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Library » Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 4: The Creation of the Fourth Order » CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ŚB 4.17.13

Devanagari

इति व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या प्रगृहीतशरासन: । सन्दधे विशिखं भूमे: क्रुद्धस्त्रिपुरहा यथा ॥ १३ ॥

Text

iti vyavasito buddhyā
pragṛhīta-śarāsanaḥ
sandadhe viśikhaṁ bhūmeḥ
kruddhas tripura-hā yathā

Synonyms

iti — thus; vyavasitaḥ — having arrived at the conclusion; buddhyā — by intelligence; pragṛhīta — having taken up; śarāsanaḥ — the bow; sandadhe — fixed; viśikham — an arrow; bhūmeḥ — at the earth; kruddhaḥ — angry; tri-pura-hā — Lord Śiva; yathā — like.

Translation

Having arrived at a conclusion, the King took up his bow and arrow and aimed them at the earth, exactly like Lord Śiva, who destroys the whole world out of anger.

Purport

King Pṛthu found out the cause for the scarcity of food grains. He could understand that it was not the people’s fault, for they were not lazy in executing their duties. Rather, the earth was not producing sufficient food grains. This indicates that the earth can produce sufficiently if everything is properly arranged, but sometimes the earth can refuse to produce food grains for various reasons. The theory that there is a scarcity of food grains due to an increase of population is not a very sound theory. There are other causes that enable the earth to produce profusely or to stop producing. King Pṛthu found out the proper causes and took the necessary steps immediately.