Shloka 14

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

ततः कालात्मको यो ऽसौ स चांशः कथितो हरेः स पातयत्य् अघं घोरम् अल्पम् अल्पाल्पसारवत्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālātmako yo 'sau sa cāṃśaḥ kathito hareḥ sa pātayaty aghaṃ ghoram alpam alpālpasāravat

Translation

Therefore, that principle whose very nature is Time (Kāla) is declared to be a portion of Hari. Through it, even dreadful sin falls away—little by little—like a substance of scant essence, reduced to ever smaller remnants.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereupon, then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thereupon/from that')

• कालात्मको: of the nature of Time
• कालात्मको: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (काल-आत्मकः = कालस्वरूपः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (demonstrative)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अंशः: portion, part
• अंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथितः: is said, is described
• कथितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अंशः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पातयति: causes to fall, removes
• पातयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) (णिच् causative) → पातयति
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• अघम्: sin, evil
• अघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अघम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अल्पम्: small, slight
• अल्पम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अघम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अल्पाल्पसारवत्: as if having very little essence (utterly insignificant)
• अल्पाल्पसारवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + सारवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/पुनरुक्त-समासः (अल्पं च अल्पं च सारवत् = अत्यल्पसारम् इव)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The theological status of Kāla (Time) as an aṃśa of Hari and its role in the attrition of sin

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Time (Kāla) is taught as a portion of Hari, and through its operation even grave sin is worn down gradually, diminishing to finer remnants.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use time consciously—regular practice and repentance (prāyaścitta, japa) over time weakens entrenched habits and karmic tendencies.

Vishishtadvaita: Kāla as the Lord’s aṃśa affirms a real, divinely governed cosmos where moral causality operates under Viṣṇu’s sovereignty.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the significance of Kāla (Time) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Kāla as a portion of Hari, making Time a divine instrument that governs change and the gradual wearing away of karmic evil.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the removal of sin here?

Parāśara presents sin as something that can be made to “fall away” over time—diminishing incrementally—through the operation of Kāla under Vishnu’s sovereignty.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is portrayed as the Supreme source whose power manifests as Time itself, implying that cosmic law and karmic purification operate under His ultimate lordship.