In the course of time, as the age of Kali unfolds, a great decline settles upon the world. Among thousands, there will be those who are barren, and this condition becomes especially common in Kali Yuga. The bonds of family and virtue weaken: mothers, wives, and daughters-in-law become intent on seeking gain through acts of infidelity. Even the sacred is not spared, for in this age, some will trade the holy names of Hari for their own benefit, selling what should never be sold. Yet, after such acts, reflecting within themselves, they will cross further boundaries, disregarding all restraint. They will violate all that is given—whether by themselves or by others. Some will seek the wives of others, while others will wander without limit, heedless of any tie. In this dark time, some will even approach their own brothers’ wives, abandoning the honor of their birth and roaming everywhere without shame. The sense of belonging to people, possessions, or villages will be lost, and violence will spread among all. People will turn against one another, becoming mutual enemies and even killers of men. The trades of the time will shift as well; many will engage in dealing with lac, iron, juices, and especially salt. The distinctions of food and conduct will vanish. All will partake of the food of Shudras, and many will be attached to women of questionable character. The sacred thread, the rites of sacrifice, the daily worship at dawn and dusk, and the practices of purity will be neglected and forgotten. Promiscuous women, barbers, outcasts, procuresses, and even menstruating women will mingle freely, and there will be no distinction regarding the origins of food. Thus, when Kali Yuga has fully manifested, all people will become like mlecchas—those outside the bounds of dharma. Yet, even in this darkness, a promise shines forth: the son of a Brahmin, renowned for his devotion to Vishnu, will be born as Kalki. He will wield a long sword and ride a swift, long-legged horse. With his power, he will cleanse the earth of mlecchas, causing their presence to vanish. In the wake of Kalki’s work, for six nights, torrents of rain will flood the vast earth. Then, O sage, twelve suns will rise together in the sky. When Kali has passed and Krita Yuga begins anew, the earth will be graced by ascetics, righteous men, and Brahmins learned in the Vedas. Kings and Kshatriyas will return to their duties, devoted to Brahmins and true to their roles. Vaishyas will engage in trade righteously and honor the Brahmins as well. The lineages of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas will be devoted to Vishnu and the sacred rites of sacrifice. They will be learned in the Vedas, Smritis, and Puranas, knowledgeable in dharma, and observant of the seasons. The cycle of time will be remembered: in Treta Yuga, dharma stands on three feet; in Dvapara, on two. There are seven days in a week and sixteen lunar phases, as is known. The month is divided into two fortnights, and the year is marked by two solstices; a day is made of four watches. The reckoning of time is intricate: the year is of five kinds, and when a year is complete, it is so for both humans and gods. The yuga of the gods is known to those who understand this reckoning. For the gods, a manvantara is seventy-one yugas. When the twenty-eighth Indra has passed, the day and night of Brahma arrives. At that time, a dissolution known as prākṛta occurs, and the earth becomes unseen. All living sages merge into Krishna, the Supreme. O sage, when the primordial dissolution comes and Brahma himself falls, all universes and everything within them are destroyed. There is a dissolution that lasts but a moment, in which the whole world is submerged in water. Thus, there are many kinds of creation, and likewise, many kinds of dissolution. Such is the vast and wondrous cycle of time and existence.