Shloka 23
कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना
समानपौरुषं चेतो भावि विप्रेषु वै कलौ क्षीरप्रदानसंबन्धि भावि गोषु च गौरवम्
samānapauruṣaṃ ceto bhāvi vipreṣu vai kalau kṣīrapradānasaṃbandhi bhāvi goṣu ca gauravam
In the age of Kali, the outlook among brāhmaṇas will turn uniformly toward mere worldly capability and advantage; and reverence for cows will arise chiefly from their connection with giving milk (as a commodity), rather than from sacred regard.
Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Signs and social-religious degeneration characteristic of Kali-yuga
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: In Kali-yuga, dharmic institutions are hollowed out when sacred duties are reduced to worldly utility and gain.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat dharma (including go-sevā and respect for brāhmaṇas) as sacred responsibility rather than commodity; examine motives in religious practice.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is service to the Lord’s order; reducing sacred beings (like cows) to mere instruments obscures their relation to Nārāyaṇa as His śeṣa (dependents).
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
The verse frames Kali-yuga as an age where even sacred reverence becomes transactional—honor toward cows is tied mainly to milk-supply rather than dharmic sanctity.
He describes a shift in inner disposition (cetas): social groups meant to embody spiritual standards move toward uniform worldly ambition, and sacred symbols are valued primarily for utility.
By mapping yuga-based decline, the Purana underscores the need for anchoring dharma in the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), whose order persists even as human values degrade in Kali-yuga.