Shloka 463
अध्याय ३५१ — उञ्छवृत्ति-व्रतसिद्धेः मानुषस्य परमगतिः
Sūrya–Nāga Dialogue on the Perfected Gleaner-Ascetic
कृष्णे युगे च सम्प्राप्ते कृष्णवर्णो भविष्यसि । “उस समय भी तुम तपोबलसे सम्पन्न हो वेदोंक अनेक विभाग करोगे। उस समय कलियुग आ जानेपर तुम्हारे शरीरका वर्ण काला होगा
kṛṣṇe yuge ca samprāpte kṛṣṇavarṇo bhaviṣyasi |
قال فَيْشَمْبَايَنَة: «حين يحلّ كالي-يوغا، عصرُ الظلمة، ستغدو أنت أيضًا داكنَ اللون. ومع ذلك، وبقوة الزهد والتقشّف، ستقسّم الفيدات إلى أقسامٍ عديدة، وتمضي في رسالتك المقدّسة بحفظ العلمِ المنزّل».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links outer conditions to the moral-spiritual climate of an age: as Kali-yuga arrives, even the bearer of sacred knowledge is marked by the age, yet the implied ethical point is steadfast continuity of tapas and preservation of the Veda despite declining times.
Vaiśampāyana reports a prophetic statement about the coming of Kali-yuga and the consequent change in complexion (“kṛṣṇa-varṇa”) of the addressed figure, in a context that also alludes to continuing ascetic power and the organization/division of the Vedas.