Shloka 10

Adhyaya 40: Kali-yuga Lakshana, Yuga-sandhyamsha, and the Re-emergence of Dharma

Devanagari script

वर्णाश्रमप्रतिष्ठानो जायते नृषु सर्वतः तदा स्वल्पफला भूमिः क्वचिच्चापि महाफला

Transliteration

varṇāśramapratiṣṭhāno jāyate nṛṣu sarvataḥ tadā svalpaphalā bhūmiḥ kvaciccāpi mahāphalā

Translation

Cuando entre los hombres, por doquier, se establece el varṇa y el āśrama, entonces la tierra da poco fruto en algunos lugares, y en otros se vuelve grandemente fecunda—según la armonía del dharma sostenido bajo el Señor (Pati).

Word by Word

• वर्णाश्रम-प्रतिष्ठानः: the establishment of varṇa and āśrama

• जायते: arises/comes into being

• नृषु: among men/people

• सर्वतः: everywhere

• तदा: then

• स्वल्प-फलाः: of small yield/limited fruits

• भूमिः: the earth/land

• क्वचित्: somewhere/in some places

• च अपि: and also/yet

• महा-फलाः: of great yield/abundant fruits

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links societal dharma (varṇa-āśrama) with the distribution of worldly fruits; in Linga-worship this underscores that prosperity and stability arise when the Pashu aligns conduct with Shiva (Pati) through dharma and devotion.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is implied as the supreme regulator (Pati) of karmic order: when dharma is established, the manifest world responds with corresponding results—scarcity or abundance—reflecting the moral-spiritual alignment of beings.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No single rite is named; the takeaway is dharma-sādhana—living one’s āśrama duties with Shaiva orientation—supporting Pashupata discipline where ethical order becomes the ground for higher worship and liberation.