॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday & Friday, 10 & 11 November 2022 IV.17 & IV.18 - King Prithu extracts food from Mother Earth for much-needed nourishment for the people.
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Sage Maitreya mentioned that King Prithu would milk the Earth for his people. Indra would steal his Ashwamedha horse. Prithu would receive spiritual instruction from Sage Sanatkumara. Naturally, this stirred the curiosity of Vidura who wanted to know the story in great detail.
We read in these two chapters (17 and 18 of the Fourth Skandha) an interesting episode. It explains in a way why Indians worship Mother Earth, how we worship the Cow believing that she holds within herself all the devatas and is the Kamadhenu (Wish-fulfilling divine cow) and why we should coexist with Nature for wholesome well-being.
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When Vidura wanted to hear the story in detail, Sage Maitreya continued.
King Prithu was pleased with the sentiments expressed by the eulogisers. He generously rewarded them and honoured all the sages and priests.
At the time King Prithu was enthroned by the great sages and Brahmins and declared to be the protector of the citizens, there was a scarcity of food grains. The citizens actually became skinny due to starvation. Therefore they came before the king and informed him of their real situation. Like a fire in its hollow would consume a tree, they were being dried up by the hunger raging within their stomachs. As their sole protector, they appealed to Prithu for a solution.
मैत्रेय उवाच
पृथु: प्रजानां करुणं निशम्य परिदेवितम् । दीर्घं दध्यौ कुरुश्रेष्ठ निमित्तं सोऽन्वपद्यत ॥
इति व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या प्रगृहीतशरासन: । सन्दधे विशिखं भूमे: क्रुद्धस्त्रिपुरहा यथा ॥
प्रवेपमाना धरणी निशाम्योदायुधं च तम् । गौ: सत्यपाद्रवद्भीता मृगीव मृगयुद्रुता ॥
T: Sage Maitreya narrated:
"Hearing of their owes and observing his people suffering from extreme starvation, King Prithu meditated on what could be the cause. After some time, he realised that Earth had withheld all vegetation and crops from producing any food."
"Prithu was enraged. Like Lord Shiva, he picked up his bow and arrow and went after Earth to teach he a lesson."
"Earth was frightened out of her wits, and taking the form of a cow, she ran for her life like a wild deer trying to escape a hunter."
King Prithu, with his eyes blazing red in anger, pursued Earth with raised bow and arrow. Finally, Earth had to surrender.
Earth appealed," Oh Lord, spare me, save me! You are the supreme Lord of all this, including me!"
"I have done no wrong, how could you kill a poor woman (even if she has sinned) as killing a woman is against Dharma?"
"Dear King, I am like a boat with all life loaded up on me. If you destroy me, what will become of the life forms I support?"
King Prithu was clear. "Dear Earth, you accepted your share of my offerings in the Yajna. How could you now disobey the arrangement and stop feeding the people? Just because you have assumed the form of a cow, you are not beyond punishment."
त्वं खल्वोषधिबीजानि प्राक् सृष्टानि स्वयम्भुवा । न मुञ्चस्यात्मरुद्धानि मामवज्ञाय मन्दधी: ॥
T: "Earth, you seem to be dull-witted and hence have disregarded my rule. Lord Brahma filled you with all the Oushadhis and Seeds (the Sanskrit expression for all vegetation is Oushadi) so that you would produce nourishment for the creation. You have stopped that life circle."
"I will have to cut you to pieces and feed the citizens now."
"Any cruel person — be he a man, woman or impotent eunuch — who is only interested in his personal maintenance and has no compassion for other living entities may be killed by the king. Such killing can never be considered actual murder."
"I shall destroy you, puffed up with arrogance, and generate therefrom the needed grains by my mystical powers for the people."
Earth beheld Yama in the form of Prithu and trembled in fear. She surrendered, and with folded hands began to speak as follows.
य एतदादावसृजच्चराचरं स्वमाययात्माश्रययावितर्क्यया । तयैव सोऽयं किल गोप्तुमुद्यत: कथं नु मां धर्मपरो जिघांसति ॥
नूनं बतेशस्य समीहितं जनैस्तन्मायया दुर्जययाकृतात्मभि: । न लक्ष्यते यस्त्वकरोदकारयद्योऽनेक एक: परतश्च ईश्वर: ॥
T: "Dear Bhagavan, You are supreme. You gave rise to this creation by Your inconceivable energy and all forms are Your creation and under Your care. So I also need Your protection! Oh, Lord, You are one, but the many are within You in Your expansion which none can understand because of Your Maya."
"Oh, Lord, I pray to You as You are the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer of all creation."
स वै भवानात्मविनिर्मितं जगद्भूतेन्द्रियान्त:करणात्मकं विभो । संस्थापयिष्यन्नज मां रसातलादभ्युज्जहाराम्भस आदिसूकर: ॥
अपामुपस्थे मयि नाव्यवस्थिता:प्रजा भवानद्य रिरक्षिषु: किल ।स वीरमूर्ति: समभूद्धराधरो यो मां पयस्युग्रशरो जिघांससि ॥
T:" Bhagavan, You have created all life forms with their own ego and tendencies. As the Adi Varaha, You came and rescued me from the netherworld. You are hailed as Dhurandhara for that compassion, as the Supporter of Earth! You should therefore continue to protect me!"
"Dear Lord, I am also a creation manifested out of one of Your energies, composed of the three Gunas. I am unable to understand You! All I see, all, including Your pastimes and the actions of Your devotees, is beyond my understanding."
"Dear Lord Prithu, please pacify your anger completely and hear patiently whatever I submit before you. To benefit all human society, not only in this life but in the next, the great seers and sages have prescribed various methods conducive to the prosperity of the people in general. Those who follow this Dharma will very easily enjoy life and its pleasures. A foolish man who strays from Dharma with his own methods goes down paths not conducive to his welfare."
पुरा सृष्टा ह्योषधयो ब्रह्मणा या विशाम्पते । भुज्यमाना मया दृष्टा असद्भिरधृतव्रतै: ॥
T: " King Prithu, as I see it, the seeds, roots, herbs and grains, which were created by Lord Brahma in the past, are now being used by people lacking truthful ways and leading undisciplined lives. Nobody is taking care of me in any way. Kings have failed to punish the miscreants. Theives are living off my produce. Hence I have hidden all the produce which ought indeed to be rightfully enjoyed and offered back in gratitude to the gods in Yajnas."
This idea is explained in the Srimad Bhagavadgita. Bhagavan Sri Krishna explains in the third chapter that the Lord has created all existence as a mutually supportive, self-sustaining circle of life.
परस्परं भावयन्तः - mutually worshipping and supporting each other, the gods and men coexist.
"I urge you, oh, King, to extract all my produce systematically as prescribed by the sages as they are rotting within me."
"Oh, King, if you desire to relieve the living entities by supplying them sufficient grain, and if you desire to nourish them by taking milk from me, you should make arrangements to bring a calf suitable for this purpose and a pot in which the milk can be kept, as well as a milkman to do the work. Since I will be very much affectionate towards my calf, your desire to take milk from me will be fulfilled."
"Dear King, first level the surface of the globe such that even after the rains, the water stays level and keep the earth nourished instead of flowing off after the rains fall by Indra's grace."
King Prithu was pleased with the resolution suggested by Earth!
He at once turned Svayambhuva Manu into a calf, and milked Earth of herbs and grains, holding them in his hand. He began to feed the populace.
The rest, including the holy sages, followed suit. They made Brihaspati the calf, and milked Earth and poured her output into the vessel made of the senses.
The gods came, making Indra the calf, and milked Earth for Soma or nectar to give them strength and sensual vitality.
The asuras milked Earth for intoxicating liquor, making Prahlada the calf, collecting it in a pot of iron.
The Gandharvas and Apsaras milked Earth for music, arts, and aesthetics, making Vishwavasu the calf.
With Aryama as the calf, the Pitris milked Earth for the food offered to them.
The Siddhas and Vidyadharas made Kapila the calf and milked Earth for Siddhis using the whole sky as their pot.
Similarly, Kimpurushas milked Earth for magical powers.
Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Bhutas made Rudra the calf and milked their favourite food which was blood and stored it in skull pots.
Takshaka the calf helped serpents and snakes milk poison from Earth and store it in their holes (anthills).
In this way, King Prithu and all the others who subsist on food created different types of calves and milked out their respective eatables. Thus, under King Prithu, Earth yielded food for all creation. She was very obedient to him. King Prithu treated Earth as his own daughter.
King Prithu was a great and benevolent ruler, who took care of all citizens. He founded many types of villages, settlements and towns and built forts, cattle ranches, stables for the animals, places for royal camps, mining places, agricultural towns and mountain villages. He was the world's first monarch who was also a town and country planner!
Is there any wonder that Earth is called Prithvi in Sanskrit!?
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