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.
सर्गे सर्गे तथा भेदा उत्पद्यन्ते तथैव तु
In each creation, likewise, distinctions arise in the same manner.
मन्वन्तराणां सर्वेषामेतदेव तु लक्षणम्
This is the characteristic of all the Manvantaras.
तथा न संतिष्ठति जीवलोकः क्षयोदयाभ्यां परिवर्त्तमानः
Thus, the world of living beings does not remain, constantly changing through decline and rise.
इत्येत ल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं युगानां वै समासतः
Thus, the characteristics of the ages have been stated in summary.
मन्वन्तरेण चैकेन सर्वाण्येवान्तराणि वै
By one Manvantara, indeed, all intervals are encompassed.
अनागतेषु तद्वच्च तर्कः कार्यो विजानता
For those yet to come, likewise, reasoning should be applied by the wise.
तुल्याभिमानिनः सर्वे नामरूपैर्भवन्त्युत
All those who are equally esteemed indeed exist with names and forms.
ऋषयो मनवश्चैव सर्वे तुल्याः प्रयोजनैः
The sages and Manus, too, are all equal in purpose.
युगस्वभावांश्च तथा विधत्ते वै सदा प्रभुः
The Lord always establishes the nature of the ages accordingly.
विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्या च स्थितिं वक्ष्ये युगेष्विह
I shall describe in detail and sequence the existence in the ages here.