FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.14.40

यदपि दिगिभजयिनो यज्विनो ये वै राजर्षय: किं तु परं मृधे शयीरन्नस्यामेव ममेयमिति कृतवैरानुबन्धायां विसृज्य स्वयमुपसंहृता: ॥ ४० ॥
yad api dig-ibha-jayino yajvino ye vai rājarṣayaḥ kiṁ tu paraṁ mṛdhe śayīrann asyām eva mameyam iti kṛta-vairānubandhāyāṁ visṛjya svayam upasaṁhṛtāḥ.
[yad api dig-ibha-jayino yajvino ye vai raajarshayah kim tu param mridhe shayeerann asyaam eva mameyam iti krita-vairaanubandhaayaam visrijya svayam upasamhritaah.]
Word-for-word
yat api — although dik-ibha-jayinaḥ — who are victorious in all directions yajvinaḥ — expert in performing great sacrifices ye — all of whom vai — indeed rāja-ṛṣayaḥ — very great saintly kings kim tu — but param — only this earth mṛdhe — in battle śayīran — lying down asyām — on this (earth) eva — indeed mama — mine iyam — this iti — considering in that way kṛta — on which is created vaira-anu-bandhāyām — a relationship of enmity with others visṛjya — giving up svayam — his own life upasaṁhṛtāḥ — being killed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yad api dig-ibha-jayino yajvino ye vai rājarṣayaḥ kiṁ tu paraṁ mṛdhe śayīrann asyām eva mameyam iti kṛta-vairānubandhāyāṁ visṛjya svayam upasaṁhṛtāḥ.
yat api
although
dik-ibha-jayinaḥ
who are victorious in all directions
yajvinaḥ
expert in performing great sacrifices
ye
all of whom
vai
indeed
rāja-ṛṣayaḥ
very great saintly kings
kim tu
but
param
only this earth
mṛdhe
in battle
śayīran
lying down
asyām
on this (earth)
eva
indeed
mama
mine
iyam
this
iti
considering in that way
kṛta
on which is created
vaira-anu-bandhāyām
a relationship of enmity with others
visṛjya
giving up
svayam
his own life
upasaṁhṛtāḥ
being killed.
There were many great saintly kings who were very expert in performing sacrificial rituals and very competent in conquering other kingdoms, yet despite their power they could not attain the loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is because those great kings could not even conquer the false consciousness of “I am this body, and this is my property.” Thus they simply created enmity with rival kings, fought with them and died without having discharged life’s real mission.
Purport

The real mission of life for the conditioned soul is to reestablish the forgotten relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in devotional service so that he may revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness after giving up the body. One doesn’t have to give up his occupation as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra or whatever. In any position, while discharging his prescribed duty, one can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness simply by associating with devotees who are representatives of Kṛṣṇa and who can teach this science. Regretfully, the big politicians and leaders in the material world simply create enmity and are not interested in spiritual advancement. Material advancement may be very pleasing to an ordinary man, but ultimately he is defeated because he identifies himself with the material body and considers everything related to it to be his property. This is ignorance. Actually nothing belongs to him, not even the body. By one’s karma, one gets a particular body, and if he does not utilize his body to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all his activities are frustrated. The real purpose of life is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.13) :

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

It really doesn’t matter what activity a man engages in. If he can simply satisfy the Supreme Lord, his life is successful.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Even though a person may be a conqueror of all directions, a performer of great sacrifices or a sage among kings, lying on the battlefield, on the soil which created enmity with others by thinking “This earth is mine,” he gives up the earth, and dies. This verse explains “Warriors, who have conquered even the elephants of the directions, thinking in terms of “mine,” surrounded by enemies, all fall dead on the battlefield” mentioned in SB 5.13.15. Even though they conquer all directions, they lie on the earth, which created enmity by thinking “it is mine.” And giving up that earth, they die.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Great saintly kings conquered enemies but could not conquer their own senses, and so could not enter devotional service. The hardest battle is internal; nothing on the outside compensates for losing it.
Reflection Questions
  • What victory have you been chasing externally as a substitute for the internal one?
  • Where would just one act of sense-control today be more powerful than another external conquest?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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