Shloka 23

Devanagari script

इतरेषु ससंध्येषु संध्यांशेषु ततस्त्रिषु । एक पादेन हीयन्ते सहस्राणि शतानि च

Transliteration

itareṣu sa-sandhyeṣu sandhyāṁśeṣu tataḥ triṣu | eka-pādena hīyante sahasrāṇi śatāni ca | catuṣpāt sakalo dharmaḥ satyaṁ caiva kṛte yuge | nādharmena āgamaḥ kaścit paratas tasya pravartate ||

Translation

Вьяса сказал: В трёх прочих переходных частях (в остальных стыках юг) тысячи и сотни каждый раз убывают на одну четверть. В Крита-югу дхарма стоит целиком на четырёх ногах, и истина также господствует. В ту эпоху ни одно предписание шастр не смешано с неправедностью; напротив, оно действует и исполняется наивысшим и должным образом.

Word by Word

• इतरेषु: in the other (ones)
• इतरेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• ससन्ध्येषु: in the (other) junction-periods
• ससन्ध्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्य
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• सन्ध्यांशेषु: in the remaining parts of the junction (periods)
• सन्ध्यांशेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्यांश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• ततः: thereafter/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• एक: by one
• एक: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पादेन: by a quarter/foot
• पादेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हीयन्ते: are diminished/decline
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (हाय्/ही)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada, Passive/Ātmanepada usage

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चतुष्पात्: four-footed (having four quarters)
• चतुष्पात्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुष्पाद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सकलः: entire/complete
• सकलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कृते: in the Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• युगे: in the age/epoch
• युगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अधर्मेण: by/with unrighteousness
• अधर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आगमः: scriptural tradition/authority
• आगमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कश्चित्: any (one)/any
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परः: other/alien
• परः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of it/of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रवर्तते: arises/operates/is in force
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kṛta Yuga (Satya Yuga)
• Dharma
• Satya (Truth)
• Āgama (scriptural tradition)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a yuga-based model of ethical decline: dharma and truth are fully established in Kṛta Yuga (four complete quarters), while in later ages they diminish stepwise by one quarter. It also asserts that in the ideal age, authoritative teachings (āgama) are not tainted by adharma and are practiced correctly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is explaining to his listener(s) the characteristics of the ages (yugas), contrasting the purity and completeness of Kṛta Yuga with the progressive reduction of dharma in the subsequent three periods, including their transitional junctions (sandhyās).