Prithu is "celebrated as the first consecrated king, from whom the earth received her (Sanskrit) name, Prithvi.

"[2] He is mainly associated with the legend of his chasing the earth goddess, Prithvi, who fled in the form of a cow and eventually agreed to yield her milk as the world's grain and vegetation.

Thus being a ayonija ("born without (the participation) of the yoni"), Prithu is untouched by desire and ego and can thus control his senses to rule with dharma.

Thus the rishis (sages) killed him, leaving the kingdom without an heir and in famine due to the anarchy of Vena.

Sūtas and magadhas, royal heralds and bards, were produced from the sacrifice, and sang the king's glories.

[18] The Vayu Purana records that when born, Prithu stood with a bow, arrows and an armour, ready to destroy the earth, which was devoid of Vedic rituals.

Terrified, the earth fled in form of a cow and finally submitted to Prithu's demands, earning him the title chakravartin (sovereign).

Further, Dharma (righteousness), Shri (goddess of wealth, beauty and good fortune) and Artha (purpose, material prosperity) established themselves in Prithu.

After governing his kingdom for a long time, Prithu left with his wife Archi, to perform penance in the forest in his last days.

He experienced Samadhi and voluntarily gave up his body in the forest, and Archi went Sati on his funeral pyre.

[21] The Vishnu Purana states that Prithu has two sons: Antardhi (Antardhana) and Palin (Pali).

Archi, emerged from Vena's body, along with Prithu and is considered as an avatar of the goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu.

Prithu's other sons, Haryarksha, Dhumrakesha, Vrika and Dravina ruled the east, south, west and north of the kingdom respectively.

Prithu's actions of chasing the earth-cow as a hunter and finally milking her, display this terrifying side of the king.

[26] Chinese scholar Hiuen Tsang (c. 640 AD) records the existence of the town Pehowa, named after Prithu, "who is said to be the first person that obtained the title Raja (king)".

[27] Shriman Narayan, one of the protagonists of Indian Panchayati Raj movement, tracing its origin, writes: "It is believed that the system was first introduced by King Prithu while colonizing the Doab between the Ganga and Jamuna.