Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वर्णाश्रमव्यवस्था च तदासीन्न च संकरः रसोल्लासः कालयोगात् त्रेताख्ये नश्यते द्विज

Transliteration

varṇāśramavyavasthā ca tadāsīnna ca saṃkaraḥ rasollāsaḥ kālayogāt tretākhye naśyate dvija

Translation

In jenem Zeitalter war die Ordnung von Varṇa und Āśrama fest begründet, und es gab weder Vermischung noch Verwirrung. Doch, o Zweimalgeborener, durch die Fügung der Zeit (kāla) schwindet der erhebende Wohlgeschmack des Dharma, das heilige rasa-ullāsa, und geht im Zeitalter namens Tretā verloren.

Word by Word

• वर्णाश्रम-व्यवस्था: the system/order of varṇa and āśrama

• च: and

• तदा: then/in that age

• आसीत्: existed/was

• न: not

• च: and

• संकरः: mixture/confusion (of duties/lineages)

• रस-उल्लासः: the flourishing of rasa, joyful vigor (of dharma/sattva)

• काल-योगात्: due to the conjunction/influence of Time

• त्रेता-आख्ये: in the age named Tretā

• नश्यते: perishes/declines

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa interlocutor)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating yuga-dharma to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Time (Kala)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames Linga-worship within yuga-dharma: as Time causes dharmic “rasa” to decline, devotion to Pati (Shiva) and stable observance of prescribed disciplines become essential supports for the pashu (soul) amid weakening social-spiritual order.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Indirectly, it distinguishes Kāla’s power to erode worldly dharma from the transcendent refuge of Pati: Shiva-tattva stands beyond temporal decay, while embodied beings experience decline through kāla-yoga and therefore require anchoring in the Lord.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes disciplined varṇa-āśrama conduct as the outer support for inner sādhana; in Shaiva terms, such regulated living becomes a preparatory framework for Pāśupata-oriented devotion and worship that steadies the mind as yugas decline.