Home›Garuda Purana›Brahma Khanda›Adhyaya 223›Shloka 4
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 4

Yuga-Dharma, Kalpa Measure, Purāṇa Definitions, and the Kali-Yuga Power of Nāma-Kīrtana

Devanagari script

सूच उवाच / प्रलयं जगतो वक्ष्ये तत्सर्वं शृणु शौनक / चतुर्युगसहस्रन्तु कल्पैकाब्जदिनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

sūca uvāca / pralayaṃ jagato vakṣye tatsarvaṃ śṛṇu śaunaka / caturyugasahasrantu kalpaikābjadinaṃ smṛtam

Translation

सूत उवाच। प्रलयं जगतो वक्ष्ये तत्सर्वं शृणु शौनक। चतुर्युगसहस्रन्तु कल्पैकाब्जदिनं स्मृतम्॥

Word by Word
सूचःSūca (name)
सूचः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसूच (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (speaker)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√वच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd sg
प्रलयम्dissolution (pralaya)
प्रलयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular
जगतःof the world
जगतः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootजगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular
वक्ष्येI will describe
वक्ष्ये:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√वच् (धातु)
Formलृट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; Simple future, 1st sg
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (demonstrative)
सर्वम्all
सर्वम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying तत्
शृणुlisten
शृणु:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√श्रु (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd sg
शौनकO Śaunaka
शौनक:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootशौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular
चतुर्युगसहस्रम्a thousand (sets) of four yugas
चतुर्युगसहस्रम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचतुर् + युग + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः (‘चतुर्युगानां सहस्रम्’); Nominative singular
तुindeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphasis/contrast)
कल्पैकाब्जदिनम्(is) one day of a kalpa (Brahmā’s day)
कल्पैकाब्जदिनम्:
Pradhāna (Predicate nominal)
TypeNoun
Rootकल्प + एक + अब्ज + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘कल्पस्य एक-अब्ज-दिनम्’ = one lotus-day of a kalpa, i.e., Brahmā’s day); Nominative singular
स्मृतम्is said/considered
स्मृतम्:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रियासमाना)
TypeAdjective
Root√स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively
Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic dissolution (pralaya) and the scale of Brahmā’s day (kalpa) as 1000 caturyuga cycles.

Vedantic Theme: Impermanence of manifested worlds under time (kāla) and cyclic creation-dissolution; encourages dispassion and inquiry into the timeless Brahman/Īśvara.

Application: Contemplate vast time cycles to reduce egoic urgency, cultivate vairāgya, and prioritize enduring values (dharma, devotion, liberation-oriented practice).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: forest hermitage/sacrificial assembly

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: cosmology and pralaya descriptions in creation/dissolution narratives; Garuda Purana: yuga and time-measure discussions connected to dharma decline

Characters & Entities
S
Sūta
Ś
Śaunaka
B
Brahmā

FAQs

This verse introduces pralaya as a structured, time-bound event within Brahmā’s cosmic day, framing dissolution as part of an ordered cosmology rather than random destruction.

It defines a key unit: one kalpa (Brahmā’s day) equals one thousand caturyugas, linking pralaya discussions to yuga-based time cycles.

Reflecting on vast cosmic cycles encourages detachment, ethical living, and prioritizing dharma over short-term gains, since worldly conditions are inherently impermanent.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→