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
O almighty Lord, never again will we hanker for a mirage-like kingdom, to be slavishly served by this mortal body—an abode of disease and suffering, falling away at every moment. Nor will we crave the heavenly fruits of karma in the next life, for such promises are only empty enticements for the ear.
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.