Shloka 3
The Earth Laughs at World-Conquering Kings; Yuga-Dharma and the Remedy for Kali
पूर्वं निर्जित्य षड्वर्गं जेष्यामो राजमन्त्रिण: । तत: सचिवपौराप्तकरीन्द्रानस्य कण्टकान् ॥ ३ ॥ एवं क्रमेण जेष्याम: पृथ्वीं सागरमेखलाम् । इत्याशाबद्धहृदया न पश्यन्त्यन्तिकेऽन्तकम् ॥ ४ ॥
pūrvaṁ nirjitya ṣaḍ-vargaṁ jeṣyāmo rāja-mantriṇaḥ tataḥ saciva-paurāpta- karīndrān asya kaṇṭakān
ກະສັດແລະນັກການເມືອງຄິດວ່າ: “ກ່ອນອື່ນຈະພິຊິດສັດຕູຫົກປະການ (ອິນທຣີ-ໃຈ); ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງຄວບຄຸມລັດຖະມົນຕີໃຫຍ່ ແລະກຳຈັດ ‘ໜາມ’ ຄື ທີ່ປຶກສາ ປະຊາຊົນ ມິດຍາດ ແລະຄົນເລີ້ຍງຊ້າງ; ຈາກນັ້ນຈະພິຊິດໂລກທີ່ມີທະເລເປັນຂອບເຂດ.” ແຕ່ໃຈທີ່ຖືກຜູກດ້ວຍຄວາມຫວັງ ບໍ່ເຫັນຄວາມຕາຍທີ່ຢູ່ໃກ້.
To satisfy their greed for power, determined politicians, dictators and military leaders undergo severe austerities and sacrifice, with much self-discipline. Then they lead their great nations in a struggle to control the sea, land, air and space. Although the politicians and their followers will soon be dead — since birth and death are all inevitable in this world — they persist in their frenetic struggle for ephemeral glory.
FAQs
This verse shows how people speak of first conquering the inner enemies (ṣaḍ-varga), yet in Kali-yuga such resolve is often absorbed in power-politics rather than genuine self-mastery and devotion.
He portrays the mindset of worldly conquerors: anyone who stands in the way of expanding control—administrators, citizens, governors, or military power—appears as a ‘thorn’ to be removed.
Ambition can turn relationships and institutions into “obstacles.” The Bhagavatam’s warning is to prioritize inner purification and devotion over endless campaigns for dominance.