Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 36

Sanskrit:

एतेषां नामलिङ्गानां पुरुषाणां महात्मनाम् ।कथामात्रावशिष्टानां कीर्तिरेव स्थिता भुवि ॥ ३६ ॥

ITRANS:

eteṣāṁ nāma-liṅgānāṁpuruṣāṇāṁ mahātmanāmkathā-mātrāvaśiṣṭānāṁkīrtir eva sthitā bhuvi

Translation:

These personalities, who were great souls, are now known only by their names. They exist only in accounts from the past, and only their fame remains on the earth.

Purport:

Although one may consider oneself to be a great, powerful leader, he will ultimately end up as a name in a long list of names. In other words, it is useless to be attached to power and position in the material world.