Shloka 21
कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना
स्त्रियः कलौ भविष्यन्ति स्वैरिण्यो ललितस्पृहाः अन्यायावाप्तवित्तेषु पुरुषाश् च स्पृहालवः
striyaḥ kalau bhaviṣyanti svairiṇyo lalitaspṛhāḥ anyāyāvāptavitteṣu puruṣāś ca spṛhālavaḥ
In the age of Kali, women will become self-willed and driven by a taste for indulgence; and men, too, will grow covetous—yearning after wealth obtained by unjust means.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How desire and injustice characterize social conduct in Kali-yuga
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Kali-yuga amplifies self-will and indulgence, and normalizes craving for wealth even when acquired through injustice.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice yama/niyama-like restraints (non-stealing, moderation); support just livelihood; cultivate devotion that purifies desire.
Vishishtadvaita: Desire is to be redirected (not annihilated) toward Bhagavān; in Viśiṣṭādvaita, purified kāma becomes bhakti, restoring order in the self and society.
FAQs
This verse functions as a diagnostic mark of Kali-yuga: social life becomes governed by craving and self-will, and wealth is pursued even through injustice—signaling dharma’s weakening and the need to restore righteousness.
Parāśara presents Kali as an age where inner restraints loosen: desire (spṛhā) overtakes discernment, and unjust gain becomes attractive, showing how adharma spreads through ordinary motivations and choices.
Even while describing decline, the Vishnu Purana frames Vishnu as the sustaining Supreme Reality who upholds order across yuga cycles; the implied remedy is reorientation toward dharma and devotion that aligns life with Vishnu’s cosmic governance.