Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 18, Text 32

SB 4.18.32

prak prthor iha naivaisa
pura-gramadi-kalpana
yatha-sukham vasanti sma
tatra tatrakutobhayah
 
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
 
Before the reign of King Prthu there was no planned arrangement for different cities, villages, pasturing grounds, etc. Everything was scattered, and everyone constructed his residential quarters according to his own convenience. However, from the time of King Prthu, plans were made for towns and villages.
 
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
 
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 Krsna’s capital, Dvaraka, was well planned, and similar other cities — Mathura 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.”

 

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 18, Text 31
Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 18 Overview