Verse Text
eta eva guṇāḥ prāyo dharmāya vana-mālinaḥ |
pṛthivyā prathama-skandhe prathayāṣcakrire sphuṭam ||32||
Translation
The earth also describes the qualities of Kṛṣṇa clearly and extensively in order to instruct the deity of dharma, in the First Canto.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
In this verse, dharmāya means “in order to teach the personification of dharma.” The dative case (dharmāya) is used according to the rule kriyārthopapadasya ca karmaṇi sthāninaḥ: dative case of a word is employed to denote the object of a suppressed infinitive. (Pāṇini 2.3.14) Thus dharmāya (dative case) means “The earth described Kṛṣṇa’s qualities for dharma,” or “The earth described Kṛṣṇa’s qualities in order to teach the deity Dharma.”
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
… and in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in connection with a conversation between the deity of the earth and the King of religion, Yamarāja.