Shloka 7
Pṛthu Mahārāja Milks the Earth (Bhūmi-dugdha) and Organizes Human Settlement
अपालितानादृता च भवद्भिर्लोकपालकै: । चोरीभूतेऽथ लोकेऽहं यज्ञार्थेऽग्रसमोषधी: ॥ ७ ॥
apālitānādṛtā ca bhavadbhir loka-pālakaiḥ corī-bhūte ’tha loke ’haṁ yajñārthe ’grasam oṣadhīḥ
Ó rei, os governantes não me sustentam nem me protegem como convém; usando os grãos para a gratificação dos sentidos, as pessoas tornaram-se ladrões e não são punidas. Por isso escondi as sementes destinadas ao yajña, o sacrifício.
That which happened during the time of Pṛthu Mahārāja and his father, King Vena, is also happening at this present moment. A huge arrangement exists for the production of large-scale industrial and agricultural products, but all these products are meant for sense gratification. Therefore despite such productive capacities there is scarcity because the world’s population is full of thieves. The word corī-bhūte indicates that the population has turned to thievery. According to Vedic understanding, men are transformed into thieves when they plan economic development for sense gratification. It is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā that if one eats food grains without offering them to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajña, he is a thief and liable to be punished. According to spiritual communism, all properties on the surface of the globe belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The population has a right to use goods only after offering them to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the process of accepting prasāda. Unless one eats prasāda, he is certainly a thief. It is the duty of governors and kings to punish such thieves and maintain the world nicely. If this is not done, grains will no longer be produced, and people will simply starve. Indeed, not only will people be obliged to eat less, but they will kill one another and eat each other’s flesh. They are already killing animals for flesh, so when there will no longer be grains, vegetables and fruits, they will kill their own sons and fathers and eat their flesh for sustenance.
FAQs
Because the world’s rulers neglected protection and proper dharma, people became like thieves; thus Bhūmi-devī withheld vegetation meant for yajña.
Bhūmi-devī (Earth personified) speaks, addressing the lokapālas and the ruling authorities, explaining the cause of scarcity.
It teaches that when leadership and society abandon dharma and gratitude, prosperity declines; protecting righteousness and sacred duty sustains well-being.