Shloka 25

Adhyaya 49 — Primordial Human Creation, the Rise of Desire, and the Origins of Settlements, Measures, and Agriculture

Sanskrit

क्वचित् क्वचित् पुनः साभूत् क्षितिर्भाग्येन सर्वशः ।

कालेन गच्छता नाशमुपयान्ति यथा प्रजाः ॥

Transliteration

kvacit kvacit punaḥ sābhūt kṣitirbhāgyena sarvaśaḥ /

kālena gacchatā nāśamupayānti yathā prajāḥ

Translation

Now and then, again, the earth became wholly prosperous by good fortune; yet as time moves on, they go to destruction—just as living beings do.

Word by Word

• क्वचित्: somewhere/sometimes
• क्वचित्: अधिकरण (locative sense/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• क्वचित्: elsewhere/at other times
• क्वचित्: अधिकरण (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (repetition for distributive sense)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभूत्: was, came to be
• अभूत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षितिः: earth, ground
• क्षितिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भाग्येन: by fortune, through luck
• भाग्येन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सर्वशः: entirely, in every way
• सर्वशः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: wholly)

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: करण/हेतु (instrumental: by/with time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• गच्छता: passing, going
• गच्छता: विशेषण (qualifier of ‘time’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गच्छत् (कृदन्त; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle)

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• उपयान्ति: approach, come to
• उपयान्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: उपमान (comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as, just as)

• प्रजाः: creatures, beings
• प्रजाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purana’s cosmological account

Key Themes

• Impermanence
• Kāla (Time) as destroyer
• Cycles of prosperity

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Prosperity is intermittent and not fully controllable (bhāgya), while decline is inevitable under Kāla. The ethical implication is non-attachment and dharmic use of prosperity when it appears.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Pratisarga/Manvantara: cyclical world-conditions and the role of Kāla in dissolution at the level of societies and epochs.

What is the esoteric significance?

Kāla is presented as the great equalizer: even ‘earthly’ stability is subject to dissolution, mirroring the yogic contemplation of anitya (impermanence).