Suta said;
1. It is reported that the Earth extended to the oceans as its limit. It is called Vasudha, because it holds riches (Vasu wealth, Dhārayate-holds).
2-3. Formerly the earth was covered with the fat of Madhu and Kaitabha. Hence the Earth extending to the oceans became famous as Medini (Medas-fat). Since the intelligent son of Vena, king Pruthu, adopted her as his daughter, she is called Pruthivi.1
1. As in v. 190 of the previous chapter, etymologies of other names of the Earth are given here.
4. The division of this famous, beautiful Earth was formerly made by King Pruthu. The Earth consisting of a series of towns and mines (of various natural products) and populated by people of four castes was protected by that intelligent king.
5. That excellent king, the son of Vena, had such prowess. He was worthy of being bowed to and worshipped by all living beings.
6. Being ancient and born of Brahman, Pruthu alone is worthy of being offered obeisance by Brāhmaṇas of great dignity (and fortune) who were experts in the Vedas and their Angas (ancillary subjects).
7. The primordial king Pruthu, the valorous son of Vena, should be bowed to by the excessively blessed kings who seek great fame.
8. Only Pruthu, the first maker of men, should be bowed to by the warriors also seek victory in battle.
9. The warrior who, after glorifying Pruthu, proceeds to the battlefield, returns safely from the terrible battle and attains glorious fame.
10. The saintly king Pruthu, the excessively renowned one, should be bowed to by the Vaishyas, strictly adhering to the avocation and duties of Vaishyas, as it was he who gave them livelihood and sustenance.
11. These different calves and milkers, milk and the vessels all have been described by me in the proper order.
12. At the very outset the Earth was milked by the noble-souled Brahmă after making Vayu the calf.1 The vessel was the surface of the Earth and the yield, the seeds.
1. Verses 12-20 give the list of persons who “milked” the earth in each Manvantara. Each ‘milking’ shows in a way the advancement of human civilization,
13. Then in the early Svayambhuva Manvantara, the Earth was milked by Agnidhra2 after making Svayambhuva Manu the calf.
2. Bd. P. I.2-37 reads Sarva-sasyāni chaiva hi all types of foodgrains were the milky yield”. Here grishma probably stands for Agnidhra. But the milky yield is not mentioned in our text.
14. Formerly, when Svärochișha was Manu, the Earth was milked by the intelligent Chaitra, after making Svårochişha Manu the calf. The yield consisted of plants and foodgrains.
15. In the Auttama Manvantara, the Earth was milked by the most excellent and intelligent Devabhuja, after making the Manu Uttama the calf. The yield consisted of all foodgrains.
16. Again in the fifth Manvantara, viz, the Tamasa Man vantara the Earth was milked by Balabandhu after making Tämasa Manu the calf.
17. When the Manvantara of lord Chārişhnava Manu arrived, the Earth was milked by Purāņa after making Chārişhnava Manu the calf.
18. When the Chākşhuşha Manvantara arrived, the Earth was again milked by Purāņa, after making Chākşhuşha Manu the calf.
19. When the Chākshusha Manvantara elapsed and Vaivasvata Manvantara arrived, the Earth was again milked by the son of Vena, as narrated by me to you.
20. Formerly in the previous Manvantaras the Earth was milked by the Devas and others, by human beings as well as by the Bhūtas (living beings or goblins) and others.
21. Thus the Devas should be known in all the past and present Manvantaras. Now listen to the sons of Pruthu.
22. Two valorous sons, Antardhi and Pálin were born to Pruthu. Shikhandini bore to Antardhāna (Antardhi) the son Havirdhāna.
23. Dhishanā, the daughter of Agni, bore to Havirdhāna six sons, viz. Prāchinabarhis, Shukra, Gaya, Krushna, Vraja and Ajina.
24. The holy lord Prachīnabarhis was a great Prajāpati. Thanks to his strength, learning, penance and prowess, he was the sole Emperor of the Earth. The tips of his Kuśha grasses pointed to the east by frequent use in Yajñas. Hence he is called Prāchīnabarhis.1
1. Cf Bd. P. 1.2.37.25—an etymology to explain the significance of the king’s name
25. That lord duly married Savarņā, the daughter of the ocean, far beyond the extensive darkness. From the Prajapati the daughter of the ocean, Savarna, bore the ten sons of Prāchinabarhis.
26. All of them are named Pracetas. They were masters of the science of archery. Performing righteous actions (in close association) without being separated, they performed great penance for ten thousand years lying in the waters of the ocean.
27. While the Pracetas were performing penance on the Earth the trees not being properly cared for covered the earth resulting in the decline and ruin of the subjects.
28. When (the firmament) was obstructed in the Chākşhuşha Manvantara, wind could not blow. The sky was covered with trees. The subjects could not (carry their activities) for ten thousand years.
29. On realising it by means of their power of penance, all the Pracetas, endowed with Yogic power, became infuriated and created wind and fire from their mouths.
30. Väyu uprooted those trees and dried them up. The fierce fire burned them. Thus the destruction of trees took place.
31. Learning of the destruction of the trees (and when only) a few trees survived, king Soma (the Moon-god) approached these Pracetas and spoke to them:
32. “O kings, O sons of Prāchīnabarhis, give up your anger after considering the benefits conferred (by flourishing trees) for the continuance of the worlds.
33. The trees will grow on the Earth. May the fire and the wind calm down. This jewel of a girl of fair complexion is the daughter of the trees.
34. Knowing this future (contingency), she has been nurtured (and brought up) by me with my rays. She is named Mārishā and is created by the trees themselves. May she, nurtured in the womb of the moon*, be your wife.
*i.e. by rays of the moon’ (as stated in v. 34a).
35. By means of a moiety of your splendour as well as a moiety of my splendour, the learned Prajapati named Dakşha will be born of her.
36. He, of fiery splendour, shall again develop the subjects and protect the Earth almost burnt by the fire of your brilliance.”
37. Then, at the instance of Soma (the Moon-god) those Pracetas curbed their fury and accepted righteously from the trees (their daughter) Mārishā as their wife.
38-39. They then impregnated Mārişhå mentally. Daksha the Prajāpati was born of Märişhā and the ten Pracetas. He possessed great splendour and virility, thanks to the part of Soma. At first Daksha created progeny by mental process and subsequently by means of sexual intercourse.
40. After creating the immobile beings, mobile beings, bipeds and quadrupeds mentally, Dakșha created women (daughters) thereafter.
41. He gave ten (of his daughters) to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśhyapa and twenty-seven engaged in the movement of time (i.e. the twenty-seven constellations) to the moon.
42. After giving these (daughters) to them he gave four other daughters to Arishtanemi, two to Bähuputra, two to Angiras and one daughter to Kruśhāśhva. Now know their progeny,
43. By this time, the sixth Manvantara of Chākşhuşha Manu ceases giving place to the seventh Manvantara of the Prajapati Vaivasvata Manu.
44. In them (the daughters of Daksha) Devas, birds, cows, serpents, Daityas, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Apsaras-s and other classes of beings were born.
45. The creation of the earlier ones was due to thought, sight and touch. Thenceforth, the subjects in this world were born of sexual intercourse.1
1. This is the main difference between the previous six manvantaras and the present one. With this chapter close the description of the chakshusha manvantara
The sages said:
46-48. The auspicious birth of Devas, Dānavas, Celestial Sages and the noble-souled Daksha has been narrated by you before. It was mentioned by you (before) that Dakşha, the Prajāpati, was born of Prāņa. How did he who had great penance subsequently attain the status of the son of Pracetas? O Sūta, it behoves you to clarify this doubt of ours. He was the son of the daughter of Soma. How did he become his (Soma’s) father-in-law?
Sūta said:
49. O excellent ones, birth and dissolution (death) occur perpetually among living beings. The sages and those men who are endowed with learning are not deluded in this matter.
50. O Brāhmaṇas, Daksha and others are born in every Yuga.
51. O excellent Brahmanas, formerly there was neither seniority nor juniority among them. Penance alone was considered weightier and prowess was the basis thereof.
52. He who comprehends this creation of the mobile and the immobile beings in chakshusha Manvantara passes his life-span fully is honoured in the heavenly region (after it).
53. This creation of Chākşhuşha Manu has been succinctly narrated. Thus these six cycles of creation, in the form of Manvantaras have elapsed. They have the Svayambhuva Manvantara as their first one and the Chäkshusha Manvantara as the last one. They have been briefly narrated in the proper sequence.
54. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, these creations have been narrated in accordance with my understanding. The details of these creations should be known through the creation in the Vaivasvata Manvantara.
55. All the creations of Vivasvān are endless and nondifferent from other Manvantaras) in the matter of states of health, duration of life, virtue, love and wealth. He who reads this without malice attains these attributes.
56. Now I shall describe the creative activity of the current noble-souled Vaivasvata Manu succinctly and in detail (as the case may be). Listen and understand even as I recount.