Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.17.14
प्रवेपमाना धरणी निशाम्योदायुधं च तम्
गौ: सत्यपाद्रवद्भीता मृगीव मृगयुद्रुता ॥ १४ ॥
pravepamānā dharaṇī
[pravepamaanaa dharanee]
niśāmyodāyudhaṁ ca tam
[nishaamyodaayudham cha tam]
gauḥ saty apādravad bhītā
[gauh saty apaadravad bheetaa]
mṛgīva mṛgayu-drutā
[mrigeeva mrigayu-drutaa]
Word-for-word
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.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pravepamānā dharaṇī
pravepamānā
trembling
dharaṇī
the earth
niśāmyodāyudhaṁ ca tam
niśāmya
seeing
udāyudham
having taken his bow and arrow
ca
also
tam
the King
gauḥ saty apādravad bhītā
gauḥ
a cow
satī
becoming
apādravat
began to flee
bhītā
very much afraid
mṛgīva mṛgayu-drutā
mṛgī iva
like a deer
mṛgayu
by a hunter
drutā
being followed.
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.
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.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
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.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Seeing his bow, earth trembled and ran like a deer, taking the cow's shape. The vulnerable form is sometimes assumed precisely to evade accountability; recognize the strategy.
Reflection Questions
- Whom in my life takes vulnerability-shape to escape consequence?
- Where do I myself shift into a more sympathetic form to deflect a real call to account?
My note
Source: vedabase.io