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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
12.2.4212.2.44

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.2.43

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

तेजोऽबन्नमयं कायं गृहीत्वात्मतयाबुधा: ।

महीं ममतया चोभौ हित्वान्तेऽदर्शनं गता: ॥ ४३ ॥

tejo-’b-anna-mayaṁ kāyaṁ

gṛhītvātmatayābudhāḥ

mahīṁ mamatayā cobhau

hitvānte ’darśanaṁ gatāḥ

Translation

Although the foolish accept the body made of earth, water and fire as “me” and this earth as “mine,” in every case they have ultimately abandoned both their body and the earth and passed away into oblivion.

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.

The Soul Endures, Earthly Fame Does Not

  1. 1

    The foolish accept the body made of earth, water and fire as “me” and the earth as “mine.”

  2. 2

    Ultimately, they abandon both their body and the earth and pass into oblivion.

  3. 3

    The soul is eternal, but so-called family tradition and earthly fame will certainly pass into oblivion.

Key points from the purport
  • Although the soul is eternal, our so-called family tradition and earthly fame will certainly pass into oblivion.

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:

One of these kings is Devāpi, a brother of Mahārāja Śantanu, and the other is Maru, a descendant of Ikṣvāku. They are biding their time incognito in a village named Kalāpa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tejaḥfire
  2. apwater
  3. annaand earth
  4. mayamcomposed of
  5. kāyamthis body
  6. gṛhītvāaccepting
  7. ātmatayāwith the sense of “I”
  8. abudhāḥthe unintelligent
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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I placing my sense of identity in the eternal soul or in temporary family standing and fame?

Practice

Spend one minute reflecting: “The soul is eternal; my bodily identity and earthly fame will not last.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Soul Endures, Earthly Fame Does NotThis 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 12.2.43? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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