SB 4.17.14 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

प्रवेपमाना धरणी निशाम्योदायुधं च तम् गौ: सत्यपाद्रवद्भीता मृगीव मृगयुद्रुता ॥ १४ ॥

Verse text

pravepamānā dharaṇī niśāmyodāyudhaṁ ca tam gauḥ saty apādravad bhītā mṛgīva mṛgayu-drutā

Synonyms

pravepamānā — trembling ; dharaṇī — the earth ; niśāmya — seeing ; udāyudham — having taken his bow and arrow ; ca — also ; tam — the King ; gauḥ — a cow ; satī — becoming ; apādravat — began to flee ; bhītā — very much afraid ; mṛgī iva — like a deer ; mṛgayu — by a hunter ; drutā — being followed .

Translation

When the earth saw that King Pṛthu was taking his bow and arrow to kill her, she became very much afraid and began to tremble. She then began to flee, exactly like a deer, which runs very swiftly when followed by a hunter. Being afraid of King Pṛthu, she took the shape of a cow and began to run.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Seeing the King with his raised bow, the earth trembled greatly and taking the form of a cow, ran away in fear, like a deer pursued by a hunter. The earth was like a deer followed by (drutā) a hunter.

Purport

Just as a mother produces various children, both male and female, the womb of mother earth produces all kinds of living entities in various shapes. Thus it is possible for mother earth to take on innumerable shapes. At this time, in order to avoid the wrath of King Pṛthu, she took the shape of a cow. Since a cow is never to be killed, mother earth thought it wise to take the shape of a cow in order to avoid King Pṛthu’s arrows. King Pṛthu, however, could understand this fact, and therefore he did not stop chasing the cow-shaped earth.