Shloka 65

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

ततः संध्यांशके काले सम्प्राप्ते च युगान्तिके स्थितास्वल्पावशिष्टासु प्रजास्विह क्वचित् क्वचित् //

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃdhyāṃśake kāle samprāpte ca yugāntike sthitāsvalpāvaśiṣṭāsu prajāsviha kvacit kvacit //

Translation

Then, when the twilight-fraction of the age arrived and the end of the Yuga drew near, the creatures here and there remained only in scant, residual numbers.

Word by Word

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereafter

• संध्यांशके (saṃdhyāṃśake): in the twilight-portion (sandhyā-aṃśa) of the age

• काले (kāle): at the time

• सम्प्राप्ते (samprāpte): having arrived/when it had come

• च (ca): and

• युगान्तिके (yugāntike): near the end of the Yuga/at the yuga-ending

• स्थितासु (sthitāsu): when they were situated/remaining (locative plural)

• अल्प-अवशिष्टासु (alpa-avaśiṣṭāsu): with only a little remainder/very few left

• प्रजासु (prajāsu): among the beings/creatures/subjects

• इह (iha): here (in this world)

• क्वचित् क्वचित् (kvacit kvacit): in some places, here and there.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Yuga
• Sandhya (yuga-twilight)
• Prajā (beings/creatures)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Yuga-Sandhi
• Cosmic Dissolution
• Kali-Yuga
• Puranic Cosmology

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

It depicts the yuga-twilight (sandhyāṃśa) when the yuga-end approaches and living beings become scarce, a hallmark condition leading into broader dissolution themes.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By stressing scarcity and decline near a yuga’s end, it implies heightened need for dharma—protection of remaining subjects (prajā), restraint, and preservation of social order when populations and stability diminish.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the verse functions as cosmological timing (yuga-sandhi) that later texts often use to frame when rites, reforms, or preservative actions become especially urgent.