Time, Krishna's energy, takes everything; dedicate your human energy to Krishna, not material opulence.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.24 — January 20, 1974, Honolulu 740120SB-HONOLULU [61:08 Minutes] SB-01.16.24_740120SB-HONOLULU Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse] idaṁ mamācakṣva tavādhimūlaṁ vasundhare yena vikarśitāsi kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam [SB 1.16.24] [Prabhupāda corrects pronunciation of tavādhimūlaṁ when devotees chant] [break] [leads chanting of synonyms] [break] [03:29] Translation: "Mother, you are the reservoir of all riches. Please inform me of the root cause of your tribulations, by which you have been reduced to such a weak state.
I think that the powerful influence of time, which conquers the most powerful, might have forcibly taken away all your fortune, which was adored even by the demigods." Prabhupāda: Kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā. Time is very powerful. Another place in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā [SB 1.5.18] So in due course of time, everything happens. That is the nature's law.
When I was also a child, I was looking very beautiful, but kālena, in due course of time, I'm now old man, a ugly man. Nobody likes. [laughter] So this is the influence of time. Influence of time.
So influence of time will act. You cannot check it. Influence of time, that is nature's law. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā [Bg. 7.14].
That is māyā's strength. How you can check? It is not in your power. So this is another question by Dharmarāja to Mother Earth, "Whether you are now in tribulation by the influence of time?" Surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam. So we should remember saubhagam, opulence, can be taken away in due course of time.
You cannot check it. Suppose in America you are all fortunate. You have got very nice roads, very nice cars, very nice skyscraper building, government, food, everything very nice. But in due course of time everything can be taken away.
You cannot check it. Śāstra says therefore, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Everything will be taken away, or ultimately, destruction. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You can find out, somebody, the verse, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham.