# SB 4.17.21 > मां विपाट्याजरां नावं यत्र विश्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । > आत्मानं च प्रजाश्चेमाः कथमम्भसि धास्यसि ॥२१॥ ## Text > māṁ vipāṭyājarāṁ nāvaṁ > yatra viśvaṁ pratiṣṭhitam > ātmānaṁ ca prajāś cemāḥ > katham ambhasi dhāsyasi ## Synonyms *mām*—me; *vipāṭya*—breaking to pieces; *ajarām*—very strong; *nāvam*—boat; *yatra*—where; *viśvam*—all worldly paraphernalia; *pratiṣṭhitam*—standing; *ātmānam*—yourself; *ca*—and; *prajāḥ*—your subjects; *ca*—also; *imāḥ*—all these; *katham*—how; *ambhasi*—in the water; *dhāsyasi*—you will hold. ## Translation **The cow-shaped earth continued: My dear King, I am just like a strong boat, and all the paraphernalia of the world is standing upon me. If you break me to pieces, how can you protect yourself and your subjects from drowning?** ## Purport Beneath the entire planetary system is the *garbha* water. Lord Viṣṇu lies on this *garbha* water, and from His abdomen a lotus stem grows, and all the planets within the universe are floating in the air, being supported by this lotus stem. If a planet is destroyed, it must fall into the water of *garbha.* The earth therefore warned King Pṛthu that he could gain nothing by destroying her. Indeed, how would he protect himself and his citizens from drowning in the *garbha* water? In other words, outer space may be compared to an ocean of air, and each and every planet is floating on it just as a boat or island floats on the ocean. Sometimes planets are called *dvīpa,* or islands, and sometimes they are called boats. Thus the cosmic manifestation is partially explained in this reference by the cow-shaped earth.