Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto 12 · Chapter 3
श्री शुक उवाच: दृष्ट्वात्मनि जये व्यग्रान् नृपान् हसति भूरियम् । अहो मा विजिगीषन्ति मृत्यो: क्रीडनका नृपा: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca dṛṣṭvātmani jaye vyagrān nṛpān hasati bhūr iyam aho mā vijigīṣanti mṛtyoḥ krīḍanakā nṛpāḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Seeing the kings of this earth busy trying to conquer her, the earth herself laughed. She said: “Just see how these kings, who are actually playthings in the hands of death, are desiring to conquer me.
काम एष नरेन्द्राणां मोघ: स्याद् विदुषामपि । येन फेनोपमे पिण्डे येऽतिविश्रम्भिता नृपा: ॥ २ ॥
kāma eṣa narendrāṇāṁ moghaḥ syād viduṣām api yena phenopame piṇḍe ye ’ti-viśrambhitā nṛpāḥ
“Great rulers of men, even those who are learned, meet frustration and failure because of material lust. Driven by lust, these kings place great hope and faith in the dead lump of flesh called the body, even though the material frame is as fleeting as bubbles of foam on water.
पूर्वं निर्जित्य षड्वर्गं जेष्यामो राजमन्त्रिण: । तत: सचिवपौराप्तकरीन्द्रानस्य कण्टकान् ॥ ३ ॥ एवं क्रमेण जेष्याम: पृथ्वीं सागरमेखलाम् । इत्याशाबद्धहृदया न पश्यन्त्यन्तिकेऽन्तकम् ॥ ४ ॥
pūrvaṁ nirjitya ṣaḍ-vargaṁ jeṣyāmo rāja-mantriṇaḥ tataḥ saciva-paurāpta- karīndrān asya kaṇṭakān evaṁ krameṇa jeṣyāmaḥ pṛthvīṁ sāgara-mekhalām ity āśā-baddha-hṛdayā na paśyanty antike ’ntakam
“Kings and politicians imagine: ‘First I will conquer my senses and mind; then I will subdue my chief ministers and rid myself of the thorn-pricks of my advisors, citizens, friends and relatives, as well as the keepers of my elephants. In this way I will gradually conquer the entire earth.’ Because the hearts of these leaders are bound by great expectations, they fail to see death waiting nearby.
समुद्रावरणां जित्वा मां विशन्त्यब्धिमोजसा । कियदात्मजयस्यैतन्मुक्तिरात्मजये फलम् ॥ ५ ॥
samudrāvaraṇāṁ jitvā māṁ viśanty abdhim ojasā kiyad ātma-jayasyaitan muktir ātma-jaye phalam
“After conquering all the land on my surface, these proud kings forcibly enter the ocean to conquer the sea itself. What is the use of their self-control, which is aimed at political exploitation? The actual goal of self-control is spiritual liberation.”
यां विसृज्यैव मनवस्तत्सुताश्च कुरूद्वह । गता यथागतं युद्धे तां मां जेष्यन्त्यबुद्धय: ॥ ६ ॥
yāṁ visṛjyaiva manavas tat-sutāś ca kurūdvaha gatā yathāgataṁ yuddhe tāṁ māṁ jeṣyanty abuddhayaḥ
O best of the Kurus, the earth continued as follows: “Although in the past great men and their descendants have left me, departing from this world in the same helpless way they came into it, even today foolish men are trying to conquer me.
मत्कृते पितृपुत्राणां भ्रातृणां चापि विग्रह: । जायते ह्यसतां राज्ये ममताबद्धचेतसाम् ॥ ७ ॥
mat-kṛte pitṛ-putrāṇāṁ bhrātṝṇāṁ cāpi vigrahaḥ jāyate hy asatāṁ rājye mamatā-baddha-cetasām
“For the sake of conquering me, materialistic persons fight one another. Fathers oppose their sons, and brothers fight one another, because their hearts are bound to possessing political power.
ममैवेयं मही कृत्स्ना न ते मूढेति वादिन: । स्पर्धमाना मिथो घ्नन्ति म्रियन्ते मत्कृते नृपा: ॥ ८ ॥
mamaiveyaṁ mahī kṛtsnā na te mūḍheti vādinaḥ spardhamānā mitho ghnanti mriyante mat-kṛte nṛpāḥ
“Political leaders challenge one another: ‘All this land is mine! It’s not yours, you fool!’ Thus they attack one another and die.
श्रीशुक उवाच पृथु: पुरूरवा गाधिर्नहुषो भरतोऽर्जुन: । मान्धाता सगरो राम: खट्वाङ्गो धुन्धुहा रघु: ॥ ९ ॥ तृणबिन्दुर्ययातिश्च शर्याति: शन्तनुर्गय: । भगीरथ: कुवलयाश्व: ककुत्स्थो नैषधो नृग: ॥ १० ॥ हिरण्यकशिपुर्वृत्रो रावणो लोकरावण: । नमुचि: शम्बरो भौमो हिरण्याक्षोऽथ तारक: ॥ ११ ॥ अन्ये च बहवो दैत्या राजानो ये महेश्वरा: । सर्वे सर्वविद: शूरा: सर्वे सर्वजितोऽजिता: ॥ १२ ॥ ममतां मय्यवर्तन्त कृत्वोच्चैर्मर्त्यधर्मिण: । कथावशेषा: कालेन ह्यकृतार्था: कृता विभो ॥ १३ ॥
pṛthuḥ purūravā gādhir nahuṣo bharato ’rjunaḥ māndhātā sagaro rāmaḥ khaṭvāṅgo dhundhuhā raghuḥ tṛṇabindur yayātiś ca śaryātiḥ śantanur gayaḥ bhagīrathaḥ kuvalayāśvaḥ kakutstho naiṣadho nṛgaḥ hiraṇyakaśipur vṛtro rāvaṇo loka-rāvaṇaḥ namuciḥ śambaro bhaumo hiraṇyākṣo ’tha tārakaḥ anye ca bahavo daityā rājāno ye maheśvarāḥ sarve sarva-vidaḥ śūrāḥ sarve sarva-jito ’jitāḥ mamatāṁ mayy avartanta kṛtvoccair martya-dharmiṇaḥ kathāvaśeṣāḥ kālena hy akṛtārthāḥ kṛtā vibho
“Such kings as Pṛthu, Purūravā, Gādhi, Nahuṣa, Bharata, Kārtavīrya Arjuna, Māndhātā, Sagara, Rāma, Khaṭvāṅga, Dhundhuhā, Raghu, Tṛṇabindu, Yayāti, Śaryāti, Śantanu, Gaya, Bhagīratha, Kuvalayāśva, Kakutstha, Naiṣadha, Nṛga, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Vṛtra, Rāvaṇa, who made the whole world lament, Namuci, Śambara, Bhauma, Hiraṇyākṣa and Tāraka, as well as many other demons and kings who possessed great powers of control over others, were all full of knowledge, heroic, all-conquering and unconquerable. Nevertheless, O almighty Lord, although they lived their lives intensely trying to possess me, these kings were subject to the passage of time, which reduced them all to mere historical accounts. None of them could permanently establish their rule.”
कथा इमास्ते कथिता महीयसां विताय लोकेषु यश: परेयुषाम् । विज्ञानवैराग्यविवक्षया विभो वचोविभूतीर्न तु पारमार्थ्यम् ॥ १४ ॥
kathā imās te kathitā mahīyasāṁ vitāya lokeṣu yaśaḥ pareyuṣām vijñāna-vairāgya-vivakṣayā vibho vaco-vibhūtīr na tu pāramārthyam
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O mighty Parīkṣit, I have related to you the narrations of all these great kings, who spread their fame throughout the world and then departed. My real purpose was to teach transcendental knowledge and renunciation. Stories of kings lend power and opulence to these narrations but do not in themselves constitute the ultimate aspect of knowledge.
यस्तूत्तम:श्लोकगुणानुवाद: सङ्गीयतेऽभीक्ष्णममङ्गलघ्न: । तमेव नित्यं शृणुयादभीक्ष्णं कृष्णेऽमलां भक्तिमभीप्समान: ॥ १५ ॥
yas tūttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādaḥ saṅgīyate ’bhīkṣṇam amaṅgala-ghnaḥ tam eva nityaṁ śṛṇuyād abhīkṣṇaṁ kṛṣṇe ’malāṁ bhaktim abhīpsamānaḥ
The person who desires pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa should hear the narrations of Lord Uttamaḥśloka’s glorious qualities, the constant chanting of which destroys everything inauspicious. The devotee should engage in such listening in regular daily assemblies and should also continue his hearing throughout the day.
श्रीराजोवाच केनोपायेन भगवन् कलेर्दोषान् कलौ जना: । विधमिष्यन्त्युपचितांस्तन्मे ब्रूहि यथा मुने ॥ १६ ॥
śrī-rājovāca kenopāyena bhagavan kaler doṣān kalau janāḥ vidhamiṣyanty upacitāṁs tan me brūhi yathā mune
King Parīkṣit said: My lord, how can persons living in the Age of Kali rid themselves of the cumulative contamination of this age? O great sage, please explain this to me.
युगानि युगधर्मांश्च मानं प्रलयकल्पयो: । कालस्येश्वररूपस्य गतिं विष्णोर्महात्मन: ॥ १७ ॥
yugāni yuga-dharmāṁś ca mānaṁ pralaya-kalpayoḥ kālasyeśvara-rūpasya gatiṁ viṣṇor mahātmanaḥ
Please explain the different ages of universal history, the special qualities of each age, the duration of cosmic maintenance and destruction, and the movement of time, which is the direct representation of the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu.
श्रीशुक उवाच कृते प्रवर्तते धर्मश्चतुष्पात्तज्जनैर्धृत: । सत्यं दया तपो दानमिति पादा विभोर्नृप ॥ १८ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca kṛte pravartate dharmaś catuṣ-pāt taj-janair dhṛtaḥ satyaṁ dayā tapo dānam iti pādā vibhor nṛpa
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in the beginning, during Satya-yuga, the age of truth, religion is present with all four of its legs intact and is carefully maintained by the people of that age. These four legs of powerful religion are truthfulness, mercy, austerity and charity.
सन्तुष्टा: करुणा मैत्रा: शान्ता दान्तास्तितिक्षव: । आत्मारामा: समदृश: प्रायश: श्रमणा जना: ॥ १९ ॥
santuṣṭāḥ karuṇā maitrāḥ śāntā dāntās titikṣavaḥ ātmārāmāḥ sama-dṛśaḥ prāyaśaḥ śramaṇā janāḥ
The people of Satya-yuga are for the most part self-satisfied, merciful, friendly to all, peaceful, sober and tolerant. They take their pleasure from within, see all things equally and always endeavor diligently for spiritual perfection.
त्रेतायां धर्मपादानां तुर्यांशो हीयते शनै: । अधर्मपादैरनृतहिंसासन्तोषविग्रहै: ॥ २० ॥
tretāyāṁ dharma-pādānāṁ turyāṁśo hīyate śanaiḥ adharma-pādair anṛta- hiṁṣāsantoṣa-vigrahaiḥ
In Tretā-yuga each leg of religion is gradually reduced by one quarter by the influence of the four pillars of irreligion — lying, violence, dissatisfaction and quarrel.
तदा क्रियातपोनिष्ठा नातिहिंस्रा न लम्पटा: । त्रैवर्गिकास्त्रयीवृद्धा वर्णा ब्रह्मोत्तरा नृप ॥ २१ ॥
tadā kriyā-tapo-niṣṭhā nāti-hiṁsrā na lampaṭāḥ trai-vargikās trayī-vṛddhā varṇā brahmottarā nṛpa
In the Tretā age people are devoted to ritual performances and severe austerities. They are not excessively violent or very lusty after sensual pleasure. Their interest lies primarily in religiosity, economic development and regulated sense gratification, and they achieve prosperity by following the prescriptions of the three Vedas. Although in this age society evolves into four separate classes, O King, most people are brāhmaṇas.
तप:सत्यदयादानेष्वर्धं ह्रस्वति द्वापरे । हिंसातुष्टयनृतद्वेषैर्धर्मस्याधर्मलक्षणै: ॥ २२ ॥
tapaḥ-satya-dayā-dāneṣv ardhaṁ hrasvati dvāpare hiṁsātuṣṭy-anṛta-dveṣair dharmasyādharma-lakṣaṇaiḥ
In Dvāpara-yuga the religious qualities of austerity, truth, mercy and charity are reduced to one half by their irreligious counterparts — dissatisfaction, untruth, violence and enmity.
यशस्विनो महाशीला: स्वाध्यायाध्ययने रता: । आढ्या: कुटुम्बिनो हृष्टा वर्णा: क्षत्रद्विजोत्तरा: ॥ २३ ॥
yaśasvino mahā-śīlāḥ svādhyāyādhyayane ratāḥ āḍhyāḥ kuṭumbino hṛṣṭā varṇāḥ kṣatra-dvijottarāḥ
In the Dvāpara age people are interested in glory and are very noble. They devote themselves to the study of the Vedas, possess great opulence, support large families and enjoy life with vigor. Of the four classes, the kṣatriyas and brāhmaṇas are most numerous.
कलौ तु धर्मपादानां तुर्यांशोऽधर्महेतुभि: । एधमानै: क्षीयमाणो ह्यन्ते सोऽपि विनङ्क्ष्यति ॥ २४ ॥
kalau tu dharma-pādānāṁ turyāṁśo ’dharma-hetubhiḥ edhamānaiḥ kṣīyamāṇo hy ante so ’pi vinaṅkṣyati
In the Age of Kali only one fourth of the religious principles remains. That last remnant will continuously be decreased by the ever-increasing principles of irreligion and will finally be destroyed.
तस्मिन् लुब्धा दुराचारा निर्दया: शुष्कवैरिण: । दुर्भगा भूरितर्षाश्च शूद्रदासोत्तरा: प्रजा: ॥ २५ ॥
tasmin lubdhā durācārā nirdayāḥ śuṣka-vairiṇaḥ durbhagā bhūri-tarṣāś ca śūdra-dāsottarāḥ prajāḥ
In the Kali age people tend to be greedy, ill-behaved and merciless, and they fight one another without good reason. Unfortunate and obsessed with material desires, the people of Kali-yuga are almost all śūdras and barbarians.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति दृश्यन्ते पुरुषे गुणा: । कालसञ्चोदितास्ते वै परिवर्तन्त आत्मनि ॥ २६ ॥
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti dṛśyante puruṣe guṇāḥ kāla-sañcoditās te vai parivartanta ātmani
The material modes — goodness, passion and ignorance — whose permutations are observed within a person’s mind, are set into motion by the power of time.
प्रभवन्ति यदा सत्त्वे मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियाणि च । तदा कृतयुगं विद्याज्ज्ञाने तपसि यद् रुचि: ॥ २७ ॥
prabhavanti yadā sattve mano-buddhīndriyāṇi ca tadā kṛta-yugaṁ vidyāj jñāne tapasi yad ruciḥ
When the mind, intelligence and senses are solidly fixed in the mode of goodness, that time should be understood as Satya-yuga, the age of truth. People then take pleasure in knowledge and austerity.
यदा कर्मसु काम्येषु भक्तिर्यशसि देहिनाम् । तदा त्रेता रजोवृत्तिरिति जानीहि बुद्धिमन् ॥ २८ ॥
yadā karmasu kāmyeṣu bhaktir yaśasi dehinām tadā tretā rajo-vṛttir iti jānīhi buddhiman
O most intelligent one, when the conditioned souls are devoted to their duties but have ulterior motives and seek personal prestige, you should understand such a situation to be the age of Tretā, in which the functions of passion are prominent.
यदा लोभस्त्वसन्तोषो मानो दम्भोऽथ मत्सर: । कर्मणां चापि काम्यानां द्वापरं तद् रजस्तम: ॥ २९ ॥
yadā lobhas tv asantoṣo māno dambho ’tha matsaraḥ karmaṇāṁ cāpi kāmyānāṁ dvāparaṁ tad rajas-tamaḥ
When greed, dissatisfaction, false pride, hypocrisy and envy become prominent, along with attraction for selfish activities, such a time is the age of Dvāpara, dominated by the mixed modes of passion and ignorance.
यदा मायानृतं तन्द्रा निद्रा हिंसा विषादनम् । शोकमोहौ भयं दैन्यं स कलिस्तामस: स्मृत: ॥ ३० ॥
yadā māyānṛtaṁ tandrā nidrā hiṁsā viṣādanam śoka-mohau bhayaṁ dainyaṁ sa kalis tāmasaḥ smṛtaḥ
When there is a predominance of cheating, lying, sloth, sleepiness, violence, depression, lamentation, bewilderment, fear and poverty, that age is Kali, the age of the mode of ignorance.
तस्मात् क्षुद्रदृशो मर्त्या: क्षुद्रभाग्या महाशना: । कामिनो वित्तहीनाश्च स्वैरिण्यश्च स्त्रियोऽसती: ॥ ३१ ॥
tasmāt kṣudra-dṛśo martyāḥ kṣudra-bhāgyā mahāśanāḥ kāmino vitta-hīnāś ca svairiṇyaś ca striyo ’satīḥ
Because of the bad qualities of the Age of Kali, human beings will become shortsighted, unfortunate, gluttonous, lustful and poverty-stricken. The women, becoming unchaste, will freely wander from one man to the next.
दस्यूत्कृष्टा जनपदा वेदा: पाषण्डदूषिता: । राजानश्च प्रजाभक्षा: शिश्नोदरपरा द्विजा: ॥ ३२ ॥
dasyūtkṛṣṭā janapadā vedāḥ pāṣaṇḍa-dūṣitāḥ rājānaś ca prajā-bhakṣāḥ śiśnodara-parā dvijāḥ
Cities will be dominated by thieves, the Vedas will be contaminated by speculative interpretations of atheists, political leaders will virtually consume the citizens, and the so-called priests and intellectuals will be devotees of their bellies and genitals.
अव्रता बटवोऽशौचा भिक्षवश्च कुटुम्बिन: । तपस्विनो ग्रामवासा न्यासिनोऽत्यर्थलोलुपा: ॥ ३३ ॥
avratā baṭavo ’śaucā bhikṣavaś ca kuṭumbinaḥ tapasvino grāma-vāsā nyāsino ’tyartha-lolupāḥ
The brahmacārīs will fail to execute their vows and become generally unclean, the householders will become beggars, the vānaprasthas will live in the villages, and the sannyāsīs will become greedy for wealth.
ह्रस्वकाया महाहारा भूर्यपत्या गतह्रिय: । शश्वत्कटुकभाषिण्यश्चौर्यमायोरुसाहसा: ॥ ३४ ॥
hrasva-kāyā mahāhārā bhūry-apatyā gata-hriyaḥ śaśvat kaṭuka-bhāṣiṇyaś caurya-māyoru-sāhasāḥ
Women will become much smaller in size, and they will eat too much, have more children than they can properly take care of, and lose all shyness. They will always speak harshly and will exhibit qualities of thievery, deceit and unrestrained audacity.
पणयिष्यन्ति वै क्षुद्रा: किराटा: कूटकारिण: । अनापद्यपि मंस्यन्ते वार्तां साधु जुगुप्सिताम् ॥ ३५ ॥
paṇayiṣyanti vai kṣudrāḥ kirāṭāḥ kūṭa-kāriṇaḥ anāpady api maṁsyante vārtāṁ sādhu jugupsitām
Businessmen will engage in petty commerce and earn their money by cheating. Even when there is no emergency, people will consider any degraded occupation quite acceptable.
पतिं त्यक्ष्यन्ति निर्द्रव्यं भृत्या अप्यखिलोत्तमम् । भृत्यं विपन्नं पतय: कौलं गाश्चापयस्विनी: ॥ ३६ ॥
patiṁ tyakṣyanti nirdravyaṁ bhṛtyā apy akhilottamam bhṛtyaṁ vipannaṁ patayaḥ kaulaṁ gāś cāpayasvinīḥ
Servants will abandon a master who has lost his wealth, even if that master is a saintly person of exemplary character. Masters will abandon an incapacitated servant, even if that servant has been in the family for generations. Cows will be abandoned or killed when they stop giving milk.
पितृभ्रातृसुहृज्ज्ञातीन् हित्वा सौरतसौहृदा: । ननान्दृश्यालसंवादा दीना: स्त्रैणा: कलौ नरा: ॥ ३७ ॥
pitṛ-bhrātṛ-suhṛj-jñātīn hitvā saurata-sauhṛdāḥ nanāndṛ-śyāla-saṁvādā dīnāḥ straiṇāḥ kalau narāḥ
In Kali-yuga men will be wretched and controlled by women. They will reject their fathers, brothers, other relatives and friends and will instead associate with the sisters and brothers of their wives. Thus their conception of friendship will be based exclusively on sexual ties.
शूद्रा: प्रतिग्रहीष्यन्ति तपोवेषोपजीविन: । धर्मं वक्ष्यन्त्यधर्मज्ञा अधिरुह्योत्तमासनम् ॥ ३८ ॥
śūdrāḥ pratigrahīṣyanti tapo-veṣopajīvinaḥ dharmaṁ vakṣyanty adharma-jñā adhiruhyottamāsanam
Uncultured men will accept charity on behalf of the Lord and will earn their livelihood by making a show of austerity and wearing a mendicant’s dress. Those who know nothing about religion will mount a high seat and presume to speak on religious principles.
नित्यमुद्विग्नमनसो दुर्भिक्षकरकर्शिता: । निरन्ने भूतले राजननावृष्टिभयातुरा: ॥ ३९ ॥ वासोऽन्नपानशयनव्यवायस्नानभूषणै: । हीना: पिशाचसन्दर्शा भविष्यन्ति कलौ प्रजा: ॥ ४० ॥
nityam udvigna-manaso durbhikṣa-kara-karśitāḥ niranne bhū-tale rājan anāvṛṣṭi-bhayāturāḥ vāso-’nna-pāna-śayana- vyavāya-snāna-bhūṣaṇaiḥ hīnāḥ piśāca-sandarśā bhaviṣyanti kalau prajāḥ
In the Age of Kali, people’s minds will always be agitated. They will become emaciated by famine and taxation, my dear King, and will always be disturbed by fear of drought. They will lack adequate clothing, food and drink, will be unable to properly rest, have sex or bathe themselves, and will have no ornaments to decorate their bodies. In fact, the people of Kali-yuga will gradually come to appear like ghostly, haunted creatures.
कलौ काकिणिकेऽप्यर्थे विगृह्य त्यक्तसौहृदा: । त्यक्ष्यन्ति च प्रियान् प्राणान् हनिष्यन्ति स्वकानपि ॥ ४१ ॥
kalau kākiṇike ’py arthe vigṛhya tyakta-sauhṛdāḥ tyakṣyanti ca priyān prāṇān haniṣyanti svakān api
In Kali-yuga men will develop hatred for each other even over a few coins. Giving up all friendly relations, they will be ready to lose their own lives and kill even their own relatives.
न रक्षिष्यन्ति मनुजा: स्थविरौ पितरावपि । पुत्रान् भार्यां च कुलजां क्षुद्रा: शिश्नोदरंभरा: ॥ ४२ ॥
na rakṣiṣyanti manujāḥ sthavirau pitarāv api putrān bhāryāṁ ca kula-jāṁ kṣudrāḥ śiśnodaraṁ-bharāḥ
Men will no longer protect their elderly parents, their children or their respectable wives. Thoroughly degraded, they will care only to satisfy their own bellies and genitals.
कलौ न राजन्जगतां परं गुरुं त्रिलोकनाथानतपादपङ्कजम् । प्रायेण मर्त्या भगवन्तमच्युतं यक्ष्यन्ति पाषण्डविभिन्नचेतस: ॥ ४३ ॥
kalau na rājan jagatāṁ paraṁ guruṁ tri-loka-nāthānata-pāda-paṅkajam prāyeṇa martyā bhagavantam acyutaṁ yakṣyanti pāṣaṇḍa-vibhinna-cetasaḥ
O King, in the Age of Kali people’s intelligence will be diverted by atheism, and they will almost never offer sacrifice to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme spiritual master of the universe. Although the great personalities who control the three worlds all bow down to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the petty and miserable human beings of this age will not do so.
यन्नामधेयं म्रियमाण आतुर: पतन् स्खलन् वा विवशो गृणन् पुमान् । विमुक्तकर्मार्गल उत्तमां गतिं प्राप्नोति यक्ष्यन्ति न तं कलौ जना: ॥ ४४ ॥
yan-nāmadheyaṁ mriyamāṇa āturaḥ patan skhalan vā vivaśo gṛṇan pumān vimukta-karmārgala uttamāṁ gatiṁ prāpnoti yakṣyanti na taṁ kalau janāḥ
Terrified, about to die, a man collapses on his bed. Although his voice is faltering and he is hardly conscious of what he is saying, if he utters the holy name of the Supreme Lord he can be freed from the reaction of his fruitive work and achieve the supreme destination. But still people in the Age of Kali will not worship the Supreme Lord.
पुंसां कलिकृतान् दोषान् द्रव्यदेशात्मसम्भवान् । सर्वान् हरति चित्तस्थो भगवान् पुरुषोत्तम: ॥ ४५ ॥
puṁsāṁ kali-kṛtān doṣān dravya-deśātma-sambhavān sarvān harati citta-stho bhagavān puruṣottamaḥ
In the Kali-yuga, objects, places and even individual personalities are all polluted. The almighty Personality of Godhead, however, can remove all such contamination from the life of one who fixes the Lord within his mind.
श्रुत: सङ्कीर्तितो ध्यात: पूजितश्चादृतोऽपि वा । नृणां धुनोति भगवान् हृत्स्थो जन्मायुताशुभम् ॥ ४६ ॥
śrutaḥ saṅkīrtito dhyātaḥ pūjitaś cādṛto ’pi vā nṛṇāṁ dhunoti bhagavān hṛt-stho janmāyutāśubham
If a person hears about, glorifies, meditates upon, worships or simply offers great respect to the Supreme Lord, who is situated within the heart, the Lord will remove from his mind the contamination accumulated during many thousands of lifetimes.
यथा हेम्नि स्थितो वह्निर्दुर्वर्णं हन्ति धातुजम् । एवमात्मगतो विष्णुर्योगिनामशुभाशयम् ॥ ४७ ॥
yathā hemni sthito vahnir durvarṇaṁ hanti dhātu-jam evam ātma-gato viṣṇur yoginām aśubhāśayam
Just as fire applied to gold removes any discoloration caused by traces of other metals, Lord Viṣṇu within the heart purifies the minds of the yogīs.
विद्यातप:प्राणनिरोधमैत्री- तीर्थाभिषेकव्रतदानजप्यै: । नात्यन्तशुद्धिं लभतेऽन्तरात्मा यथा हृदिस्थे भगवत्यनन्ते ॥ ४८ ॥
vidyā-tapaḥ-prāṇa-nirodha-maitrī- tīrthābhiṣeka-vrata-dāna-japyaiḥ nātyanta-śuddhiṁ labhate ’ntarātmā yathā hṛdi-sthe bhagavaty anante
By one’s engaging in the processes of demigod worship, austerities, breath control, compassion, bathing in holy places, strict vows, charity and chanting of various mantras, one’s mind cannot attain the same absolute purification as that achieved when the unlimited Personality of Godhead appears within one’s heart.
तस्मात् सर्वात्मना राजन् हृदिस्थं कुरु केशवम् । म्रियमाणो ह्यवहितस्ततो यासि परां गतिम् ॥ ४९ ॥
tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan hṛdi-sthaṁ kuru keśavam mriyamāṇo hy avahitas tato yāsi parāṁ gatim
Therefore, O King, endeavor with all your might to fix the Supreme Lord Keśava within your heart. Maintain this concentration upon the Lord, and at the time of death you will certainly attain the supreme destination.
म्रियमाणैरभिध्येयो भगवान् परमेश्वर: । आत्मभावं नयत्यङ्ग सर्वात्मा सर्वसंश्रय: ॥ ५० ॥
mriyamāṇair abhidhyeyo bhagavān parameśvaraḥ ātma-bhāvaṁ nayaty aṅga sarvātmā sarva-saṁśrayaḥ
My dear King, the Personality of Godhead is the ultimate controller. He is the Supreme Soul and the supreme shelter of all beings. When meditated upon by those about to die, He reveals to them their own eternal spiritual identity.
कलेर्दोषनिधे राजन्नस्ति ह्येको महान् गुण: । कीर्तनादेव कृष्णस्य मुक्तसङ्ग: परं व्रजेत् ॥ ५१ ॥
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.
कृते यद्ध्यायतो विष्णुं त्रेतायां यजतो मखै: । द्वापरे परिचर्यायां कलौ तद्धरिकीर्तनात् ॥ ५२ ॥
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
