Shloka 40
कलौ तु बीजभूतास् ते केचित् तिष्ठन्ति भूतले यथैव देवापिमरू साम्प्रतं समवस्थितौ
kalau tu bījabhūtās te kecit tiṣṭhanti bhūtale yathaiva devāpimarū sāmprataṃ samavasthitau
But in the age of Kali, a few of them remain upon the earth as seed-forms, preserving the possibility of renewal—just as Devāpi and Maru are said to abide in the world even now.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Continuation and limits of royal lineages into Kali-yuga; how dynastic continuity persists.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Even in Kali-yuga, dharma and lineage persist in latent ‘seed’ form, enabling future restoration and continuity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate long-term spiritual resilience—preserve dharma through small but steady practices even in adverse times.
Vishishtadvaita: Providential order under Bhagavān sustains the world’s continuity through time, implying divine governance even when decline predominates.
Key Kings: Devāpi, Maru
FAQs
It indicates that even in Kali-yuga’s decline, a small remnant of righteous persons or lineages is preserved as the germ for future renewal of dharma and orderly kingship.
He teaches Maitreya that degeneration is not absolute: certain exemplars remain on earth, functioning as living continuity—Devāpi and Maru are cited as present instances of this preservation.
The verse implies a cosmos governed by Vishnu’s sovereign order, where even in decline the conditions for restoration are maintained—history moves in cycles, yet remains under the Supreme Reality’s sustaining power.