Shloka 22

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

अभ्यर्थितो ऽपि सुहृदा स्वार्थहानिं न मानवः पणार्धार्धार्धमात्रे ऽपि करिष्यति तदा द्विज

Transliteration

abhyarthito 'pi suhṛdā svārthahāniṃ na mānavaḥ paṇārdhārdhārdhamātre 'pi kariṣyati tadā dvija

Translation

In that time, O brāhmaṇa, even when entreated by a well-wishing friend, a man will not accept the least loss to his own advantage—he will not yield even by a fraction of a coin.

Word by Word

• अभ्यर्थितः: requested/entreated
• अभ्यर्थितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-arth (धातु √अर्थ्/अर्थय्) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् मानवः प्रति

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपि-निपातः (even/also)

• सुहृदा: by a friend
• सुहृदा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• स्वार्थहानिम्: loss of one’s own interest
• स्वार्थहानिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-artha (प्रातिपदिक) + hāni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (svārthasya hāniḥ)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पणार्धार्धार्धमात्रे: even in a mere eighth of a coin
• पणार्धार्धार्धमात्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (paṇasya ardhasya ardhasya ardhasya mātram)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपि-निपातः (even)

• करिष्यति: will do/act
• करिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (then)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya; vocative 'dvija')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How selfishness and refusal of sacrifice/compromise mark Kali-yuga behavior

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kali-yuga selfishness makes people unwilling to incur even the smallest personal loss, even for a friend’s good.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Deliberately practice small sacrifices—time, money, comfort—for others; strengthen saṅga with sādhus to counter habitual self-interest.

Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) is central: the jīva’s nature is to serve Bhagavān and His devotees; refusing even minor loss contradicts śeṣatva and blocks bhakti’s growth.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmin (Dvija)
• Friend (Suhṛd)
• Humankind (Mānava)

FAQs

What is the significance of greed in the Vishnu Purana’s description of Kali Yuga?

This verse presents greed as so dominant in Kali Yuga that a person refuses even the smallest personal loss, showing how dharma and generosity collapse into rigid self-interest.

How does Sage Parāśara explain social decline in Kali Yuga here?

He frames decline through everyday behavior: even sincere requests from a well-wisher fail, because people measure every action by personal profit, indicating the erosion of trust and moral duty.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the teaching belongs to Vishnu Purana’s yuga-cycle worldview: society’s moral order rises and falls under cosmic law, ultimately governed and restored through Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty.