The Vishnu Purana: Book I: Chapter XIII | Internet Sacred Text Archive

CHAP. XIII.

Posterity of Dhruva. Legend of Veńa: his impiety: he is put to death by the Rishis. Anarchy ensues. The production of Nisháda and Prithu: the latter the first king. The origin of Súta and Mágadha: they enumerate the duties of kings. Prithu compels Earth to acknowledge his authority: he levels it: introduces cultivation: erects cities. Earth called after him Prithiví: typified as a cow.

PARÁŚARA.--The sons of Dhruva, by his wife Śambhu, were Bhavya and Slisht́i. Suchcháyá, the wife of the latter, was the mother of five virtuous sons, Ripu, Ripunjaya, Vipra, Vrikala, and Vrikatejas. The son of Ripu, by Vrihatí, was the illustrious Chakshusha, who begot the Manu Chákshusha on Pushkarińí, of the family of Varuńa, the daughter of the venerable patriarch Anarańya. The Manu had, by his wife Navalá, the daughter of the patriarch Vairája, ten noble sons, Uru, Pura, Satadyumna, Tapaswí, Satyavák, Kavi, Agnisht́oma, Atirátra, Sudyumna, and Abhimanyu. The wife of Uru, Ágneyí, bore six excellent sons, Anga, Sumanas, Swáti, Kratu, Angiras, and Śiva. Anga had, by his wife Suníthá, only one son, named Veńa, whose right arm was rubbed by the Rishis, for the purpose of producing from it progeny. From the arm of Veńa, thus rubbed, sprang a celebrated monarch, named Prithu, by whom, in olden time, the earth was milked for the advantage of mankind 1.

MAITREYA.--Best of Munis, tell me why was the right hand of Veńa rubbed by the holy sages, in consequence of which the heroic Prithu was produced.