SB 12.2.42 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.2.42

कथं सेयमखण्डा भू: पूर्वैर्मे पुरुषैर्धृता । मत्पुत्रस्य च पौत्रस्य मत्पूर्वा वंशजस्य वा ॥ ४२ ॥

kathaṁ seyam akhaṇḍā bhūḥ

[katham seyam akhandaa bhooh]

pūrvair me puruṣair dhṛtā

[poorvair me purushair dhritaa]

mat-putrasya ca pautrasya

[mat-putrasya cha pautrasya]

mat-pūrvā vaṁśa-jasya vā

[mat-poorvaa vamsha-jasya vaa]

Word-for-word

katham — how sā iyam — this same akhaṇḍā — unbounded bhūḥ — earth pūrvaiḥ — by the predecessors me — my puruṣaiḥ — by the personalities dhṛtā — held in control mat-putrasya — of my son ca — and pautrasya — of the grandson mat-pūrvā — now under my sway vaṁśa-jasya — of the descendant vā — or.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

kathaṁ seyam akhaṇḍā bhūḥ

katham

how

pūrvair me puruṣair dhṛtā

sā iyam

this same

akhaṇḍā

unbounded

bhūḥ

earth

mat-putrasya ca pautrasya

pūrvaiḥ

by the predecessors

mat-pūrvā vaṁśa-jasya vā

puruṣaiḥ

by the personalities

dhṛtā

held in control

mat-putrasya

of my son

and

pautrasya

of the grandson

mat-pūrvā

now under my sway

vaṁśa-jasya

of the descendant

vā

or.

[The materialistic king thinks:] “This unbounded earth was held by my predecessors and is now under my sovereignty. How can I arrange for it to remain in the hands of my sons, grandsons and other descendants?”

Purport

This is an example of foolish possessiveness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

"The whole earth was held by my predecessors and is now under my sovereignty. How can I arrange for it to remain in the hands of my sons, grandsons and other descendants?" Possessiveness is illustrated by emotional statements. Since the land was held by my predecessors, how can I arrange for it to pass to my sons?

Personal Guidance

The materialistic mind plots how to keep land 'in the family' forever — pure foolish possessiveness. Bhāgavatam laughs gently at the futility. The land was never ours; we are passing tenants on Kṛṣṇa's property.

Reflection Questions

What am I planning to bequeath as if I owned it forever?
How might I instead plan to bequeath devotion?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io