Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
The Earth Laughs at World-Conquering Kings; Yuga-Dharma and the Remedy for Kali
श्री शुक उवाच: दृष्ट्वात्मनि जये व्यग्रान् नृपान् हसति भूरियम् । अहो मा विजिगीषन्ति मृत्यो: क्रीडनका नृपा: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca dṛṣṭvātmani jaye vyagrān nṛpān hasati bhūr iyam aho mā vijigīṣanti mṛtyoḥ krīḍanakā nṛpāḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī sprach: Als die Erde die Könige sah, die eifrig bemüht waren, sie zu erobern, lachte sie. Sie sagte: „Seht nur! Diese Könige sind Spielzeuge in den Händen des Todes, und dennoch begehren sie, mich zu besiegen.“
FAQs
It warns that rulers become absorbed in winning and dominating, yet their power is fragile—ultimately they remain subject to Death, so conquest is spiritually hollow.
Because she sees their pride and rivalry as futile: they fight to conquer the world, but cannot conquer time and death, which controls them.
It encourages humility and detachment: pursue duty and devotion rather than ego-driven competition, remembering life’s uncertainty and the supremacy of time.