Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.17.22
पृथुरुवाच
वसुधे त्वां वधिष्यामि मच्छासनपराङ्मुखीम् । भागं बर्हिषि या वृङ्क्ते न तनोति च नो वसु ॥ २२ ॥
pṛthur uvāca
[prithur uvaacha]
vasudhe tvāṁ vadhiṣyāmi
[vasudhe tvaam vadhishyaami]
mac-chāsana-parāṅ-mukhīm
[mach-chaasana-paraan-mukheem]
bhāgaṁ barhiṣi yā vṛṅkte
[bhaagam barhishi yaa vrinkte]
na tanoti ca no vasu
[na tanoti cha no vasu]
Word-for-word
pṛthuḥ uvāca
—
King Pṛthu replied
vasu-dhe
—
my dear earthly planet
tvām
—
you
vadhiṣyāmi
—
I shall kill
mat
—
my
śāsana
—
rulings
parāk-mukhīm
—
disobedient to
bhāgam
—
your share
barhiṣi
—
in the yajña
yā
—
who
vṛṅkte
—
accepts
na
—
not
tanoti
—
does deliver
ca
—
and
naḥ
—
to us
vasu
—
produce.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pṛthur uvāca
pṛthuḥ uvāca
King Pṛthu replied
vasu-dhe
my dear earthly planet
vasudhe tvāṁ vadhiṣyāmi
tvām
you
vadhiṣyāmi
I shall kill
mac-chāsana-parāṅ-mukhīm
mat
my
śāsana
rulings
parāk-mukhīm
disobedient to
bhāgaṁ barhiṣi yā vṛṅkte
bhāgam
your share
barhiṣi
in the yajña
yā
who
vṛṅkte
accepts
na tanoti ca no vasu
na
not
tanoti
does deliver
ca
and
naḥ
to us
vasu
produce.
King Pṛthu replied to the earthly planet: My dear earth, you have disobeyed my orders and rulings. In the form of a demigod you accepted your share of the yajñas we performed, but in return you have not produced sufficient food grains. For this reason I must kill you.
Purport
The cow-shaped earthly planet submitted that she not only was a woman, but was innocent and sinless as well. Thus she argued that she should not be killed. Besides, she pointed out that being perfectly religious-minded, the King could not violate the religious principles that forbade killing a woman. In reply, Mahārāja Pṛthu informed her that first of all she had disobeyed his orders. This was her first sinful activity. Secondly he accused her of taking her share of the yajñas (sacrifices) but not producing sufficient food grains in return.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Pṛthu said: O earth, holder of wealth! I will kill you, who are disobeying my orders. You accepted your share in the sacrifice, but did not bestow wealth to us!
In the sacrifice (barhiṣi) you, as a devatā, accepted your share. You did not give wealth etc. (vasu).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Pṛthu replies: you took your share at yajña but didn't return enough grain; for that I must kill you. The transactional view of duty: you accepted the share, so deliver the output.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I accepting shares of yajña without delivering the corresponding grain?
- Whose accepted role in my life isn't producing the agreed output, and is it time to name that?
My note
Source: vedabase.io