nava nandān dvijaḥ kaścit
prapannān uddhariṣyati
teṣāḿ abhāve jagatīḿ
mauryā bhokṣyanti vai kalau
nava -- nine; nandan -- the Nandas (King Nanda and his eight sons); dvijah -- brahmana; kascit -- a certain; prapannan -- trusting; uddharishyati -- will uproot; tesham -- of them; abhave -- in the absence; jagatim -- the earth; mauryah -- the Maurya dynasty; bhokshyanti -- will rule over; vai -- indeed; kalau -- in this age, Kali-yuga.
A certain brahmana [Canakya] will betray the trust of King Nanda and his eight sons and will destroy their dynasty. In their absence the Mauryas will rule the world as the age of Kali continues.
Sridhara Svami and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura both confirm that the brahmana mentioned here is Canakya, also known as Kautilya or Vatsyayana. The great historical narration Srimad-Bhagavatam, which began with the events prior to the cosmic manifestation, now reaches into the realm of modern recorded history. Modern historians recognize both the Maurya dynasty and Candragupta, the king mentioned in the following verse.
