कलेर्दोषनिधेस्तात गुण एको महानपि। मानसं संभवेत्पुण्यं सुकृतं न हि दृष्कृतम्
O dear one, though Kali is an ocean of faults, it has one great virtue: merit arises from the mind alone; good deeds do not require outward action.
तीर्थादिके गते तात नष्टो धर्माश एव च । कलारूपश्च धर्मश्च यथा कुह्वां निशाकरः
When holy places and the hope for dharma disappear, dharma in the form of Kali remains only as a shadow, like the moon on the new-moon night.
नन्द उवाच तीर्थान्येतानि सर्वाणि तिष्ठन्त्येव कियद्दिनम् । साधवो ग्राम्यदेवाश्च शास्त्राण्येतानि वत्सक
Nanda said: How long do all these holy places, the virtuous, village deities, and these scriptures remain, O child?
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच कलौ दशसहस्राणि हरिस्तिष्ठति मेदिनीम् । देवानां प्रतिमा बूज्या शास्त्राणि च पुराणकम्
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In Kali, Hari remains on earth for ten thousand years; the images of the gods are to be worshipped, as are the scriptures and the Purāṇas.
तदर्धमपि तीर्थानि गङ्गादीनि सुनिश्चितम् । तदर्ध ग्रामदेवाश्च वेदाश्च विदुषामपि
For half that time, certainly, the holy places like the Gaṅgā remain; for half of that again, the village deities and the Vedas, even among the learned.
अधर्मः परिबूर्णश्च तदन्ते च कलौ पितः । एकवर्णा भविष्यन्ति वर्णाश्चत्वार एव च
At the end of that, unrighteousness becomes complete in Kali, O father; all four castes will become one.
न मन्त्रपूतोद्वाहश्च न हि सत्यं न य क्षमा । स्त्रीस्वीकाररतो नित्यं ग्राम्यधर्मप्रधानतः
There will be no marriages sanctified by mantras, no truth, nor forbearance; people will always be intent on taking women, and worldly duties will predominate.
न यज्ञसूत्रं तिलकं ब्राह्मणनां च नित्यशः । संध्याशास्त्रविहीनाश्च विप्रवंशाःश्रुता अपि
There will be no sacred thread or tilaka always for the brāhmaṇas; the lineages of the twice-born, though learned, will be without the twilight rituals and scriptural study.
सर्वैः सार्ध च सर्वेषां भक्षणं नियमच्युतम् । अभक्ष्यभक्षा लोकाश्च चतुर्वर्णाश्च लम्पटाः
All together, everyone eats without restraint; the people consume both what is proper and improper, and the four classes are greedy.
नारीषु न सती काचित्पुंश्चली च गृहे गृहे । करोति तर्जनं कान्तं भृत्यतुल्यं च कम्पितम्
Among women, there is not a single chaste one; in every house, wives are unfaithful, scolding their husbands, treating them like servants, and making them tremble.
जाराय दत्त्वा मिष्टान्नं ताम्बूलं वस्त्रचन्दनम् । न ददात्येव चाऽऽहारं स्वामिने दुःखिने पितः
To her lover she gives sweet food, betel, clothes, and sandal paste, but does not give food at all to her own suffering husband.
पुत्रेण भर्त्सितस्तातः शिष्येण भर्त्सितो गुरुः । प्रजाभिस्ताडितो भूपो भूपेन पीडिताः प्रजाः
The father is scolded by his son, the teacher is scolded by his student, the king is beaten by his subjects, and the subjects are oppressed by the king.
दस्युचोरेश्च दुष्टैश्च शिष्टाश्च परिपीडिताः । सस्यहीना च वसुधा क्षीरहीनाश्च धनेवः
The virtuous are tormented by wicked bandits and thieves; the earth is without crops, and the cows are without milk.
स्वल्पक्षीरे घृतं नास्ति नवनीतं च नित्यशः । सत्यहीना जनाः सर्वे नित्यं मिथ्या वदन्ति च
There is no ghee in the little milk that remains, and butter is always lacking; all people are devoid of truth and constantly speak lies.
शौचसंध्याशास्त्रहीना ब्राह्मणा वृषवाहकाः । सूपकाराश्च शूद्राणां शूद्राणां शवदाहकाः
Brahmins, lacking purity, daily rituals, and scriptural study, become bullock-cart drivers; cooks are of the servant class, and servants perform cremations.
शूद्रस्त्रीनिरताः शश्वच्छूद्रा विप्रवधूरताः । खादन्ति यस्य विप्रस्य भक्ष्यं च परिपाचकाः
Servants are always attached to servant women, and servants desire the wives of Brahmins; those who cook eat the Brahmin's food.
मातुः परां तस्य पत्नीं शूद्रा गृह्णन्ति लम्पटाः । भृत्यश्च हत्वा राजानं स्वयं राजा भविष्यति
Greedy servants seize the wife of their master's mother; a servant, having killed the king, will himself become king.
नारी हत्वा पतिं कामाद्भजेज्जारं च कौतुकात् । पुत्रश्च पितरं हत्वा स्वयं भूपो भविष्यति
A woman, having killed her husband out of desire, will take a lover for pleasure; a son, having killed his father, will himself become king.
सर्वे स्वच्छन्दनिरताः शिश्नोदरपरायणाः । वङ्खरा व्याधियुक्ताश्च कुत्सिताश्च कुचैलकाः
All are devoted to their own desires, intent on sensual pleasure and food; they are crooked, afflicted with disease, degraded, and wear filthy clothes.
विक्षुण्णमन्त्रलिप्ताश्च मिथ्यामन्त्रप्रचारकाः । जातिहीनाश्च गुरवो वयोहीनाश्च निन्दकाः
They recite corrupted mantras, spread false teachings, and act as teachers though lacking lineage and age, and are slanderers.
राजानश्चापि मलेच्छाश्च यवना धर्मनिन्दकाः । सत्कीर्तिमपि साधूनां कुर्वन्त्युन्मूलनं मुदा
Kings, outcastes, and foreigners who revile dharma joyfully destroy even the good reputation of the virtuous.
पितृदेवद्विजातीनामतिथीनां च नित्यशः । पूजा नास्ति गुरूणां च पित्रोश्च पूजनं स्त्रियाः
There is no regular worship of ancestors, gods, twice-born, or guests; women do not honor their gurus or their own parents.
स्त्रीबन्धूनां गौरवं च स्त्रीणां च सततं पितः । चोरः सत्कुलजातिश्च ब्रह्मदेवस्वहारकः
There is no respect for women’s relatives, nor for women themselves, O father; a thief, though born in a noble family, steals from Brahmins and gods.
मानं वहन्ति लोभेन युगधर्मेण कौतुकात् । देवायतनहीनं च जगत्सर्व भयाकुलम्
People bear honor out of greed and, by the law of the age, out of curiosity; the whole world, lacking temples, is filled with fear.
अराजकं च दुर्नीतं संततं कलिदोषतः । बुभृक्षिताः कुचैलाश्च दरिद्रा व्याधिनो नराः
Because of the faults of the Kali age, there is lawlessness and constant corruption; people are hungry, poorly clothed, poor, and diseased.
कपर्दकघटाध्यक्षो राजेन्द्रो हि घटेश्वरः । वृद्धाङ्गुष्टसमा लोका वृक्षाःशाकसमास्तथा
The king is the overseer of cowries and pots, truly the lord of pots; people are as small as an old man’s thumb, and trees are as small as their leaves.
तालानां नारिकेलाणां पनसानां तथैव च । फलानि सर्षपाण्येव तत्क्षुद्रं च ततः परम्
The fruits of palm trees, coconuts, jackfruits, and likewise, all small seeds and grains, and those even more inferior than these—
जलभाजनपात्रेण सस्येन वाससा तथा । विहीनं मन्दिरं सर्वं गृहाणामपरिष्कृतम्
A house lacking water vessels, grains, and clothing, and all dwellings without adornment—
गन्धकेन परिवृतं दीपहीनं तमेयुतम् । हिंस्रजन्तुभयाद्भीता जनाः सर्वे च पापिनः
A place filled with foul odor, devoid of lamps, enveloped in darkness, where people live in fear of harmful creatures, and all are sinful—
सर्वे च कलहाविष्टा पुंश्चल्यः कलहप्रियाः । रूपवत्यो न कामिन्यो नराश्चापि न रूपिणः
All are possessed by quarrels, women delight in strife, though beautiful they are not passionate, and men too are without beauty—