Shloka 60
इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्
Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration
जीवितान्तकरा: क्रूरा रौद्रा: प्राणिविहिंसका: । यदा भविष्यन्ति नरास्तदा संक्षेप्स्यते युगम्
jīvitāntakarāḥ krūrā raudrāḥ prāṇivihiṃsakāḥ | yadā bhaviṣyanti narās tadā saṃkṣepsyate yugam ||
Disse Mārkaṇḍeya: “Quando os homens se tornarem cruéis, ferozes e violentos—levando a vida ao fim e ferindo os seres vivos—então a própria era (yuga) será encurtada.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human cruelty and violence toward living beings are not merely personal faults; they disturb dharma and the moral fabric of society, leading to a contraction of the yuga—symbolizing diminished longevity, stability, and well-being in the world.
Mārkaṇḍeya is describing signs of degeneration in human conduct. He warns that when people become death-dealing, cruel, and harmful to creatures, the era itself becomes shortened—an omen of worsening times and declining righteousness.