Shloka 38

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

दुर्भिक्षकरपीडाभिर् अतीवोपद्रुता जनाः गोधूमान्नयवान्नाढ्यान् देशान् यास्यन्ति दुःखिताः

Transliteration

durbhikṣakarapīḍābhir atīvopadrutā janāḥ godhūmānnayavānnāḍhyān deśān yāsyanti duḥkhitāḥ

Translation

Harassed by famine and the burden of oppressive exactions, people will be grievously afflicted; and, in misery, they will depart for regions rich in wheat, grain, and barley.

Word by Word

• दुर्भिक्ष-कर-पीडाभिः: by famine, taxes, and afflictions
• दुर्भिक्ष-कर-पीडाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (दुर्भिक्षं च करः च पीडा च)

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Sambandha (Degree/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (very, exceedingly)

• उपद्रुताः: afflicted/oppressed
• उपद्रुताः: Predicate (Vidheyaviseshana/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-द्रु (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; जनाः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• गोधूम-अन्न-यव-अन्न-आढ्यान्: rich in wheat-food and barley-food
• गोधूम-अन्न-यव-अन्न-आढ्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोधूम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + यव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गोधूम-अन्नेन यव-अन्नेन च आढ्याः)

• देशान्: regions/countries
• देशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• यास्यन्ति: will go
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दुःखिताः: distressed
• दुःखिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक; √दुःख्-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; जनाः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Marks and sufferings of the Kali age (kali-lakṣaṇa)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When rulers and society abandon dharma, economic violence (tax-burden) and scarcity drive people into suffering and displacement.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Support dharmic governance and fair livelihood; practice charity and community resilience in times of scarcity.

Vishishtadvaita: Social dharma is a mode of service to the Lord who indwells all beings; harming subjects opposes divine order.

Characters & Entities

• People (subjects)
• Kings/rulers (implied through taxation)

FAQs

What is the significance of famine and heavy taxation in the Vishnu Purana’s description of Kali Yuga?

This verse treats scarcity (durbhikṣa) and oppressive levies (kara) as hallmark disruptions of dharma, showing how unrighteous governance and cosmic decline manifest as public suffering.

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

Parāśara depicts people as “atīvopadrutāḥ”—deeply harassed—so they abandon their homes and migrate toward food-rich regions, indicating widespread insecurity and collapse of local stability.

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

Even while describing Kali’s misery, the Purana frames history as moving under divine sovereignty; Vishnu remains the supreme ground of order, and the loss of dharma is understood as a deviation from the sustaining principle he embodies.