Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.1.1-2
Visarga· Brahmā's creationPolitical Betrayal Marks the Age of Kali
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The last king mentioned in our previous enumeration of the future rulers of the Māgadha dynasty was Purañjaya, who will take birth as the descendant of Bṛhadratha. Purañjaya’s minister Śunaka will assassinate the king and install his own son, Pradyota, on the throne. The son of Pradyota will be Pālaka, his son will be Viśākhayūpa, and his son will be Rājaka.”
What the purport teaches
- Śunaka will assassinate King Purañjaya and place his own son, Pradyota, on the throne. The purport describes this vicious political intrigue as symptomatic of the Age of Kali.
- With the Lord’s departure for the spiritual sky, the Age of Kali became fully manifested. Political assassination within one’s own house became a standard technique.
- Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes many royal dynasties, it centrally reveals Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Its histories should not distract us from this devotional focus.
Try this today
Reread the purport’s description of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme source of all existence, making this reading a small act of devotion.
Ask yourself
As I read about changing rulers, how can I keep my attention on Lord Kṛṣṇa?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.