Adhyāya 188: Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of Yuga-Decline and the Restoration Motif
Kali-yuga to Kalki
अचिराद् भगवन् भौममिदं स्थावरजड्रमम् | सर्वमेव महाभाग प्रलयं वै गमिष्यति,'भगवन्! यह सारा-का-सारा चराचर पार्थिव जगत् शीघ्र ही नष्ट होनेवाला है। महाभाग! सम्पूर्ण जगत्का प्रलय हो जायगा
acirād bhagavan bhaumam idaṁ sthāvara-jaḍramam | sarvam eva mahābhāga pralayaṁ vai gamiṣyati ||
ข้าแต่ผู้เจริญ โลกธาตุบนแผ่นดินนี้ ทั้งสิ่งนิ่งและสิ่งเคลื่อนไหว จะถึงกาลอวสานในไม่ช้า โอ้ท่านผู้มีบุญยิ่ง ทั้งปวงจักเข้าสู่ปรลัยโดยแท้
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
The verse underscores the impermanence of the entire earthly order: all that is material—living and non-living—moves toward dissolution. Ethically, it supports vairāgya (detachment) and steadiness in dharma by reminding one not to cling to transient forms.
Mārkaṇḍeya, speaking to a revered figure addressed as “Bhagavān,” declares that the whole terrestrial world, including the fixed and inert aspects of creation, will soon proceed toward pralaya—cosmic dissolution—framing the discussion in terms of time and the fate of the world.