Through a chain of mutual causes and sudden bursts of anger, a powerful figure arose, accompanied by his devoted followers. Together, they gained supremacy over the land that lay between the sacred rivers Ganges and Yamuna. In their conquest, they destroyed all the kings and countless mlecchas, leaving only a scattered few to survive in the devastated lands. Those who remained fell into strife, insulting and striking one another, caught in a web of mutual hostility. Fear gripped all the people, and, overwhelmed by this dread, they became deeply distressed for no apparent reason, disregarding even their own lives. Without restraint, without grief, affection, or shame, they abandoned their sons and wives, their minds bewildered by sorrow. Forsaking their homelands, they fled to the borderlands, suffering greatly as they survived on whatever they could find—meat, roots, and fruits. In this way, the population dwindled, and the few who remained found themselves in a state of decline. Yet, from their disillusionment arose inquiry, and through inquiry, a state of equilibrium gradually emerged. When those who survived the Kali age attained tranquility, their minds were cast into delusion, as if they were asleep or intoxicated. Then, as the pure Kṛta Yuga began anew, perfected beings moved unseen among men. In this age, those remembered as Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras existed, preserving the seeds of future generations. Among them, the Seven Sages taught dharma to the others, and in the Kṛta Yuga, people faithfully followed the practices they established. Some of these beings remained even after the end of the age to reestablish dharma. Just as grass scorched by wildfire revives with the return of heat, so too did those born in Kali Yuga emerge among the people of the Kṛta Yuga. This cycle continued without interruption until the end of a Manvantara. In each successive age, the virtues of the people diminished by three-fourths, gradually declining. O twice-born, thus is the cycle of transition described: the four ages, repeated a thousandfold. At the end of each age, straightforwardness among beings becomes dulled. Seventy-one cycles of the four ages together form a greater unit of time. Whatever occurs in one cycle of the four ages is mirrored in each; in every creation, distinctions arise in the same manner. This is the very nature of all Manvantaras. Thus, the world of living beings is never fixed, but constantly changes, rising and falling in an endless flow. These, then, are the characteristics of the ages, summarized for your understanding. One Manvantara encompasses all the intervals within it. For those yet to come, the wise should apply reason in the same way. All those who are equally esteemed exist with their own names and forms, and the sages and Manus are equal in their purpose. The Lord always establishes the nature of the ages accordingly. Now, I shall describe in detail and in proper sequence the existence of beings in these ages.