Shloka 18

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

कालः क्रीडनकानां ते तदन्ते ऽध्ययनस्य च ततः समस्तभोगानां तदन्ते चेष्यते तपः

Transliteration

kālaḥ krīḍanakānāṃ te tadante 'dhyayanasya ca tataḥ samastabhogānāṃ tadante ceṣyate tapaḥ

Translation

ສຳລັບມະນຸດ ເວລາເຫມືອນຂອງຫຼິ້ນ: ແຕ່ກ່ອນໃຊ້ໃນການຫຼິ້ນ, ຕໍ່ມາໃນການຮຽນ; ຫຼັງນັ້ນໃນການເສບສຸກໂລກີ—ແລ້ວເມື່ອຫມົດສິ້ນ ຈຶ່ງຫັນໄປຫາຕະປະ

Word by Word

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्रीडनकानाम्: of toys, of playthings
• क्रीडनकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (commonly), षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), बहुवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन

• तदन्ते: at its end
• तदन्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case/locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'at the end of that' (locative of time)

• अध्ययनस्य: of study
• अध्ययनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक/अनन्तरार्थक (then, thereafter)

• समस्तभोगानाम्: of all enjoyments
• समस्तभोगानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त-भोग (प्रातिपदिक; समस्त + भोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; 'all enjoyments'

• तदन्ते: at their end
• तदन्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (temporal locative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• ईष्यते: is undertaken / is pursued
• ईष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada): 'is desired/undertaken'

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

FAQs

What is the significance of kāla (Time) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents time as the governing power that moves beings through successive phases—play, learning, enjoyment, and finally austerity—showing how worldly life is organized and matured under a higher order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the transition from worldly life to tapas?

He frames it as a natural sequence: once play, education, and enjoyment have run their course, a person is impelled to seek discipline and spiritual effort, indicating ripening rather than sudden rejection of life.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s worldview treats kāla and dharma as operating under the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—who sustains cosmic order and guides beings toward ultimate spiritual fulfillment.