प्राचीनबर्हिस्

{ prācīnabarhis }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

PRĀCĪNABARHIS   A prajāpati. (For genealogy see under Pṛthu). Pṛthu got two sons named Antardhāna and Vādī who were very virtuous. A son named Havirdhāna was born to Antardhāna of his wife Śikhaṇḍinī. Dhiṣaṇā born of the family of Agni became the wife of Havirdhāna and they got six sons named Prācīnabarhis, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, Vraja and Ajina. Of these Prācīnabarhis became a great Prajāpati. He carpetted the world with darbha grass with its head turned towards the east and thus got the name (Prācī = east; barhis = bed of Kuśa grass) Prācīnabarhis. He performed great penance and married Savarṇā, daughter of the oceans. They got ten sons who were called Pracetases and who were all masters of dhanurveda (archery). They all performed penance for ten thousand years lying submerged in water. Brahmā persuaded Prācīnabarhis to request his sons to refrain from remaining unmarried. Prācīnabarhis informed his sons about Brahmā's wish. They sat in meditation in the ocean for ten thousand years as per directions from their father and sang songs in praise of Viṣṇu. Mahāviṣṇu was pleased and he gave darśana (vision of god) to them on the surface of the ocean itself with the brilliance of blue lotus. Pracetases went into ecstasy when they saw Bhagavān coming to them riding on the back of Garuḍa and they bowed down in great devotion before him. Mahāviṣṇu asked them what they wanted and they reported they wanted a boon for the progress and prosperity of the prajās. Granting them the boon Mahāviṣṇu disappeared and the Pracetases went back to their father. [Chapter 14, Aṁśa 1, Viṣṇu Purāṇa] .

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

प्राचीन—बर्हिस्  m.  m. ( nom. °हि before ऋ) ‘eastern light (?)’, N. of इन्द्र, [Ragh.]

ROOTS:

प्राचीन बर्हिस्

of a प्रजा-पति of the race of अत्रि, [MBh.]
of a son of हविर्-धामन् (or हविर्-धान) and father of the 10 प्रचेतस्, [MBh.]; [Hariv.]; [Pur.]
of a son of मनु, [BhP.]