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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 12 · The Age of Deterioration · 13 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 12 · Chapter 2: The Symptoms of Kali-yuga
12.1.4112.2.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.2.1

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 12.2.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

ततश्चानुदिनं धर्म: सत्यं शौचं क्षमा दया ।

कालेन बलिना राजन् नङ्‌क्ष्यत्यायुर्बलं स्मृति: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

tataś cānu-dinaṁ dharmaḥ

satyaṁ śaucaṁ kṣamā dayā

kālena balinā rājan

naṅkṣyaty āyur balaṁ smṛtiḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then, O King, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life, physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the powerful influence of the Age of Kali.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Preserve Spiritual Qualities Amid Decline

  1. 1

    Under the powerful influence of Kali-yuga, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance and mercy gradually diminish. Life span, physical strength and memory also decline.

  2. 2

    True religion means strict and conscious obedience to God’s law. Without knowing the Absolute Truth, collecting relative facts cannot reveal life’s real purpose.

  3. 3

    Chanting the Lord’s holy names purifies the mind of anger and envy. Recognizing that all living beings are eternally connected with God supports mercy toward others.

Key points from the purport
  • Satyam, truthfulness, is also diminishing, simply because people do not know what the truth is.
  • Kṣamā, tolerance or forgiveness, is diminishing as well, because there is no practical method by which people can purify themselves and thus become free of envy.
  • Modern scientists, seeking to gain credibility among the mass of people, often publish statistics supposedly showing that science has increased the average duration of life.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Civilizational dread → Dispassion. Social and cosmic impermanence expose the limits of worldly plans.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 12: The deterioration of Kali and universal dissolution. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 2: The Symptoms of Kali-yuga

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

As the Age of Kali progresses, all good qualities of men diminish and all impure qualities increase. Atheistic systems of so-called religion become predominant, replacing the codes of Vedic law.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. tataḥthen
  3. caand
  4. anudinamday after day
  5. dharmaḥreligion
  6. satyamtruth
  7. śaucamcleanliness
  8. kṣamātolerance
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 12.2

    In this verse: “religion”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 12.2

    In this verse: “king”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 12.2

    In this verse: “mercy”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which declining quality do I most need to nourish in myself?

Practice

Set aside a few quiet minutes today to chant the Lord’s holy names.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todayPreserve Spiritual Qualities Amid DeclineOne of the 108 chosen lessons: a practice and a question from this verse

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 12.2.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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