Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.17.18

uvāca ca mahā-bhāgaḿ

dharma-jñāpanna-vatsala

trāhi mām api bhūtānāḿ

pālane 'vasthito bhavān

SYNONYMS

uvāca — she said; ca — and; mahā-bhāgam — unto the great, fortunate King; dharma-jña — O knower of the principles of religion; āpanna-vatsala — O shelter of the surrendered; trāhi — save; mām — me; api — indeed; bhūtānām — of living entities; pālane — in protection; avasthitaḥ — situated; bhavān — Your Majesty.

TRANSLATION

Addressing the great, opulent King Pṛthu as the knower of religious principles and shelter of the surrendered, she said: Please save me. You are the protector of all living entities. Now you are situated as the King of this planet.

PURPORT

The cow-shaped earth addressed King Pṛthu as dharma jña, which refers to one who knows the principles of religion. The principles of religion dictate that a woman, a cow, a child, a brāhmaṇa and an old man must be given all protection by the king or anyone else. Consequently mother earth took the shape of a cow. She was also a woman. Thus she appealed to the King as one who knows the principles of religion. Religious principles also dictate that one is not to be killed if he surrenders. She reminded King Pṛthu that not only was he an incarnation of God, but he was situated as the King of the earth as well. Therefore his duty was to excuse her.

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