Shloka 18
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali; Dharma and Bhūmi Lament Kṛṣṇa’s Departure
धर्म: पदैकेन चरन् विच्छायामुपलभ्य गाम् । पृच्छति स्माश्रुवदनां विवत्सामिव मातरम् ॥ १८ ॥
dharmaḥ padaikena caran vicchāyām upalabhya gām pṛcchati smāśru-vadanāṁ vivatsām iva mātaram
ธรรมะ—บุคลาธิษฐานแห่งหลักธรรม—พเนจรอยู่ในรูปโคผู้เดินด้วยขาเพียงข้างเดียว แล้วได้พบพระแม่ธรณีในรูปแม่วัว ผู้โศกเศร้าดุจมารดาที่สูญเสียลูกน้อย น้ำตาคลอในดวงตาและความงามแห่งกายหม่นลง ดังนั้นธรรมะจึงถามพระแม่ธรณีดังนี้
The bull is the emblem of the moral principle, and the cow is the representative of the earth. When the bull and the cow are in a joyful mood, it is to be understood that the people of the world are also in a joyful mood. The reason is that the bull helps production of grains in the agricultural field, and the cow delivers milk, the miracle of aggregate food values. The human society, therefore, maintains these two important animals very carefully so that they can wander everywhere in cheerfulness. But at the present moment in this Age of Kali both the bull and the cow are now being slaughtered and eaten up as foodstuff by a class of men who do not know the brahminical culture. The bull and the cow can be protected for the good of all human society simply by the spreading of brahminical culture as the topmost perfection of all cultural affairs. By advancement of such culture, the morale of society is properly maintained, and so peace and prosperity are also attained without extraneous effort. When brahminical culture deteriorates, the cow and bull are mistreated, and the resultant actions are prominent by the following symptoms.
FAQs
It indicates the decline of righteousness in Kali-yuga—only one of Dharma’s four supports remains prominent, showing that religious principles have greatly weakened.
She is Bhūmi-devī, the earth personified. She is sorrowful because her prosperity and spiritual brightness have diminished due to the spread of irreligion in Kali-yuga.
When society loses virtue, compassion and spiritual clarity fade; the verse urges us to restore dharmic living—truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, and austerity—through devotion and responsible conduct.