Shloka 26
आत्मदर्शन-उपदेशः (Ātma-darśana Upadeśa) — Mind, Senses, and the All-pervading Self
वेदवादाश्वानुयुगं हसन्तीतीह न: श्रुतम् । आयूंषि चाशिषश्चैव वेदस्यैव च यत्फलम्
vyāsa uvāca | vedavādāśvānuyugaṃ hasantītiha naḥ śrutam | āyūṃṣi cāśiṣaś caiva vedasyaiva ca yat phalam |
Vyāsa dit : Nous avons entendu dire en ce monde que, à mesure que les âges avancent, les proclamations du Veda en viennent à être tournées en dérision. La durée de vie des hommes diminue ; les bénédictions et les accomplissements désirés rencontrent des obstacles ; et même les fruits de l’étude et de la pratique védiques s’amenuisent. Cet enseignement souligne le déclin moral des yuga tardifs et la nécessité de demeurer ferme dans le dharma malgré l’affaiblissement des capacités.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
As time moves through successive yugas, human capacity and reverence for Vedic dharma weaken: lifespans shorten, blessings and aims are harder to realize, and the spiritual efficacy (phala) of Vedic study and observance is experienced as diminished. The implied counsel is to persist in dharma even amid decline.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and the conditions of different ages, Vyāsa states a traditional observation about yuga progression: later ages bring reduced longevity and reduced effectiveness of Vedic practice, along with social ridicule of Vedic teachings.