Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.18.32

prak prithor iha naivaisha

pura-gramadi-kalpana

yatha-sukham vasanti sma

tatra tatrakutobhayah

SYNONYMS

prak -- before; prithoh -- King Prithu; iha -- on this planet; na -- never; eva -- certainly; esha -- this; pura -- of towns; grama-adi -- of villages, etc.; kalpana -- planned arrangement; yatha -- as; sukham -- convenient; vasanti sma -- lived; tatra tatra -- here and there; akutah-bhayah -- without hesitation.

TRANSLATION

Before the reign of King Prithu there was no planned arrangement for different cities, villages, pasturing grounds, etc. Every thing was scattered, and everyone constructed his residential quarters according to his own convenience. However, since King Prithu plans were made for towns and villages.

PURPORT

From this statement it appears that town and city planning is not new but has been coming down since the time of King Prithu. In India we can see regular planning methods evident in very old cities. In Srimad-Bhagavatam there are many descriptions of such ancient cities. Even five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna's capital, Dvaraka, was well planned, and similar other cities -- Mathura and Hastinapura (now New Delhi) -- were also well planned. Thus the planning of cities and towns is not a modern innovation but was existing in bygone ages.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "Prithu Maharaja Milks the Earth Planet."

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness