Shloka 29

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

उभाभ्याम् अथ पाणिभ्यां शिरःकण्डूयनं स्त्रियः कुर्वन्त्यो गुरुभर्तॄणाम् आज्ञां भेत्स्यन्त्य् अनादृताः

Transliteration

ubhābhyām atha pāṇibhyāṃ śiraḥkaṇḍūyanaṃ striyaḥ kurvantyo gurubhartṝṇām ājñāṃ bhetsyanty anādṛtāḥ

Translation

And women, scratching their heads with both hands, will—out of sheer disregard—break the commands of elders and husbands, holding rightful authority in contempt.

Word by Word

• उभाभ्याम्: with both
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (हस्तयोः), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; विशेषणम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: then/now)

• पाणिभ्याम्: with (their) hands
• पाणिभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• शिरः-कण्डूयनम्: scratching of the head
• शिरः-कण्डूयनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्डूयन (प्रातिपदिक; कण्डूय्-धातोः भाव/कर्मणि नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिरसः कण्डूयनम्)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्त्यः: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्त्यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present Active Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी

• गुरु-भर्तॄणाम्: of (their) elders and husbands
• गुरु-भर्तॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (गुरवश्च भर्तारश्च)

• आज्ञाम्: command, order
• आज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भेत्स्यन्ति: will break/violate
• भेत्स्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अनादृताः: disrespectful, disregarding
• अनादृताः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादृत (प्रातिपदिक; आ√दृ/दृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्यय, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण (past passive participle used adjectivally)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kali-yuga social markers—breakdown of deference to guru/elders and household authority

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: admonitory

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kali-yuga manifests as avajñā (disregard) toward rightful guidance (guru-vṛddha-śāsana), undermining śīla and household dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice respectful listening, seek wise counsel, and restore dharmic communication within family and community.

Vishishtadvaita: Obedience to dharmic authority is framed as service offered to the Lord’s order (niyati), supporting a theistic ethics within qualified non-dualism.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of Kali-yuga social symptoms in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats disregard for rightful guidance—elders and spouses—as a visible marker of Kali-yuga, showing dharma’s erosion through everyday conduct.

How does Sage Parāśara explain moral decline in this chapter?

He lists concrete behaviors that signal inversion of norms; here, the emphasis is on contempt for authority and the collapse of disciplined, respectful household order.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By portraying dharma’s decline in Kali-yuga, the text implicitly points to Vishnu as the Supreme sustainer of cosmic order whose restorative intervention becomes necessary when society falls into adharma.