वत्सं कल्पय मे वीर येनाहं वत्सला तव । धोक्ष्ये क्षीरमयान्कामाननुरूपं च दोहनम् ॥ ९ ॥ दोग्धारं च महाबाहो भूतानां भूतभावन । अन्नमीप्सितमूर्जस्वद्भगवान् वाञ्छते यदि ॥ १० ॥
vatsaṁ kalpaya me vīra yenāhaṁ vatsalā tava dhokṣye kṣīramayān kāmān anurūpaṁ ca dohanam
O mighty-armed nourisher of beings! If, in accord with the will of the Bhagavān, you seek strength-giving grain for the welfare of all creatures, then appoint a milkman to perform the milking properly; thus everyone will be sustained.
These are nice instructions for milking a cow. The cow must first have a calf so that out of affection for the calf she will voluntarily give sufficient milk. There must also be an expert milkman and a suitable pot in which to keep the milk. Just as a cow cannot deliver sufficient milk without being affectionate to her calf, the earth cannot produce sufficient necessities without feeling affection for those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Even though the earth’s being in the shape of a cow may be taken figuratively, the meaning herein is very explicit. Just as a calf can derive milk from a cow, all living entities — including animals, birds, bees, reptiles and aquatics — can receive their respective foods from the planet earth, provided that human beings are not asat, or adhṛta-vrata, as we have previously discussed. When human society becomes asat, or ungodly, or devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the entire world suffers. If human beings are well-behaved, animals will also receive sufficient food and be happy. The ungodly human being, ignorant of his duty to give protection and food to the animals, kills them to compensate for the insufficient production of grains. Thus no one is satisfied, and that is the cause for the present condition in today’s world.
This verse teaches that prosperity is not merely extracted; it comes when a qualified leader establishes the right means (“milker” and “method”) so the Earth yields food in a dharmic, orderly way.
In the narrative, Earth personified explains that her resources manifest according to the approach and qualification of the receiver; therefore she asks Pṛthu to arrange a proper agent and process so beings can be nourished without chaos.
Seek results through right systems and qualified stewardship—ethical leadership, responsible agriculture, and disciplined methods—rather than exploiting nature without wisdom or dharma.