Shloka 59
अक्षौहिणीनां पतिभिरसुरैर्नृपलाञ्छनै: । भुव आक्रम्यमाणाया अभाराय कृतोद्यम: ॥ ५९ ॥
akṣauhiṇīnāṁ patibhir asurair nṛpa-lāñchanaiḥ bhuva ākramyamāṇāyā abhārāya kṛtodyamaḥ
When asuras—lords of vast armies—though bearing the marks of kings, overrun the earth, by God’s arrangement they wage war upon one another, and thus the heavy burden of demons upon the earth is reduced.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8) , paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. The sādhus, the devotees of the Lord, are always eager to advance the cause of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the conditioned souls may be released from the bondage of birth and death. But the asuras, the demons, impede the advancement of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and therefore Kṛṣṇa arranges occasional fights between different asuras who are very much interested in increasing their military power. The duty of the government or king is not to increase military power unnecessarily; the real duty of the government is to see that the people of the state advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For this purpose, Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13) , cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: “According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me.” There should be an ideal class of men who are bona fide brāhmaṇas, and they should be given all protection. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Kṛṣṇa is very fond of brāhmaṇas and cows. The brāhmaṇas promulgate the cause of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the cows give enough milk to maintain the body in the mode of goodness. The kṣatriyas and the government should be advised by the brāhmaṇas. Next, the vaiśyas should produce enough foodstuffs, and the śūdras, who cannot do anything beneficial on their own, should serve the three higher classes (the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas ). This is the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that the conditioned souls will be released from the material condition and return home, back to Godhead. This is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa’s descent on the surface of the earth ( paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām ).
FAQs
This verse explains that when the earth becomes oppressed by demoniac rulers and massive militarized powers, the Supreme Lord personally arranges to lighten that burden—restoring dharma by His divine action.
Śukadeva indicates that external kingship (royal insignia and power) is not true righteousness; when rulers act against dharma and exploit the earth, they are termed asuric—godless in character despite royal appearance.
The verse encourages discernment: do not equate authority with virtue. Support dharmic leadership and personal integrity, and remember that ultimate protection of dharma rests with the Supreme, even when society feels overrun by exploitative powers.