When a thousand years have passed, that time marks the highest span of human life. But as the ages roll on, men, Kshatriyas, and the people at large begin to decline, each following the other in this downward course. In the age of Kali, people’s lives become centered around little more than sleeping, sitting, and eating. It is an age when those lacking in virtue arise. Social order is upended: Shudras take up the ways of Brahmins, while Brahmins adopt the conduct of Shudras. By the end of the age, those who serve are poorly maintained, and deception becomes a valued skill. Wild beasts grow strong, cattle dwindle, and in the enveloping darkness, righteousness rooted in charity is rarely seen. The earth, too, reflects this decline—its fruits become scarce, though in a few places it may still yield abundantly. People become concerned only with protecting themselves. Even Shudras are addressed with respect, as the old distinctions fade. Women are seen with loose hair, carrying sticks, and many take up the life of renunciants, though the spirit of renunciation is not always pure. In this degraded time, everyone turns to commerce; all become merchants. The world fills with impostors—those who pretend to discipline and virtue, but who are nothing more than hunters in disguise. Begging becomes widespread, with people stretching out their arms to one another for alms. Reciprocity vanishes; no one returns a favor for a favor. The broad earth grows empty. Thieves abound, coveting others’ jewels and wives. Rogues lose all restraint, wandering with loose hair and clubs in hand. There are those with white teeth, skilled at dice, their heads shaven, dressed in ochre robes—yet their hearts are not pure. Even crops and garments are not safe from thieves. As knowledge and right action fade, the world becomes inert. Well-being, health, and capability become rare treasures, hard to find. For those weighed down by suffering, the highest lifespan dwindles to just one hundred years. Sacrifices fail, overtaken by unrighteousness. Some sell the Vedas, others even sell holy places. Such people arise in the time of Kali. Kings of Shudra birth perform great sacrifices like the Ashvamedha, and people achieve their goals through violence against one another. Devotion to unrighteousness prevails, and so the Kali age is known as an age shrouded in darkness. Lifespan, strength, and beauty all diminish as Kali advances. Yet, at the very end, O best of the twice-born, the blessed few continue to practice righteousness. In the Treta age, righteousness endures for a year; in Dvapara, for a month. Such is the state of Kali. Now, listen to what happens in its twilight portion. The nature of the ages determines the length and quality of these twilight periods. When the end of Kali’s twilight arrives, a man named Pramati is born in the lunar lineage. He will wander the earth for twenty years, marking the final chapter of this age.