अस्मिन्कलियुगे त्वस्ति पुनः कौतूहलं मम। समाकुलेषु धर्मेषु किंनु शेषं भविष्यति
In this Kali age, I have further curiosity: when dharma is confused, what will remain?
किंवीर्या मानवास्तत्रकिमाहारविहारिणः। किमायुषः किंवसना भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
What strength will men have there, what will they eat and enjoy, what will their lifespan and clothing be at the end of the age?
कां च काष्ठां समासाद्य पुनः संपत्स्यते कृतम्। विस्तरेण मुने ब्रूहि विचित्राणीह भाषसे
Upon reaching which period will the Krita age return? Tell me in detail, O sage, for you speak of wondrous things here.
इत्युक्तः स मुनिश्रेष्ठः पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत। रमयन्वृष्णिशार्दूलं पाण्डवांस्च महानृषिः
Thus addressed, the foremost sage again spoke, delighting the tiger among the Vrishnis and the Pandavas, that great rishi.
शृणु राजन्मया दृष्टं यत्पुरा श्रुतमेव च। अनुभूतं च राजेनद्रदेवदेवप्रसादजम्
Hear, O King, what I have seen, what I have heard in the past, and what I have experienced, all arising from the favor of the gods and the king of gods.
भविष्यं सर्वलोकस्य वृत्तान्तं भरतर्षभ। कलुषं कालमासाद्य कथ्यमानं निबोध मे
O foremost of the Bharatas, listen to me as I speak of the future events of the entire world, which, upon the arrival of a corrupt age, will be narrated.
कृते चतुष्पात्सकलो निर्व्याजोप्राधिवर्जितः। वृषः प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो मनुष्ये भरतर्षभ
In the Krita age, O best of Bharatas, Dharma stood firmly on all four legs, free from deceit and wrongdoing, established among men.
अधर्मपादविद्धस्तु त्रिभिरंशैः प्रतिष्ठितः। त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽर्धेन व्यामिश्रो धर्म उच्यते
But in the Treta age, Dharma was struck by the foot of Adharma and stood on three parts; in Dvapara, on two, mixed with unrighteousness, so it is said.
त्रिभिरंशैरधर्मस्तु लोकानाक्रम्य तिष्ठति। तामसं युगमासाद्य तदा भरतसत्तम
With three parts, unrighteousness prevails, occupying the worlds, when the Tamasic age arrives, O best of Bharatas.
चतुर्थांशेन धर्मस्तु मनुष्यानुपतिष्ठति। आयुर्वीर्यं मनो बुद्धिर्बलं तेजश्च पाण्डव
In the fourth part, Dharma remains among men; their lifespan, strength, mind, intellect, power, and brilliance, O Pandava.
मनुष्याणआमनुयुगं ह्रप्तन्तीति निबोध मे। ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्चैव युधिष्ठिर
Understand from me how, as the age passes among men, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, O Yudhishthira, decline.
व्याजैर्धर्मं चरिष्यन्ति धर्मवैतंसिका नराः। सत्यं संक्षेप्स्यते लोके नरैः पण्डितमानिभिः
Men who are mere pretenders of Dharma will practice it with deceit; in the world, truth will be diminished by those who claim wisdom.
सत्यहान्या ततस्तेषामायुरल्पं भविष्यति। आयुषः प्रक्षयाद्विद्यां न शक्ष्यन्त्युपशिक्षितुम्
With the loss of truth, their lifespan will become short; due to the decline of life, they will not be able to properly learn knowledge.
विद्याहीनानविज्ञानाल्लोभोप्यभिभविष्यति। लोभमोहपरा मूढाः कामासक्ताश् मानवाः
Lacking knowledge and understanding, greed will overpower them; deluded and attached to desire, men will be devoted to greed and confusion.
वैरबद्धा भविष्यन्ति परस्परवधैषिणः। ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः संकीर्यन्ते परस्परम्
Bound by enmity, they will wish to kill one another; Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas will intermingle among themselves.
शूद्रतुल्या भविष्यन्ति तपःसत्यविवर्जिताः। अन्त्या मध्या भविष्यन्ति मध्याश्चान्त्या न संशयः
Devoid of austerity and truth, they will become like Shudras; the lowest will become the middle, and the middle will become the lowest, without doubt.
ईदृशो भविता लोको युगान्ते पर्युपस्थिते। वस्त्राणां प्रवरा शाणी धान्यानां कोरदूपकः
Such will the world become when the end of the age arrives; the best of garments will be made of hemp, and the best of grains will be barley.
भार्यामित्राश्च पुरुषा भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये। मत्स्यामिषेण जीवन्तो दुहन्तश्चाप्यजैडकम्
At the end of the age, men will regard their wives as enemies; living on fish and meat, they will milk goats and sheep.
गोषु नष्टासु पुरुषा येऽपि नित्यं धृतव्रताः। तेऽपिलोभसमायुक्ता भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
When cows are lost, even those who always observe vows will, at the end of the age, become possessed by greed.
अन्योन्यं परिमुष्णन्तो हिंसयन्तश्च मानवाः। अजपा नास्तिकाः स्तेना भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, men will rob and harm one another; they will be atheists, thieves, and goat-herders.
सरित्तीरेषु कुद्दालैर्वापयिष्यनति चौपधीः। ताश्चाप्यल्पफलास्तेषां भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
On riverbanks, with spades, they will irrigate fields by deceit; yet, even these will yield little fruit for them at the end of the age.
श्राद्धे दैवे च पुरुषा येऽपि नित्यं धृव्रताः। तेऽपिलोभसमायुक्ता भोक्ष्यन्तीह परस्परम्
Even those who always observe vows in rituals and worship will, at the end of the age, be possessed by greed and consume each other's offerings.
पिता पुत्रस् भोक्ता च पितुः पुत्रस्तथैव च। अतिक्रान्तानि भोज्यानि भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
A father will eat the food of his son, and likewise a son will eat the food of his father; what has been consumed in the past will return at the end of the age.
न व्रतानि चरिष्यन्ति ब्राह्मणा वेदनिन्दकाः। न यक्ष्यन्ति न होष्यन्ति हेतुवादविमोहिताः। निम्नेष्वीहां करिष्यनति हेतुवादविमोहिताः
Brahmins who revile the Vedas will not practice vows; deluded by arguments of reason, they will neither perform sacrifices nor offer oblations, and they will act in lowly ways, deceived by such reasoning.
निम्ने कृषिं करिष्यन्ति योक्ष्यन्ति धुरि धेनुक्राः। एकहायनवत्सांश्च वाहयिष्यन्ति मानवाः
They will cultivate fields in low places, and cows used for plowing will be yoked to the yoke; people will make calves only a year old carry burdens.
पुत्रः पितृवधं कृत्वा पिता पुत्रवधं तथा। `स्त्रियोऽपि पतिपुत्रादीन्वधिष्यनति युगक्षये'। निरुद्वेगो बृहद्बादी न निन्दामुपलप्स्यते
A son will kill his father, and a father will kill his son; at the end of the age, even women will kill their husbands, sons, and others; the shameless, boastful person will not be censured.
म्लेच्छभूतं जगत्सर्वं निष्क्रियं दानवर्जितम्। भविष्यति निरानन्दमनुत्सवमथो तथा
The whole world will become like foreigners, devoid of sacred rites and bereft of the virtuous; it will be joyless and without festivals.
प्रायशः कृपणानां हि तथा बन्धुमतामपि। विधवानां च वित्तानि हरिष्यन्तीह मानवाः
People will seize the wealth of the unfortunate, of those with relatives, and of widows as well.
स्वल्पवीर्यबलाः स्वाधा लोभमोहपरायणाः। तत्कथादानसंतुष्ट शिष्टानामपि बान्धवाः
With little strength or power, devoted to greed and delusion, relatives of even the virtuous will be satisfied merely by hearing stories.
परिग्रहंकरिष्यति मायाचारपरिग्रहाः। संघातयन्तः तय राजानः पापबुद्धयः
Kings of wicked intent, attached to deceitful conduct, will make alliances and seize possessions.