Shloka 56
कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना
वाङ्मनःकायिकैर् दोषैर् अभिभूताः पुनः पुनः नराः पापान्य् अनुदिनं करिष्यन्त्य् अल्पमेधसः
vāṅmanaḥkāyikair doṣair abhibhūtāḥ punaḥ punaḥ narāḥ pāpāny anudinaṃ kariṣyanty alpamedhasaḥ
Over and over again, overpowered by the faults of speech, mind, and body, men of little discernment will continue, day after day, to commit sinful deeds.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Moral psychology in Kali: faults of speech, mind, and body
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Unchecked defects in thought, speech, and action repeatedly generate sin, especially in those lacking discernment.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Adopt tri-karaṇa-śuddhi: mindful speech, japa/meditation to cleanse mind, and disciplined conduct; offer actions to Viṣṇu to reduce ego-driven karma.
Vishishtadvaita: Ethical purification is not self-made absolutism but cooperative grace: the jīva acts as servant while Bhagavān enables inner reform.
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse frames sin as threefold—arising through speech, thought, and action—showing that ethical discipline must be comprehensive, not merely external.
Parāśara attributes repeated sin to being ‘overpowered’ by doṣas; lack of discernment (alpamedhas) leads to habitual, daily wrongdoing rather than occasional lapses.
By highlighting persistent human frailty, the passage implicitly supports the Purāṇic stance that sustaining dharma ultimately requires aligning oneself with Vishnu as the supreme stabilizing reality and refuge.