Shloka 43
अल्पक्षीरास्तथा गावो भविष्यन्ति जनाधिप । अल्पपुष्पफलाश्चापि पादपा बहुवायसा:,जनेश्वर! युगान्तकालमें गायोंके थनोंमें बहुत कम दूध होगा। वृक्षपर फल और फूल बहुत कम होंगे और उनपर (अच्छे पक्षियोंकी अपेक्षा) कौए ही अधिक बसेरे लेंगे। भूपाल! ब्राह्मणगलोग (लोभवश) ब्रह्महत्या-जैसे पापोंसे लिप्त और मिथ्यावादी नरेशोंसे ही दान- दक्षिणा लेंगे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | alpākṣīrās tathā gāvo bhaviṣyanti janādhipa | alpapuṣpaphalāś cāpi pādapā bahuvāyasāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O lord of men, in that time the cows will yield only scant milk. The trees too will bear few flowers and fruits, and they will be crowded more by crows than by auspicious birds. Thus, as the age declines, signs of prosperity and purity diminish, and what is base and inauspicious becomes predominant.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents omens of yuga-decline: when dharma weakens, nature and society reflect scarcity and inauspiciousness—nourishment diminishes (scant milk, few fruits) and what is considered base or ominous (crows) predominates. It implicitly urges rulers and communities to uphold dharma to sustain prosperity and purity.
Vaiśampāyana is describing future conditions to a king (janādhipa), listing observable signs of an approaching yuga’s deterioration: cows will yield little milk, trees will produce few flowers and fruits, and crows will be more prevalent than auspicious birds.