Pṛthivī Dohana (Vāyu Purāṇa)

The Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa tells how the earth, Bhūdevī, was milked like a cow. It begins with Pṛthu, the first king, who made Bhūdevī give back the food she had held back. Then every class of beings, devas, ṛshis, pitṛs, nāgas, yakshas, rākshasas, gandharvas, apsarās, mountains and trees, milked her in turn. Each had its own calf, its own vessel and its own milker, and each drew the thing it lives on. The Purāṇa also records how the earth was milked in the seven earlier manvantaras.

Vena and the birth of Pṛthu

In the line of Cākshusha Manu, King Aṅga had a son, Vena, by Sunīthā, the daughter of Mṛtyu. Vena broke every rule of dharma. He forbade yajña, homa and the study of the Veda, and said that all offerings were to be made to him alone.

The ṛshis, led by Marīci and others, warned him again and again. When Vena would not turn back, the angry maharshis churned his left arm. From it came a short, dark Nishāda. The ṛshis told him to sit (nishīda), and he became the father of the Nishāda people and of the fishermen. Then the ṛshis churned Vena’s right arm as if they were churning araṇī wood for fire. From that blazing right hand Pṛthu was born. He came fully armed, with bow, arrows and armour, and shone like fire.

Pṛthu is the first king (rājan). He is the first to be honoured with the rājasūya. The title rājā comes from him, from rañjana, “delighting the people”.

Pṛthu compels the earth

After Pṛthu’s birth the earth had stopped giving plants and food, because the plants had died. The people followed Pṛthu and begged him for food. He took up his bow and went after Bhūdevī, who had taken the form of a cow.

Bhūdevī was afraid. She fled to all the worlds, even to Brahmaloka. But wherever she turned she saw Pṛthu standing with his bow drawn, shining with unfailing tejas (radiance). At last she saw no refuge anywhere. She came before him with folded hands and said:

“O King! Is there no pāpa in killing a woman? How will you support the people without me? The worlds rest on me. If I am killed, the people will die. If you want the good of the people, do not kill me.”

Pṛthu answered:

“One who kills a single being for the good of many does not take on pāpa. O Vasundharā! If you do not obey my just words, I will kill you and hold up the people by the power of my yoga alone. Accept me as your father and give me this vara.”

Bhūdevī agreed:

“So be it, O King. But give me a fitting calf who can draw out my milk, and make me level and even, so that I can give plenty.”

Pṛthu then levelled the earth with his bow. He pushed the mountains up to make high ground and low ground. From that time, beginning in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, there were cities (puras), villages (grāmas), crops (sasya), the keeping of cattle (gorakshā), farming (kṛshi) and trade (vyāpāra) on the earth. This was new in the Vaivasvata age. The Cākshusha Manvantara had no such arrangement.

The milking, class by class

After Bhūdevī was calmed and levelled, the great milking took place. Each class of beings came in turn and drew its own essence from the earth-cow. Each chose its own calf to draw the earth and its own vessel to take her milk.

Pṛthu and the people

The first milking of the new Vaivasvata age was done by Pṛthu himself, for all his subjects. He made Cākshusha Manu the calf and milked the earth into a vessel shaped from the earth’s own surface. He drew sasya (grain, crops and food plants), which became the lasting food of all people. From then on the earth has always given crops in this age.

The ṛshis

The brahmarshis praised the earth and milked her with Soma (the moon) as the calf. Bṛhaspati was the milker. The chandas, the holy metres such as Gāyatrī, were the vessel. What they drew was tapas and the eternal Brahma, which is the Vedas themselves. From this milking the ṛshis received eternal knowledge and the unfailing power of tapas.

The devas

Indra and all the devas praised the earth and milked her with a golden vessel (suvarṇa-pātra). They drew amṛta (the nectar of immortality). By this amṛta the devas live for ever.

The nāgas and serpents

The nāgas and serpents praised the earth. Vāsuki was the milker. What they drew was visha (poison). By this visha the Kādraveyas, the sons of Kadrū, who are the nāgas, became very strong and large in body. Their strength is visha-bala, their food is visha-āhāra and their support is visha-āśraya. So the serpent clans live and keep their huge forms through the poison they drew from Bhūdevī.

The yakshas and puṇyajanas

The yakshas and puṇyajanas (a name for both yakshas and rākshasas) praised the earth. Their milker was Jatunābha, the son of a maṇi-being and grandson of a yaksha, a great tejasvī who had full control of his senses. The vessel was a śrāma-pātra, a special vessel of the yakshas. They milked out their food from the earth.

The rākshasas and piśācas

The rākshasas and piśācas then milked the earth again. Their milker was the mighty rākshasa Sumālin. They used a kapāla (a bowl made of a skull) as the vessel. What they drew from Bhūdevī was rakta (blood). By this blood all rākshasas on earth keep themselves alive.

The gandharvas and apsarās

The gandharvas and apsarās praised the earth. They milked her with Citraratha as the calf and Viśvāvasu as the milker. Viśvāvasu is described as the son of a muni, pure, king of the gandharvas, very strong and great-souled, and equal to Sūrya in brightness. What they drew from the earth was pavitra (holy) gandhas (divine scents) and padmas (lotuses). By these the gandharvas and apsarās live in their world of divine beauty.

The mountains

The mountains praised the earth and milked her again. Himavān (the Himālaya) was the calf. Meru, the great mountain, was the milker. A śaila (a vessel of mountain stone) was the pātra (vessel). What came from the earth was mahaushadhis (great healing herbs) and many kinds of ratnas (gems). By this the mountains stand firm in their greatness, rich in herbs and jewels.

The trees and creepers

The trees and creepers praised the earth and milked her once more. A leaf of the palāśa tree (called moduga in Telugu) was the vessel. The banyan tree (vatavriksha) was the calf. The milker was the flowering śaila, the mountain that blossoms. What they drew from the earth was the power of growing again, the deep tattva (principle) of sprouting and regrowth even after cutting. From this milking all trees and plants received the power to grow back for ever. Cut them and they sprout again. This is the essence the trees drew from Bhūdevī.

The record of each manvantara

The Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa places Pṛthu’s milking within a series. In every manvantara the earth has been milked anew for the food of that age.

The very first milking of all was done by Brahmā himself. He used Vāyu as the tool and drew bījas (seeds) from the surface of the earth. All later milkings come from this first act.

Sources

• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Uttarārdha, Chapter 1