Shloka 34

कलिस्वरूप-वर्णनम् एवं कालमान-प्रस्तावना

Devanagari script

अरक्षितारो हर्तारः शुल्कव्याजेन पार्थिवाः हारिणो जनवित्तानां संप्राप्ते तु कलौ युगे

Transliteration

arakṣitāro hartāraḥ śulkavyājena pārthivāḥ hāriṇo janavittānāṃ saṃprāpte tu kalau yuge

Translation

当迦梨时代到来时，世间君王不再为护民者，反成掠夺者；他们借税赋之名夺取民财，使王权沦为被认可的盗取。

Word by Word

अरक्षितारःnon-protectors, those who do not protect

हर्तारःrobbers, takers away

शुल्कtax, duty

व्याजेनby pretext, under the guise

शुल्कव्याजेनunder the pretext of taxation

पार्थिवाःkings, rulers

हारिणःstealing, taking away

जनpeople

वित्तानाम्of wealth

जनवित्तानाम्of the people's wealth

संप्राप्तेwhen (it has) arrived / upon the advent

तुbut, indeed

कलौin Kali (age)

युगेin the age/epoch

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

Kings

People (subjects)

FAQs

What is the significance of Kali Yuga taxation imagery in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses “taxes as pretext” to symbolize the collapse of rāja-dharma: authority meant to protect becomes a mechanism for extraction, marking Kali’s moral inversion.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the decline of kingship in Kali Yuga?

Parāśara portrays a reversal of the king’s role—no longer a guardian of subjects, the ruler becomes a taker of wealth, indicating systemic decay rather than isolated wrongdoing.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By depicting Kali’s disorder, the Purana implicitly contrasts it with Vishnu as the upholder of cosmic order (dharma); the darker the age, the more central Vishnu’s sovereignty as the ultimate regulator of time and morality.