SB 10.5.26 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

कच्चित् पशव्यं निरुजं भूर्यम्बुतृणवीरुधम् । बृहद्वनं तदधुना यत्रास्से त्वं सुहृद्‌वृत: ॥ २६ ॥

Verse text

kaccit paśavyaṁ nirujaṁ bhūry-ambu-tṛṇa-vīrudham bṛhad vanaṁ tad adhunā yatrāsse tvaṁ suhṛd-vṛtaḥ

Synonyms

kaccit — whether ; paśavyam — protection of the cows ; nirujam — without difficulties or disease ; bhūri — sufficient ; ambu — water ; tṛṇa — grass ; vīrudham — plants ; bṛhat vanam — the great forest ; tat — all these arrangements are there ; adhunā — now ; yatra — where ; āsse — are living ; tvam — you ; suhṛt — vṛtaḥ — surrounded by friends .

Translation

My dear friend Nanda Mahārāja, in the place where you are living with your friends, is the forest favorable for the animals, the cows? I hope there is no disease or inconvenience. The place must be full of water, grass and other plants.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

My dear friend Nanda Mahārāja, in the place where you are living with your friends, is the forest favorable for the animals, the cows? I hope there is no disease or inconvenience. The place must be full of water, grass and other plants. KB 10.5.26 “Please tell me about the welfare of Vṛndāvana,” he said. “You have many animals—are they happy? Are they getting sufficient grass and water? Please also let me know whether the place where you are now living is undisturbed and peaceful.” This inquiry was made by Vasudeva because he was very anxious about Kṛṣṇa’s safety. He knew that Kaṁsa and his followers were trying to kill Kṛṣṇa by sending various kinds of demons. They had already resolved that all children born within ten days of the birthday of Kṛṣṇa should be killed. Because Vasudeva was so anxious about Kṛṣṇa, he inquired about the safety of His residence.

Purport

For human happiness, one must care for the animals, especially the cows. Vasudeva therefore inquired whether there was a good arrangement for the animals where Nanda Mahārāja lived. For the proper pursuit of human happiness, there must be arrangements for the protection of cows. This means that there must be forests and adequate pasturing grounds full of grass and water. If the animals are happy, there will be an ample supply of milk, from which human beings will benefit by deriving many milk products with which to live happily. As enjoined in Bhagavad-gītā (18.44) , kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma-svabhāvajam. Without giving proper facilities to the animals, how can human society be happy? That people are raising cattle to send to the slaughterhouse is a great sin. By this demoniac enterprise, people are ruining their chance for a truly human life. Because they are not giving any importance to the instructions of Kṛṣṇa, the advancement of their so-called civilization resembles the crazy efforts of men in a lunatic asylum.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Pasavyam means beneficial for the animals. Nirujam becomes nirujam to suit the poetic meter.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Nirujam should be nīrujam (free of sickness) but is altered for meter. Are the cows healthy where you are now staying in some forest of Mathurā district? Or in the forest where you live are the cows now healthy and are the water, grass and plants sufficient? Being surrounded by friends depends on these items. This implies that the items must be spread over a wide area for prosperity.