Shloka 61
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
भवन्ति षोडशे वर्षे नरा: पलितिनस्तथा । आयु:क्षयो मनुष्याणां क्षिप्रमेव प्रपद्यते,सोलहवें वर्षमें मनुष्योंक बाल पक जायँगे और उनकी आयु शीघ्र ही समाप्त हो जायगी
bhavanti ṣoḍaśe varṣe narāḥ palitinastathā | āyuḥ-kṣayo manuṣyāṇāṃ kṣipram eva prapadyate ||
वैशम्पायन बोले—सोलहवें वर्ष में ही मनुष्यों के बाल पक जाएँगे और मनुष्यों की आयु शीघ्र ही घटकर समाप्त हो जाएगी।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches impermanence and the ethical warning of societal decline: when dharma weakens, human vitality diminishes—symbolized by premature greying and shortened lifespan—urging vigilance, restraint, and righteous living.
Vaiśampāyana is describing ominous characteristics of a deteriorating age, presenting a prophecy-like depiction where human life becomes frail and brief, marking the broader theme of degeneration in later times.