Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 18: Pṛthu Mahārāja Milks the Earth Planet |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.18.11
samāḿ ca kuru māḿ rājan
deva-vṛṣṭaḿ yathā payaḥ
apartāv api bhadraḿ te
upāvarteta me vibho
SYNONYMS
samām — equally level; ca — also; kuru — make; mām — me; rājan — O King; deva-vṛṣṭam — fallen as rain by the mercy of King Indra; yathā — so that; payaḥ — water; apa-ṛtau — when the rainy season has ceased; api — even; bhadram — auspiciousness; te — unto you; upāvarteta — it can remain; me — on me; vibho — O Lord.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, may I inform you that you have to make the entire surface of the globe level. This will help me, even when the rainy season has ceased. Rainfall comes by the mercy of King Indra. Rainfall will remain on the surface of the globe, always keeping the earth moistened, and thus it will be auspicious for all kinds of production.
PURPORT
King Indra of the heavenly planets is in charge of throwing thunderbolts and giving rainfall. Generally thunderbolts are thrown on the tops of hills in order to break them to pieces. As these pieces are spread asunder in due course of time, the surface of the globe gradually becomes fit for agriculture. Level land is especially conducive to the production of grain. Thus the planet earth requested Mahārāja Pṛthu to level the surface of the earth, breaking up the high land and mountains.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness