Shloka 31
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
व्रतप्रतिनिधिश्वैव तस्मिन् काले प्रवर्तते । भरतश्रेष्ठ सहस्र युगकी समाप्तिमें जब थोड़ा-सा ही समय शेष रह जाता है, उस समय कलियुगके अन्तिम भागमें प्राय: सभी मनुष्य मिथ्यावादी हो जाते हैं। पार्थ! उस समय यज्ञ, दान और व्रतके प्रतिनिधि कर्म चालू हो जाते हैं अर्थात् यज्ञ, दान, तप मुख्य विधिसे न होकर गौण विधिसे नाममात्र होने लगते हैं || २९-३० $ ।। ब्राह्मणा: शूद्रकर्माणस्तथा शूद्रा धनार्जका:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca — vratapratinidhiś caiva tasmin kāle pravartate | brāhmaṇāḥ śūdrakarmāṇas tathā śūdrā dhanārjakāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “At that time, the mere substitutes of religious observances come into vogue. Brāhmaṇas take up the occupations proper to Śūdras, and Śūdras become intent on the acquisition of wealth—signs of a late-age decline in truthfulness and in the full, principled performance of sacrifice, charity, and austerity.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse portrays late-age (Kali-yuga) moral and religious decline: authentic vows and disciplines are replaced by nominal substitutes, and social duties become confused—highlighting the ethical concern that dharma becomes externalized and reduced to appearances rather than principled conduct.
Vaiśampāyana continues a description of the characteristics of a degenerate age, noting that proxy or token forms of religious observance become common and that traditional roles blur, with Brāhmaṇas taking up Śūdra-type occupations and Śūdras focusing on wealth-making.