King Prithu’s Complex Journey: Aligning Vartamaana with Rta
The Bhagavata is an ocean of metaphors. Like all Indian puranas, it delves deeply into the ethical dimensions of life, establishing a framework rooted in the Purusharthas. Its uniqueness, however, lies in the importance it places on Moksha. While all Itihasa-Puranas emphasise the eternal reality, Bhagavata introduces a higher-order consideration: the pursuit of eternal peace. This aspiration is woven consistently into its tone, underscoring a philosophical depth that illuminates other aspects of the Purusharthas—Dharma, Artha, and Kama. Through this pursuit, readers of Bhagavata experience a profound sense of peace and tranquillity, a reassuring bridge between the spiritual and the material realms. The story tells that Sage Vyasa, feeling unsettled after composing the Mahabharata, was guided by Sage Narada to create Bhagavata. Judging by the serene experience it brings to its readers, one might imagine that Vyasa found even greater peace in its creation, perhaps far exceeding that of those who read his work. The Bhagavata is also unique in how it reveals the unfolding of time and the experience of eternity. The beginning and end of every phenomenon receive deep exploration within the Bhagavata, unconstrained by linear historical events. Beyond its philosophical depth, it excels in poetic expression, richly layered with literary metaphors. The story of King Prithu stands as a quintessential example of this paradigm, embodying the Bhagavata’s unique approach to timeless truths through its poetic and metaphorical language.
The story, in essence, unfolds as follows. In the esteemed lineage of Dhruva the Great, there is King Anga, a dharmic and kind-hearted ruler. Through rigorous tapasya, he is blessed with a son, Vena, but Vena soon reveals himself to be unworthy of his father’s virtues. King Anga, disheartened and despairing over his son’s behavior, ultimately relinquishes the throne. Left with no other choice, the kingdom crowns Vena as the new king. However, Vena’s conduct deteriorates further, leading to a confrontation with the Sages, who attempt to guide him. Disregarding their counsel, Vena disrespects and threatens the Sages to such an extent that they are compelled to destroy him.
Without a king, the kingdom begins to suffer. Anga’s wife, in desperation, approaches the Sages once more. From the body of King Vena, the Sages create a new offspring. Their first attempt yields a man of ill nature, who withdraws into the forest to live as a fleecing hunter. However, their second attempt brings forth a positive result: Prithu emerges, fully grown and accompanied by his wife. Prithu is crowned as king, and he assumes his duties with profound respect and dedication, proving himself a worthy descendant in the illustrious lineage of King Dhruva.
Three stories about King Prithu stand out in their significance. The first is the remarkable story of his unique birth. The second centers on Prithu’s encounter with Mother Earth. When his people complain that she is withholding the resources they need to sustain themselves, Prithu, angered, chases her as she takes the form of a cow and attempts to flee. Unable to escape, she ultimately pleads for his compassion, requesting that he milk her gently and draw only what is truly needed. The third story involves the Ashwamedha Yaga. Prithu successfully performs ninety-nine of these powerful rituals, but his hundredth attempt is persistently thwarted by Deva Indra, who steals the sacrificial horse multiple times, leading to repeated confrontations, each one resolved in Prithu’s favor. Exasperated, Prithu seeks a final showdown with Indra. However, the Sages and eventually Lord Brahma himself intervene, urging Prithu to abandon his pursuit of a hundred Ashwamedha-s and the accompanying material gains. Instead, he is guided toward aspiring for Moksha, a counsel he accepts. In time, Prithu relinquishes the throne, having fulfilled all his responsibilities and ensuring the kingdom’s sustainable prosperity before stepping aside.
Three remarkable elements emerge in this narrative. Firstly, the story of King Vena serves as a cautionary reminder to humanity of the consequences of blind parental love. Vena’s downfall stems as much from his own actions as it does from a father’s unchecked affection, which blinds him to the necessity of providing a balanced upbringing. Although Vena is born as the fruit of Anga’s great penance, Anga mistakenly believes his duty as fulfilled with the birth of an heir. Assuming that the penance itself is sufficient, he neglects the ongoing responsibility of nurturing his son’s character. This oversight leads to Vena’s wayward behaviour, a reality that dawns on Anga only in the end. Tragically, this realisation comes too late, and Anga limits his response to renouncing his worldly attachments, seeking mukti by relinquishing his possessions rather than addressing the broader implications of his actions. This limited realisation creates a crisis for the kingdom, leaving the Sages with no choice but to crown Vena as king to preserve continuity and manage the disruption of leadership. Yet, rather than stabilise, Vena escalates his ways, driving his kingdom into anarchy, compelling the Sages to undertake the rare act of destroying the king himself.
The metaphors here are unmistakable. Blind love for an offspring symbolizes blind submission to the creative forces of the universe—a path fraught with risk. Creative processes fueled by extraordinary human effort, such as penance, demand equally extraordinary stewardship. Yet, despite his wisdom, King Anga overlooks this truth. His judgement is clouded by the maya of paternal affection, obscuring his understanding of balanced responsibility. Even more troubling, instead of enacting kingly corrections, he chooses a path appropriate only once all duties are fulfilled—a severe misstep for a dharmic king. He forgets that sustainable continuity must be secured before renunciation. With his authority, he might have established a renewed lineage for the kingdom, a potential he tragically fails to recognize. Vena, who might have been managed through careful control, is instead left unchecked, giving him the space to descend into recklessness until the righteous Sages are ultimately forced to intervene with drastic action. Each failure brings the need for increasingly complex and costly corrections, underscoring the weighty responsibilities that accompany the harnessing of creative energy.
Faced with a crisis, what course do the sages choose? Undoubtedly, a new king is essential, yet the kingdom has already endured three distinct forms of royal misfortune. First, it suffered the consequences of a well-intentioned king whose blind affection led to a weak discharge of his dharma. Second, it endured the terrifying rule of a cruel king. Finally, it plunged into darkness and chaos due to the absence of any king—a situation that seems the most dire of all, bringing the kingdom face-to-face with the unpredictability of the unknown. Amidst this turmoil, order is crucial; thus, a new king becomes an undeniable necessity.
The sages place utmost importance on continuity. Despite his cruelty, King Vena belongs to and symbolises a tradition of righteousness, and a single deviation cannot justify abandoning this path. Therefore, the new king must emerge from within the remnants of Vena—his mortal body—but through a transformed act of creation. The sages undertake this creation, which first manifests as the negative aspects of Vena, resulting in an ill-natured hunter. Unsuitable for leadership, this figure must nonetheless be granted a future and an opportunity to sustain his own lineage, and so he is retired to the forest. It is the subsequent, refined creation that brings forth King Prithu.
The Bhagavata illuminates the profound challenges of penance, creation, and the weighty responsibilities they carry. Creation may yield the unexpected or the less desirable, yet each outcome must be given its rightful place within the universe and properly contained. Beyond this, one must exercise patience, allowing the creative process to unfold toward its intended end—a journey that often defies prediction. When the desired result finally emerges, it must be elevated to its rightful place, as exemplified by King Prithu. Prithu embodies the culmination and perfection of a creative process, symbolised by his being born fully along with his wife. This completeness is also why he remains unwavering, unmoved by desire, firmly committed to the righteous path set forth by destiny.
The story of Prithu carries one of the most profound and intriguing, if not disturbing, metaphors in all our puranas: his relentless pursuit of Mother Earth. As recounted earlier, King Vena’s rule had devastated the ecosystem, leaving the earth barren and unyielding. Deeply angered by his people’s suffering, Prithu sets out to punish Mother Earth, who flees in the form of a cow. Yet, she cannot escape his reach, and in the end, she seeks his protection and forgiveness. Sheltering herself before Prithu, the cow explains her plight: under Vena’s impoverished rule, people exploited her relentlessly, viewing her merely as a provider without restraint. She pleads with Prithu to treat her as a mother, like a cow to be milked with care, yielding what is needed but only through gentle, respectful stewardship. Moved by her appeal, Prithu, the sages, and the people then receive what they need by respectfully “milking” Mother Earth, restoring a balanced harmony.
At first glance, Prithu’s pursuit of Mother Earth, threatening her with punishment, presents an unusual metaphor in our tradition. Yet, as king, Prithu is bound by duty to his people. Earth is the primary source of sustenance and prosperity, and he has no choice but to reach out to her. Faced with the needs of a growing society, Prithu must level the land, clear forests, and restore order disrupted during King Vena’s reign by responsibly using more resources. This episode illustrates how humanity, in moments of crisis, may be compelled to undertake drastic actions.
Mother Earth explains her reluctance to provide: under King Vena’s reign, she was cruelly exploited, depleting her protective and nurturing powers. People had forgotten to see her as Mother, Goddess, and Cow—a being to be treated with respect and gentleness, milked with care, keeping both present and future in mind. She urges King Prithu to take what is needed but only by “milking” her, as this is the only sustainable and natural approach, ensuring what is needed today without jeopardising tomorrow. This is a profound lesson in sustainability, one that requires devotion and a sense of liberation. Thus, true Dharma cannot be realised without the presence of Moksha.
Moreover, Prithu cannot ignore the damage caused by his predecessor; it is his responsibility to enact social corrections, transforming how people live with and draw from Mother Earth. Through a clear understanding of both personal and social Dharma, he guides his society towards a dharmic and sustainable way of living, ensuring harmony between human needs and the earth’s resilience. Prithu embodies all eras of profound transformation, where both the scale and intensity of resource use expand out of necessity. The story, though, reminds us that even in such times, a sustainable path is eventually available, as long as we remain mindful of it. More importantly, the steady state must be a sustainable path and that must be the final pursuit.
King Prithu embodies a monumental transition from one era to another within civilization itself—from the simplicity of Dhruva’s time to the complexity of his own. The period in between is marked by intense flux, presenting civilization with unprecedented and perilous challenges. Prithu navigates this transition through his profound understanding of dharma and its practical application. He leads Earth from one state to another, earning her the affectionate title of “Prithvi,” as his daughter. This serves as a powerful metaphor: the health of Earth and the Universe is intricately linked to the leadership and responsibility of humanity. Humanity’s role, then, is to nurture Earth as both a father would a daughter and as a respectful steward would a cow or a mother.
Without this depth of sensitivity, merely “secular” or “intellectual” approaches to sustainability fall short, as demonstrated by the shortcomings of many global initiatives and declarations. True sustainability requires these sensitivities to be woven into daily actions, rooted in a societal framework shaped by Dharma and Moksha.
The final metaphor is King Prithu’s performance of the Ashwamedha sacrifice ninety-nine times, only to have his hundredth attempt obstructed by Lord Indra—a familiar divine intervention. Indra steals the sacrificial horse twice, each time caught by Sage Atri and defeated by Prithu’s son. Frustrated, Prithu challenges Indra to a final battle. Sensing the imminent destruction, the sages counsel Prithu on his true purpose, reminding him that the Ashwamedha, though conducted dharmically, ultimately serves personal glory, fame, and material gain—Kama, or desire.
At this moment, Prithu attains a deeper realisation: even without the hundredth Ashwamedha, he has already achieved the essence of the ritual. His pursuit has driven Indra, the king of gods, to resort to unrighteous acts like theft, exposing the hollowness of further ego-driven victories. Continuing would now serve only his ego, leading to needless destruction. Prithu understands his higher duty: to sustain life and pass on his kingdom to one worthy of continuing that sustenance. Realising his time has come, he renounces the throne and chooses the path of Moksha, relinquishing worldly ties.
Through Prithu, the process of creation reaches its ultimate fulfilment, transitioning the world from the righteous, sustainable era of Dhruva to another. He aligns life with Rta, the cosmic order, through Dharma, achieving the highest purpose of leadership. The Universe is profoundly dynamic and will forever remain so; however, its transition from one sustainable state to the next is intricate and requires the guidance of the dharmic and enlightened. King Prithu’s story embodies this timeless truth, illustrating how a ruler’s wisdom and alignment with cosmic order can facilitate this delicate shift. In this way, Prithu’s journey fulfils a central objective of the Bhagavata, offering a model of enlightened leadership for ages to come.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article belong to the author. Indic Today is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in the article.
