Shloka 28
Pṛthu Pursues the Earth and the Earth Takes the Form of a Cow
Bhūmi as Gauḥ
एवं मन्युमयीं मूर्तिं कृतान्तमिव बिभ्रतम् । प्रणता प्राञ्जलि: प्राह मही सञ्जातवेपथु: ॥ २८ ॥
evaṁ manyumayīṁ mūrtiṁ kṛtāntam iva bibhratam praṇatā prāñjaliḥ prāha mahī sañjāta-vepathuḥ
At this time Pṛthu Mahārāja became exactly like Yamarāja, and his whole body appeared very angry. In other words, he was anger personified. After hearing him, the planet earth began to tremble. She surrendered, and with folded hands began to speak as follows.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is death personified to miscreants and the supreme beloved Lord to the devotees. In Bhagavad-gītā (10.34) the Lord says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: “I am all-devouring death.” Faithless unbelievers, who challenge the appearance of God, will be delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He appears before them as death. Hiraṇyakaśipu, for example, challenged the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Lord met him in the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva and killed him. Similarly, the planet earth saw Mahārāja Pṛthu as death personified, and she also saw him in the mood of anger personified. Therefore she began to tremble. One cannot challenge the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in any circumstance. It is better to surrender unto Him and take His protection at all times.
FAQs
Because Pṛthu’s intense righteous anger appeared like the punishing power of Yama, compelling the Earth-goddess to surrender and speak truthfully.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates that the Earth-goddess (Mahī), frightened by King Pṛthu’s wrathful form, bows with folded hands and begins to address him.
When authority is guided by dharma, it can correct wrongdoing without cruelty—prompting accountability, humility, and honest dialogue.