Shloka 41
Kali-yuga’s Degradation, the Advent of Kalki, and the Reset of the Yuga Cycle
कृमिविड्भस्मसंज्ञान्ते राजनाम्नोऽपि यस्य च । भूतध्रुक् तत्कृते स्वार्थं किं वेद निरयो यत: ॥ ४१ ॥
kṛmi-viḍ-bhasma-saṁjñānte rāja-nāmno ’pi yasya ca bhūta-dhruk tat-kṛte svārthaṁ kiṁ veda nirayo yataḥ
Auch wenn der Körper jetzt den Titel „König“ trägt, wird sein Name am Ende „Würmer“, „Kot“ oder „Asche“ sein. Wie könnte einer, der um des Körpers willen Lebewesen verletzt, sein wahres Wohl erkennen, da seine Taten ihn nur zur Hölle führen?
After death, the body may be buried and eaten by worms, or it may be thrown in the street or forest to be eaten by animals who will pass out its remnants as stool, or it may be burned and converted into ashes. Therefore one should not pave his way to hell by using his temporary body to injure the bodies of other living beings. In this verse the word bhūta includes nonhuman life forms, who are also creatures of God. One should give up all envious violence and learn to see God in everything by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
FAQs
This verse says that rulers who identify with the temporary body and harm living beings for bodily or political gain cannot understand true self-interest and thus move toward hellish consequences.
To expose the folly of pride and violence rooted in bodily identification—reminding that worldly status is temporary while karma for harming others brings suffering.
Measure success by dharma and compassion rather than power or prestige, and avoid harming others for temporary bodily comforts—since real welfare is spiritual progress.