Shloka 11

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

विवाहा न कलौ धर्म्या न शिष्यगुरुसंस्थितिः न दाम्पत्यक्रमो नैव वह्निदेवात्मकः क्रमः

Transliteration

vivāhā na kalau dharmyā na śiṣyagurusaṃsthitiḥ na dāmpatyakramo naiva vahnidevātmakaḥ kramaḥ

Translation

ในกลียุค การสมรสจะไม่ตั้งอยู่บนธรรมะ; ระเบียบอันถูกต้องระหว่างศิษย์กับครูก็ไม่ดำรงอยู่ แม้ครรลองอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์แห่งชีวิตครอบครัวจะพังทลาย และพิธีบูชาไฟ—ซึ่งเคยถือเป็นการประทับอยู่ของเทพ—ก็จะไม่ปฏิบัติตามรูปแบบแท้จริง

Word by Word

विवाहाःmarriages

नnot

कलौin Kali age

धर्म्याःrighteous; lawful

नnor

शिष्यगुरुसंस्थितिःproper disciple–teacher relationship/establishment

नnor

दाम्पत्यक्रमःorder/propriety of married life

नnor

एवindeed; even

वह्निदेवात्मकःconsisting of the fire-deity (Agni)

क्रमःrite; procedure

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

Agni (Fire deity)

Guru

Śiṣya

FAQs

What is the significance of marriage (vivāha) in the Vishnu Purana’s description of Kali-yuga?

This verse treats vivāha as a dharmic institution (saṃskāra); its corruption is presented as a key marker of Kali-yuga, signaling social and spiritual disorder.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the decline of the guru–disciple tradition in this chapter?

Parāśara frames Kali-yuga as an age where established structures that transmit sacred knowledge—especially the guru–śiṣya relationship—lose stability, leading to weakened discipline and distorted teaching.

What is the theological importance of Agni (fire-rite) in this context?

Agni represents the divine conduit of Vedic order; saying the ‘fire-as-divine’ procedure will not be followed highlights a retreat from sacred alignment—yet the Purana’s broader stance implies that Vishnu remains the supreme governor even as dharma wanes by yuga-law.