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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 4 · The Creation of the Fourth Order · 31 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.17.3

Who is speaking and story frame

विदुर उवाच

कस्माद्दधार गोरूपं धरित्री बहुरूपिणी । यां दुदोह पृथुस्तत्र को वत्सो दोहनं च किम् ॥ ३ ॥

vidura uvāca

kasmād dadhāra go-rūpaṁ

dharitrī bahu-rūpiṇī

yāṁ dudoha pṛthus tatra

ko vatso dohanaṁ ca kim

Translation

Vidura inquired from the great sage Maitreya: My dear brāhmaṇa, since mother earth can appear in different shapes, why did she take the shape of a cow? And when King Pṛthu milked her, who became the calf, and what was the milking pot?

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Ask Clear Questions to Understand

  1. 1

    Vidura asked Maitreya why mother earth, who can take different shapes, appeared as a cow.

  2. 2

    He wanted to know who became the calf when King Pṛthu milked her.

  3. 3

    He also asked what served as the milking pot, seeking to understand the details of the account.

How it feels

Anger and disorder → Duty and devotion. Kingship shifts from domination to stewardship and renunciation.

Chapters 13–23 of Canto 4: Vena and Pṛthu: power, the Earth and stewardship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 17: Mahārāja Pṛthu Becomes Angry at the Earth

Pṛthu pursues the cow-shaped earth, who offers prayers and appeals to his mercy.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. viduraḥ uvācaVidura inquired
  2. kasmātwhy
  3. dadhāratook
  4. go-rūpamthe shape of a cow
  5. dharitrīthe earth
  6. bahu-rūpiṇīwho has many other forms
  7. yāmwhom
  8. dudohamilked
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 4.17

    In this verse: “inquired”, “understand”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.17

    In this verse: “king”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 4.17

    In this verse: “mother”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What detail in this account would I like to understand more clearly?

Practice

Write down one specific question about mother earth’s appearance as a cow.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAsk Clear Questions to UnderstandThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 4.17.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.