Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 19
Kali-yuga Dynasties and the Degradation of Kingship
तस्य पुत्रस्तु भूमित्रस्तस्य नारायण: सुत: । काण्वायना इमे भूमिं चत्वारिंशच्च पञ्च च । शतानि त्रीणि भोक्ष्यन्ति वर्षाणां च कलौ युगे ॥ १९ ॥
tasya putras tu bhūmitras tasya nārāyaṇaḥ sutaḥ kāṇvāyanā ime bhūmiṁ catvāriṁśac ca pañca ca śatāni trīṇi bhokṣyanti varṣāṇāṁ ca kalau yuge
Vasudeva’s son will be Bhūmitra, and his son will be Nārāyaṇa. These Kāṇva kings will rule the earth for 345 years within the age of Kali.
FAQs
This verse states that Bhūmitra’s son Nārāyaṇa appears in the Kāṇvāyana line, and that the Kāṇvāyana rulers will hold power over the earth for a total of 345 years during Kali-yuga.
In Canto 12, Śukadeva describes the unfolding of Kali-yuga—its rulers, timelines, and decline—so Parīkṣit can understand the age’s trajectory and fix his consciousness on the timeless shelter of Bhagavān rather than temporary political power.
It reminds us that worldly authority and historical eras are temporary; therefore, lasting security is found by cultivating devotion (bhakti) and spiritual discipline instead of depending on changing social and political conditions.