SB 12.1.39 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

स्त्रीबालगोद्विजघ्नाश्च परदारधनाद‍ृता: । उदितास्तमितप्राया अल्पसत्त्वाल्पकायुष: ॥ ३९ ॥ असंस्कृता: क्रियाहीना रजसा तमसावृता: । प्रजास्ते भक्षयिष्यन्ति म्‍लेच्छा राजन्यरूपिण: ॥ ४० ॥

Verse text

strī-bāla-go-dvija-ghnāś ca para-dāra-dhanādṛtāḥ uditāsta-mita-prāyā alpa-sattvālpakāyuṣaḥ asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā rajasā tamasāvṛtāḥ prajās te bhakṣayiṣyanti mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ

Synonyms

strī — of women ; bāla — children ; go — cows ; dvija — and brāhmaṇas ; ghnāḥ — the murderers ; ca — and ; para — of other men ; dāra — the wives ; dhana — and money ; ādṛtāḥ — showing interest in ; udita — asta — mita — switching their moods from elated to depressed and then to moderate ; prāyāḥ — for the most part ; alpa — sattva — having little strength ; alpaka — āyuṣaḥ — and short life spans ; asaṁskṛtāḥ — not purified by Vedic rituals ; kriyā — hīnāḥ — devoid of regulative principles ; rajasā — by the mode of passion ; tamasā — and by the mode of ignorance ; āvṛtāḥ — covered over ; prajāḥ — the citizens ; te — they ; bhakṣayiṣyanti — will virtually devour ; mlecchāḥ — outcastes ; rājanya — rūpiṇaḥ — appearing as kings .

Translation

These barbarians in the guise of kings will devour the citizenry, murdering innocent women, children, cows and brāhmaṇas and coveting the wives and property of other men. They will be erratic in their moods, have little strength of character and be very short-lived. Indeed, not purified by any Vedic rituals and lacking in the practice of regulative principles, they will be completely covered by the modes of passion and ignorance.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

These barbarians in the guise of kings will devour the citizenry, murdering innocent women, children, cows and brāhmaṇas, and coveting the wives and property of other men. They will be erratic in their moods, have little strength of character and be very short-lived. Devoid of Vedic rituals saṁskāras, they will be completely covered by the modes of passion and ignorance.

Purport

These verses give a concise, accurate description of the fallen leaders of this age.