अरक्षितारो हर्तारो बलिभागस्य पार्थिवाः युगान्ते प्रभविष्यन्ति स्वरक्षणपरायणाः
At the end of the age, kings who are supposed to protect and collect tribute will become thieves, devoted only to their own protection.
अक्षत्रियाश् च राजानो विप्राः शूद्रोपजीविनः शूद्राश् च ब्राह्मणाचारा भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
And kings will be without the Kṣatriya spirit, Brāhmaṇas living off Śūdras, and Śūdras practicing Brāhmaṇa customs at the end of the age.
श्रोत्रियाः काण्डपृष्ठाश् च निष्कर्माणि हवींषि च एकपङ्क्त्याम् अशिष्यन्ति युगान्ते मुनिसत्तमाः
At the end of the age, O best of sages, learned priests with hunched backs and those who perform no rituals will eat the offerings together in a single row.
अशिष्टवन्तो ऽर्थपरा नरा मद्यामिषप्रियाः मित्रभार्यां भजिष्यन्ति युगान्ते पुरुषाधमाः
At the end of the age, base men, lacking blessings, devoted to wealth, fond of wine and meat, will take the wives of their friends.
राजवृत्तिस्थिताश् चौरा राजानश् चौरशीलिनः भृत्या ह्य् अनिर्दिष्टभुजो भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, thieves will hold royal occupations, and kings will possess the nature of thieves; servants will act without assigned duties.
धनानि श्लाघनीयानि सतां वृत्तम् अपूजितम् अकुत्सना च पतिते भविष्यति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, wealth will be praised, the conduct of the virtuous will be disregarded, and there will be no reproach for the fallen.
प्रनष्टनासाः पुरुषा मुक्तकेशा विरूपिणः ऊनषोडशवर्षाश् च प्रसोष्यन्ति तथा स्त्रियः
Men will be without noses, with disheveled hair, deformed in appearance, and women will bear children before reaching sixteen years of age.
अट्टशूला जनपदाः शिवशूलाश् चतुष्पथाः प्रमदाः केशशूलाश् च भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, villages will be filled with pestilence, crossroads will be haunted by evil spirits, and women will suffer from hair diseases.
सर्वे ब्रह्म वदिष्यन्ति द्विजा वाजसनेयिकाः शूद्राभा वादिनश् चैव ब्राह्मणाश् चान्त्यवासिनः
All twice-borns of the Vājasaneyi tradition will claim to speak for Brahman, but Brahmins will speak like Shudras, and Brahmins will dwell among outcastes.
शुक्लदन्ता जिताक्षाश् च मुण्डाः काषायवाससः शूद्रा धर्मं वदिष्यन्ति शाठ्यबुद्ध्योपजीविनः
Shudras with white teeth, skilled at dice, shaven-headed and clad in ochre robes, will speak of dharma, making a living through deceitful intellect.
श्वापदप्रचुरत्वं च गवां चैव परिक्षयः साधूनां परिवृत्तिश् च विद्याद् अन्तगते युगे
When the age ends, wild beasts will become numerous, cows will decline, and the virtuous will withdraw.
अन्त्या मध्ये निवत्स्यन्ति मध्याश् चान्तनिवासिनः निर्ह्रीकाश् च प्रजाः सर्वा नष्टास् तत्र युगक्षये
At the end of the age, outcastes will live among the middle classes, and the middle classes among outcastes; all people will be shameless and lost.
तपोयज्ञफलानां च विक्रेतारो द्विजोत्तमाः ऋतवो विपरीताश् च भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, O best of twice-borns, people will sell the fruits of austerity and sacrifice, and the seasons will be reversed.
तथा द्विहायना दम्याः कलौ लाङ्गलधारिणः चित्रवर्षी च पर्जन्यो युगे क्षीणे भविष्यति
Likewise, in the Kali age, draught animals will live only two years, farmers will carry ploughs, and the rain will fall irregularly when the age declines.
सर्वे शूरकुले जाताः क्षमानाथा भवन्ति हि यथा निम्नाः प्रजाः सर्वा भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, all people will be born in warrior families, lacking protectors, and all people will become lowly, as if pressed down.
पितृदेयानि दत्तानि भविष्यन्ति तथा सुताः न च धर्मं चरिष्यन्ति मानवा निर्गते युगे
Gifts given by fathers will become the property of sons, but when the age ends, people will not practice righteousness.
ऊषरा बहुला भूमिः पन्थानस् तस्करावृताः सर्वे ... वाणिकाश् चैव भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
At the end of the age, the land will be mostly barren, roads will be filled with thieves, and all merchants will be the same.
पितृदायाददत्तानि विभजन्ति तथा सुताः हरणे यत्नवन्तो ऽपि लोभादिभिर् विरोधिनः
Sons will divide the inheritance not given by their fathers, and though they strive to take it, they will quarrel out of greed and hostility.
सौकुमार्ये तथा रूपे रत्ने चोपक्षयं गते भविष्यन्ति युगस्यान्ते नार्यः केशैर् अलंकृताः
At the end of the age, when delicacy, beauty, and jewels have declined, women will adorn themselves only with their hair.
निर्वीर्यस्य रतिस् तत्र गृहस्थस्य भविष्यति युगान्ते समनुप्राप्ते नान्या भार्यासमा रतिः
At the end of the age, when it arrives, the householder will have pleasure only with his own wife, and not with any other.
कुशीलानार्यभूयिष्ठा वृथारूपसमन्विताः पुरुषाल्पं बहुस्त्रीकं तद् युगान्तस्य लक्षणम्
Artisans will be more numerous than noble people, and many will possess only a false appearance; men will be few and women many—this is a sign of the end of the age.
बहुयाचनको लोको न दास्यति परस्परम् राजचौराग्निदण्डादिक्षीणः क्षयम् उपैष्यति
People will beg from one another in great numbers, but none will give; diminished by kings, thieves, fire, and punishment, the world will come to ruin.
अफलानि च सस्यानि तरुणा वृद्धशीलिनः अशीलाः सुखिनो लोके भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये
Crops will bear no fruit, the young will possess the conduct of the old, and those without virtue will be happy in the world at the end of the age.
वर्षासु परुषा वाता नीचाः शर्करवर्षिणः संदिग्धः परलोकश् च भविष्यति युगक्षये
The winds will be harsh in the rainy season, and the lowly will rain down gravel; at the end of the age, the afterlife will become uncertain.
वैश्या इव च राजन्या धनधान्योपजीविनः युगापक्रमणे पूर्वं भविष्यन्ति न बान्धवाः
The rulers will live like merchants, dependent on wealth and grain; at the beginning of the age's decline, there will be no kinship.
अप्रवृत्ताः प्रपश्यन्ति समयाः शपथास् तथा ऋणं सविनयभ्रंशं युगे क्षीणे भविष्यति
Agreements will not be kept, oaths will be broken, and debts will be repaid without respect—such will occur when the age declines.
भविष्यत्य् अफलो हर्षः क्रोधश् च सफलो नृणाम् अजाश् चापि निरोत्स्यन्ति पयसो ऽर्थे युगक्षये
Joy will be fruitless, but anger will bear fruit among men; even goats will be milked for the sake of milk at the end of the age.
अशास्त्रविहितो यज्ञ एवम् एव भविष्यति अप्रमाणं करिष्यन्ति नराः पण्डितमानिनः
Sacrifices not prescribed by scripture will be performed, and men who consider themselves learned will act without authority.
शास्त्रोक्तस्याप्रवक्तारो भविष्यन्ति न संशयः सर्वः सर्वं विजानाति वृद्धान् अनुपसेव्य वै
There will be no one to teach what is declared in the scriptures—of this there is no doubt; everyone will claim to know everything, without serving the elders.
न कश्चिद् अकविर् नाम युगान्ते समुपस्थिते नक्षत्राणि वियोगानि न कर्मस्था द्विजातयः
When the end of the age arrives, there will be no one who is not a poet; the stars will be separated, and the twice-born will not perform their duties.