Shloka 39

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

युगान्ते समनुप्राप्ते वृथा च ब्रह्मवादिन: । भोवादिनस्तथा शाद्रा ब्राह्मणाश्चार्यवादिन:,मनुष्य नाटे कदके होंगे। उनकी शरीरिक शक्ति बहुत कम हो जायगी और उनकी बातोंमें सत्यका अंश बहुत कम होगा। बहुधा सारे जनपद जनशून्य होंगे। सम्पूर्ण दिशाएँ पशुओं और सर्पोसे भरी होंगी। युगान्तकाल उपस्थित होनेपर अधिकांश मनुष्य (अनुभव न होते हुए भी) वृथा ही ब्रह्मज्ञानकी बातें कहेंगे। शूद्र द्विजातियोंको भो (ऐ) कहकर पुकारेंगे और ब्राह्मणलोग शूट्रोंको आर्य अर्थात्‌ आप कहकर सम्बोधन करेंगे

Transliteration

yugānte samanuprāpte vṛthā ca brahmavādinaḥ | bhovādinas tathā śūdrā brāhmaṇāś cāryavādinaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “When the end of the age draws near, many will speak of Brahman in vain—mere talk without realization. Śūdras will address the twice-born with the blunt ‘bho!’ and brāhmaṇas, in turn, will address śūdras with the honorific ‘ārya’ (‘sir’).”

Word by Word

युगान्तेat the end of the age

समनुप्राप्तेwhen (it) has arrived / on the arrival (of it)

वृथाvainly, uselessly

चand

ब्रह्मवादिनःthose who speak of Brahman (Brahma-talkers)

भोवादिनःthose who say 'bho' (use 'bho' as address)

तथाlikewise, similarly

शूद्राःShudras

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins

चand

आर्यवादिनःthose who say 'ārya' (use 'ārya' as address)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

yuga (age/cycle)

Brahman

Śūdra

Brāhmaṇa

bho (form of address)

ārya (honorific form of address)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical and spiritual decline at the yuga’s end: sacred discourse becomes empty rhetoric, and social norms of respectful speech invert—signaling erosion of dharma and authenticity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes portents of the approaching yugānta (end of an age), focusing here on how people’s speech and social address will change—Brahman-talk without realization, and altered forms of respect between varṇas.