Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.1.6-8
Visarga· Brahmā's creationAuthority Declines Without Godly Leadership
“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.”
What the purport teaches
- Ajaya will father a second Nandivardhana, whose son will be Mahānandi. The ten kings of the Śiśunāga dynasty will rule for 360 years during the Age of Kali.
- Mahānandi’s son Nanda will possess millions of soldiers and fabulous wealth and wreak havoc among the kṣatriyas. From that time onward, virtually all kings will be irreligious śūdras.
- The purport describes authentic authority as saintly, powerful leaders representing the Supreme Godhead on earth. In the Age of Kali, this system collapsed as unauthorized, uncivilized men gradually took power.
Try this today
Write one sentence distinguishing the purport’s description of authentic leadership from merely possessing soldiers and wealth.
Ask yourself
Do I value saintly character in leadership as much as power and wealth?
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.