Shloka 4

इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्

Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration

Devanagari script

किंवीर्या मानवास्तत्र किमाहारविहारिण: । किमायुष: किंवसना भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये,युगान्तकालमें कलियुगके मनुष्योंका बल-पराक्रम कैसा होगा? उनके आहार-विहार कैसे होंगे? उनकी आयु कितनी होगी और उनके परिधान--वस्त्राभूषण कैसे होंगे

Transliteration

kiṁvīryā mānavās tatra kimāhāra-vihāriṇaḥ | kimāyuṣaḥ kiṁvasanā bhaviṣyanti yugakṣaye ||

Translation

سأل يودهيشثيرا: «عند انقضاء العصر، أيُّ قوةٍ وبأسٍ سيكون للناس في كالي-يوغا؟ وكيف يكون طعامهم وسلوكهم في معاشهم؟ وكم تطول أعمارهم، وأيَّ ثيابٍ وحُليٍّ يلبسون؟»

Word by Word

किम्what (kind of)

वीर्याःpossessing strength/valor

मानवाःhumans/men

तत्रthere

किम्what (kind of)

आहारfood/diet

विहारिणःhaving (such) conduct/recreation; living (in such a way)

किम्what (kind of)

आयुषःof lifespan; lifespan

किम्what (kind of)

वसनाःclad/dressed (in such garments)

भविष्यन्तिwill be

युगक्षयेat the end of the age

Speaker

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

mānava (humankind)

yuga (the age/epoch)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry into how human virtues and social norms change as dharma declines: strength, habits, longevity, and outward culture (dress/adornment) are treated as indicators of the moral and civilizational condition at the end of an age.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking knowledge about the future course of the world, asks about the characteristics of people at yugakṣaya—how strong they will be, what they will eat and how they will live, how long they will live, and what they will wear.