Punishment and Reward of Kali

Verse 31 (SB 1.17.31)

SB 1.17.30

SB 1.17.32

SB 1.17.31 • मूल श्लोक

राजोवाच न ते गुडाकेशयशोधराणां बद्धाञ्जलेर्वै भयमस्ति किञ्चित् । न वर्तितव्यं भवता कथञ्चन क्षेत्रे मदीये त्वमधर्मबन्धु: ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

rājovāca na te guḍākeśa-yaśo-dharāṇāṁ baddhāñjaler vai bhayam asti kiñcit na vartitavyaṁ bhavatā kathañcana kṣetre madīye tvam adharma-bandhuḥ

Synonyms (Word-for-Word)

rājā uvāca — the King said; na — not; te — your; guḍākeśa — Arjuna; yaśaḥ-dharāṇām — of us who inherited the fame; baddha-añjaleḥ — one with folded hands; vai — certainly; bhayam — fear; asti — there is; kiñcit — even a slight; na — neither; vartitavyam — can be allowed to live; bhavatā — by you; kathañcana — by all means; kṣetre — in the land; madīye — in my kingdom; tvam — you; adharma-bandhuḥ — the friend of irreligion.

Translation

“The King thus said: We have inherited the fame of Arjuna; therefore since you have surrendered yourself with folded hands you need not fear for your life. But you cannot remain in my kingdom, for you are the friend of irreligion.”

Bhaktivedanta Purport

By Śrīla Prabhupāda

The personality of Kali, who is the friend of all kinds of irreligiosities, may be excused if he surrenders, but in all circumstances he cannot be allowed to live as a citizen in any part of a welfare state. The Pāṇḍavas were entrusted representatives of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who practically brought into being the Battle of Kurukṣetra, but not for any personal interest. He wanted an ideal king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and his descendants like Mahārāja Parīkṣit to rule the world, and therefore a responsible king like Mahārāja Parīkṣit could not allow the friend of irreligiosity to flourish in his kingdom at the cost of the good fame of the Pāṇḍavas. That is the way of wiping out corruption in the state, and not otherwise. The friends of irreligiosity should be banished from the state, and that will save the state from corruption.