Shloka 38
Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect
नित्यो नैमित्तिकश्चैव तथा प्राकृतिको लय: । आत्यन्तिकश्च कथित: कालस्य गतिरीदृशी ॥ ३८ ॥
nityo naimittikaś caiva tathā prākṛtiko layaḥ ātyantikaś ca kathitaḥ kālasya gatir īdṛśī
अशा रीतीने काळाची गती चार प्रकारच्या प्रलयांच्या रूपाने सांगितली आहे—नित्य, नैमित्तिक, प्राकृत आणि आत्यन्तिक।
FAQs
This verse states that dissolution is of four kinds—nitya (constant), naimittika (occasional), prākṛtika (elemental), and ātyantika (ultimate liberation)—and that these unfold under the governance of Time (kāla).
Śukadeva teaches Parīkṣit the cosmic workings of Time and dissolution to cultivate detachment from the temporary world and fix the listener’s aim on the ultimate shelter—liberation through devotion to the Lord.
By remembering that everything material is subject to Time and dissolution, one can reduce anxiety and attachment, prioritize dharma and bhakti, and invest attention in practices that lead toward lasting spiritual realization.