Shloka 17
कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना
सुवर्णमणिरत्नादौ वस्त्रे चोपक्षयं गते कलौ स्त्रियो भविष्यन्ति तदा केशैर् अलंकृताः
suvarṇamaṇiratnādau vastre copakṣayaṃ gate kalau striyo bhaviṣyanti tadā keśair alaṃkṛtāḥ
When, in Kali-yuga, gold, gems, and precious jewels—and even fine garments—fall into scarcity, women will then adorn themselves chiefly with their hair, for the usual ornaments will be hard to obtain.
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Material scarcity in Kali-yuga and its social/cultural effects
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: As prosperity and luxuries diminish in Kali-yuga, external ornamentation declines and people adapt with substitutes, revealing the fragility of status built on possessions.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Use scarcity as a prompt for simplicity and generosity; shift identity from consumption to virtue and devotion.
Vishishtadvaita: Material wealth (Sri) is meaningful when aligned with dharma and service; when it fades, the enduring value is the soul’s relation to the Lord.
Lakshmi Presence: Sri
FAQs
This verse treats scarcity of ornaments and clothing as an outward marker of Kali-yuga’s broader decline—when prosperity diminishes, social customs and visible standards of refinement also change.
Parāśara lists observable, everyday shifts—like reduced access to gold, gems, and good garments—to show how Kali-yuga reshapes society through loss of wealth and resources, not merely through abstract moral decline.
Even while describing Kali-yuga’s deterioration, the Purana’s framework implies that cosmic order remains under Vishnu’s sovereignty; the yugas unfold as part of a larger divine regulation of time and dharma.