Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 12 Chapter 1 Verses 39-40

Canto 12: The Age of Deterioration | Chapter 1: The Degraded Dynasties of Kali-yuga

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.1.39-40

strī-bāla-go-dvija-ghnāś ca

para-dāra-dhanādṛtāḥ

uditāsta-mita-prāyā

alpa-sattvālpakāyuṣaḥ

asaḿskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā

rajasā tamasāvṛtāḥ

prajās te bhakṣayiṣyanti

mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

strī — of women; bāla — children; go — cows; dvija — and brāhmaṇas; ghnāḥ — the murderers; ca — and; para — of other men; dāra — the wives; dhana — and money; ādṛtāḥ — showing interest in; udita-asta-mita — switching their moods from elated to depressed and then to moderate; prāyāḥ — for the most part; alpa-sattva — having little strength; alpaka-āyuṣaḥ — and short life spans; asaḿskṛtāḥ — not purified by Vedic rituals; kriyā-hīnāḥ — devoid of regulative principles; rajasā — by the mode of passion; tamasā — and by the mode of ignorance; āvṛtāḥ — covered over; prajāḥ — the citizens; te — they; bhakṣayiṣyanti — will virtually devour; mlecchāḥ — outcastes; rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ — appearing as kings.

TRANSLATION

These barbarians in the guise of kings will devour the citizenry, murdering innocent women, children, cows and brāhmaṇas and coveting the wives and property of other men. They will be erratic in their moods, have little strength of character and be very short-lived. Indeed, not purified by any Vedic rituals and lacking in the practice of regulative principles, they will be completely covered by the modes of passion and ignorance.

PURPORT

These verses give a concise, accurate description of the fallen leaders of this age.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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