FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.17.23

यवसं जग्ध्यनुदिनं नैव दोग्ध्यौधसं पय: तस्यामेवं हि दुष्टायां दण्डो नात्र न शस्यते ॥ २३ ॥
yavasaṁ jagdhy anudinaṁ
[yavasam jagdhy anudinam]
naiva dogdhy audhasaṁ payaḥ
[naiva dogdhy audhasam payah]
tasyām evaṁ hi duṣṭāyāṁ
[tasyaam evam hi dushtaayaam]
daṇḍo nātra na śasyate
[dando naatra na shasyate]
Word-for-word
yavasam — green grass jagdhi — you eat anudinam — daily na — never eva — certainly dogdhi — you yield audhasam — in the milk bag payaḥ — milk tasyām — when a cow evam — thus hi — certainly duṣṭāyām — being offensive daṇḍaḥ — punishment na — not atra — here na — not śasyate — is advisable.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yavasaṁ jagdhy anudinaṁ
yavasam
green grass
jagdhi
you eat
anudinam
daily
naiva dogdhy audhasaṁ payaḥ
na
never
tasyām evaṁ hi duṣṭāyāṁ
eva
certainly
daṇḍo nātra na śasyate
dogdhi
you yield
audhasam
in the milk bag
payaḥ
milk
tasyām
when a cow
evam
thus
hi
certainly
duṣṭāyām
being offensive
daṇḍaḥ
punishment
na
not
atra
here
na
not
śasyate
is advisable.
Although you are eating green grass every day, you are not filling your milk bag so we can utilize your milk. Since you are willfully committing offenses, it cannot be said that you are not punishable due to your assuming the form of a cow.
Purport

A cow eats green grasses in the pasture and fills her milk bag with sufficient milk so that the cowherdsmen can milk her. Yajñas (sacrifices) are performed to produce sufficient clouds that will pour water over the earth. The word payaḥ can refer both to milk and to water. As one of the demigods, the earthly planet was taking her share in the yajñas — that is, she was eating green grass — but in return she was not producing sufficient food grains — that is, she was not filling her milk bag. Pṛthu Mahārāja was therefore justified in threatening to punish her for her offense.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Daily, you eat grass but do not make your udder full of milk. Punishment of such an offender is not unsuitable. As a cow you eat grass but you do not fill the udder or give (dogdhi) milk. Duh is used to mean “full” as in “I am full in my desires among men.” For such an offender (tasyām) punishment is suitable.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
You eat green grass daily but don't fill the milk-bag — even in cow form, your offenses make you punishable. The vulnerable form does not exempt from delivery; identity doesn't override function.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I expect my identity to exempt me from delivering on my function?
  • Whose 'green grass eating' (consuming resources) without milk-output am I tolerating?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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