“‘"Narada said, ‘Dushmanta’s son, Bharata, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. While only a child (living) in the forest, he achieved feats incapable of being achieved by others. Endued with great strength, he speedily deprived the very lions, white as snow and armed with teeth and claws, of all their prowess, and dragged them and bound them (at his pleasure). He used to check tigers also, that were fiercer and more ruthless (than lions), and bring them to subjection. Seizing other beasts of prey possessed of great might, and even huge elephants, dyed with red arsenic and spotted with other liquid minerals by their teeth and tusks, he used to bring them to subjection, causing their mouths to become dry, or obliging them to fly away. Possessed of great might, he used also to drag the mightiest of buffaloes. And in consequence of his strength, he checked proud lions by hundreds, and powerful Srimaras and horned rhinoceroses and other animals. Binding them by their necks and crushing them to an inch of their lives, he used to let them go. For those feats of his the regenerate ascetics (with whom he lived) came to call him Sarvadamana (the controller of all). His mother, at last, forbade him from torturing animals in that way. Endued with great prowess he performed a hundred Horse-sacrifices on the banks of the Yamuna, three hundred such sacrifices on the banks of Saraswati, and four hundred on the banks of the Ganga. Having performed these sacrifices, he once more performed a thousand Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas, great sacrifices, in which his gifts also to the Brahmanas were very profuse. Other sacrifices, again, such as the Agnishtoma, the Atiratra, the Uktha and the Viswajit, he performed together with thousands and thousands of Vajapeyas, and completed without any impediment. The son of Sakuntala, having performed all these, gratified the Brahmanas with presents of wealth. Possessed of great fame, Bharata then gave ten thousand billions of coins, made of the most pure gold, unto Kanwa (who had brought up his mother Sakuntala as his own daughter). The gods with Indra at their head, accompanied by the Brahmanas, coming to his sacrifice, set up his sacrificial stake made entirely of gold, and measuring in width a hundred Vyamas.[114] And imperial Bharata, of noble soul, that victor over all foes, that monarch never conquered by any enemy, gave away unto the Brahmanas beautiful horses and elephants and cars, decked with gold, and beautiful gems of all kinds, and camels and goats and sheep, and slaves—male and female—and wealth, and grains and milch cows with calves, and villages and fields, and diverse kinds of robes, numbering by millions and millions. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee, was, therefore, much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, “Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,” grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”’"
SECTION LXIX
“‘"Narada said, ‘Vena’s son, king Prithu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. In the Rajasuya sacrifice he performed, the great Rishis installed him as Emperor (of the world). He vanquished all, and his achievements, became known (all over the world). For this he came to be called Prithu (the celebrated). And because he protected all people from wounds and injuries, for this he became a true Kshatriya.[115] Beholding Vena’s son, Prithu, all his subjects said, We are highly pleased with him. In consequence of this affection that he enjoyed of his subjects he came to be called a Raja.[116] During the time of Prithu, the earth, without being cultivated, yielded crops in sufficiency. All the kine, again, yielded milk whenever they were touched. Every lotus was full of honey. The Kusa blades were all of gold, agreeable to the touch, and otherwise delightful. And the subjects of Prithu made clothes of these blades and the beds also on which they lay. All the fruits were soft and sweet and like unto Amrita (in taste). And these constituted the food of his subjects, none amongst whom had ever to starve. And all men in Prithu’s time were hale and hearty. And all their wishes were crowned with fruition. They had nothing to fear. On trees, or in caves, they dwelt as they liked. His dominions were not distributed into provinces and towns. The people lived happily and in joy as each desired. When king Prithu went to the sea, the waves became solid. The very mountains used to yield him openings that he might pass through them. The standard of his car never broke (obstructed by anything). Once on a time, the tall trees of the forest, the mountains, the gods, the Asuras, men, the snakes, the seven Rishis, the Apsaras, and the Pitris, all came to Prithu, seated at his ease, and addressing him, said, “Thou art our Emperor. Thou art our king. Thou art our protector and Father. Thou art our Lord. Therefore, O great king, give us boons after our own hearts, through which we may, for ever, obtain gratification and joy.” Unto them Prithu, the son of Vena, said, So be it. Then taking up his Ajagava bow[117] and some terrible arrows the like of which existed not, he reflected for a moment. He then addressed the Earth, saying, “Coming quickly, O Earth! Yield to these the milk they desire. From that, blessed be thou, I will give them the food they solicit.” Thus addressed by him, the Earth said, “It behoveth thee, O hero, to regard me as thy daughter.” Prithu answered, So be it!—And then that great ascetic, his passions under control, made all arrangements (for milking the Earth. Then the entire assemblage of creatures began to milk the Earth). And first of all, the tall trees of the forest rose for milking her. The Earth then, full of affection, stood there desiring a calf, a milker, and vessels (wherein to hold the milk). Then the blossoming Sala became the calf, the Banian became the milker, torn buds became the milk, and the auspicious fig tree became the vessel. (Next, the mountains milked her). The Eastern hill, whereon the Sun rises, became the calf; the prince of mountains, viz., Meru, became the milker; the diverse gems and deciduous herbs became the milk; and the stones became the vessels (for holding that milk). Next, one of the gods became the milker, and all things capable of bestowing energy and strength became the coveted milk. The Asuras then milked the Earth, having wine for their milk, and using an unbaked pot for their vessel. In that act, Dwimurddhan became the milker, and Virochana, the calf. The human beings milked the Earth for cultivation and crops. The self-created Manu became their calf, and Prithu himself the milker. Next, the Snakes milked the Earth, getting poison as the milk, and using a vessel made of a gourd, Dhritarashtra became the milker, and Takshaka the calf. The seven Rishis, capable of producing everything by their fiat,[118] then milked the Earth, getting the Vedas as their milk. Vrihaspati became the milker, the Chhandas were the vessel, and the excellent Soma, the calf. The Yakshas, milking the Earth, got the power of disappearance at will as the milk in an unbaked pot. Vaisravana (Kuvera) became their milker, and Vrishadhvaja their calf. The Gandharvas and the Apsaras milked all fragrant perfumes in a vessel made of a lotus-leaf. Chitraratha became their calf, and the puissant Viswaruchi their milker. The Pitris milked the Earth, getting Swaha as their milk in a vessel of silver. Yama, the son of Vivaswat, became their calf, and (the Destroyer Antaka) their milker. Even thus was the Earth milked by that assemblage of creatures who all got for milk what they each desired. The very calves and vessels employed by them are existing to this day and may always be seen. The powerful Prithu, the son of Vena, performing various sacrifices, gratified all creatures in respect of all their desires by gifts of articles agreeable to their hearts. And he caused golden images to be made of every article on earth, and bestowed them all on the Brahmanas as his great Horse-sacrifice,[119] The king caused six and sixty thousand elephants to be made of gold, and all those he gave away unto the Brahmanas. And this whole earth also the king caused to be decked with jewels and gems and gold, and gave her away unto the Brahmanas. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee as regards the four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee, was, therefore, much superior to thy son thou shouldst not, saying “Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,” grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”’"
SECTION LXX
“‘"Narada said, ‘Even the great ascetic Rama, the hero worshipped by all heroes, that son of Jamadagni, of great fame, will die, without being contented (with the period of his life). Rooting out all evils from the earth, he caused the primeval Yuga to set in. Having obtained unrivalled prosperity, no fault could be seen in him.[120] His father having been slain and his calf having been stolen by the Kshatriyas, he without any boast, slew Kartavirya who had never been vanquished before by foes. With his bow he slew four and sixty times ten thousand Kshatriyas already within the jaws of death. In that slaughter were included fourteen thousand Brahmana-hating Kshatriyas of the Dantakura country, all of whom he slew. Of the Haihayas, he slew a thousand with his short club, a thousand with his sword, and a thousand by hanging.[121] Heroic warriors, with their cars, steeds, and elephants, lay dead on the field, slain by the wise son of Jamadagni, enraged at the slaughter of his father. And Rama, on that occasion, slew ten thousand Kshatriyas with his axe. He could not quietly bear the furious speeches uttered by those (foes of his). And when many foremost of Brahmans uttered exclamations, mentioning the name of Rama of Bhrigu’s race,[122] then the valiant son of Jamadagni, proceeding against the Kashmiras, the Daradas, the Kuntis, the Kshudrakas, the Malavas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Videhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshovahas, the Vitahotras, the Trigartas, the Martikavatas, counting by thousand, slew them all by means of his whetted shafts. Proceeding from province to province, he thus slew thousands of crores of Kshatriyas. Creating a deluge of blood and filling many lakes also with blood as red as Indrajopakas or the wild fruit called Vandujiva, and bringing all the eighteen islands (of which the earth is composed) under his subjection, that son of Bhrigu’s race performed a hundred sacrifices of great merit, all of which he completed and in all of which the presents he made unto the Brahmanas were profuse. The sacrificial altar, eighteen nalas high made entirely of gold, and constructed according to the ordinance, full of diverse kinds of jewels and gems, and decked with hundreds of standards, and this earth abounding in domestic and wild animals, were accepted by Kasyapa as sacrificial present made unto him by Rama, the son of Jamadagni. And Rama also gave him many thousand prodigious elephants, all adorned with gold. Indeed, freeing the earth from all robbers, and making her teem with honest and graceful inhabitants, Rama gave her away to Kasyapa at his great Horse-sacrifice. Having divested the earth of Kshatriyas for one and twenty times, and having performed hundreds of sacrifices, the puissant hero gave away the earth to the Brahmanas. And it was Marichi (Kasyapa) who accepted from him the earth with her seven islands. Then Kasyapa said unto Rama, “Go out of the earth, at my command.” At the word of Kasyapa, the foremost of warriors, desirous of obeying the Brahmana’s behest, caused by his arrows the very ocean to stand aside, and repairing to that best of mountains called Mahendra, continued to live there. Even that enhancer of the fame of the Bhrigus, possessed of such numberless virtues, that famous son of Jamadagni, of great splendour, will die. Superior to thy son, (even he will die). Do not, therefore, grieve for thy son who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present. All these, superior to thee as regards the four cardinal virtues and as regards also a hundred other merits, all these foremost of men, have died, O Srinjaya, and they that are like them will also die.’”’"
SECTION LXXI
“‘Vyasa said, “Hearing this sacred history of sixteen kings, capable of enhancing the period of life (of the listener), king Srinjaya remained silent without saying anything. The illustrious Rishi Narada then said unto him thus sitting silent, ‘O thou of great splendour, hast thou heard those histories recited by me, and hast thou caught their purport? Or, are all these lost like Sraddha as performed by a person of regenerate classes having a Sudra wife?’ Thus addressed, Srinjaya then replied with joined hands, ‘O thou that hast wealth of asceticism, having listened to these excellent and praiseworthy histories of ancient royal sages, all of whom had performed great sacrifices with profuse presents unto the Brahmanas, my grief hath all been dispelled by wonder, like the darkness that is dispelled by the rays of the sun. I have now been cleansed of my sins, and I do not feel any pain now. Tell me, what shall I do now?’