कियानुत्तारितो भारो हत्वा दुष्टाननेकशः । ज्ञात्वा सर्वान्दुराचारान्पापबुद्धिनृपानिह
How much of the burden was removed by slaying many wicked ones, knowing all the evil-doers and sinful kings here?
हतो भीष्मो हतो द्रोणो विराटो द्रुपदस्तथा । बाह्लीकः सोमदत्तश्च कर्णो वैकर्तनस्तथा
Bhīṣma was slain, Droṇa was slain, as were Virāṭa and Drupada, also Bāhlīka, Somadatta, and Karṇa, the son of Vikartana.
यैर्लुण्ठितं धनं सर्वं हृताश्च हरियोषितः । कथं न नाशिता दुष्टा ये स्थिताः पृथिवीतले
By whom all the wealth was plundered and the wives of others were taken—how were those wicked ones who remain on earth not destroyed?
आभीराश्च शका म्लेच्छा निषादाः कोटिशस्तथा । भारावतरणं किं तत्कृतं कृष्णेन धीमता
The Ābhīras, Śakas, barbarians, and Niṣādas, by the millions—was the removal of the burden truly accomplished by the wise Kṛṣṇa?
सन्देहोऽयं महाभाग न निवर्तति चित्ततः । कलावस्मिन्मजाः सर्वाः पश्यतः पापनिश्चयाः
This doubt, O highly fortunate one, does not leave my mind; for in this age of Kali, all those born are seen to be intent on sin.
व्यास उवाच राजन् यस्मिन्युगे यादृक्प्रजा भवति कालतः । नान्यथा तद्भवेन्नूनं युगधर्मोऽत्र कारणम्
Vyāsa said: O King, in whatever age, the people are as they are due to time; it cannot be otherwise—indeed, the law of the age is the cause here.
ये धर्मरसिका जीवास्ते वै सत्ययुगेऽभवन् । धर्मार्थरसिका ये तु ते वै त्रेतायुगेऽभवन्
Those beings who delighted in dharma existed in the Satya Yuga; those who delighted in dharma and artha were in the Tretā Yuga.
धर्मार्थकामरसिका द्वापरे चाभवन्युगे । अर्थकामपराः सर्वे कलावस्मिन्भवन्ति हि
Those who delighted in dharma, artha, and kāma were in the Dvāpara Yuga; in this Kali age, all are devoted only to artha and kāma.
युगधर्मस्तु राजेन्द्र न याति व्यत्ययं पुनः । कालः कर्तास्ति धर्मस्य ह्यधर्मस्य च वै पुनः
O King, the law of the age does not undergo change again; time is indeed the agent of both righteousness and unrighteousness.
राजोवाच ये तु सत्ययुगे जीवा भवन्ति धर्मतत्पराः । कुत्र तेऽद्य महाभाग तिष्ठन्ति पुण्यभागिनः
The king said: Those beings who are devoted to righteousness in the Satya Yuga, O greatly fortunate one, where do those blessed souls reside today?
त्रेतायुगे द्वापरे वा ये दानव्रतकारकाः । वर्तन्ते मुनयः श्रेष्ठाः कुत्र ब्रूहि पितामह
Those who performed religious vows in the Treta or Dvapara Yuga, and the eminent sages, where do they exist now? Tell me, O grandfather.
कलावद्य दुराचारा येऽत्र सन्ति गतत्रपाः । आद्ये युगे क्व यास्यन्ति पापिष्ठा देवनिन्दकाः
Those who are wicked and shameless in this Kali age, where will those most sinful, blasphemers of the gods, go in the first age?
एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व विस्तरेण महामते । सर्वथा श्रोतुकामोऽस्मि यदेतद्धर्मनिर्णयम्
O wise one, please explain all this in detail; I am eager to hear the full determination regarding righteousness.
व्यास उवाच ये वै कृतयुगे राजन् सम्भवन्तीह मानवाः । कृत्वा ते पुण्यकर्माणि देवलोकान्व्रजन्ति वै
Vyasa said: Those humans who are born in the Krita Yuga, O King, after performing virtuous deeds, indeed go to the worlds of the gods.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च नृपसत्तम । स्वधर्मनिरता यान्ति लोकान्कर्मजितान्किल
O best of kings, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, devoted to their own duties, attain worlds won by their actions.
सत्यं दया तथा दानं स्वदारगमनं तथा । अद्रोहः सर्वभूतेषु समता सर्वजन्तुषु
Truthfulness, compassion, charity, fidelity to one's own spouse, non-harming of all beings, and equality towards all creatures—
एतत्साधारणं धर्मं कृत्वा सत्ययुगे पुनः । स्वर्गं यान्तीतरे वर्णा धर्मतो रजकादयः
By practicing this common righteousness in the Satya Yuga, the other castes, such as washermen, also attain heaven through virtue.
तथा त्रेतायुगे राजन् द्वापरेऽथ युगे तथा । कलावस्मिन्युगे पापा नरकं यान्ति मानवाः
Likewise, O King, in the Treta and Dvapara Yugas, but in this Kali age, sinful humans go to hell.
तावत्तिष्ठन्ति ते तत्र यावत्स्याद्युगपर्ययः । पुनश्च मानुषे लोके भवन्ति भुवि मानवाः
They remain there until the end of the age; then, once again, they are born as humans on earth.
यदा सत्ययुगस्यादिः कलेरन्तश्च पार्थिव । तदा स्वर्गात्पुण्यकृतो जायन्ते किल मानवाः
When the beginning of the Satya Yuga and the end of Kali occurs, then those who performed virtuous deeds are born as humans from heaven.
यदा कलियुगस्यादिर्द्वापरस्य क्षयस्तथा । नरकात्पापिनः सर्वे भवन्ति भुवि मानवाः
When the beginning of Kali and the end of Dvapara comes, all sinners are born as humans on earth from hell.
एवं कालसमाचारो नान्यथाभूत्कदाचन । तस्मात्कलिरसत्कर्ता तस्मिंस्तु तादृशी प्रजा
Thus, the conduct of time never happens otherwise; therefore, Kali is the maker of unrighteousness, and accordingly, such people arise in it.
कदाचिद्दैवयोगात्तु प्राणिनां व्यत्ययो भवेत् । कलौ ये साधवः केचिद्द्वापरे सम्भवन्ति ते
Sometimes, by divine arrangement, a change occurs among living beings; those few who are virtuous in Kali are born in Dvapara.
तथा त्रेतायुगे केचित्केचित्सत्ययुगे तथा । दुष्टाः सत्ययुगे ये तु ते भवन्ति कलावपि
Likewise, some are born in Treta, and some in Satya Yuga; those who are wicked in Satya Yuga also appear in Kali.
कृतकर्मप्रभावेण प्राप्नुवन्त्यसुखानि च । पुनश्च तादृशं कर्म कुर्वन्ति युगभावतः
Through the influence of their past actions, they experience unhappiness, and again perform similar deeds according to the nature of the age.
जनमेजय उवाच युगधर्मान्महाभाग ब्रूहि सर्वानशेषतः । यस्मिन्वै यादृशो धर्मो ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तं तथा
Janamejaya said: O greatly fortunate one, tell me all the laws of the ages in full; I wish to know the nature of righteousness in each.
व्यास उवाच निबोध नृपशार्दूल दृष्टान्तं ते ब्रवीम्यहम् । साधूनामपि चेतांसि युगभावाद्भ्रमन्ति हि
Vyāsa said: Hear, O best of kings, I will tell you an example; even the minds of the virtuous are bewildered by the influence of the ages.
पितुर्यथा ते राजेन्द्र वुद्धिर्विप्रावहेलने । कृता वै कलिना राजन् धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः
Just as, O king, your father's judgment was led to disrespect the Brāhmaṇas by the power of Kali, though he was a knower of dharma and a great soul.
अन्यथा क्षत्रियो राजा ययातिकुलसम्भवः । तापसस्य गले सर्पं मृतं कस्मादयोजयत्
Otherwise, why would a Kṣatriya king, born in the line of Yayāti, place a dead snake on the neck of a sage?
सर्वं युगबलं राजन्वेदितव्यं विजानता । प्रयत्नेन हि कर्तव्यं धर्मकर्म विशेषतः
O king, one who understands should know that all is due to the force of the age; yet, one must strive especially to perform acts of dharma.