Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 20
Kali-yuga Dynasties and the Degradation of Kingship
हत्वा काण्वं सुशर्माणं तद् भृत्यो वृषलो बली । गां भोक्ष्यत्यन्ध्रजातीय: कञ्चित् कालमसत्तम: ॥ २० ॥
hatvā kāṇvaṁ suśarmāṇaṁ tad-bhṛtyo vṛṣalo balī gāṁ bhokṣyaty andhra-jātīyaḥ kañcit kālam asattamaḥ
Ang huling Kāṇva na si Suśarmā ay papatayin ng sarili niyang alipin na si Balī—isang mababang śūdra mula sa lahing Andhra. Ang lubhang hamak na Mahārāja Balī na ito ay magkakaroon ng kapangyarihan sa daigdig sa loob ng ilang panahon.
Here is a further description of how uncultured men infiltrated government administration. The so-called king named Balī is described as asattama, a most impious, uncultured man.
FAQs
This verse foretells that dynastic rule will collapse into betrayal and usurpation—even a king’s own servant can seize the throne—showing how adharma replaces noble leadership in Kali Yuga.
Śukadeva uses this as a concrete prophecy: after the Kāṇvas, power shifts to new groups and unqualified rulers, illustrating the social and moral upheaval characteristic of Kali Yuga.
Worldly power structures are unstable in Kali Yuga; therefore, one should place faith in bhakti and dharma rather than expecting lasting security from political rulers.