the royal son of Vena, possessed of great prowess,
gave unto Suta the land lying on the sea-coast, and unto Magadha the
country since known as Magadha. We have heard that the surface of the
earth had before been very uneven. It was Prithu who made the terrestrial
surface level. In every Manwantara, the earth becomes uneven.[174] Vena's
son removed the rocks and rocky masses lying all around, O monarch, with
the horn of his bow. By this means the hills and mountains became
enlarged. Then Vishnu, and the deities of Indra, and the Rishis, and the
Regents of the world, and the Brahmanas, assembled together for crowning
Prithu (as the king of the world). The earth herself, O son of Pandu, in
her embodied form, came to him, with a tribute of gems and jewels. Ocean,
that lord of rivers, and Himavat, the king of mountains, and Sakra, O
Yudhishthira, bestowed upon him inexhaustible wealth. The great Meru,
that mountain of gold, gave unto him heaps of that precious metal. The
divine Kuvera, borne on the shoulders of human beings, that lord of
Yakshas and Rakshasas, gave him wealth enough for gratifying the needs of
religion, profit, and pleasure. Steeds, cars, elephants, and men, by
millions, O son of Pandu, started into life as soon as Vena's son thought
of them. At that time there was neither decrepitude, nor famine, nor
calamity, nor disease (on earth). In consequence of the protection
afforded by that king, nobody had any fear from reptiles and thieves or
from any other source. When he proceeded to the sea, the waters used to
be solidified. The mountains gave him way, and his standard was never
obstructed anywhere. He drew from the earth, as a milcher from a cow,
seven and ten kinds of crops for the food of Yakshas, and Rakshasas, and
Nagas, and other creatures. That high-souled king caused all creatures to
regard righteousness as the foremost of all things; and because he
gratified all the people, therefore, was he called Rajan (king). And
because he also healed the wounds of Brahmanas, therefore, he earned the
name of Kshatriya. And because the earth (in his region) became
celebrated for the practice of virtue, therefore, she came to be called
by many as Prithvi. The eternal Vishnu himself, O Bharata, confirmed his
power, telling him, 'No one, O king, shall transcend thee.' The divine
Vishnu entered the body of that monarch in consequence of his penances.
For this reason, the entire universe offered divine worship unto Prithu