Shloka 60
इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्
Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration
जीवितान्तकरा: क्रूरा रौद्रा: प्राणिविहिंसका: । यदा भविष्यन्ति नरास्तदा संक्षेप्स्यते युगम्
jīvitāntakarāḥ krūrā raudrāḥ prāṇivihiṃsakāḥ | yadā bhaviṣyanti narās tadā saṃkṣepsyate yugam ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “When men become cruel, fierce, and violent—bringing life to its end and harming living beings—then the very age (yuga) will be shortened.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human cruelty and violence toward living beings are not merely personal faults; they disturb dharma and the moral fabric of society, leading to a contraction of the yuga—symbolizing diminished longevity, stability, and well-being in the world.
Mārkaṇḍeya is describing signs of degeneration in human conduct. He warns that when people become death-dealing, cruel, and harmful to creatures, the era itself becomes shortened—an omen of worsening times and declining righteousness.