Canto 12: The Age of DeteriorationChapter 1: The Degraded Dynasties of Kali-yuga

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.1.6-8

nandivardhana ājeyo

mahānandiḥ sutas tataḥ

śiśunāgā daśaivaite

saṣṭy-uttara-śata-trayam

samā bhokṣyanti pṛthivīḿ

kuru-śreṣṭha kalau nṛpāḥ

mahānandi-suto rājan

śūdrā-garbhodbhavo balī

mahāpadma-patiḥ kaścin

nandaḥ kṣatra-vināśa-kṛt

tato nṛpā bhaviṣyanti

śūdra-prāyās tv adhārmikāḥ

SYNONYMS

nandivardhanaḥ — Nandivardhana; ājeyaḥ — the son of Ajaya; mahā-nandiḥMahānandi; sutaḥ — the son; tataḥ — then (following Nandivardhana); śiśunāgāḥ — the Śiśunāgas; daśa — ten; eva — indeed; ete — these; saṣṭi — sixty; uttara — increased by; śata-trayam — three hundred; samāḥ — years; bhokṣyanti — they will rule; pṛthivīm — the earth; kuruśreṣṭhaO best of the Kurus; kalauin this age of Kali; nṛpāḥ — the kings; mahānandi-sutaḥ — the son of Mahānandi; rājanO King Parīkṣit; śūdrā-garbhain the womb of a śūdra woman; udbhavaḥ — taking birth; balī — powerful; mahā-padma — of an army, or wealth, measured in the millions; patiḥ — the master; kaścita certain; nandaḥNanda; kṣatra — of the royal class; vināśa-kṛt — the destroyer; tataḥ — then; nṛpāḥ — the kings; bhaviṣyanti — will become; śūdra-prāyāḥno better than śūdras; tu — and; adhārmikāḥ — irreligious.

TRANSLATION

Ajaya will father a second Nandivardhana, whose son will be Mahānandi. O best of the Kurus, these ten kings of the Śiśunāga dynasty will rule the earth for a total of 360 years during the age of Kali. My dear Parīkṣit, King Mahānandi will father a very powerful son in the womb of a śūdra woman. He will be known as Nanda and will be the master of millions of soldiers and fabulous wealth. He will wreak havoc among the kṣatriyas, and from that time onward virtually all kings will be irreligious śūdras.

PURPORT

Here is a description of how authentic political authority degenerated and disintegrated throughout the world. There is a Supreme Godhead, and there are saintly, powerful men who have taken the role of government leaders and represented that Godhead on earth. With the advent of the age of Kali, however, this transcendental system of government collapsed, and unauthorized, uncivilized men gradually took the reins of power.

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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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