Varaha Purana 68.5: Adhyaya 68, Shloka 5
Dharma Across the Four Yugas, the Disruption of Social Conduct, and Ritual Purification from Varṇa-Mixing Transgressions
ततस्तमः प्रभविता कलिरूपो नरेश्वर । तस्मिन्कलौ वर्तमानॆ स्वमार्गाच्छ्यवते द्विजः ॥ ६८.५ ॥
tatastamaḥ prabhavitā kalirūpo nareśvara | tasmin kalau varttamāne svamārgāc chyavate dvijaḥ || 68.5 ||
Dann, o Herr der Menschen, wird die Finsternis vorherrschend und nimmt die Gestalt des Kali an; und wenn das Kali-Zeitalter waltet, weicht der Zweimalgeborene (dvija) von seinem eigenen rechten Pfad (Zucht und Pflicht) ab.
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework)
FAQs
It reflects a widespread Purāṇic motif: the Kali age as a period characterized by the decline of established social-ethical disciplines (dharma), framed through yuga theory common across early medieval Sanskrit literature.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is conceptual (Kali age) rather than topographical.
The verse highlights the idea that when ignorance and moral disorder prevail, individuals—here exemplified by the dvija—tend to deviate from their proper discipline and duties, implying the importance of maintaining ethical steadiness despite adverse conditions.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.