Hear now the tale of the great upheaval that marks the transition of ages. In those days, Brahmins, armed and gathered in their hundreds and thousands, joined forces with others, and the king, fierce in his resolve, slew those born of Shudra lineage. He did not spare even those who were excessively righteous, utterly destroying them. His wrath extended across the lands—those from the north, the central regions, and the east all faced his might. Likewise, the southern peoples, the Dravidians and the Sinhalese, fell under his destruction. No region escaped: the Tuṣāras, Barbaras, Chinese, Śūlikas, Daradas, and Khaśas were all swept away. With his mighty wheel set in motion, this powerful lord became the destroyer of the mlecchas, bringing their end. He was born as a portion of the god Mādhava, belonging to the lunar race, the lord of the former Kali Yuga. In his fury, he slew all beings, especially all men, driven by mutual causes and sudden anger. Along with his followers, he attained supremacy in the land between the Ganges and Yamuna. Having destroyed all the kings and thousands of mlecchas, only a handful of people remained scattered throughout the lands. These survivors insulted one another, striking each other in mutual conflict. Fear afflicted them all, and, disregarding their own lives, they were deeply distressed without clear cause. They lived without restraint, without lamentation, affection, or shame. Sons and wives were abandoned, their senses bewildered by grief, and they fled to the borderlands, leaving their own countries behind. Suffering greatly, they subsisted on meat, roots, and fruits. With only a few remaining, the people reached a state of decline. From this disillusionment arose inquiry, and from inquiry, a state of equilibrium emerged. When those who remained in Kali were endowed with tranquility, the lord caused their minds to be deluded, as if they were asleep or intoxicated. Then, as the pure Kṛta Yuga began, perfected beings remained and moved about unseen in the world. Here, those remembered as Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras existed for the sake of seed, and among them, the Seven Sages taught dharma to the others. In the Kṛta age, people followed the practices established by these sages. Some remained for the establishment of dharma after the end of the age. Just as grass scorched by wildfire revives from heat, so too, among the people of Kṛta Yuga, there emerged those born in Kali. This cycle continued without interruption until the end of a Manvantara. In each age, the numbers diminished by three-fourths, successively. Thus, O twice-born, the cycle of transition has been described. This cycle of four ages, multiplied a thousandfold, unfolds in this way. At the end of each age, straightforwardness becomes dulled among beings. This cycle, multiplied by the four ages, amounts to seventy-one. And just as in one cycle of four ages, whatever occurs here, so it is throughout.