Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 66
Lord Śiva Instructs the Pracetās (Śiva-stuti and the Path of Bhakti)
प्रमत्तमुच्चैरिति कृत्यचिन्तया प्रवृद्धलोभं विषयेषु लालसम् । त्वमप्रमत्त: सहसाभिपद्यसे क्षुल्लेलिहानोऽहिरिवाखुमन्तक: ॥ ६६ ॥
pramattam uccair iti kṛtya-cintayā pravṛddha-lobhaṁ viṣayeṣu lālasam tvam apramattaḥ sahasābhipadyase kṣul-lelihāno ’hir ivākhum antakaḥ
My dear Lord, all living entities within this material world are mad after planning for things, and they are always busy with a desire to do this or that. This is due to uncontrollable greed. The greed for material enjoyment is always existing in the living entity, but Your Lordship is always alert, and in due course of time You strike him, just as a snake seizes a mouse and very easily swallows him.
Everyone is greedy, and everyone makes plans for material enjoyment. In his lust for material enjoyment, the living entity is described as a madman. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) :
FAQs
This verse says that when one becomes absorbed in worldly plans, greed grows and the mind runs toward sense objects—making one spiritually careless and vulnerable to being overtaken by Time.
In their prayer, the Pracetas portray the Lord’s power as Time/Death: while humans feel secure in noisy worldly activity, the Lord’s vigilant time-force can overtake them without warning.
Reduce compulsive busyness and craving-driven goals, practice daily bhakti (hearing, chanting, remembrance), and live with awareness that time is limited—so priorities stay centered on devotion and self-control.