Shloka 27
आत्मदर्शन-उपदेशः (Ātma-darśana Upadeśa) — Mind, Senses, and the All-pervading Self
अन्ये कृतयुगे धर्मास्त्रितायां द्वापरेडपरे । अन्ये कलियुगे नृणां युगहासानुरूपत:,युगोंके हासके अनुसार सत्ययुग, त्रेता, द्वापर और कलियुगमें मनुष्योंके धर्म भी भिन्न- भिन्न प्रकारके हो जाते हैं
anye kṛtayuge dharmās tretāyāṃ dvāpare 'pare | anye kaliyuge nṛṇāṃ yugahāsānurūpataḥ ||
Vyāsa said: In the Kṛta age, certain forms of dharma prevail; in Tretā and in Dvāpara, other forms arise; and in the Kali age, yet other duties apply for human beings—each set of practices shaped in accordance with the character and conditions of that particular age. Thus righteousness is not merely a fixed outward code, but must be understood and applied to suit the moral capacities and circumstances of the time, while still aiming at the same highest good.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is expressed differently in each yuga: the same ideal of righteousness is pursued through practices suited to the era’s moral strength and social conditions. Therefore, ethical application must consider context (yuga) rather than treating all external rules as timelessly identical.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and righteousness, Vyāsa explains to the listener that human duties are not uniform across cosmic ages; they vary with the decline of virtue and capacity in each yuga, so guidance must be calibrated to the time.