Shloka 62
वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च
Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation
तमोउद्रेकी च कल्पान्ते रुद्ररूपी जनार्दनः मैत्रेयाखिलभूतानि भक्षयत्य् अतिभीषणः
tamoudrekī ca kalpānte rudrarūpī janārdanaḥ maitreyākhilabhūtāni bhakṣayaty atibhīṣaṇaḥ
And when the aeon draws to its end and darkness swells to dominance, Janārdana—assuming the form of Rudra—becomes exceedingly terrible; then, O Maitreya, He consumes all beings without remainder.
Sage Parāśara
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: What happens at the end of a kalpa when tamas predominates
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Kalpa
Concept: At kalpa’s end, the same Janārdana assumes a Rudra-form under tamas and withdraws all beings in dissolution.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Remember impermanence: loosen possessiveness and align life with what endures—devotion and discernment.
Vishishtadvaita: One Lord alone performs creation-preservation-dissolution through functional manifestations, preserving unity without collapsing distinctions.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse presents dissolution as an act of the Supreme Lord Himself: Vishnu (Janārdana) assumes the Rudra-function to withdraw the universe, showing that even laya is under His sovereignty.
Parāśara indicates that at the kalpa’s end tamas becomes predominant, marking a phase where manifested life cannot persist and is reabsorbed as the Lord initiates pralaya.
Vishnu is depicted as the single Supreme governor of cosmic functions—able to manifest as Rudra for dissolution—reinforcing Vaishnava cosmology where all powers operate through Him.