Shloka 36
Yoga-Sleep, Cosmic Dissolution, and the Lotus of Creation
with Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vision
द्वाभ्यां धर्मः स्थितः पद्भ्यामधर्मस्त्रिभिरुत्थितः । विपर्ययशतैर्धर्मः क्षयमेति कलौ युगे
dvābhyāṃ dharmaḥ sthitaḥ padbhyāmadharmastribhirutthitaḥ | viparyayaśatairdharmaḥ kṣayameti kalau yuge
في عصر كالي يقوم الدَّرما على قدمين فقط، بينما ينهض الأدهرما على ثلاث؛ وبمئات الانقلابات والتحريفات يذوي الدَّرما شيئًا فشيئًا حتى يمضي إلى الفناء.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: In Kali-yuga, dharma loses its supports while adharma gains strength through distortions; vigilance and deliberate practice are required to preserve righteousness.
Application: Treat truthfulness, restraint, and daily worship as ‘extra supports’ for dharma: keep one non-negotiable vow (e.g., Ekadashi, japa, or charity) to counter drift.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast twilight plain where a luminous white bull (Dharma) stands unsteadily on two legs while a shadowy, smoke-bodied bull (Adharma) rises on three, looming larger. Around them, mirrored fragments and broken ritual implements swirl like ‘reversals,’ while a distant Vishnu-temple lamp remains a small, steady point of refuge.","primary_figures":["Dharma (as bull)","Adharma (as dark bull)","a distant Vishnu presence as temple lamp or faint four-armed silhouette"],"setting":"Kali-yuga allegorical landscape—cracked earth, scattered yajña vessels, torn palm-leaf manuscripts, far-off temple gopura","lighting_mood":"twilight gloom with a single divine radiance point","color_palette":["ash gray","indigo black","dull copper","pale ivory","lamp-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical Kali-yuga scene with Dharma as a white bull on two legs and Adharma as a dark bull on three, a small Vishnu shrine in the background emitting lamp-gold light; heavy gold leaf halos around the shrine, rich maroon and emerald borders, ornate gem-studded motifs, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing, embossed gold for the bull ornaments and temple arch.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical dusk landscape with delicate linework—Dharma-bull pale and fragile, Adharma-bull smoky and swelling; distant hill-temple with a tiny lamp; cool blues and grays, fine facial/eye detailing on personified forces, subtle atmospheric perspective, Himalayan foothill silhouettes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments—personified Dharma and Adharma as stylized bulls, swirling ‘viparyaya’ patterns as geometric clouds; a small Vishnu shrine with deep yellow lamp glow; red-yellow-green dominant palette with controlled shading and large expressive eyes in any anthropomorphic attendants.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Dharma-bull motif surrounded by lotus borders that fade into darker, with Adharma-bull encroaching from the side; Nathdwara-inspired floral frames, peacocks perched on a distant temple parapet, deep indigo ground with gold highlights, intricate border work suggesting the struggle to preserve devotion in Kali."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch","wind over dry ground","brief silences between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पद्भ्यामधर्मः = पद्भ्याम् + अधर्मः; अधर्मस्त्रिभिः = अधर्मः + त्रिभिः; त्रिभिरुत्थितः = त्रिभिः + उत्थितः; विपर्ययशतैर्धर्मः = विपर्ययशतैः + धर्मः; क्षयमेति = क्षयम् + एति.
FAQs
It is a metaphor of moral support: dharma is weakened and no longer fully upheld, indicating reduced stability of truthfulness, compassion, discipline, and other sustaining virtues in Kali-yuga.
The verse contrasts the weakening of righteousness with the growing strength of unrighteous tendencies, suggesting that harmful values become more established and socially supported in Kali-yuga.
It warns that moral confusion and distortions multiply in Kali-yuga, so one should consciously practice and protect dharma—through integrity, self-restraint, and right discernment—rather than drifting with prevailing reversals.