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
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari