting earth obtained the name 'Pṛthivī.'
तत्तत्पात्रमुपादाय तत्तद्दुग्धं मुने पयः। वत्सदोग्धृविश्षोआ!श्च तेषां तद्योनयोऽभवन्
Then, O sage, the gods, sages, demons, Rākṣasas, mountains, Gandharvas, serpents, Yakṣas, ancestors, and trees—each took their own vessel and milked from her their own kind of milk, with their own calves and milkers.
सैषा धात्री विधात्री च धारिणी पोषणी तथा। सर्वस्य तु ततः पृथ्वी विष्णुपादतलोद्भवा
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.