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 ॥
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).
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework)
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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