Shloka 46

भविष्य-मन्वन्तराः (अष्टम-चतुर्दश) तथा कल्प-युग-व्यवस्था

Devanagari script

चतुर्युगान्ते वेदानां जायते किल विप्लवः प्रवर्तयन्ति तान् एत्य भुवि सप्तर्षयो दिवः

Transliteration

caturyugānte vedānāṃ jāyate kila viplavaḥ pravartayanti tān etya bhuvi saptarṣayo divaḥ

Translation

At the close of the fourfold age-cycle, a disruption of the Vedas is said to arise. Then the Seven Ṛṣis descend from heaven to the earth and set the Vedas in motion again, restoring their living transmission.

Word by Word

• चतुर्युगान्ते: at the end of the four yugas
• चतुर्युगान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—चतुर्युगस्य अन्तः

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थे—खलु/इति प्रसिद्धौ

• विप्लवः: disruption/confusion
• विप्लवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तयन्ति: set in motion/propagate
• प्रवर्तयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु) (णिच्) → प्रवर्तय (धातु-प्रयोग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• तान्: them (those Vedas)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• एत्य: having come
• एत्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इ (धातु) → एत्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूपेण कृदन्त-अव्यय; ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सप्तर्षयः: the seven sages
• सप्तर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वपद)

• दिवः: of heaven
• दिवः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; अर्थे—स्वर्गस्य

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At the close of a caturyuga cycle, śruti becomes obscured, and the saptarṣis restore its living transmission by descending to earth.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When tradition weakens, seek authentic lineage-teaching and renew disciplined study and practice rather than improvising doctrine.

Vishishtadvaita: Revelation is preserved through divinely appointed rishis within time, indicating the Lord’s governance of śāstra’s continuity in the world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Four Yugas (Chaturyuga)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Vedas being disrupted at the end of a Chaturyuga in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks a cyclical decline in dharma and continuity of sacred transmission, requiring a renewed establishment of Vedic teaching for the next cycle.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the restoration of Vedic order?

He states that the Seven Ṛṣis descend to earth and re-initiate the Vedas, indicating that cosmic knowledge is periodically re-anchored through realized sages.

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

Even when Vedic order falters in time, the Purana implies preservation is ultimately ensured under Vishnu’s sovereign cosmic governance, mediated through the rishis.