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Shloka 25

Adhyaya 49Primordial 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.

क्वचित्somewhere/sometimes
क्वचित्:
अधिकरण (locative sense/adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)
क्वचित्elsewhere/at other times
क्वचित्:
अधिकरण (adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (repetition for distributive sense)
पुनःagain
पुनः:
क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)
साthat (she/it)
सा:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
अभूत्was, came to be
अभूत्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
क्षितिःearth, ground
क्षितिः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
भाग्येनby fortune, through luck
भाग्येन:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन
सर्वशःentirely, in every way
सर्वशः:
क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वशः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: wholly)
कालेनby time
कालेन:
करण/हेतु (instrumental: by/with time)
TypeNoun
Rootकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन
गच्छताpassing, going
गच्छता:
विशेषण (qualifier of ‘time’)
TypeAdjective
Rootगच्छत् (कृदन्त; √गम्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle)
नाशम्destruction
नाशम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object; goal)
TypeNoun
Rootनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
उपयान्तिapproach, come to
उपयान्ति:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootउप-या (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
यथाas, just as
यथा:
उपमान (comparison marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as, just as)
प्रजाःcreatures, beings
प्रजाः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन
Narrative voice within the Purana’s cosmological account
ImpermanenceKāla (Time) as destroyerCycles of prosperity

FAQs

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).