Shloka 39

Devanagari script

भवतो ऽपि महाभाग रहस्यं कथितं मया अत्यन्तदुष्टस्य कलेर् अयम् एको महान् गुणः

Transliteration

bhavato 'pi mahābhāga rahasyaṃ kathitaṃ mayā atyantaduṣṭasya kaler ayam eko mahān guṇaḥ

Translation

O greatly fortunate one, I have disclosed this secret to you as well: though Kali is exceedingly wicked, in this age there is one single, truly great excellence.

Word by Word

• bhavataḥ: of you
• bhavataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (भवत्)

• api: also/even
• api: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महान् भागः यस्य’ (honoured one)

• rahasyam: secret
• rahasyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• kathitam: told
• kathitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ्) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कथित’ = told/said

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• atyantaduṣṭasya: of the utterly wicked
• atyantaduṣṭasya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta + duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः—‘अत्यन्तं दुष्टः’

• kaleḥ: of Kali (age/personified)
• kaleḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• mahān: great
• mahān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘महत्’ का प्रथमा-एकवचन रूप ‘महान्’

• guṇaḥ: quality/virtue
• guṇaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kali-yuga’s character and its single great ‘excellence’ (guṇa) despite pervasive wickedness

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even in Kali-yuga, despite its severe faults, there exists a singular, exceptional spiritual advantage enabling uplift.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Prioritize simple, steady devotion and remembrance (nāma/japa) rather than despairing over social decline.

Vishishtadvaita: Grace-accessible devotion in Kali implies the Lord’s immanence and readiness to accept even minimal but sincere surrender.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kali (Kali Yuga/personified Kali)
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of the ‘one great virtue’ of Kali Yuga in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse introduces the Purana’s key paradox: despite Kali’s extreme corruption, there exists a singular redeeming advantage in this age that enables spiritual uplift.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Kali Yuga to Maitreya in this chapter’s dialogue?

Parāśara frames Kali as profoundly destructive to dharma, yet prepares Maitreya to understand the special, secret means by which liberation remains attainable even now.

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

Even when the age is dominated by decline, the Vishnu Purana’s theology implies that refuge in Vishnu—Supreme Reality and preserver of cosmic order—remains the decisive support for salvation.