इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्
Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration
जीवितान्तकरा: क्रूरा रौद्रा: प्राणिविहिंसका: । यदा भविष्यन्ति नरास्तदा संक्षेप्स्यते युगम्
jīvitāntakarāḥ krūrā raudrāḥ prāṇivihiṃsakāḥ | yadā bhaviṣyanti narās tadā saṃkṣepsyate yugam ||
Wika ni Mārkaṇḍeya: “Kapag ang mga tao’y naging malupit, mabangis, at marahas—nagdadala ng buhay sa wakas at nananakit sa mga nilalang—kung gayon ang mismong panahon (yuga) ay paiikliin.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Human cruelty and violence toward living beings are not merely personal faults; they disturb dharma and the moral fabric of society, leading to a contraction of the yuga—symbolizing diminished longevity, stability, and well-being in the world.
Mārkaṇḍeya is describing signs of degeneration in human conduct. He warns that when people become death-dealing, cruel, and harmful to creatures, the era itself becomes shortened—an omen of worsening times and declining righteousness.