At Shri Krishna’s twinkle of an eye, Lord Brahma’s age of hundred Brahma years are over and there would be a ‘Prakritik Pralaya’ when Prithvi (Earth) sinks in water and merges into Parabrahma Paramatma Shri Krishna. Maharshi Narayana narrated to Narada that there had been a belief when Daityas Madhu and Kaitabha were killed on the expanded dry place of Narayana’s thighs (since the Daityas agreed to be mutually killed only on a dry place without wetness) and the ‘Meda’ or fat of the demons’ dead bodies got dried up by Sun’s heat and that was how Medini was formed. Another version about the origin of Prithvi which Narayana Rishi narrated was what Mahatma Dharma told the Rishi: The ‘roma kupas’or the hair-roots of Maha Purusha’s body emitted dirt which created Prithvi and as many hair roots mixed with the sweat (water) emitted dirt so many times the formation of Prithvi takes place! Each time Prithvi is created, it emerges from the Seven Seas, along with Seven Dwipas, with Himalaya, Meru anf other Mountains; with Surya, Chandra and other Planets; with Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara abiding the Maha Puurusha’s instructions; along with Devas and other Pranis would get materialised too; Punya Tirthas are also created; Seven Heavens and Seven Under Worlds are created too; Brahma loka, Dhruva loka and so on woud also get materialised. Such is the repetitive activity which takes place in each Kalpa.[Brahma’s age is hundred Brahma years of which he has completed fifty years and the first day of his fifty first year is in progress and a day/night of Brahma is two kalpas; thus each Kalpa has a thousand Mahayugas equivalent to 4.32 billion human years] The current Sweta Varaha Kalpa too, Brahma requested Shri Hari to save Prithvi from the onslaught of Demon Haranayaksha who tried to be dump her in Rasatala and Shri Hari assumed the incarnation of Varaha Murti and rescued Prithvi by his ‘dumshtras’( tusks). A grateful Prithvi prayed to Narayana and the latter bestowed the boon to her that hence forth, she would be worshipped by Munis, Manus, Devatas, Siddhhas, Danavas and Manavas as and when there would be activities of construction like Griha Pravseh, Griharambha, irrigation projects etc.and those ‘Murkhas’(Idoits) who would not do so would go to hell! Meanwhile, Devi Prithvi and Varaha Devagave birth to Mangala Deva who became a Planet eventually. Maharshi Narayana then advised Narada about the procedure of Bhumi Puja by first invoking her with the Mula Mantra viz. Om Hreem Shreem Vasudhaayai swaahaa/ Bhagavan Vishnu himself prayed to her as follows:
Yagna sukarajaayaa twam Jayam dehi Jayaavahey,
Jayey Jayey Jayaadhaarey Jaya sheeley Jaya pradey/
Saraadhaaraey Sarva beejey Sarva Shakti samanvitey,
Sarva kaamapradey Devi Sarveshtam dehi mey bhavey/
Sarva shasaalaey sarvashasyaadhaye
Sarva shasyaharey Kaaley Sarva shsyaatmakey bhavey/
Mangaley angalaadhaarey Mangalye Mangala pradey,
Mangalaarthey Mangaleshey Mangalam dehi mey bhavey/
Bhumey Bhumipa sarwasvye Bhumipaala paraayaney,
Bhumipaahankaara rupey Bhumim dehi cha Bhumidey/
(You are Yagna Varaaha’s wife, the provider of Victory and the mainspring of Victory with the basic feature of victory! You are the principal sustainer and supporter of the entire world, the Bija Swarupa and the Emblem of all Powers and the bestower of all desires; kindly grant me each and everything of significance to me. You are the personification of harvests; the provider and also the destroyer of crops! You are also the symbol of auspiciousness, its major hinge and the pride of ‘Bhumipalakaas’ or (Kings) and large farmers. Do grant me unending property, Devi!)
Maharshi Narayana apprised Narada that whosoever recited the above ‘Stuti’ to Bhu devi would for several successive births become Kings, renowned Landlords and property owners of great substance. Further, any person who gives ‘Bhu daan’(charity) becomes eligible to reach Vishnudhaam; if a piece of Earth with standing crops is donated, the person concerned stays in Vishnudhaam for a long period of time. Those who donate to Brahmanas sizeable villages and huge chunks of agricultural lands would be residents of Vaikuntha. Even those who encourage the deeds of donation would be the beneficiaries of Punya. Contrarily, those who steal land especially from virtuous Brahmanas, or abet in such shady transactions would be destined to Kaalasutra, Kumbhipaka or Asipatra and Rourava Narakas depending on the intensity of cheating in the transactions, besides sufferings in the on-going lives too, great losses of physical well being, family disasters, loss of property and ignominy in the Society finally ending up with fateful and tragic end of life. Having described the pluses and minuses of donations or misuses of Land, Maharshi Narayana had not only described the Procedure of worship by way of Bhumi Puja by performing ‘Shodasopacharas’ or the Sixteen Services with Pushpa, Gandha, Deepa, Dhupa and Naivedyas, he also cautioned not to keep on bare earth certain items viz. Deepas, Shivalingas, Bhagavan/Bhagavati Murtis, Shankha, Yantra, Shalagrama, pushpa, japamala, pushpamala, Karpura, Chandana wood, Rudraksha mala, pustaka and Yagnopaveeta. At the time of Earthquakes or Grahanas (Eclipses), there should never be any breaking of Bhumi which might eventually cause sufferances of the limbs of persons responsible. Bhu Devi is complemented by several epithets such as ‘Kaashyapi’ as she was the daughter of Kashyapa Muni; ‘Sthira’ as she is stable; ‘Vishvambhara’ as she carries the burden of the world; ‘Ananta’ or of Endless nature; ‘Prithvi’ as the provider of desires in the form of a Kamadhenu at the behest of King Pruthu and ‘Bhumi’ as the base for building ‘Bhuvanas’or Residences of Comfort to one and all as per their own luck and deservedness!