Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 11
Bhakti as the Supreme Process; Detachment and the Rudiments of Meditation
आद्यन्तवन्त एवैषां लोका: कर्मविनिर्मिता: । दु:खोदर्कास्तमोनिष्ठा: क्षुद्रा मन्दा: शुचार्पिता: ॥ ११ ॥
ādy-anta-vanta evaiṣāṁ lokāḥ karma-vinirmitāḥ duḥkhodarkās tamo-niṣṭhāḥ kṣudrā mandāḥ śucārpitāḥ
Dunia-dunia yang terbina oleh karma ini mempunyai awal dan akhir. Keadaannya hina dan menyedihkan, berasaskan kegelapan kejahilan; walau menikmati hasil kerja, mereka tetap dipenuhi ratapan dan akhirnya menuai duka.
Those who have grasped temporary material things, mistaking them to be ultimate reality, are not considered very intelligent by anyone except themselves. Such foolish persons are always in anxiety because by the laws of nature the very fruits of their work are constantly being transformed in ways neither desired nor expected. The performer of Vedic rituals can elevate himself to heavenly planets, whereas one who is atheistic has the privilege of transferring himself to hell. The entire panorama of material existence is actually uninteresting and dull ( mandāḥ ). One can make no real progress within the material world; therefore one should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and prepare oneself to go back home, back to Godhead.
FAQs
This verse states that all realms produced by karma have a beginning and an end, and their enjoyment ultimately culminates in suffering and lamentation.
Kṛṣṇa is instructing Uddhava to see the limitations of karma-based enjoyment—its temporary results and inevitable distress—so that Uddhava may take exclusive shelter of the highest good: devotion to the Lord.
Use it to evaluate goals: achievements driven only by reward-seeking often end in anxiety or emptiness; cultivate detachment, simplify desires, and prioritize bhakti and inner spiritual practices that do not perish with time.