FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.25

Devanagari
dharaṇy uvāca
[dharany uvaacha]
bhavān hi veda tat sarvaṁ
[bhavaan hi veda tat sarvam]
yan māṁ dharmānupṛcchasi
[yan maam dharmaanuprichchasi]
caturbhir vartase yena
[chaturbhir vartase yena]
pādair loka-sukhāvahaiḥ
[paadair loka-sukhaavahaih]
Word-for-word
dharaṇī uvāca — mother earth replied bhavān — your good self hi — certainly veda — know tat sarvam — all that you have inquired from me yat — that mām — from me dharma — O personality of religious principles anupṛcchasi — you have inquired one after another caturbhiḥ — by four vartase — you exist yena — by which pādaiḥ — by the legs loka — in each and every planet sukha-āvahaiḥ — increasing the happiness.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dharaṇy uvāca
dharaṇī uvāca
mother earth replied
bhavān hi veda tat sarvaṁ
bhavān
your good self
hi
certainly
veda
know
tat sarvam
all that you have inquired from me
yan māṁ dharmānupṛcchasi
yat
that
mām
from me
dharma
O personality of religious principles
anupṛcchasi
you have inquired one after another
caturbhir vartase yena
caturbhiḥ
by four
vartase
you exist
yena
by which
pādair loka-sukhāvahaiḥ
pādaiḥ
by the legs
loka
in each and every planet
sukha-āvahaiḥ
increasing the happiness.
The earthly deity [in the form of a cow] thus replied to the personality of religious principles [in the form of a bull]: O Dharma, whatever you have inquired from me shall be known to you. I shall try to reply to all those questions. Once you too were maintained by your four legs, and you increased happiness all over the universe by the mercy of the Lord.
Purport

The principles of religion are laid down by the Lord Himself, and the executor of such laws is Dharmarāja, or Yamarāja. Such principles work fully in the age of Satya-yuga; in the Tretā-yuga they are reduced by a fraction of one fourth; in the Dvāpara-yuga they are reduced to one half, and in the Kali-yuga they are reduced to one fourth, gradually diminishing to the zero point, and then devastation takes place. Happiness in the world depends proportionately on the maintenance of the religious principles, individually or collectively. The best part of valor is to maintain the principles despite all kinds of odds. Thus one can be happy during the span of life and ultimately return to Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O earth! Please tell me the cause for your anxiety by which you have become extremely thin. O mother! Has time which is strongest of the strong, stolen your good fortune worshipped by the devatās?
Commentary

Vikarśitāsi means “made extremely thin.”

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Earth replied: O Dharma, I shall reply to all you've asked. Once we were both helped by the Lord's incarnations. The conversation between Dharma and Earth is real consultation. Cosmic problems can be discussed.
Reflection Questions
  • Who is my consultant on cosmic-scale concerns?
  • Where could I find a Dharma-and-Earth-style conversation?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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