Shloka 92
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
कलावधर्मो भूयिष्ठं धर्मो भवति न क्वचित् | सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां स्वधर्माच्च्यवते मन:,कलियुगमें अधर्म तो अधिक होता है; परंतु धर्मका पालन कहीं नहीं देखा जाता। सभी वर्णोका मन अपने धर्मसे च्युत हो जाता है
kalāvadharmo bhūyiṣṭhaṃ dharmo bhavati na kvacit | sarveṣām eva varṇānāṃ svadharmāccyavate manaḥ ||
Bhishma said: In the age of Kali, unrighteousness becomes predominant, and true dharma is scarcely seen in practice. The minds of people of all social orders turn away from their own rightful duties, and the established moral order begins to slip from its foundations.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that Kali Yuga is marked by the dominance of adharma and a widespread abandonment of svadharma; ethical life deteriorates when individuals of every varṇa lose commitment to their proper duties and inner discipline.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira by describing the characteristics of the Kali age—highlighting societal and moral decline as a warning and a framework for righteous rule.