FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.21.55

अधर्मश्च समेधेत लोलुपैर्व्यङ्कुशैर्नृभि: । शयाने त्वयि लोकोऽयं दस्युग्रस्तो विनङ्‍क्ष्यति ॥ ५५ ॥
adharmaś ca samedheta
[adharmash cha samedheta]
lolupair vyaṅkuśair nṛbhiḥ
[lolupair vyankushair nribhih]
śayāne tvayi loko ’yaṁ
[shayaane tvayi loko ’yam]
dasyu-grasto vinaṅkṣyati
[dasyu-grasto vinankshyati]
adharmaḥ — unrighteousness ca — and samedheta — would flourish lolupaiḥ — simply hankering after money vyaṅkuśaiḥ — uncontrolled nṛbhiḥ — by men śayāne tvayi — when you lie down for rest lokaḥ — world ayam — this dasyu — by the miscreants grastaḥ — attacked vinaṅkṣyati — it will perish.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
adharmaś ca samedheta
adharmaḥ
unrighteousness
ca
and
samedheta
would flourish
lolupair vyaṅkuśair nṛbhiḥ
lolupaiḥ
simply hankering after money
vyaṅkuśaiḥ
uncontrolled
nṛbhiḥ
by men
śayāne tvayi loko ’yaṁ
śayāne tvayi
when you lie down for rest
lokaḥ
world
ayam
this
dasyu-grasto vinaṅkṣyati
dasyu
by the miscreants
grastaḥ
attacked
vinaṅkṣyati
it will perish.
If you gave up all thought of the world’s situation, unrighteousness would flourish, for men who hanker only after money would be unopposed. Such miscreants would attack, and the world would perish.

Because the scientific division of four varṇas and four āśramas is now being extinguished, the entire world is being governed by unwanted men who have no training in religion, politics or social order, and it is in a very deplorable condition. In the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas there are regular training principles for the different classes of men. Just as, in the modern age, there is a necessity for engineers, medical practitioners and electricians, and they are properly trained in different scientific institutions, similarly, in former times, the higher social orders, namely the intelligent class (the brāhmaṇas ), the ruling class (the kṣatriyas ) and the mercantile class (the vaiśyas ), were properly trained. Bhagavad-gītā describes the duties of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. When there is no such training, one simply claims that because he is born in a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya family, he is therefore a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya, even though he performs the duties of a śūdra. Such undue claims to being a higher-caste man make the system of scientific social orders into a caste system, completely degrading the original system. Thus society is now in chaos, and there is neither peace nor prosperity. It is clearly stated herein that unless there is the vigilance of a strong king, impious, unqualified men will claim a certain status in society, and that will make the social order perish.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O King! If you sleep without worry, irreligion will increase through uncontrolled people craving material pleasure. Tormented by the sinful, the population will be destroyed.
Duty here is reframed: it is not the part of life we tolerate so we can do spiritual things later, but the actual material of devotion itself.
Reflection Questions
  • Which responsibility, done as worship, would change the texture of your week?
  • How could you treat one routine responsibility this week as devotional service?
📝 My note

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