evies of beautiful ladies with eyes
resembling petals of the lotus, and diverse other kinds of valuable
objects. At his command, the Brahmanas divided those gifts among
themselves. Through anger that king caused the earth to be excavated
whereupon she came to have the ocean on her bosom, and for this, the
ocean has come to be called Sagara after his name. When he, O Srinjaya,
who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer
than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is
dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that king Prithu also, the son of Vena, fell a
prey to death. The great Rishis, assembling together in the great forest,
installed him in the sovereignty of the earth. And because it was thought
that he would advance all mankind, he was, for that reason, called Prithu
(the advancer). And because also he protected people from injuries
(Kshata), he was, for that reason, called a Kshatriya (protector from
injuries). Beholding Prithu the son of Vena, all the creatures of the
earth exclaimed, "We have been lovingly attached to him." From this
circumstance of the loving attachment (to him of all creatures), he came
to be called a Raja (one that can inspire attachment). The earth, during
his sway, yielded crops without being tilled, every leaf that the trees
had bore honey, and every cow yielded a jugful of milk. All men were hale
and all their wishes used to be crowned with fruition. They had no fear
of any kind. They used to live, as they pleased, in fields or in
(sheltered) houses. When Prithu desired to go over the sea, the waters
became solidified. The rivers also never swelled up when he had to cross
them but remained perfectly calm. The standard on his car moved freely
everywhere (without being obstructed by any impediment). King Prithu, in
one of his grand Horse-sacrifices, gave away unto the Brahmanas one and
twenty mountains of gold, each measuring three nalwas.[102] When he, O
Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who
was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son
that is dead. Upon what, O Srinjaya, dost thou reflect in silence? It
seems, O king, that thou hearest not these words of mine. If thou hast
not heard them, then this discourse of mine has been a fruitless
rhapsody, like medicine or diet, to a person on the point of death.'

"'"Srinjaya said, 'I am attending, O Narada, to this discourse of thine, of
excellent im