TEXT 32
prak prthor iha naivaisa
pura-gramadi-kalpana
yatha-sukham vasanti sma
tatra tatrakutobhayah
SYNONYMS
prakbefore; prthohKing Prthu; ihaon this planet; nanever; evacertainly; esathis; puraof towns; grama-adiof villages, etc.; kalpanaplanned arrangement; yathaas; sukhamconvenient; vasanti smalived; tatra tatrahere and there; akutah-bhayahwithout hesitation.
TRANSLATION
Before the reign of King Prthu there was no planned arrangement for different cities, villages, pasturing grounds, etc. Every thing was scattered, and everyone constructed his residential quarters according to his own convenience. However, since King Prthu plans were made for towns and villages.
PURPORT
From this statement it appears that town and city planning is not new but has been coming down since the time of King Prthu. In India we can see regular planning methods evident in very old cities. In Srimad-Bhagavatam there are many descriptions of such ancient cities. Even five thousand years ago, Lord Krsnas capital, Dvaraka, was well planned, and similar other citiesMathura and Hastinapura (now New Delhi)were also well planned. Thus the planning of cities and towns is not a modern innovation but was existing in bygone ages.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled Prthu Maharaja Milks the Earth Planet.

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