Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 7
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
Ngài là hóa thân śaktyāveśa của Đức Chúa Kṛṣṇa; vì thế mọi chuyện kể về công hạnh của ngài thật êm dịu khi nghe và ban phúc lành, nương nơi các truyện đời trước. Con là kẻ sùng kính gắn bó với ngài và cũng với Đức Chúa Adhokṣaja; xin ngài thuật trọn các chuyện về vua Pṛthu, người trong hình tướng con của Vena đã vắt sữa từ trái đất mang hình bò này.
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 points to the Lord’s divine empowerment in the form of Vainya (Pṛthu), through whom the Earth was ‘milked’—meaning her resources were properly drawn out and organized for the welfare of all beings.
Adhokṣaja indicates the Supreme Lord who is beyond the reach of material senses and speculation; the verse emphasizes that devotion, not mere perception, is the way to truly approach Him.
Approach sacred knowledge with humility and devotion, and learn to ‘extract’ resources responsibly—like Pṛthu—so that prosperity is guided by dharma rather than exploitation.