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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
12.2.3912.2.41

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.2.40

Nirodha· Winding up
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 12.2.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

राजन्नेते मया प्रोक्ता नरदेवास्तथापरे ।

भूमौ ममत्वं कृत्वान्ते हित्वेमां निधनं गता: ॥ ४० ॥

rājann ete mayā proktā

nara-devās tathāpare

bhūmau mamatvaṁ kṛtvānte

hitvemāṁ nidhanaṁ gatāḥ

Translation

My dear King Parīkṣit, all these kings I have described, as well as all other human beings, come to this earth and stake their claims, but ultimately they all must give up this world and meet their destruction.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

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.

Everyone Must Relinquish Their Claims

  1. 1

    The kings described came to this earth and staked their claims upon it.

  2. 2

    Other human beings likewise make claims of possession in this world.

  3. 3

    Ultimately, all must give up this world and meet their destruction.

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:

He will mount His horse Devadatta and, taking His sword in hand, will roam about the earth killing millions of bandits in the guise of kings. Then the signs of the next Satya-yuga will begin to appear.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rājanO King Parīkṣit
  2. etethese
  3. mayāby me
  4. proktāḥdescribed
  5. nara-devāḥkings
  6. tathāand
  7. apareother human beings
  8. bhūmauupon the earth
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Nirodha · Returning home, back to Godhead

    What happens when everything here comes to an end? · Subject 8 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 12.2

    In this verse: “king”, “kings”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 12.2

    In this verse: “give up”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which of my claims of ownership do I find hardest to imagine relinquishing?

Practice

Look at one possession today and quietly acknowledge that you cannot keep it forever.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEveryone Must Relinquish Their ClaimsThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

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 12.2.40? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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