Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 6
Pṛthu Pursues the Earth and the Earth Takes the Form of a Cow
Bhūmi as Gauḥ
यच्चान्यदपि कृष्णस्य भवान् भगवत: प्रभो: । श्रव: सुश्रवस: पुण्यं पूर्वदेहकथाश्रयम् ॥ ६ ॥ भक्ताय मेऽनुरक्ताय तव चाधोक्षजस्य च । वक्तुमर्हसि योऽदुह्यद्वैन्यरूपेण गामिमाम् ॥ ७ ॥
yac cānyad api kṛṣṇasya bhavān bhagavataḥ prabhoḥ śravaḥ suśravasaḥ puṇyaṁ pūrva-deha-kathāśrayam
Ты — шактьявеша-аватара могуществ Господа Кришны; потому всякое повествование о его деяниях сладостно для слуха и приносит святое благополучие, опираясь на рассказы о прежних воплощениях. Я — преданный, исполненный любви к тебе и к Господу Адхокшадже; потому поведай все истории о царе Притху, который в облике сына Вены «выдоил» эту землю, принявшую образ коровы.
Lord Kṛṣṇa is also known as avatārī, which means “one from whom all the incarnations emanate.” In Bhagavad-gītā (10.8) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.” Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everyone’s appearance. As far as this material world is concerned, Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva are all emanations from Kṛṣṇa. These three incarnations of Kṛṣṇa are called guṇa-avatāras. The material world is governed by three material modes of nature, and Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva respectively take charge of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Mahārāja Pṛthu is also an incarnation of those qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa by which one rules over conditioned souls.
FAQs
This verse praises narrations of Kṛṣṇa as supremely purifying and auspicious, especially when they recount His incarnations and divine acts.
Within the dialogue, Maitreya encourages continued narration of the Lord’s glories, emphasizing that such topics are inherently holy and beneficial for the listener.
Regularly hearing or reading Bhagavatam-centered talks about Kṛṣṇa (even a little daily) is presented as a direct way to cultivate devotion and inner purification.