In the seventh Tretā Yuga, when Bali ruled over all the worlds, and again in the third Tretā, the chief priest, for the sake of Vāmana, acted in perfect accordance with dharma. These three—Vāmana and his manifestations—are celebrated as divine incarnations. But there are seven others, human in form and born because of a curse; listen now to their stories. In the very first Tretā Yuga, when a fourth part of righteousness had faded, Dattātreya appeared, accompanied by the sage Mārkaṇḍeya and others. Then, in the fifteenth Tretā Yuga, the fifth incarnation occurred: King Māndhātā, the universal sovereign, appeared, accompanied by the sage Uttaṅka and others. In the nineteenth Tretā Yuga, the sixth manifestation was the mighty Jāmadagnya—known as Paraśurāma—the destroyer of all Kṣatriyas, with Viśvāmitra and his companions at his side. In the twenty-fourth Yuga, Rāma was born as the son of Daśaratha, with Vasiṣṭha as his chief priest; this was the seventh incarnation, undertaken for the sake of vanquishing Rāvaṇa. As the ages turned, in the eighth Dvāpara Yuga, Viṣṇu appeared; and in the twenty-eighth Dvāpara, Vedavyāsa was born from Parāśara, accompanied by Jātūkarṇya and other sages. To restore the order of dharma and destroy the Asuras, the ninth—Buddha—was born through great austerity, lotus-eyed and beautiful as a god, accompanied by Dvaipāyana and others. When that age declines and only its twilight remains, Kalki will arise, renowned as an incarnation of Viṣṇu, accompanied by the son of Parāśara. The tenth incarnation, yet to come, will appear with Yājñavalkya and will utterly destroy all beings—wicked men and heretics alike. He will be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Brahmins armed and ready for battle. At that time, Kalki will destroy all Śūdra kings, and after slaying the enemies of the Brahmins, he will annihilate all those hostile to him. In the twenty-fifth era, Kalki, accomplished and with his army, will purify the Shudras and lead them to the ocean’s edge. With his power and the wheel of action set in motion, he will bring about destruction, wiping out the base and mostly unrighteous people. Then, Kalki, having established order among the people, will bring them to prosperity. Yet, suddenly, deluded, they will become enraged with one another; driven by fate, they will destroy each other. When time has passed, that divine being will withdraw; when the kings are lost, Kalki will disappear to gather the people once more. When protection ceases, and after mutual slaughter, the people—having destroyed one another—will be left silent and deeply afflicted. They will abandon ancient villages, all made equal and without possessions; the duties of ashramas, social orders, and castes will be lost. At the end of the age, there will be impaling stakes, posts, Shiva’s tridents at crossroads, and women with disheveled hair serving as stakes. The forest dwellers will have short lives and small bodies, living by rivers and mountains, subsisting on roots, leaves, and fruits. Wearing bark, skins, and animal hides, they will fall into dreadful confusion; afflicted by calamities and suffering, with little gain and much hardship, such will be the state of the people. Thus, having fallen into misfortune at the twilight of the age, they will perish together with the Kali Yuga. When that Kali Yuga ends, the Krita age will return; thus, the activities of gods and asuras have been properly described. In connection with the Yadu lineage, the fame of Viṣṇu has been recounted; now listen to the stories of Turvasu, as well as Puru, Druhyu, and Anu. Turvasu’s son was Garbha, whose son was Gobhanu; Gobhanu’s son was the mighty, undefeated Trisari. Trisari’s son was Karandhama, and Karandhama’s son was Bharata. Duṣyanta, also of the Paurava line, had a son named Akalmaṣa. Thus, by Yayati’s curse in ancient times, through the transmission of old age, Turvasu entered the Paurava lineage. Duṣyanta’s heir was a king named Varūtha; from Varūtha came Aṇḍīra, and Saṃdhāna was his son. Among Saṃdhāna’s descendants were Pāṇḍya, Kerala, Cola, and Karṇa; their flourishing peoples became known as the Pāṇḍyas, Colas, and those of Kerala. Druhya had two valiant sons, Setu and Ketu. Setu’s son was Sharadvān, and Gandhāra was his own son. The land called Gandhāra is renowned by his name, and the horses born in the region of Āraṭṭa are the finest among steeds. Gandhāra’s son was Dharma, whose son was Ghṛta; from Ghṛta was born the wise Pracetā, who too had a son. Pracetā had a hundred sons, all kings, who became rulers of foreign lands and settled in the northern direction. Anu also had three sons, heroic and supremely righteous: Sabhānara, Kākṣuṣa, and Parameṣu. Sabhānara’s son was the learned king Kolāhala; Kolāhala’s virtuous son was the renowned Saṃjaya. Saṃjaya’s son was the valiant Puraṃjaya, whose son was the great king Janamejaya. Janamejaya, the royal sage, had a son named Mahāśāla, a king equal to Indra with firmly established fame. Mahāśāla’s righteous son was Mahāmanā, who became emperor and lord of the seven continents. Mahāmanā fathered two renowned sons: Uśīnara, who was devoted to righteousness, and Titikṣu; both were eminent in their time.