Shloka 63
कलियुग-प्रवृत्तिः, सप्तर्षि-गणना, धरणीगीताः, च वंश-समाप्तिः
Kali-yuga onset, Saptarṣi reckoning, Dharaṇī-gītā, and closure of the dynastic account
तप्तं तपो यैः पुरुषप्रवीरैर् उद्बाहुभिर् वर्षगणान् अनेकान् इष्टाश् च यज्ञा बलिनो ऽतिवीर्याः कृतास् तु कालेन कथावशेषाः
taptaṃ tapo yaiḥ puruṣapravīrair udbāhubhir varṣagaṇān anekān iṣṭāś ca yajñā balino 'tivīryāḥ kṛtās tu kālena kathāvaśeṣāḥ
Those foremost heroes among men—mighty and of surpassing prowess—performed arduous austerities, standing with arms upraised for countless years, and duly offered sacrifices; yet, in the passing of Kāla, their deeds were left as mere remnants of story.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Why even tapas and yajña performed by great heroes become only ‘kathāvaśeṣa’ under Time.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Even immense tapas and properly performed sacrifices, though exalted, are eroded by Kāla until they survive only as narrative traces.
Vedantic Theme: Karma
Application: Value discipline and ritual, but anchor life in enduring aims—purified intention, devotion, and liberation—rather than fame or karmic reward.
Vishishtadvaita: Karma and its fruits are finite; lasting fulfillment is through surrender/bhakti to the Lord, who alone grants mokṣa beyond time.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It highlights that even the greatest austerities and sacrifices of heroic rulers are ultimately overshadowed by Time, leaving only faint narrative traces—underscoring the transience of worldly accomplishment.
He acknowledges their immense power and dharmic stature—performed for “countless years”—yet places them within a larger cosmic frame where Time erodes fame, implying that spiritual orientation toward the Supreme is higher than mere renown.
By stressing the decay of all time-bound deeds, the passage implicitly points toward Vishnu as the enduring Supreme Reality beyond Kāla, the stable refuge compared to the impermanence of historical glory.