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Shloka 10

कृते युगे धर्म आसीत्‌ समग्र- स्त्रेताकाले ज्ञानमनुप्रपन्न: । बल॑ त्वासीद्‌ द्वापरे पार्थ कृष्ण: कलौ त्वधर्म: क्षितिमिवाजगाम

kṛte yuge dharma āsīt samagraḥ | tretākāle jñānam anuprapannaḥ | balaṃ tv āsīd dvāpare pārtha kṛṣṇaḥ | kalau tv adharmaḥ kṣitim ivājagāma, pārtha ||

Bhīṣma nói: Trong thời Kṛta, Dharma đứng vững trọn vẹn. Sang thời Tretā, Kṛṣṇa an trụ như tri thức và minh biện viên mãn. Đến thời Dvāpara, hỡi Pārtha, Ngài hiện diện như sức mạnh. Nhưng trong thời Kali, adharma sẽ giáng xuống mặt đất như thể đã chiếm lấy—khiến phi nghĩa trở thành thế lực thống trị.

कृतेin the Kṛta (Satya) [age]
कृते:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकृत
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
युगेin the age
युगे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुग
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
धर्मःDharma
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
आसीत्was
आसीत्:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
समग्रःentire, complete
समग्रः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसमग्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
त्रेताकालेin the Tretā time (Tretā-yuga)
त्रेताकाले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootत्रेताकाल
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
ज्ञानम्knowledge
ज्ञानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अनुप्रपन्नःattained, entered into; established in
अनुप्रपन्नः:
TypeAdjective
Rootअनु-प्र-पद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally)
बलम्strength
बलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तुbut, however
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
आसीत्was
आसीत्:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
द्वापरेin the Dvāpara [age]
द्वापरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootद्वापर
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
पार्थO Pārtha (Arjuna)
पार्थ:
TypeNoun
Rootपार्थ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
कृष्णःKṛṣṇa
कृष्णः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कलौin Kali [age]
कलौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकलि
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
तुbut
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
अधर्मःAdharma, unrighteousness
अधर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
क्षितिम्the earth
क्षितिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootक्षिति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
इवlike, as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
आजगामcame, arrived
आजगाम:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-गम्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
पार्थO Pārtha
पार्थ:
TypeNoun
Rootपार्थ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
A
Arjuna (Pārtha)
K
Kṛṣṇa
K
Kṛta Yuga (Satya Yuga)
T
Tretā Yuga
D
Dvāpara Yuga
K
Kali Yuga
E
Earth (Kṣiti)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches a yuga-based moral cosmology: as time moves from Kṛta to Kali, the dominant principle shifts from complete dharma to the ascendancy of adharma. It frames ethical life as increasingly challenging in later ages, where unrighteousness tends to prevail socially and politically.

Bhīṣma, instructing Arjuna, summarizes the changing character of the four yugas. He describes how dharma, wisdom, and strength are successively prominent, and warns that in Kali Yuga adharma will seem to descend upon and overtake the earth.