Shloka 48
कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना
न प्रीतिर् वेदवादेषु पाषण्डेषु यदा रतिः कलेर् वृद्धिस् तदा प्राज्ञैर् अनुमेया द्विजोत्तम
na prītir vedavādeṣu pāṣaṇḍeṣu yadā ratiḥ kaler vṛddhis tadā prājñair anumeyā dvijottama
When delight in the teachings of the Veda fades and attachment turns toward heretical doctrines, then—O best of the twice-born—the wise are to infer that Kali has grown in power.
Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Portents and characteristics of Kali-yuga increase (kaler vṛddhi) and decline of Vedic dharma.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: The waning of delight in Vedic teaching and growing attachment to pāṣaṇḍa views is a discernible sign of Kali’s strengthening.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Regularly re-anchor study and practice in śruti-smṛti aligned teachers and examine one’s attractions for tendencies that erode dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is not self-invented; it is known through śāstra that is ultimately grounded in the Lord’s will and order.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse treats loss of delight in Vedic teaching as a diagnostic sign that Kali-yuga is intensifying, meaning dharma and right discernment are weakening in society.
Parāśara frames Kali’s growth as something inferred from observable shifts—people abandoning Vedic authority and becoming attached to pāṣaṇḍa (heterodox) paths.
Even as Kali increases and dharma declines, the Vishnu Purana’s broader teaching is that the yuga cycle unfolds under Vishnu’s supreme governance, and restoration ultimately depends on returning to true dharma aligned with Him.