Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

जनास्तदा दुराचारा भविष्यन्ति च निर्दयाः / सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति दृश्यन्ते पुरुषे गुणाः / कालसञ्चोदितास्ते ऽपि परिवर्तन्त आत्मनि

Transliteration

janāstadā durācārā bhaviṣyanti ca nirdayāḥ / sattvaṃ rajastama iti dṛśyante puruṣe guṇāḥ / kālasañcoditāste 'pi parivartanta ātmani

Translation

กาลนั้นผู้คนจะประพฤติชั่วและไร้เมตตา ในมนุษย์ย่อมปรากฏคุณะทั้งสาม—สัตตวะ รชัส และตมัส; แม้คุณะเหล่านั้นก็ถูกกาลผลักดันให้แปรเปลี่ยนอยู่ภายในตนเสมอ

Word by Word

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दुराचाराः: of bad conduct
• दुराचाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जनाः)

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• निर्दयाः: merciless
• निर्दयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (जनाः)

• सत्त्वम्: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; गुण-नाम

• रजः: rajas (activity)
• रजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; गुण-नाम

• तमः: tamas (inertia)
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; गुण-नाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen/appear
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: are seen)

• पुरुषे: in a person
• पुरुषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कालसञ्चोदिताः: impelled by time
• कालसञ्चोदिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल-सञ्चोदित (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सञ्चोदित’ (क्त, past participle) from √चुद् (to impel) with सम्-; कालेन सञ्चोदिताः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषण (गुणाः/ते)

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; गुणान् प्रति निर्देशः

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• परिवर्तन्ते: change/transform
• परिवर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; (they) change/turn about

• आत्मनि: in oneself
• आत्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे (within oneself)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Guṇas (sattva/rajas/tamas) are observable in persons and continually transform under the impetus of Time; moral conduct reflects guṇic predominance.

Vedantic Theme: Prakṛti’s guṇas in ceaseless modification (pariṇāma) under kāla; the witnessing self should cultivate sattva and disidentify from guṇic turbulence.

Application: Track one’s conduct as a guṇa-indicator; reduce tamas/rajas triggers (cruelty, impulsivity) and intentionally cultivate sattva through diet, company, study, and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana yuga/guṇa discussions in Dharma-kāṇḍa contexts

Characters & Entities

• Kala (Time)
• Trigunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)

FAQs

What is the importance of the trigunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames human behavior as shaped by the three guṇas, showing that ethical decline arises when rajas and tamas dominate, while dharmic life is supported by sattva.

How does this verse explain moral decline in Kali Yuga?

It states that people become cruel and ill-conducted, and explains the mechanism as the shifting balance of guṇas within individuals, stirred by Kāla (Time).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sattva—through truthful speech, compassion, self-restraint, and clean habits—so that time-driven swings toward rajas/tamas do not harden one into cruelty.