Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 14
The Freed Kings Glorify Kṛṣṇa; Instruction on Kingship, Detachment, and Remembrance
अथो न राज्यं मृगतृष्णिरूपितं देहेन शश्वत् पतता रुजां भुवा । उपासितव्यं स्पृहयामहे विभो क्रियाफलं प्रेत्य च कर्णरोचनम् ॥ १४ ॥
atho na rājyam mṛga-tṛṣṇi-rūpitaṁ dehena śaśvat patatā rujāṁ bhuvā upāsitavyaṁ spṛhayāmahe vibho kriyā-phalaṁ pretya ca karṇa-rocanam
Never again will we hanker for a miragelike kingdom — a kingdom that must be slavishly served by this mortal body, which is simply a source of disease and suffering and which is declining at every moment. Nor, O almighty Lord, will we hanker to enjoy the heavenly fruits of pious work in the next life, since the promise of such rewards is simply an empty enticement for the ears.
One must work very hard to maintain a kingdom or political sovereignty. And yet the body, which works so hard to maintain one’s political power, is itself doomed. At every moment the mortal body moves toward death, and all along the way the body is subject to many painful diseases. The whole affair of mundane power is thus a waste of time for the pure soul, who needs to revive his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
FAQs
This verse compares royal power to a mirage, emphasizing its unreliability and urging worship of the Lord as the lasting goal.
They highlight the body’s constant decline through disease and mortality to show why devotion to Kṛṣṇa—whose results endure beyond death—is superior to temporary achievements.
Treat status and achievement as temporary, prioritize daily devotion and service, and choose actions whose spiritual value remains even when circumstances change.