Shloka 32
कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना
वेदादानं करिष्यन्ति बटवश् च तथाव्रताः गृहस्थाश् च न होष्यन्ति न दास्यन्त्य् उचितान्य् अपि
vedādānaṃ kariṣyanti baṭavaś ca tathāvratāḥ gṛhasthāś ca na hoṣyanti na dāsyanty ucitāny api
In the age of Kali, students and those who keep vows only outwardly will even presume to “give away” the Veda itself; yet householders will no longer perform the sacred fire-offerings, nor give even what is proper. Thus the form of religion remains while its living duties fade.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Kali-yuga distortion of varṇāśrama duties—commercialization of Veda and collapse of gṛhastha yajña/dāna
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Kali-yuga retains the outer form of religiosity while hollowing its substance: sacred learning is treated as a commodity, and gṛhastha duties of yajña and dāna wither.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Keep learning and teaching sacred texts free from exploitation, sustain daily worship/offerings according to capacity, and practice generous giving as a living expression of dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: Varṇāśrama duties are meaningful as offerings to Nārāyaṇa; when performed with bhakti they become modes of surrender (prapatti) rather than mere social ritual.
FAQs
This verse highlights that when householders stop offering oblations and proper charity, dharma loses its sustaining foundation—signaling Kali-yuga style decline.
Parāśara contrasts external, performative religiosity (students and vow-keepers) with the collapse of core daily duties—yajña and dāna—showing how dharma becomes hollow.
By depicting the breakdown of dharmic practice, the text implies the need for Vishnu’s sovereignty to re-establish order; dharma is sustained ultimately under Vishnu’s supreme governance of time and cycles.