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Varaha Purana 68.5: Adhyaya 68, Shloka 5

Dharma Across the Four Yugas, the Disruption of Social Conduct, and Ritual Purification from Varṇa-Mixing Transgressions

ततस्तमः प्रभविता कलिरूपो नरेश्वर । तस्मिन्कलौ वर्तमानॆ स्वमार्गाच्छ्यवते द्विजः ॥ ६८.५ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 68.5

tatastamaḥ prabhavitā kalirūpo nareśvara | tasmin kalau varttamāne svamārgāc chyavate dvijaḥ || 68.5 ||

Kemudian, wahai tuan manusia, kegelapan menjadi dominan, mengambil rupa Kali; dan apabila zaman Kali berkuasa, golongan dvija (yang “dua kali lahir”) akan menyimpang daripada jalan yang wajar bagi dirinya (disiplin dan dharma).

tataḥthen/thereafter
tataḥ:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (Avyaya), उपपद/क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial): ‘thereafter/then’
tamaḥdarkness/ignorance
tamaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottamas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular)
prabhavitāarisen/produced
prabhavitā:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpra√bhū (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nom.1), एकवचन; ‘arisen/produced’ (agreeing with kali-rūpaḥ)
kali-rūpaḥKali in form / having the form of Kali
kali-rūpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkali (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष समास (Tatpurusha: ‘kaler rūpam’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.1), एकवचन
nara-īśvaraO lord of men (king)
nara-īśvara:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootnara (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष समास (Tatpurusha: ‘narāṇām īśvaraḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
tasminin that
tasmin:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (pronoun), पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative 7th), एकवचन
kalauin Kali (age)
kalau:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkali (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc.7), एकवचन
vartamānewhile (it is) prevailing
vartamāne:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Root√vṛt (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc.7), एकवचन; ‘while existing/prevailing’ (agreeing with kalau)
sva-mārgātfrom one’s own path
sva-mārgāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय समास (Karmadharaya: ‘svaḥ mārgaḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Abl.5), एकवचन
chyavatefalls away/deviates
chyavate:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√cyu (धातु)
Formलट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)
dvijaḥa twice-born (Brahmin etc.)
dvijaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.1), एकवचन

Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework)

C
Classical Literature
P
Purāṇic Studies
V
Vaiṣṇavism
I
Indic Ethics

FAQs

It reflects a widespread Purāṇic motif: the Kali age as a period characterized by the decline of established social-ethical disciplines (dharma), framed through yuga theory common across early medieval Sanskrit literature.

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is conceptual (Kali age) rather than topographical.

The verse highlights the idea that when ignorance and moral disorder prevail, individuals—here exemplified by the dvija—tend to deviate from their proper discipline and duties, implying the importance of maintaining ethical steadiness despite adverse conditions.

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