Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 4
Pṛthu Pursues the Earth and the Earth Takes the Form of a Cow
Bhūmi as Gauḥ
प्रकृत्या विषमा देवी कृता तेन समा कथम् । तस्य मेध्यं हयं देव: कस्य हेतोरपाहरत् ॥ ४ ॥
prakṛtyā viṣamā devī kṛtā tena samā katham tasya medhyaṁ hayaṁ devaḥ kasya hetor apāharat
La surface de la terre est naturellement inégale, tantôt haute, tantôt basse. Comment le Mahārāja Pṛthu l’a-t-il rendue plane ? Et pour quelle raison Indra, roi du ciel, déroba-t-il le cheval consacré au sacrifice ?
FAQs
This verse notes that Earth is naturally uneven, prompting the question of how she was made level—highlighting the king’s duty to organize and protect the land for dharma and prosperity.
The verse asks why a purified (medhya) horse meant for sacrifice was taken away, pointing to a disturbance in the yajña and setting up the chapter’s tension around royal sacrifice and opposition to it.
It encourages responsible leadership: rather than blaming “nature,” one should bring order, fairness, and stability to one’s sphere of duty, and protect sacred, constructive works from disruption.