Adhyaya 49 — Primordial Human Creation, the Rise of Desire, and the Origins of Settlements, Measures, and Agriculture
क्वचित् क्वचित् पुनः साभूत् क्षितिर्भाग्येन सर्वशः ।
कालेन गच्छता नाशमुपयान्ति यथा प्रजाः ॥
kvacit kvacit punaḥ sābhūt kṣitirbhāgyena sarvaśaḥ /
kālena gacchatā nāśamupayānti yathā prajāḥ
Kadang-kadang, sekali lagi, bumi menjadi seluruhnya makmur kerana tuah yang baik; namun apabila masa bergerak, mereka menuju kebinasaan—sebagaimana makhluk bernyawa juga.
Prosperity is intermittent and not fully controllable (bhāgya), while decline is inevitable under Kāla. The ethical implication is non-attachment and dharmic use of prosperity when it appears.
Pratisarga/Manvantara: cyclical world-conditions and the role of Kāla in dissolution at the level of societies and epochs.
Kāla is presented as the great equalizer: even ‘earthly’ stability is subject to dissolution, mirroring the yogic contemplation of anitya (impermanence).