Shloka 39

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

वेदमार्गे प्रलीने च पाषण्डाढ्ये ततो जने अधर्मवृद्ध्या लोकानाम् अल्पम् आयुर् भविष्यति

Transliteration

vedamārge pralīne ca pāṣaṇḍāḍhye tato jane adharmavṛddhyā lokānām alpam āyur bhaviṣyati

Translation

When the Vedic path has faded and people are filled with heretical, delusive doctrines, then, as unrighteousness swells, the lifespan of beings in the world will grow short.

Word by Word

• वेदमार्गे: in the path of the Veda
• वेदमार्गे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य मार्गः)

• प्रलीने: having disappeared/being dissolved
• प्रलीने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-ली (धातु) → प्रलीन (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वेदमार्गे’ इति विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पाषण्डाढ्ये: abounding in heretics/sectarians
• पाषण्डाढ्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाषण्ड-आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; पाषण्ड + आढ्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पाषण्डैः आढ्यः = पाषण्डसमृद्धः); ‘जने’ इति विशेषणम्

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Hetu/Sequence (Cause/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/हेतुवाचक-अर्थे ‘तस्मात्/thereupon’

• जने: among people
• जने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अधर्मवृद्ध्या: by the increase of unrighteousness
• अधर्मवृद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म-वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; अधर्म + वृद्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अधर्मस्य वृद्धि)

• लोकानाम्: of people/of worlds
• लोकानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अल्पम्: little/short
• अल्पम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आयुः’ इति विशेषणम्

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Degeneration of dharma and human capacity in Kali

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: As Vedic discipline dissolves and delusion spreads, adharma increases and human vitality (āyus) contracts.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Hold to śāstra-guided practice—especially nāma-japa and sattvic living—so dharma remains steady amid confusion.

Vishishtadvaita: Śāstra is the Lord’s guidance for embodied souls; fidelity to it sustains the soul’s right orientation (śeṣatva) toward Narayana.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Dharma
• Adharma
• Pāṣaṇḍa (heretical doctrines)
• Kali-yuga (implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of the decline of the Vedic path in the Vishnu Purana?

It is presented as a hallmark of Kali-yuga: when Vedic authority and practice weaken, social and spiritual order destabilizes, enabling adharma to spread.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the shortening of lifespan in this context?

He links it directly to adharmavṛddhi—when unrighteousness grows in society, the collective vitality and longevity of people diminish as a consequence of moral and cosmic imbalance.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even while describing degeneration, the Purāṇa frames history as a yuga-cycle governed by Vishnu’s sovereignty—He remains the sustaining Supreme Reality who presides over order and its restoration.