Shloka 38
Yoga-kṛtya (योककृत्य) — Vyāsa on Sense-Restraint, Obstacles, and Brahman-Realization
सधर्मव्रतसंयोगं यथाधर्म युगे युगे । विक्रियन्ते स्वधर्मस्था वेदवादा यथागमम्,सत्ययुगमें मनुष्य स्वभावके अनुसार यज्ञ, व्रत और तीर्थाटन आदि करते हैं और त्रेता आदि युगमें वेदवादी एवं स्वधर्मनिष्ठ पुरुष शास्त्रके कथनानुसार धर्मके ह्वाससे विकारको प्राप्त होते हैं
sadharmavratasaṃyogaṃ yathā dharma yuge yuge | vikriyante svadharmasthā vedavādā yathāgamam ||
Vyāsa disse: “Em cada era (yuga), a conjunção da conduta reta com as observâncias votivas (vrata) toma forma segundo o dharma próprio daquele tempo. Contudo, à medida que o dharma declina de um yuga para o seguinte, até mesmo os que permanecem firmes em seu dever (svadharma) e falam de acordo com o Veda sofrem alteração—conformando-se ao que as escrituras prescrevem para esse tempo em mudança.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not presented as a single unchanging social expression across all ages; rather, practices like vows and ritual life align with the dharma appropriate to each yuga. As the yugas progress and dharma diminishes, even sincere, Veda-aligned people are affected by that shift and must follow what scripture prescribes for the altered conditions.
Vyāsa is explaining a yuga-based framework of ethical and religious life: how righteous practice appears in each age and how the decline of dharma across yugas leads to changes in conduct, even among those devoted to svadharma and Vedic authority.