FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.20

येन चैवाभिपन्नोऽयं प्राणै: प्रियतमैरपि । जन: सद्यो वियुज्येत किमुतान्यैर्धनादिभि: ॥ २० ॥
yena caivābhipanno ’yaṁ
[yena chaivaabhipanno ’yam]
prāṇaiḥ priyatamair api
[praanaih priyatamair api]
janaḥ sadyo viyujyeta
[janah sadyo viyujyeta]
kim utānyair dhanādibhiḥ
[kim utaanyair dhanaadibhih]
yena — pulled by such time ca — and eva — certainly abhipannaḥ — overtaken ayam — this prāṇaiḥ — with life priya-tamaiḥ — which is most dear to everyone api — even though janaḥ — person sadyaḥ — forthwith viyujyeta — do give up kim uta anyaiḥ — what to speak of any other thing dhana-ādibhiḥ — such as wealth, honor, children, land and house.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yena caivābhipanno ’yaṁ
yena
pulled by such time
ca
and
eva
certainly
abhipannaḥ
overtaken
ayam
this
prāṇaiḥ priyatamair api
prāṇaiḥ
with life
priya-tamaiḥ
which is most dear to everyone
api
even though
janaḥ sadyo viyujyeta
janaḥ
person
sadyaḥ
forthwith
viyujyeta
do give up
kim utānyair dhanādibhiḥ
kim uta anyaiḥ
what to speak of any other thing
dhana-ādibhiḥ
such as wealth, honor, children, land and house.
Whoever is under the influence of supreme kāla [eternal time] must surrender his most dear life, and what to speak of other things, such as wealth, honor, children, land and home.

A great Indian scientist, busy in the plan-making business, was suddenly called by invincible eternal time while going to attend a very important meeting of the planning commission, and he had to surrender his life, wife, children, house, land, wealth, etc. During the political upsurge in India and its division into Pakistan and Hindustan, so many rich and influential Indians had to surrender life, property and honor due to the influence of time, and there are hundreds and thousands of examples like that all over the world, all over the universe, which are all effects of the influence of time. Therefore, the conclusion is that there is no powerful living being within the universe who can overcome the influence of time. Many poets have written verses lamenting the influence of time. Many devastations have taken place over the universes due to the influence of time, and no one could check them by any means. Even in our daily life, so many things come and go in which we have no hand, but we have to suffer or tolerate them without remedial measure. That is the result of time.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Attacked by time, a person is separated immediately from his beloved life airs, what to speak of other things like wealth.
Commentary

Afflicted by time, in the form of death a person is separated from his life airs.

Whoever is under supreme kāla must surrender his most dear life — and what of other things like wealth, honor, children, land, home? Time eventually takes everything dear. Surrender now, willingly.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my 'dear' things am I clinging to as if they were exempt from time?
  • Where could willing release replace forced loss later?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 13