Shloka 22

Time-Reckoning (Kāla-gaṇanā): Yugas, Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Prākṛta Pralaya

Devanagari script

एकमत्र व्यतीतं तु परार्धं ब्रह्मणो द्विजाः / सांप्रतं वर्तते तद्वत् तस्य कल्पो ऽयमष्टमः

Transliteration

ekamatra vyatītaṃ tu parārdhaṃ brahmaṇo dvijāḥ / sāṃprataṃ vartate tadvat tasya kalpo 'yamaṣṭamaḥ

Translation

एकमत्र व्यतीतं तु परार्धं ब्रह्मणो द्विजाः। सांप्रतं वर्तते तद्वत् तस्य कल्पोऽयमष्टमः॥

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: here)

• व्यतीतम्: elapsed; passed
• व्यतीतम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अति + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘gone by/elapsed’

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• परार्धम्: the latter half (parārdha)
• परार्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parārdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘परम् अर्धम्’ इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषप्राय (latter half)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born ones
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयुक्तम् (vocative sense)

• सांप्रतम्: at present
• सांप्रतम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: at present/now)

• वर्तते: continues; exists
• वर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनावाचक (adverb: likewise/in the same way)

• तस्य: of that (Brahmā)
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कल्पः: aeon; kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अष्टमः: eighth
• अष्टमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dvijas (sages)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: by describing Brahmā’s vast yet measurable lifespan, the verse implies that even the creator operates within time (kāla), while the Supreme Self is traditionally understood in the Purāṇic-Yogic view as beyond time and its divisions.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific practice is taught in this verse; it supplies the cosmological frame (kāla, kalpa, parārdha) that later supports Yoga-shāstra instructions in the Kurma Purāṇa by placing human discipline (dharma, tapas, yoga) within a larger sacred chronology.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, as part of the Kurma Purāṇa’s synthetic outlook, such time-teachings are commonly treated as a shared Purāṇic cosmology within which both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava revelations (including Pāśupata and bhakti-oriented teachings) are situated.