SB 4.17.31 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

य एतदादावसृजच्चराचरं स्वमाययात्माश्रययावितर्क्यया । तयैव सोऽयं किल गोप्तुमुद्यत: कथं नु मां धर्मपरो जिघांसति ॥ ३१ ॥

Verse text

ya etad ādāv asṛjac carācaraṁ sva-māyayātmāśrayayāvitarkyayā tayaiva so ’yaṁ kila goptum udyataḥ kathaṁ nu māṁ dharma-paro jighāṁsati

Synonyms

yaḥ — one who ; etat — these ; ādau — in the beginning of creation ; asṛjat — created ; cara — acaram — moving and nonmoving living entities ; sva — māyayā — by His own potency ; ātma — āśrayayā — sheltered under His own protection ; avitarkyayā — inconceivable ; tayā — by that same māyā ; eva — certainly ; saḥ — he ; ayam — this King ; kila — certainly ; goptum udyataḥ — prepared to give protection ; katham — how ; nu — then ; mām — me ; dharma — paraḥ — one who is strictly following religious principles ; jighāṁsati — desires to kill .

Translation

In the beginning of creation You created all these moving and nonmoving living entities by Your inconceivable energy. Through this very same energy You are now prepared to protect the living entities. Indeed, You are the supreme protector of religious principles. Why are You so anxious to kill me, even though I am in the form of a cow?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

How can he who is dedicated to dharma, who has created in the beginning all moving and non-moving beings by his inconceivable energy under his control, who is eager to protect by the same energy, desire to kill me? “The world is made by me and destroyed by me.” That is true, but now since you are engaged in maintaining things, you should not kill me.

Purport

The planet earth argues that there is no doubt that one who creates can also annihilate by his sweet will. The planet earth questions why she should be killed when the Lord is prepared to give protection to everyone. After all, it is the earth that is the resting place for all other living entities, and it is the earth that produces grains for them.