Shloka 31
कलियुग-प्रवृत्तिः, सप्तर्षि-गणना, धरणीगीताः, च वंश-समाप्तिः
Kali-yuga onset, Saptarṣi reckoning, Dharaṇī-gītā, and closure of the dynastic account
प्रयास्यन्ति यदा चैते पूर्वाषाढां महर्षयः तदा नन्दात् प्रभृत्य् एष कलिर् वृद्धिं गमिष्यति
prayāsyanti yadā caite pūrvāṣāḍhāṃ maharṣayaḥ tadā nandāt prabhṛty eṣa kalir vṛddhiṃ gamiṣyati
When these great seers depart for Pūrvāṣāḍhā, then—beginning with the reign of Nanda—this age of Kali will advance and grow in power.
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Yuga: Kali
Manvantara: Vaivasvata
Concept: Moral and social conditions are cyclically shaped by yuga-dharma; Kali’s rise is predictable within cosmic time.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate steadiness and sādhana when social norms decline; measure success by dharma rather than trends.
Vishishtadvaita: Even as Kali intensifies, the Lord’s governance of time (kāla) remains purposeful and ordered, not chaotic.
Key Kings: Nanda
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It functions as a time-sign: the sages’ “departure to Pūrvāṣāḍhā” marks an auspicious/astral turning-point after which Kali is said to increase.
He ties Kali’s growth to identifiable transitions—both cosmic (a seers’ departure indicated through a nakshatra) and historical (the period beginning with King Nanda)—showing Kali as a progressive intensification rather than a single moment.
Even as Kali expands, the Purāṇic framework assumes Vishnu’s sovereign governance of time (yugas) and order (dharma), making the rise of Kali part of a divinely comprehended cycle rather than ultimate chaos.