Shloka 14

कालनिर्णयः (युग-मन्वन्तर-कल्पप्रमाणम्) — Measures of Time and Cosmic Cycles

Devanagari script

संध्यासंध्यांशयोर् अन्तर् यः कालो मुनिसत्तम युगाख्यः स तु विज्ञेयः कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितः

Transliteration

saṃdhyāsaṃdhyāṃśayor antar yaḥ kālo munisattama yugākhyaḥ sa tu vijñeyaḥ kṛtatretādisaṃjñitaḥ

Translation

اے بہترین مُنی، سندھیا اور سندھیانش کے درمیان جو زمانہ ہے وہی ‘یُگ’ کہلاتا ہے، اور وہ کِرت، تریتا وغیرہ ناموں سے پہچانا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• संध्यासंध्यांशयोः: of the twilight and the twilight-portion
• संध्यासंध्यांशयोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या + संध्यांश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (६/सम्बन्ध) द्विवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः (संध्या च संध्यांशश्च)

• अन्तर्: between
• अन्तर्: अधिकरण (Adverbial locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अन्तरालवाचकं (between/within)

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (१/कर्ता) एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कालः: time/period
• कालः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (१/कर्ता) एकवचनम्

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (८) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां सत्तमः)

• युगाख्यः: named ‘yuga’
• युगाख्यः: कर्ता (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युग + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (१/कर्ता) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (युग इति आख्या यस्य)

• सः: that
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (१/कर्ता) एकवचनम्

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (contrast/emphasis)

• विज्ञेयः: to be known/understood
• विज्ञेयः: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (१/कर्ता) एकवचनम्; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता/योग्यता: ‘ज्ञेय’ (gerundive)

• कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितः: called ‘Kṛta, Tretā, etc.’
• कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितः: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + त्रेता + आदि + संज्ञित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (१/कर्ता) एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; समासः: कृत-त्रेता-आदि-संज्ञितः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: What portion is properly called a yuga between sandhyā and sandhyāṃśa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Yuga: Satya/Treta/Dvapara/Kali

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The yuga proper is the interval between sandhyā and sandhyāṃśa, and the named ages proceed as an ordered sovereignty under the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Anchor one’s sense of historical change in devotion to the Lord as the steady ruler of time, reducing anxiety about societal decline.

Vishishtadvaita: Viṣṇu is the inner ruler of cosmic order (niyantṛ) while the world and time remain real modes (prakāra) dependent on Him.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Dvāpara Yuga

FAQs

What is the significance of sandhyā (twilight) in defining a yuga in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames a yuga in relation to transitional “junction” periods (sandhyā and its portion), indicating that cosmic ages are measured with attention to their boundary-phases, not only their main duration.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of yuga to Maitreya here?

Parāśara defines yuga as a specific measurable time-span connected to sandhyā and sandhyā-aṃśa, and identifies that yuga as taking the conventional names Kṛta, Tretā, and the remaining ages.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context of yuga-time?

Although the verse is technical, the Vishnu Purana’s time-structure ultimately serves its theology: the ordered flow of ages and their names is part of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu’s governance of cosmic law and rhythm.