Canto & Chapters
Creation of the Fourth Order (31 Chapters)
Chapter 130v
Chapter 1
Chapter 230v
Chapter 2
Chapter 330v
Chapter 3
Chapter 430v
Chapter 4
Chapter 530v
Chapter 5
Chapter 630v
Chapter 6
Chapter 730v
Chapter 7
Chapter 830v
Chapter 8
Chapter 930v
Chapter 9
Chapter 1030v
Chapter 10
Chapter 1130v
Chapter 11
Chapter 1230v
Chapter 12
Chapter 1330v
Chapter 13
Chapter 1430v
Chapter 14
Chapter 1530v
Chapter 15
Chapter 1630v
Chapter 16
Chapter 1730v
Chapter 17
Chapter 1830v
Chapter 18
Chapter 1930v
Chapter 19
Chapter 2030v
Chapter 20
Chapter 2130v
Chapter 21
Chapter 2230v
Chapter 22
Chapter 2330v
Chapter 23
Chapter 2430v
Chapter 24
Chapter 2530v
Chapter 25
Chapter 2630v
Chapter 26
Chapter 2730v
Chapter 27
Chapter 2830v
Chapter 28
Chapter 2930v
Chapter 29
Chapter 3030v
Chapter 30
Chapter 3130v
Chapter 31
Canto 4, Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Verse 21 (SB 4.17.21)
SB 4.17.21 • मूल श्लोक
मां विपाट्याजरां नावं यत्र विश्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । आत्मानं च प्रजाश्चेमा: कथमम्भसि धास्यसि ॥ २१ ॥
Transliteration
māṁ vipāṭyājarāṁ nāvaṁ yatra viśvaṁ pratiṣṭhitam ātmānaṁ ca prajāś cemāḥ katham ambhasi dhāsyasi
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
mām — me; vipāṭya — breaking to pieces; ajarām — very strong; nāvam — boat; yatra — where; viśvam — all worldly paraphernalia; pratiṣṭhitam — standing; ātmānam — yourself; ca — and; prajāḥ — your subjects; ca — also; imāḥ — all these; katham — how; ambhasi — in the water; dhāsyasi — you will hold.
Translation
“The cow-shaped earth continued: My dear King, I am just like a strong boat, and all the paraphernalia of the world is standing upon me. If you break me to pieces, how can you protect yourself and your subjects from drowning?”
Bhaktivedanta Purport
By Śrīla PrabhupādaBeneath the entire planetary system is the garbha water. Lord Viṣṇu lies on this garbha water, and from His abdomen a lotus stem grows, and all the planets within the universe are floating in the air, being supported by this lotus stem. If a planet is destroyed, it must fall into the water of garbha. The earth therefore warned King Pṛthu that he could gain nothing by destroying her. Indeed, how would he protect himself and his citizens from drowning in the garbha water? In other words, outer space may be compared to an ocean of air, and each and every planet is floating on it just as a boat or island floats on the ocean. Sometimes planets are called dvīpa, or islands, and sometimes they are called boats. Thus the cosmic manifestation is partially explained in this reference by the cow-shaped earth.