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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
12.2.612.2.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.2.7

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

एवं प्रजाभिर्दुष्टाभिराकीर्णे क्षितिमण्डले ।

ब्रह्मविट्‍क्षत्रशूद्राणां यो बली भविता नृप: ॥ ७ ॥

evaṁ prajābhir duṣṭābhir

ākīrṇe kṣiti-maṇḍale

brahma-viṭ-kṣatra-śūdrāṇāṁ

yo balī bhavitā nṛpaḥ

Translation

As the earth thus becomes crowded with a corrupt population, whoever among any of the social classes shows himself to be the strongest will gain political power.

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.

Strength Becomes the Basis of Political Power

  1. 1

    The verse describes the earth becoming crowded with a corrupt population. Political life reflects this widespread corruption.

  2. 2

    Whoever proves strongest gains political power. Strength becomes the deciding factor in who rules.

  3. 3

    Such a ruler may come from any social class. The verse names strength, rather than class membership, as the basis of political ascendancy.

Connected verses· 1

Quoted in the purport ofSB 9.15.15

And in still another place, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.2.7-8) says:

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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:

The kings become just like highway bandits, the people in general become dedicated to low occupations, and all the social classes become just like śūdras. All cows become like goats, all spiritual hermitages become like materialistic homes, and family ties extend no further than the immediate relationship of marriage.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamin this way
  2. prajābhiḥwith populace
  3. duṣṭābhiḥcorrupted
  4. ākīrṇebeing crowded
  5. kṣiti-maṇḍalethe earth globe
  6. brahmaamong the brāhmaṇas
  7. viṭvaiśyas
  8. kṣatrakṣatriyas
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 12.2

    In this verse: “ruler”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I mistake someone’s ability to gain power for evidence that they deserve to lead?

Practice

When considering a leader today, pause and distinguish their strength from their freedom from corruption.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayStrength Becomes the Basis of Political PowerThis 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 12.2.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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