682 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 17

garbha. The earth therefore warned King Prthu that he could gain nothing
by destroying her. Indeed, how would he protect himself and his citizens
from drowning in the garbha water? In other words, outer space may be
compared to an ocean of air, and each and every planet is floating on it
just as a boat or island floats on the ocean. Sometimes planets are called
dvipa, or islands, and sometimes they are called boats. Thus the cosmic
manifestation is partially explained in this reference by the cow-shaped
earth.

TEXT 22

JICWy
Wraith aTATTETaN |
at afafe aT Teh A TAA TAT TT UR

prthur uvdca
vasudhe tvam vadhisyami
mac-chdsana-paran-mukhim
bhagam barhisi ya urikte
na tanoti ca no vasu

prthuh uvaca—King Prthu replied; vasu-dhe—my dear earthly planet;
tudm—you; vadhisyami—| shall kill; mat—my; sdsana—rulings; parak-
mukhim—disobedient to; bhégam—your share; barhisi—in the yajiia; ya—
who; urikte—accepts; na—not; tanoti—does deliver; ca—and; nah—to us;
vasu—produce.

TRANSLATION

King Prthu replied to the earthly planet: My dear earth, you have
disobeyed my orders and rulings. In the form of a demigod you accepted
your share of the yajfias we performed, but in return you have not
produced sufficient food grains. For this reason | must kill you.

PURPORT

The cow-shaped earthly planet submitted that she was not only a woman,
but was innocent and sinless as well. Thus she argued that she should not
be killed. Besides, she pointed out that being perfectly religious-minded,
the King could not violate the religious principles that forbade killing a
woman. In reply, Maharaja Prthu informed her that first of all she had
disobeyed his orders. This was her first sinful activity. Secondly he accused
