Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 6
Kali-yuga’s Degradation, the Advent of Kalki, and the Reset of the Yuga Cycle
दूरे वार्ययनं तीर्थं लावण्यं केशधारणम् । उदरंभरता स्वार्थ: सत्यत्वे धार्ष्ट्यमेव हि । दाक्ष्यं कुटुम्बभरणं यशोऽर्थे धर्मसेवनम् ॥ ६ ॥
dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrthaṁ lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam udaraṁ-bharatā svārthaḥ satyatve dhārṣṭyam eva hi dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yaśo ’rthe dharma-sevanam
A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on one’s hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation.
In India there are many sacred places through which holy rivers flow. Foolish persons eagerly seek redemption from their sins by bathing in these rivers but do not take instruction from learned devotees of the Lord who reside in such places. One should go to a holy place seeking spiritual enlightenment and not just for ritualistic bathing.
FAQs
This verse explains that in Kali-yuga external substitutes replace real virtue: pilgrimage becomes mere travel for necessities, beauty becomes superficial grooming, truth becomes shameless boldness, and dharma is practiced for reputation rather than devotion.
Parikshit Maharaja inquired about the future age of Kali, and Shukadeva Gosvami responded by listing recognizable social and moral distortions so the king (and future listeners) could understand the age’s dangers and seek genuine spiritual shelter.
Measure spirituality by inner transformation—truthfulness, humility, and devotion—rather than outward display, social image, or religious performance done for fame.