680
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 17]
dictate that a woman, a cow, a child, a  brāhmaṇa  and an old man must be given all protection by the king or anyone else. Consequently mother earth took the shape of a cow. She was also a woman. Thus she appealed to the King as one who knows the principles of religion. Religious principles also dictate that one is not to be killed if he surrenders. She reminded King Pṛthu that not only was he an incarnation of God, but he was situated as the King of the earth as well. Therefore his duty was to excuse her.
TEXT 19
स त्वं जिघांससे कसादीनामकृतकिल्बिषाम् ।
अहनिष्यत्कथं योषां धर्मज्ञ इति यो मतः ॥१९॥
sa tvam jighāmsase kasmād
dīnām akṛta-kilbiṣām
ahaniṣyat katham yoṣām
dharma-jña iti yo mataḥ
saḥ —that very person;  tvam —you;  jighāmsase —want to kill;  kasmāt —why;  dīnām —poor;  akṛta —without having done;  kilbiṣām —any sinful activities;  ahaniṣyat —would kill;  katham —how;  yoṣām —a woman;  dharma-jñaḥ —the knower of religious principles;  iti —thus;  yaḥ —one who;  mataḥ —is considered.
TRANSLATION
The cow-shaped earth continued to appeal to the King: I am very poor and have not committed any sinful activities. I do not know why you want to kill me. Since you are supposed to be the knower of all religious principles, why are you so envious of me, and why are you so anxious to kill a woman?
PURPORT
The earth appealed to the King in two ways. A king who knows religious principles cannot kill anyone who has not committed sinful activities. Apart from this, a woman is not to be killed, even if she does commit some sinful activities. Since the earth was innocent and was also a woman, the King should not kill her.
TEXT 20
प्रहरन्ति न वै स्त्रीषु कृतागःस्वपि जन्तवः ।
क्रियत त्वद्रिधा गजन करुणा दीनवत्सलाः ॥२०॥