Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वित्तेन भविता पुंसां स्वल्पेनाढ्यमदः कलौ स्त्रीणां रूपमदश् चैव केशैर् एव भविष्यति

Transliteration

vittena bhavitā puṃsāṃ svalpenāḍhyamadaḥ kalau strīṇāṃ rūpamadaś caiva keśair eva bhaviṣyati

Translation

在迦梨时代，男子以财富论高下；些许钱财也会生出富者之傲。女子则以姿色自矜——其骄矜竟仅系于发髻与秀发的展示。

Word by Word

• वित्तेन: by wealth
• वित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भविता: will be/become (as the determinant)
• भविता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √भू (धातु) + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun: one who will be/become)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• स्वल्पेन: by a little (amount)
• स्वल्पेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of vittena implied)

• आढ्यमदः: pride of wealth
• आढ्यमदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (āḍhyasya madaḥ)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• रूपमदः: pride of beauty
• रूपमदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rūpasya madaḥ)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• केशैः: by hair (locks)
• केशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kali-yuga moral inversion: valuation of persons by wealth and superficial appearance

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kali-yuga distorts value: social worth is measured by wealth, and beauty-pride becomes superficial, fostering arrogance and delusion.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Practice non-comparison, modest living, and inner cultivation; evaluate people by character and devotion rather than status or appearance.

Vishishtadvaita: Highlights the misvaluation of Sri (wealth/fortune) when detached from service to the Lord; external markers are secondary to inner dharma and bhakti.

Vaishnava Theology

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Men
• Women

FAQs

What is the significance of wealth and vanity in the Vishnu Purana’s description of Kali-yuga?

This verse marks wealth and outward appearance as distorted measures of human worth in Kali-yuga, showing how dharma is eclipsed by superficial status and pride.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Kali-yuga’s social decline in this chapter?

Through concrete social symptoms—like arrogance arising from even small wealth and beauty-pride reduced to mere display—Parāśara illustrates how inner virtue is replaced by external markers.

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

By highlighting Kali-yuga’s moral confusion, the text implicitly points to Vishnu as the stable Supreme refuge (śaraṇya) and the upholder of cosmic order when human standards collapse.