SB 12.3.8 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

ममैवेयं मही कृत्स्‍ना न ते मूढेति वादिन: । स्पर्धमाना मिथो घ्नन्ति म्रियन्ते मत्कृते नृपा: ॥ ८ ॥

Verse text

mamaiveyaṁ mahī kṛtsnā na te mūḍheti vādinaḥ spardhamānā mitho ghnanti mriyante mat-kṛte nṛpāḥ

Synonyms

mama — mine ; eva — indeed ; iyam — this ; mahī — land ; kṛtsnā — entire ; na — not ; te — yours ; mūḍha — you fool ; iti vādinaḥ — thus speaking ; spardhamānāḥ — quarreling ; mithaḥ — each other ; ghnanti — they kill ; mriyante — they are killed ; mat — kṛte — for my sake ; nṛpāḥ — kings .

Translation

“Political leaders challenge one another: ‘All this land is mine! It’s not yours, you fool!’ Thus they attack one another and die.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"All this land is mine! It's not yours, you fool!' the kings say and, fighting, kill or get killed for the sake of possessing the earth.

Purport

This verse describes with brilliant clarity the mundane political mentality that provokes innumerable conflicts in the world. For example, as we prepare this translation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, British and Argentine military forces are bitterly fighting over the tiny Falkland Islands. The fact is that the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all land. Of course, even in a God-conscious world political boundaries exist. But in such a God-conscious atmosphere political tensions are greatly eased, and people of all lands welcome each other and respect each other’s right to live in peace.