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Skandha 4, adhyayas 19-23 · Saptah day 2
Indra steals Prithu's horse in false robes; Prithu stops at ninety-nine sacrifices, asks for ten thousand ears, and hears Sanat-kumara.
Continuing his narration to Vidura at Haridwar, the sage Maitreya describes the mature years and spiritual culmination of Emperor Prithu's reign (4.19–23). Having leveled the mountains, milked the cow-Earth (`Prithvi`), and founded the first villages and cities, King Prithu—an empowered incarnation (`avesha-avatara`) of Lord Vishnu born from the churned arms of King Vena, ruling alongside his devoted queen Archi—undertook to worship the Supreme Lord through a hundred great horse sacrifices (`Ashvamedha-shatam`).
Three encounters shape this second half of Prithu's story: first, the jealousy of **Indra**, the king of heaven, who wears false ascetic disguises (`pashanda` robes) to steal Prithu's sacrificial stallion before being reconciled by **Lord Brahma** and **Lord Vishnu** (`4.19–20`); second, the descent of the **Four Kumaras**—Brahma's eternally five-year-old mind-born sons (`Sanaka`, `Sanandana`, `Sanatana`, and `Sanat-kumara`), who come to Prithu's palace to teach the unity of self-knowledge and devotion (`4.22`); and third, Prithu and Queen Archi's final forest renunciation (`4.23`).
In the sacred land of Brahmavarta, where the river Sarasvati flows eastward near the Manu plains (`4.19.1`), King Prithu initiated Himself for a hundred Ashvamedha sacrifices. The festival was so radiant—adorned with celestial music, desire-yielding cows, mountains of food, and oceans of milk, curd, and ghee—that the glory of every other ruler paled beside it (`4.19.2–9`). Yet Lord Indra, the performer of a hundred sacrifices (`Shata-kratuh`), could not bear to see an earthly monarch equal his own ritual rank (`4.19.10`).
When King Prithu was worshipping the Supreme Person (`Adhokshaja`) through his ninety-ninth and final horse sacrifice, jealous Indra slipped invisibly into the arena and stole the sacrificial stallion (`pashum apaharata`, `4.19.11`). To conceal his theft as he fled across the sky, Indra wrapped himself in false, heretical ascetic robes (`dharmam pashandam asritah`)—the first appearance of anti-Vedic sectarian disguises (`upadharma`), which the text notes deluded foolish people by dressing unrighteousness in the garments of religion (`4.19.12, 24–25`).
Spotting Indra fleeing through the sky with the horse, the great sage **Atri** alerted Prithu's heroic son (`4.19.13`): "Go, my boy, strike down this cheat of the gods who relies on Indra's seat to obstruct your father's sacrifice!" Chasing Indra in wrath, the prince saw the god disguised with matted hair and body smeared with ash (`jatila-bhasma`), looking like Death itself (`Kala`), and held back his arrow (`4.19.14–15`). Again Atri urged him: "Slay him, my child—this is Indra, the bane of heaven!" Hearing that, Indra abandoned the horse and disappeared into his own illusion, while the prince brought the sacrificial steed back to his father's hall and was named **Vijitashva** ("Conqueror of the Horse") by the grateful sages (`4.19.16–18`).
Not giving up, Indra conjured dense darkness over the sacrificial post (`chasha-la-yupat`) and stole the horse a second time, bound in golden chains (`4.19.19`). Again Atri pointed him out in the sky; again Vijitashva hesitated upon seeing Indra carrying a skull and dramatic staff (`kapala-khatvanga-dhara`), and again, at Atri's word, Indra dropped the horse and stood in another deceptive robe (`4.19.20–21`). Maitreya remarks that the false sectarian paths Indra invented while stealing the horse—wearing red robes (`rakta-pata`), going naked (`nagna`), carrying skulls (`kapalin`), and plucking hair (`ksapanaka`)—caught the fancy of impure minds because they spoke with crooked, plausible logic (`4.19.22–25`).
Seeing this outrage, mighty King Prithu himself seized his bow in towering anger and fitted a terrible arrow to slay Indra (`4.19.26`). Simultaneously, the officiating priests (`ritvijah`) took up the ladles in fury to perform an `abhichara` incantation: "By our mantra power we shall summon Indra right here and cast him by force into the sacrificial fire (`juhumah samskritam agnau`)!" At that instant, Grandfather **Brahma** appeared and stopped them (`4.19.27–38`). "You must not slay this god," Brahma told the priests, "for Indra is an empowered expansion of Bhagavan Yajna Himself (`yajna-amsa`)! Look closer at what Indra has bred in his panic to ruin King Prithu's fame: he has spawned multiple enemies of dharma (`dharma-viplavam`) that will steal the minds of the gullible (`4.19.34`). Let famous Prithu remain content with ninety-nine sacrifices (`nava-navatir ishtyah`); what need has a master of liberation (`moksha-dharmavit`) for a hundredth rite? Both Prithu and Indra are portions of Lord Vishnu; do not anger your own self!" Obeying Brahma's word, King Prithu abandoned his anger and made peace with Indra (`4.19.39–42`).
As soon as King Prithu completed his bath at the close of the ninety-ninth sacrifice, the gods granted him their blessings, and **Lord Vishnu** (`Loka-guru`), the Supreme Enjoyer of all sacrifices, appeared directly in the arena accompanied by Indra himself (`4.20.1–2`). Speaking in a voice grave as rumbling clouds, the Lord praised Prithu for forgiving Indra's disruption, reminded him that a wise soul never identifies with the bodily cage (`deha`) or falls into delusion, and invited Prithu to ask for any boon, declaring that whoever holds steady reconciliation (`sandhih`) toward Indra holds a heart unified with Hari (`4.20.3–16`).
While Prithu bowed to the Lord of the universe, an ashamed Indra stood beside Vishnu, realized the pettiness of his theft, and fell down to touch King Prithu's feet with his hands (`pada-sparsham`, `4.20.17`). Without a trace of lingering resentment, Prithu threw his arms around Indra in a warm embrace, wiping away every drop of hostility between them (`4.20.18`).
Then, standing before the lotus-eyed Lord whose feet rested calmly on Garuda's shoulders, King Prithu wept tears of devotion that blurred his vision, wiped his eyes, and offered his famous prayer (4.20.19–31). "How could any discerning soul ask You, the Lord of all lords of boons, for bodily blessings that even creatures locked in hellish wombs enjoy (4.20.23)? Therefore, O Lord, **I do not desire even liberation (`na kamaye natha tad apy aham kvachid`), if in that state there is no chance to hear the nectarean glories of Your lotus feet (`charanambujasavah`) flowing from the mouths of the great devotees (`mahattamantar-hridayan-mukha-chyutah`, 4.20.24)!** Give me instead **ten thousand ears (`ayutam karnanam`)** to go on hearing Your playful deeds from the lips of pure souls—where anyone who drinks even once forgets every craving for heaven and home (4.20.25)!
"Indeed, O Uttamashloka, once a soul catches the breeze carrying the pollen of the tulasi blossoms from Your lotus feet inside the assembly of saints (`vimala-avatamsakam`), what else could he ever ask for (4.20.26)? Keep the goddess of fortune Lakshmi (`Mahat-tama`) for Yourself alone (4.20.27–28): I have no desire to quarrel with You over her, for ordinary rulers blinded by her side-long glances stomp on each other's heads, whereas I fear lest while serving You I become busy chasing worldly goals! Just as a good father nourishes his children without waiting for them to beg, You know what is best for us inside our own delusion (4.20.29–31)!" Deeply pleased by this selfless prayer, the Lord blessed Prithu ("Keep this devotion in Me forever!") and returned to Vaikuntha (4.20.32–38).
Returning in triumph to his capital between the Ganga and Yamuna (4.21.1–10), where citizens greeted him with pearl-decked archways, fragrant lamps, and yogurt-grass offerings, Emperor Prithu gathered the assembly of brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras and delivered a royal discourse (4.21.11–44), urging them to perform their respective duties as an offering to the unseen Supreme Witness (`Adhokshaja`) and rolling his crown-jewel in the dust before the feet of ascetic brahmanas and devotees of Hari (4.21.38–44).
At that very moment, four figures blazed in the sky from the four directions like four suns rising together (4.22.1–4): the **Four Kumaras** (`Sanaka`, `Sanandana`, `Sanatana`, and `Sanat-kumara`), the ancient masters of yoga appearing as five-year-old boys. Recognizing them by their spiritual effulgence, King Prithu rose immediately with all his attendants and senses—just as the lord of the senses (`prana`) rises with the sense-faculties when a cherished object appears (4.22.2). After bowing down and seating them upon a golden throne where they shone like the four tongues of fire inside an altar (4.22.5), Prithu washed their lotus feet, sprinkled that purifying water across the hair on his head to model respect for great souls (4.22.6), and asked with folded hands (4.22.7–16): "What greater joy can come to householders trapped in their blazing homes than the sight of self-satisfied sages whose hearts carry Lord Hari, the shelter of the poor (`dina-vatsala`)? Look with mercy upon us who have fallen into the blind pit (`andha-kupe`) of sense objects, O timeless five-year-olds (`pancha-hayana`), and tell us: **what is the supreme welfare (`kshemam`) in this human life for one entangled in samsara (4.22.16)?**"
Smiling sweetly at the king's profound question, **Sanat-kumara** answered on behalf of his brothers (4.22.17–40). Your question aims at the welfare of all creatures, O King, though you yourself already know the truth (4.22.18), he began, for the meetings of the saintly always bear fruit through dialogue between speaker and listener (4.22.19). The scriptures have settled after thorough deliberation that for embodied beings, the highest welfare without doubt is **non-attachment (`asanga`)** to things that have no true spiritual substance (`anartheshu`), combined with **unconditional love (`ratih`)** for the Supreme Brahman (`4.22.21`).
How is that double goal achieved? By seven steady practices (`4.22.22–25`): faithful practice of one's dharma, tireless inquiry into the truth of the Lord (`jijnasa`), detachment from sense enjoyment, love for hearing nectar-sweet stories of the Guru of the worlds (`kathasu rati`), distaste for assemblies buzzing with gossip of wealth and gratification, living in quiet forest solitude, abstaining from harming any creature (`bhuta-adroha`), and drinking the nectar of Hari's attributes across the thresholds of past karma (`4.22.23–25`).
Notice how the mind binds the soul, Sanat-kumara explained (`4.22.26–39`). Just as a tree drinks water through its roots (`anghripa`), the individual soul (`jiva`) drinks the objects of enjoyment through the mind and senses covered by ego (`4.22.28`). As long as the knot of the heart (`hridaya-granthi`)—built of subtle elements, sense impressions (`vasana`), and the five sheaths (`pancha-kosha`)—remains uncut, the soul remains trapped in the illusion of being a separate actor (`4.22.29–32`). Therefore, worship the Supreme Person **Harim** (`Bhajamana-atmanam`), who stands inside every heart (`4.22.34–38`)! When a seeker takes up the sharp sword of knowledge and detachment, whetted on the stone of loving service to the Lord's lotus feet, he slices through that knot of ego in a single stroke (`4.22.38–39`). Cross the perilous ocean of samsara—where the six senses swim like ravenous sharks (`nakra-shakulam`)—by making the lotus feet of Hari your sturdy boat (`plavam`) and the spiritual master your captain (`karnadhara`, `4.22.39–40`)!
Having worshiped the Kumaras and surrendered everything—time, learning, body, kingdom, wife, and children—at their feet before watching them rise back into the sky (`4.22.41–63`), King Prithu lived in unbroken awareness of the Self inside his royal palace (`4.23.1–3`), fathering five sons (`Vijitashva`, `Dhumrakesha`, `Haryaksha`, `Dravina`, and `Vrika`). When old age arrived, he divided his duties, placed the burden of the cow-Earth upon his sons, and walked out into the tapovana forest alone—followed only by his tender queen **Archi** (`4.23.4–5`).
There, strictly observing the vows of a `vanaprastha`, the former emperor of the world subsisted first on forest roots and fruits, then on dry fallen leaves, then for weeks on water alone, and finally on air (`anila-bhojana`, `4.23.6–7`). He endured the blazing five fires of summer (`panchatapa`) with the sun overhead, stood neck-deep in icy water during winter, slept on the bare ground, and mastered his breath and senses to burn away every vestige of karma by following the exact yoga path taught by Sanat-kumara (`4.23.8–12`).
When the end of his bodily stay arrived, Prithu seated himself in meditation, pressed his heel against the anus (`pashni-pidita-pavano`), raised his prana step by step from the navel through the heart, chest, and throat up into the crown of his head (`murdhani`), merged the five inner elements into their cosmic originals (earth into earth, water into water, fire into fire, air into air, ether into ether, senses into their deities, mind into the moon, ego into Rudra, and mahat-tattva into the unmanifest), and realizing himself as one with the Supreme Vasudeva, dropped the lifeless shell of the body behind (`4.23.13–18`).
Seeing her lord depart, delicate Queen Archi—whose feet had once barely touched the palace floor—followed him into the rugged mountains without weeping (`4.23.19–29`). Bathing in the river water, collecting wood on a rocky peak to build a funeral pyre, bowing thrice around her husband's body with her mind fixed on his feet, she calmly entered the blazing fire (`4.23.22–23`). Overhead in the sky, a thousand divine drums sounded and the wives of the gods (`amara-striyah`) rained down Mandara flowers while praising her (`4.23.24–29`): "Blessed is this queen, who served the king of kings as Sri serves Yajnesha, and who now crosses swiftly beyond the worlds to join her beloved!" Immediately, the god of the sky sent a golden chariot to carry Queen Archi straight to the supreme planet where her husband Prithu awaited her—closing the life of the monarch who had given the Earth her name (`4.23.29–39`).
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