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.
नूनं सत्ययुगे राजन् ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः । पराशक्त्यर्चनरता देवीदर्शनलालसाः
Indeed, O king, in the Satya Yuga, Brāhmaṇas were accomplished in the Vedas, devoted to worshipping the supreme power, and eager for the vision of the Goddess.
गायत्रीप्रणवासक्ता गायत्रीध्यानकारिणः । गायत्रीजपसंसक्ता मायाबीजैकजापिनः
Absorbed in the Gāyatrī and Praṇava, practicing meditation on Gāyatrī, devoted to reciting Gāyatrī, and chanting only the seed-mantra of Māyā.
ग्रामे ग्रामे पराम्बायाः प्रासादकरणोत्सुकाः । स्वकर्मनिरताः सर्वे सत्यशौचदयान्विताः
In every village, they were eager to build temples for the supreme Mother, all engaged in their own duties, endowed with truth, purity, and compassion.
त्रय्युक्तकर्मनिरतास्तत्त्वज्ञानविशारदाः । अभवन्क्षत्रियास्तत्र प्रजाभरणतत्पराः
There, Kṣatriyas were devoted to actions prescribed by the three Vedas, skilled in true knowledge, and intent on protecting their subjects.
वैश्यास्तु कृषिवाणिज्यगोसेवानिरतास्तथा । शूद्राः सेवापरास्तत्र पुण्ये सत्ययुगे नृप
The Vaiśyas were engaged in agriculture, trade, and tending cattle; the Śūdras were devoted to service, all in that virtuous Satya Yuga, O king.
पराम्बापूजनासक्ताः सर्वे वर्णाः परे युगे । तथा त्रेतायुगे किञ्चिन्न्यूना धर्मस्य संस्थितिः
All castes in that age were devoted to worship of the supreme Mother; but in the Tretā Yuga, the establishment of dharma became somewhat diminished.
द्वापरे च विशेषेण न्यूना सत्ययुगस्थितिः । पूर्वं ये राक्षसा राजन् ते कलौ ब्राह्मणाः स्मृताः
And in the Dvāpara Yuga, the state of Satya Yuga was especially reduced; those who were Rākṣasas before, O king, are considered Brāhmaṇas in Kali Yuga.
पाखण्डनिरताः प्रायो भवन्ति जनवञ्चकाः । असत्यवादिनः सर्वे वेदधर्मविवर्जिताः
Most become devoted to hypocrisy, deceiving people, all speaking untruth, devoid of Vedic dharma.
दाम्भिका लोकचतुरा मानिनो वेदवर्जिताः । शूद्रसेवापराः केचिन्नानाधर्मप्रवर्तकाः
Pretentious, clever in worldly ways, proud, without the Vedas; some devoted to serving Śūdras, and promoters of various unrighteous acts.
वेदनिन्दाकराः क्रूरा धर्मभ्रष्टातिवादुकाः । यथा यथा कलिर्वृद्धिं याति राजंस्तथा तथा
Cruel, revilers of the Vedas, fallen from dharma, speaking excessively; as Kali increases, O king, so too—