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

اے دِوِجوں، برہما کی عمر کا ایک پراردھ گزر چکا ہے؛ اور اسی کے مانند دوسرا پراردھ اب جاری ہے—اسی سلسلے میں یہ آٹھواں کلپ ہے۔

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.