Shloka 7

प्रलय-त्रिविध-विभागः एवं प्राकृतप्रलय-वर्णनम्

Devanagari script

नाडिका तु प्रमाणेन कला दश च पञ्च च

Transliteration

nāḍikā tu pramāṇena kalā daśa ca pañca ca

Translation

By the accepted standard of measure, one nāḍikā consists of fifteen kalās.

Word by Word

• नाडिका: a nāḍikā (time-unit)
• नाडिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• प्रमाणेन: by measure
• प्रमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कला: a kalā
• कला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; (indeclinable-like numeral) ‘ten’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; (indeclinable-like numeral) ‘five’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Standard conversion of kalā to nāḍikā in traditional timekeeping

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Traditional timekeeping defines one nāḍikā as fifteen kalās by accepted standard (pramāṇa).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep consistent daily sādhana by adopting stable ‘pramāṇa’—fixed times for prayer, study, and service.

Vishishtadvaita: Reliance on pramāṇa (authoritative measure) mirrors reliance on śāstra-pramāṇa for knowing the Lord and the ordered cosmos.

FAQs

What is the significance of nāḍikā and kalā in the Vishnu Purana?

They are foundational units in the Purāṇic system of time-reckoning, used to build larger scales of cosmic chronology.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the division of time here?

He gives a precise proportional definition: by authoritative measure, one nāḍikā is composed of fifteen kalās.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By establishing ordered measures of time, the text supports the Purāṇic vision of a cosmos governed by lawful cycles ultimately sustained by Vishnu as the supreme regulator of order (kāla).