Shloka 7

वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्

Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth

Devanagari script

अङ्गात् सुनीथापत्यं वै वेनम् एकम् अजायत प्रजार्थम् ऋषयस् तस्य ममन्थुर् दक्षिणं करम्

Transliteration

aṅgāt sunīthāpatyaṃ vai venam ekam ajāyata prajārtham ṛṣayas tasya mamanthur dakṣiṇaṃ karam

Translation

From Aṅga, through Sunīthā, there was born a single son—Vena. Yet, for the people’s welfare and to restore the order of succession, the sages churned his right hand, drawing forth the power of kingship to re-establish righteous rule.

Word by Word

• अङ्गात्: from Aṅga
• अङ्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सुनीथापत्यम्: offspring of Sunīthā
• सुनीथापत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनीथा + अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुनीथायाः अपत्यम्)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वेनम्: Vena (name)
• वेनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वेनम् इति सह)

• अजायत: was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रजार्थम्: for the sake of progeny
• प्रजार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रजानां अर्थः/हितम्)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ममन्थुः: churned / rubbed
• ममन्थुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दक्षिणम्: right
• दक्षिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (करम् इति सह)

• करम्: hand
• करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How righteous kingship was restored when Vena failed; origin of Prithu’s sovereignty

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When rulership deviates from dharma, the ṛṣis act for prajā-hita to re-establish legitimate kṣatra authority and social order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Hold leadership accountable to public welfare; support institutions and elders who safeguard ethical governance.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is upheld as Bhagavān’s order in the world, preserved through divinely sanctioned agents (ṛṣis) within creation

Dynasty & Genealogy

Key Kings: Aṅga, Sunīthā, Vena

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Aṅga
• Sunīthā
• Vena
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the significance of the sages “churning” Vena’s right hand in the Vishnu Purana?

It signifies a deliberate, sacred extraction of royal power to protect the people—an image of restoring dharma when ordinary kingship fails.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the purpose of this act within the narrative?

Parāśara frames it as prajārtha—done for the welfare and continuity of the subjects—showing that sovereignty is accountable to cosmic and social order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s worldview treats legitimate kingship and social stability as functioning under Vishnu’s supreme order (dharma upheld through divinely aligned rule).