The Earth Takes the Form of a Weeping Cow
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 184
Doha 184 · Movement 1 of 3
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Thieves, gamblers, and those consumed by the wealth and spouses of others multiply. Mother, father, deity, and every sacred relation are dishonoured, while the virtuous are forced into service. Shiva tells Bhavani that such conduct reveals demons even when the outer body remains human.
The earth can no longer bear the reversal of dharma. Mountains, rivers, and oceans do not weigh upon her as heavily as one being who deliberately harms another. Yet fear of Ravana has made truthful speech dangerous throughout the worlds.
She assumes the gentle form of a cow and goes where gods and sages have gathered. Tears run from her eyes as she describes the burden. The assembly hears, but no one present possesses the power to remove it.
More burdened by cruelty than by mountains, the Earth cow weeps before heaven.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 184
Earth takes cow form, seeks gods and sages, weeps telling her distress; none can help
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 186, 187 · printed pages 184, 185. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-184. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- All eight parts retained: thieves/gamblers and lust for others' wealth/wives proliferate; no honor to parents/gods and saints forced to serve. Shiva addresses Bhavani: ALL BEINGS behaving so are called Rakshasas, not only beings in human form.
- Earth, very frightened by decline of dharma, grieves: mountains/rivers/seas are not as heavy as ONE being harming others. EARTH cannot speak from fear of Ravana, not all people mute. She takes COW form, goes to assembled gods/sages, weeps telling her distress; NONE can help.
Artistic choices
- NEW imagined Earth-cow adult female cream-white zebu with modest hump, brown muzzle, two short brown-tipped horns, two ears, one tail with dark tuft, small udder, gold neck bell; exact breed/color/horn shape/tear/bell artistic, not source-specified.
- Full-body cow lifts head toward offscreen gods/sages; tear and parted moo mouth are conventional crying depiction. Forest pavilion, floral arch, stone path, waterscape and light are imaginative. No Earth-woman/cow-rider/globe/Kamadhenu identity or help already supplied.
- Anatomy correction only: fifth foreleg removed; four natural legs and hooves now checked. Full rejected original preserved as seventh superseded draft, excluded approvals.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
बाढ़े खल बहु चोर जुआरा। जे लंपट परधन परदारा।। मानहिं मातु पिता नहिं देवा। साधुन्ह सन करवावहिं सेवा।। जिन्ह के यह आचरन भवानी। ते जानेहु निसिचर सब प्रानी।। अतिसय देखि धर्म कै ग्लानी। परम सभीत धरा अकुलानी।। गिरि सरि सिंधु भार नहिं मोही। जस मोहि गरुअ एक परद्रोही।। सकल धर्म देखइ बिपरीता। कहि न सकइ रावन भय भीता।। धेनु रूप धरि हृदयँ बिचारी। गई तहाँ जहँ सुर मुनि झारी।। निज संताप सुनाएसि रोई। काहू तें कछु काज न होई।।
The wicked multiplied: thieves, gamblers, those who lusted after the wealth and wives of others. They honored neither mother, nor father, nor the gods. They forced the saints to serve them.