Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 5
The Earth Laughs at World-Conquering Kings; Yuga-Dharma and the Remedy for Kali
समुद्रावरणां जित्वा मां विशन्त्यब्धिमोजसा । कियदात्मजयस्यैतन्मुक्तिरात्मजये फलम् ॥ ५ ॥
samudrāvaraṇāṁ jitvā māṁ viśanty abdhim ojasā kiyad ātma-jayasyaitan muktir ātma-jaye phalam
海に囲まれた大地を征服した後、驕れる王たちは力ずくで海へも踏み込み、海さえ征服しようとする。だが政治的搾取のための自己制御に何の益があろう。自己制御の真の果はモークシャ（解脱）である。
FAQs
This verse teaches that true victory is inner conquest—mastery over one’s own mind and senses—and that even liberation (mukti) is merely a fruit of such self-conquest.
He uses a poetic comparison: as one may ‘conquer’ and enter the physical ocean by force, similarly one may speak of entering the Absolute—yet the real measure of spiritual success is not external power but inner mastery.
Prioritize discipline over display: regulate habits, speech, and desires, and cultivate steady sādhana—because inner control is the root from which peace and spiritual freedom arise.