Shloka 26

कलियुग-प्रवृत्तिः, सप्तर्षि-गणना, धरणीगीताः, च वंश-समाप्तिः

Kali-yuga onset, Saptarṣi reckoning, Dharaṇī-gītā, and closure of the dynastic account

Devanagari script

ते तु पारीक्षिते काले मघास्व् आसन् द्विजोत्तम तदा प्रवृत्तश् च कलिर् द्वादशाब्दशतात्मकः

Transliteration

te tu pārīkṣite kāle maghāsv āsan dvijottama tadā pravṛttaś ca kalir dvādaśābdaśatātmakaḥ

Translation

But, O best of brahmins, in the time of Parīkṣit they were in the lunar mansion Maghā; and at that very juncture Kali set in—its measure, in that reckoning, being twelve hundred years.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• पारीक्षिते: in the time of Parīkṣit
• पारीक्षिते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारीक्षित (प्रातिपदिक; परीक्षित-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘काले’)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मघासु: in (the asterism) Maghā
• मघासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक; नक्षत्रनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नक्षत्र-स्थानवाचक

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज+उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमः द्विजः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• प्रवृत्तः: arisen/begun
• प्रवृत्तः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त; प्र+√वृत्+क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (begun/started)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कलिः: Kali (age/personified)
• कलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वादशाब्दशतात्मकः: consisting of twelve hundreds of years
• द्वादशाब्दशतात्मकः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश-अब्द-शत-आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक; द्वादश+अब्द+शत+आत्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (द्वादशानाम् अब्दशतानाम् आत्मकः = consisting of 1200 years)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Dating the onset of Kali-yuga through nakṣatra/Saptarṣi indicators and royal chronology

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Yuga: Kali

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Purāṇa correlates terrestrial history (Parīkṣit) with celestial markers (Maghā) to indicate the precise commencement of Kali-yuga.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Recognize cyclical decline and adapt practice accordingly—strengthen śraddhā, japa, and ethical restraint when conditions worsen.

Vishishtadvaita: Even yuga-decline unfolds within the Lord’s ordered governance; dharma is contextual yet anchored in devotion to Viṣṇu.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Chandra

Dharma Exemplar: kṣātra-dharma (royal guardianship)

Key Kings: Parīkṣit

Characters & Entities

• Parīkṣit
• Kali (Kali-yuga)
• Maghā (Nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the significance of Maghā nakṣatra in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It functions as a precise calendrical marker: the text ties the time of King Parīkṣit to Maghā and uses that moment to indicate the commencement of Kali-yuga.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the beginning of Kali-yuga here?

Within the dynastic narrative, Parāśara anchors the yuga-transition to Parīkṣit’s era and states that Kali ‘commenced’ at that time, giving its duration in a defined numerical measure.

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

Even while discussing kings and yugas, the Purāṇic premise is that time and cosmic cycles unfold under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—Kali’s onset is part of the ordered rhythm of creation and decline governed by the Supreme Reality.