Shloka 36

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

वैश्याः कृषिवणिज्यादि संत्यज्य निजकर्म यत् शूद्रवृत्त्या प्रवर्त्स्यन्ति कारुकर्मोपजीविनः

Transliteration

vaiśyāḥ kṛṣivaṇijyādi saṃtyajya nijakarma yat śūdravṛttyā pravartsyanti kārukarmopajīvinaḥ

Translation

The Vaiśyas, abandoning their ordained work—agriculture, trade, and the like—will take up the way of the Śūdras, sustaining themselves by crafts and manual labour.

Word by Word

• वैश्याः: Vaiśyas (merchant/agricultural class)
• वैश्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कृषि: agriculture
• कृषि: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• वणिज्य: trade, commerce
• वणिज्य: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: समाहार/समुच्चयार्थक (etc., and so on)

• कृषिवणिज्यादि: agriculture, trade, etc.
• कृषिवणिज्यादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि + वणिज्य + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कृषिः वणिज्यं च आदि च (collection 'etc.')

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), 'having abandoned'

• निज: one's own
• निज: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of कर्म)

• कर्म: duty, occupation
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निजकर्म: one's own duty
• निजकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—निजं कर्म (adjective+noun)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) referring to 'निजकर्म' (that which...)

• शूद्र: Śūdra
• शूद्र: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• वृत्त्या: by livelihood/means of living
• वृत्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शूद्रवृत्त्या: by a Śūdra-like livelihood
• शूद्रवृत्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—शूद्रस्य वृत्त्या (genitive-tatpurusha)

• प्रवर्त्स्यन्ति: will engage / will proceed
• प्रवर्त्स्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कारु: artisan, craftsman
• कारु: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• कर्म: work
• कर्म: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• उपजीविनः: living by, subsisting on
• उपजीविनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-जीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणवत् (of vaiśyāḥ)

• कारुकर्मोपजीविनः: those who subsist by artisan work
• कारुकर्मोपजीविनः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारु + कर्मन् + उपजीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—कारुकर्मणा उपजीविनः (instrumental-tatpurusha; 'subsisting by artisan-work')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Social and economic disorder as a mark of Kali

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Abandoning one’s appropriate duties and means of livelihood destabilizes dharma and weakens the social body.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Align work with aptitude and ethics; treat labor as seva (service) and offer its fruits to God rather than chasing status shifts.

Vishishtadvaita: Karma becomes purifying when performed as bhagavad-ārādhana; social roles are instruments of service, not identities to exploit.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśyas

FAQs

What is the significance of occupational confusion (svadharma-tyāga) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats the abandonment of one’s ordained livelihood as a symptom of Kali-yuga, signaling a broader weakening of dharma and the social order meant to support stability and righteousness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Kali-yuga through everyday social changes?

Parāśara points to visible, practical shifts—like people leaving their traditional duties and taking up other livelihoods—as concrete indicators that the age has turned toward disorder and diminished adherence to dharma.

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

Even as dharma declines in Kali-yuga, the Vishnu Purana frames the cosmic order as ultimately upheld by Vishnu; these descriptions function as moral diagnosis within a universe governed by the Supreme Lord’s sustaining power.