परस्पर निमित्तेन कोपेनाकस्मिकेन तु
Through mutual causes and sudden anger, indeed.
गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये निष्ठां प्राप्तः सहानुगः
He, along with his followers, attained supremacy between the Ganges and Yamuna.
उत्साद्य पार्थिवान्सर्वान्मलेच्छांश्चैव सहस्रशः
Having destroyed all the kings and thousands of mlecchas,
स्थितास्वल्पावशिष्टासु प्रजास्विह क्वचित्क्वचित्
Only a few people remained here and there in the lands.
उपहिसंति चान्योन्यं पोथयन्तः परस्परम्
They insult one another, striking each other mutually.
प्रजास्ता वै ततः सर्वाः परस्परभयार्द्दिताः
Then all the people, afflicted by mutual fear,
स्वान्प्रणाननपेक्षन्तो निष्कारणसुदुःखिताः
Disregarding their own lives, they are deeply distressed without cause.
निर्मर्यादा निराक्रन्दा निःस्नेहा निरपत्रपाः
Without restraint, without lamentation, without affection, and without shame,
हित्वा पुत्रांश्च दारांश्च विषादव्याकुलेद्रियाः
Abandoning their sons and wives, their senses bewildered by grief,
प्रत्यन्तांस्ता निषेवन्ते हित्वा जनपदान्स्वकान्
They resort to the borderlands, having abandoned their own countries.
मांसैर्मूलफलैश्चैव वर्तयन्तः सुदुःखिताः
Suffering greatly, they subsist on meat, roots, and fruits.
एतां काष्ठामनुप्राप्ता अल्पशेषाः प्रजास्ततः
Then, those people, with only a few remaining, reach this condition of decline.
विचारणा तु निर्वेदात्साम्यावस्था विचारणात्
From disillusionment comes inquiry, and from inquiry, a state of equilibrium arises.
तासूपशमयुक्तासु कलिशिष्टासु वै स्वयम्
When those who remain in Kali are endowed with tranquility,
चित्तसंमोहनं कृत्वा तासां वै सुप्तमत्तवत्
He causes their minds to be deluded, as if they were asleep or intoxicated.
प्रवृत्ते तु ततस्तस्मिन्पूते कृतयुगे तु वै
Then, when that pure Kṛta Yuga begins,
तिष्ठन्ति चेह ये सिद्धा अदृष्टा विचरन्ति च
Here, perfected beings remain and move about unseen.
ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशः शूद्रा बीजार्थं ये स्मृता इह
Here, those remembered as Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras exist for the sake of seed.
तेषां सप्तर्षयो धर्मं कथयन्तीतरेषु च
Among them, the Seven Sages teach dharma to the others.
ततस्तेषु क्रियावत्सु वर्तन्ते वै प्रजाः कृते
Then, in the Kṛta age, people follow the practices established by them.
केचिद्धर्मव्यवस्थार्थं तिष्ठन्तीहायुगक्षयात्
Some remain here for the establishment of dharma after the end of the age.
यथा दावप्रदग्धेषु तृणेष्विह तपेन तु
Just as, by heat, grass scorched by wildfire here revives,
तथा कार्तयुगानां तु कलिजष्विह संभवः
So too, among the people of Kṛta Yuga, there is the emergence of those born in Kali.
वर्त्तते ह्यव्यवच्छेदाद्यावन्मन्वन्तरक्षयः
This continues without interruption until the end of a Manvantara.
युगेष्वेतानि हीयन्ते त्रित्रिपादाः क्रमेण च
In each age, these diminish by three-fourths, successively.
इत्येष प्रतिसंधिर्यः कीर्त्तितस्तु मया द्विजाः
O twice-born, thus have I described this cycle of transition.
एषा चतुर्युगावृत्तिरासहस्रद्गुणीकृता
This cycle of four ages, multiplied a thousandfold, is thus.
अत्रार्जवं जडीभावो भूतानामायुगक्षयात्
Here, straightforwardness becomes dulled among beings at the end of the age.
एषा चतुर्युगानां च गुणिता ह्येकसप्ततिः
This, multiplied by the four ages, is indeed seventy-one.
चतुर्युगे यथैकस्मिन्भवतीह यथा तु यत्
Just as in one cycle of four ages, whatever occurs here, so it is.