स त्वं जिघांससे कस्माद्दीनामकृतकिल्बिषाम् ।
अहनिष्यत्कथं योषां धर्मज्ञ इति यो मतः ॥१९॥

sa tvaá¹ jighÄá¹sase kasmÄd
dÄ«nÄm aká¹›ta-kilbiá¹£Äm
ahaniá¹£yat kathaá¹ yoá¹£Äá¹
dharma-jña iti yo mataḥ

 saḥ - that very person; tvam - you; jighÄá¹sase - want to kill; kasmÄt - why; dÄ«nÄm - poor; aká¹›ta - without having done; kilbiá¹£Äm - any sinful activities; ahaniá¹£yat - would kill; katham - how; yoá¹£Äm - a woman; dharma-jñaḥ - the knower of religious principles; iti - thus; yaḥ - one who; mataḥ - is considered.


Text

The cow-shaped earth continued to appeal to the King: I am very poor and have not committed any sinful activities. I do not know why you want to kill me. Since you are supposed to be the knower of all religious principles, why are you so envious of me, and why are you so anxious to kill a woman?

Purport

The earth appealed to the King in two ways. A king who knows religious principles cannot kill anyone who has not committed sinful activities. Apart from this, a woman is not to be killed, even if she does commit some sinful activities. Since the earth was innocent and was also a woman, the King should not kill her.