Shloka 2

Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2) — Kali’s Complaint to Brahma and the Arrival of Śrī (Jayaśrī) in Bali’s Reign

Devanagari script

कलिस्तदा धर्मयुतं जगद् दृष्ट्वा कृते यथा ब्रह्माणं शरणं भेजे स्वभावस्य निषेणात्

Transliteration

kalistadā dharmayutaṃ jagad dṛṣṭvā kṛte yathā brahmāṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ bheje svabhāvasya niṣeṇāt

Translation

तेव्हा कलिने कृतयुगाप्रमाणे धर्मयुक्त जगत् पाहून, स्वभावाच्या प्रेरणेने ब्रह्म्याचे शरण घेतले।

Speakers

• Pulastya continuing narration to the dvija (standardly Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Brahma
• Kali (personified)

Key Themes

• Yuga theory (Kṛta vs Kali)
• Dharma as cosmic equilibrium
• Personification of Kali as disruptive principle
• Refuge-seeking as narrative device

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is Kali portrayed as a person who ‘takes refuge’ in Brahmā?

Purāṇas often personify abstract cosmic forces to narrate transitions between ages. Kali’s ‘refuge’ frames the onset of decline as something integrated into cosmic governance—authorized or at least managed within Brahmā’s jurisdiction.

What does ‘dharma-yutaṃ jagat … kṛte yathā’ imply about Bali’s reign?

It suggests that under Bali’s rule the world temporarily resembles Kṛta Yuga conditions—order, truth, and dharma—creating narrative tension: Kali cannot easily operate in such an environment.

How should we understand ‘svabhāvasya …’ here?

It indicates inevitability: Kali acts according to inherent disposition (svabhāva). Even when dharma is strong, the principle of Kali seeks an opening, and the text uses this to foreshadow later moral and cosmic shifts.