—json {

  "name":"SB 4.17.3",
  "h1":"SB 4.17.3",
  "label":"Text 3",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.17.3",
  "description":"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?"

} —

SB 4.17.3

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

Text

vidura uvāca
kasmād dadhāra go-rūpaṁ
dharitrī bahu-rūpiṇī
yāṁ dudoha pṛthus tatra
ko vatso dohanaṁ ca kim

Synonyms

viduraḥ uvāca—Vidura inquired; kasmāt—why; dadhāra—took; go-rūpam—the shape of a cow; dharitrī—the earth; bahu-rūpiṇī—who has many other forms; yām—whom; dudoha—milked; pṛthuḥ—King Pṛthu; tatra—there; kaḥ—who; vatsaḥ—the calf; dohanam—the milking pot; ca—also; kim—what.

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?