Devanagari
परावरज्ञ: स ऋषि: कालेनाव्यक्तरंहसा ।
युगधर्मव्यतिकरं प्राप्तं भुवि युगे युगे ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
parāvara-jṣaḥ sa ṛṣiḥ
kālenāvyakta-raṁhasā
yuga-dharma-vyatikaraṁ
prāptaṁ bhuvi yuge yuge
Synonyms
para
—
avara — past and future
;
jṣaḥ
—
one who knows
;
saḥ
—
he
;
ṛṣiḥ
—
Vyāsadeva
;
kālena
—
by time
;
avyakta
—
unmanifested
;
raṁhasā
—
by great force
;
yuga
—
dharma — acts in terms of the millennium
;
vyatikaram
—
anomalies
;
prāptam
—
having accrued
;
bhuvi
—
on the earth
;
yuge yuge
—
different ages .
Translation
The great sage Vyāsadeva saw anomalies in the duties of the millennium. This happens on the earth in different ages, due to the unseen force of time.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Vyāsa, who could see the past and the future, having pure vision, observed by his spiritual eye that the dharmas for the yugas had been destroyed on the earth, yuga after yuga, by the invisible force of time; that the bodies had decreased in ability; and that the people were devoid of faith, dominated by rajas and tamas, dull-witted, short-lived, and filled with misfortunes. He began to contemplate on what would be beneficial for all the varṇas and āśramas.
Purport
The great sages like Vyāsadeva are liberated souls, and therefore they can see clearly past and future. Thus he could see the future anomalies in the Kali age, and accordingly he made arrangement for the people in general so that they can execute a progressive life in this age, which is full of darkness. The people in general in this Age of Kali are too much interested in matter, which is temporary. Because of ignorance they are unable to evaluate the assets of life and be enlightened in spiritual knowledge.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
He knows the past and the future (parāvara-jṣaḥ). He saw that there was destruction of the dharmas of the yugas with time (yuga-dharma-vyatikaram). There was decrease in strength of the body conditions (bhautikānām bhāvānām), caused by time (tat-kṛtam). The people were filled with rajas and tamas (niḥsattvān).