Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 17: Mahārāja Pṛthu Becomes Angry at the Earth |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.17.31
ya etad ādāv asṛjac carācaraḿ
sva-māyayātmāśrayayāvitarkyayā
tayaiva so 'yaḿ kila goptum udyataḥ
kathaḿ nu māḿ dharma-paro jighāḿsati
SYNONYMS
yaḥ — one who; etat — these; ādau — in the beginning of creation; asṛjat — created; cara-acaram — moving and nonmoving living entities; sva-māyayā — by His own potency; ātma-āśrayayā — sheltered under His own protection; avitarkyayā — inconceivable; tayā — by that same māyā; eva — certainly; saḥ — he; ayam — this King; kila — certainly; goptum udyataḥ — prepared to give protection; katham — how; nu — then; mām — me; dharma-paraḥ — one who is strictly following religious principles; jighāḿsati — desires to kill.
TRANSLATION
In the beginning of creation You created all these moving and nonmoving living entities by Your inconceivable energy. Through this very same energy You are now prepared to protect the living entities. Indeed, You are the supreme protector of religious principles. Why are You so anxious to kill me, even though I am in the form of a cow?
PURPORT
The planet earth argues that there is no doubt that one who creates can also annihilate by his sweet will. The planet earth questions why she should be killed when the Lord is prepared to give protection to everyone. After all, it is the earth that is the resting place for all other living entities, and it is the earth that produces grains for them.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness