For two hundred years, the sages devoted themselves joyfully to meditation, their hearts steadfast and their minds serene. Each day, after performing the sacred twilight rituals and worshiping the gods with reverence, they focused their thoughts upon Janardana, the Lord who sustains the universe. O wise and fortunate disciple of Vyasa, may your life be long and blessed. Listen now to what transpired next. In the land of Avanti, there reigned a king named Shankha. Meanwhile, in distant lands, the lord of the Shakas had come to power. As the two-thousandth year of the Kali Yuga approached, the rule and lineage of these foreign peoples flourished across the earth. Except for the sacred region of Brahmavarta, and the auspicious banks of the Sarasvati, the worship of the gods and the language of the Vedas faded as the Kali age advanced. New dialects arose: those of Vraja, Maharashtra, the Yavanas, and Gurundika. Words changed meaning—water was now called 'paniyam,' drinking water simply 'pani.' Hunger became 'bhuksha,' and thirst 'bhukha.' The pure sound for sacrifice was called 'ishti,' and 'istinī' became the purifier of meat. The ritual offering, once 'ahuti,' was now 'aju,' and both 'dadati' and 'dadhati' were used for giving. The words for father, paternal ancestor, brother, 'badara,' and husband evolved as well. Even the knee was now called 'jainu,' and the region known as 'saptasindhu' retained its name. Sunday was called 'sande,' Phalguna became 'pharvari,' and so on. Yet, even in the seven holy cities, violence began to arise. In the lands ruled by foreigners, intelligent men adopted the customs of these new rulers. The dominion of these foreign lords extended across Bhārata and even to the surrounding islands. Hearing of these changes and the decline of sacred traditions, the assembled sages were overcome with sorrow and wept greatly. Now begins the account of the kings who would rule in the Kali Yuga. In those times, the foreigners arrived in that region. Among the twice-born was a sage named Kāśyapa, whose wife was Āryāvatī. Together, they had ten sinless sons. Among these, two stood out: one was the preceptor and the initiated one, and the other was Śuklamiśra, the reciter. Both were renowned as knowers of the four Vedas, their virtues and names alike remembered with honor. Kāśyapa journeyed to Kashmir and there worshipped Sarasvatī, the Mother of the World. With incense, lamps, offerings, and handfuls of flowers, he prayed: “O Mother, you are the Mother of the World; why do you not appear to me? For the sake of the gods, you destroy the betrayer of dharma, O Mother. You are of many forms; with a mighty roar, you slew Dhumralocana. You destroy hypocrisy, delusion, and terrible pride, and always remain in happiness.” Pleased with the devotion of the sage, the goddess Sarasvatī made her abode in his mind and bestowed upon him the gift of knowledge. Empowered by her grace, the sage went to the land of the foreigners, accompanied by a multitude of ten thousand twice-born men. There, in the land of the noble ones, he dwelled by the favor of Sarasvatī. Among these noble groups, and by the boon of the goddess, their sons and grandsons flourished, as did Kāśyapa himself, who came to be regarded as king. In the region called Rājyaputra, there dwelled eight thousand Śūdras as well. Kāśyapa anointed his son, Māgadha, as his successor, and then departed from this world. Bowing to Sūta, the revered narrator of the Purāṇas, he devoted himself to meditation upon Viṣṇu. After performing all regular and occasional rites, he respectfully inquired, “O disciple of Vyāsa, tell us by whom the kingdom was established in this Kali age.” Māgadha, the son of Kāśyapa, attained the land of Māgadha. There, he remembered his ancestral kingdom and distinguished the noble land, continuing the lineage and the sacred traditions as best as he could.