Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 25
Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
कृमिविड्भस्मसंज्ञासीद्यस्येशाभिहितस्य च । भूतध्रुक् तत्कृते स्वार्थं किं वेद निरयो यत: ॥ २५ ॥
kṛmi-viḍ-bhasma-saṁjñāsīd yasyeśābhihitasya ca bhūta-dhruk tat-kṛte svārthaṁ kiṁ veda nirayo yataḥ
Setelah mati, tubuh semua penguasa yang dikenal sebagai raja dan pemimpin besar akan berubah menjadi cacing, kotoran, atau abu. Jika seseorang dengan rasa iri membunuh orang lain demi melindungi tubuh semacam itu, apakah dia benar-benar mengetahui kepentingan sejati kehidupan? Tentu saja tidak, karena jika seseorang iri pada makhluk lain, dia pasti akan masuk neraka.
The material body, even if possessed by a great king, is ultimately transformed into stool, worms or ashes. When one is too attached to the bodily conception of life, he is certainly not very intelligent.
FAQs
This verse condemns the mentality of harming others and states that such cruelty blinds one to true self-interest, leading instead toward hellish consequences.
He uses stark imagery to show the degraded destiny and identity a soul may receive by the Lord’s judgment due to sinful, harmful actions—highlighting the karmic result of cruelty.
Avoid causing harm—physically, verbally, or mentally—and cultivate compassion and dharma, since cruelty ultimately damages one’s own spiritual welfare and peace.