Shloka 67

कलियुग-प्रवृत्तिः, सप्तर्षि-गणना, धरणीगीताः, च वंश-समाप्तिः

Kali-yuga onset, Saptarṣi reckoning, Dharaṇī-gītā, and closure of the dynastic account

Devanagari script

कथाशरीरत्वम् अवाप यद् वै मान्धातृनामा भुवि चक्रवर्ती श्रुत्वापि तं को हि करोति साधुर् ममत्वम् आत्मन्य् अपि मन्दचेताः

Transliteration

kathāśarīratvam avāpa yad vai māndhātṛnāmā bhuvi cakravartī śrutvāpi taṃ ko hi karoti sādhur mamatvam ātmany api mandacetāḥ

Translation

那位名叫曼达特（Mandhatri）的大地转轮王，如今已成“故事之身”。听闻此事后，哪位智者还会对自己产生执着与“我所有”之念呢？

Word by Word

• कथा: story, tale
• कथा: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• शरीरत्वम्: the state of being a body
• शरीरत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीरत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कथाशरीरत्वम्: became merely a story (lit. story-body-ness)
• कथाशरीरत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीरत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कथायाḥ शरीरत्वम्)

• अवाप: attained, came to
• अवाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्: which, that (thing)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मान्धातृनामा: one named Māndhātṛ
• मान्धातृनामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान्धातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (मान्धातृ नाम यस्य सः)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• चक्रवर्ती: universal monarch
• चक्रवर्ती: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अपि: even, though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• तम्: him/that (story)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/causal)

• करोति: does, makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साधुः: a good/wise person
• साधुः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ममत्वम्: sense of ‘mine-ness’, possessiveness
• ममत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ममत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आत्मनि: in oneself
• आत्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even)

• मन्दचेताः: a dull-minded person
• मन्दचेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मन्दं चेतः यस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within the royal genealogy narrative)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even a universal emperor becomes mere narration over time; therefore clinging to ‘mine-ness’—even toward the body—is folly.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use historical exemplars to weaken possessiveness; practice daily reflection that status and identity are transient.

Vishishtadvaita: Detachment supports prapatti/bhakti by redirecting the jīva from false ownership to its true status as the Lord’s dependent (śeṣa).

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Surya

Dharma Exemplar: Vairagya (instructional exemplar: renunciation prompted by history)

Key Kings: Māndhātṛ

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Māndhātṛ
• Cakravartin (universal monarch)
• Kings

FAQs

What is the significance of King Māndhātṛ becoming “kathāśarīra” in the Vishnu Purana?

It emphasizes impermanence: even a world-emperor ultimately survives only as narration, so the wise should not cling to possessions or status.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the problem of mamatva (possessiveness) here?

He uses Māndhātṛ’s example to show that attachment is irrational—if even an emperor passes into mere story, “mine-ness” (even toward one’s own body/self) is a mark of dull understanding.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context of dynasties and detachment?

By contrasting transient sovereignty with enduring spiritual truth, the Purāṇa implicitly directs the mind from worldly power to the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—who alone is stable beyond time and change.