कालः पाकश्च यज्ञश्च यष्टा चाधीतमेव च। उच्यते विविधैर्भावैः स एवायं तु तत्परम्
He is time, ripening, sacrifice, the performer, and what is studied; he is called by various forms, and he alone is that supreme.
स एव भगवान्सर्वं करोति न करोति च। सोस्मिन्कारयते सर्वं स्थानिनां च कृतिः कृता
That blessed one does all, and yet does not act; by him all is made to act, and the deeds of the established are accomplished.
यजामहे तमेवाद्यं स एवोत्थाननिर्वृतः। यो वक्ता यच्च वक्तव्यं यश्चाहं तद्ब्रवीमि ते
We worship him, the primeval one, who is the source of arising; he is the speaker, the thing to be spoken, and I am the one who speaks this to you.
श्रूयते यच्च वै श्राव्यं यच्चान्यत्परिजल्पितम्। या कथायाश्च श्रुतयो यो धर्मी धर्मतत्परः
Whatever is heard and what is to be heard, and all other discourse; whatever stories are told, he is the one to whom the teachings and righteousness are dedicated.
विश्वं विश्वपतिर्यश्च स तु नारायणः स्मृतः। यत्सत्यं यदनृतमादिमध्यभूतं यच्चांत्यं निरवधिकं च यद्भविष्यम्
He who is the Lord of the universe, and the universe itself, is remembered as Nārāyaṇa; whatever is true, whatever is untrue, whatever is the beginning, the middle, or the end, whatever is boundless, and whatever is yet to come.
यत्किंचिच्चरमचरं यदस्ति चान्यत्सर्वं तत्पुरुषवरः प्रधानभूतः। चत्वार्य्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्कृतं युगम्
Whatever moves or does not move, whatever else exists, all of that is the supreme Person, who is the principal cause; they say that four thousand years make up a Kṛta Yuga.
तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा कुरुनंदन। यत्र धर्मश्चतुष्पादस्त्वधर्मः पादविग्रहः
Of that, the twilight period is one hundred years, O descendant of Kuru, and its double is also counted; in this time, righteousness stands on four feet, and unrighteousness is but a single limb.
स्वधर्मनिरताः शांता जायंते यत्र मानवाः। विप्रा स्थिता धर्मपरा राजवृत्तिस्थिता नृपाः
In that age, people are devoted to their own duties and are peaceful; the Brāhmaṇas are established in righteousness, and kings uphold the royal conduct.
कृष्यामभिरता वैश्याः शूद्रा शुःश्रूषवस्तथा। तदा सत्यं च सत्वं च धर्मश्चैव विवर्धते
Vaiśyas are devoted to agriculture, and Śūdras are intent on service; at that time, truth, virtue, and righteousness all flourish.
सद्भिराचरितो धर्मो येन लोकः प्रवर्त्तते। एतत्कृतयुगे वृत्तं सर्वेषामेव पार्थिव
Righteousness, practiced by the virtuous, governs the world; this is the conduct of all in the Kṛta Yuga, O king.
प्राणिनां धर्मसंज्ञानां नराणां नीचजन्मनाम्। त्रीणिवर्षसहस्राणि त्रेतायुगमिहोच्यते
For living beings who know righteousness, and for men of low birth, the Tretā Yuga is here said to last three thousand years.
तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा परिकीर्तिता। द्वाभ्यामधर्मः पादाभ्यां त्रिभिर्धर्मो व्यवस्थितः
Of that, the twilight period is one hundred years, and its double is declared; unrighteousness stands on two feet, and righteousness is established on three.
यत्र सत्यं च सत्वं च क्रिया धर्मो विधीयते। त्रेतायां विकृतिं यांति वर्णा लोभेन संयुताः
In that age, truth, virtue, and prescribed rites are established; but in Tretā, the classes become corrupted, being overcome by greed.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य वै कृत्यं क्षांतिर्दौर्बल्यमेव च। एषा त्रेतायुगगतिर्विचित्रा देवनिर्मिता
The duties of the four classes, forbearance, and weakness are present; this is the varied course of the Tretā Yuga, created by the gods.
द्वापरं द्विसहस्रं तु वर्षाणां कुरुनन्दन। तस्य तावच्छती सन्ध्या द्विगुणं युगमुच्यते
O descendant of Kuru, the Dvāpara Yuga is two thousand years; its twilight period is one hundred years, and the Yuga is said to be double that.
तत्राप्यतीवार्थपराः प्राणिनो रजसा हताः। शठा नैष्कृतिकाः क्षुद्रा जायन्ते कुरुनन्दन
There too, beings are excessively attached to wealth, overcome by passion; deceitful, unrighteous, and base people are born, O descendant of Kuru.
द्वाभ्यां धर्मः स्थितः पद्भ्यामधर्मस्त्रिभिरुत्थितः। विपर्ययशतैर्धर्मः क्षयमेति कलौ युगे
There, righteousness stands on two feet, and unrighteousness arises on three; through hundreds of reversals, righteousness declines in the Kali Yuga.
ब्रह्मण्यभावश्च्यवते तथास्तिक्यं विवर्ज्यते। व्रतोपवासास्त्यज्यंते कलौ वै युगपर्यये
Devotion to Brahman wanes, and faith is abandoned; vows and fasts are given up at the end of the Yuga, in Kali.
तदा वर्षसहस्रं तु वर्षाणां द्वे शते तथा। यत्राधर्मश्चतुष्पादो धर्मः पादपरिग्रहः
Then, the Kali Yuga is a thousand years, and two hundred years more; in that age, unrighteousness stands on four feet, and righteousness is but a single limb.
कामिनस्तापसाः क्षुद्रा जायंते यत्र मानवाः। न चावसायिकः कश्चिन्न साधुर्न च सत्यवाक्
In that age, people are lustful, ascetics are base, and men are born lowly; there is no one who is steadfast, no one who is virtuous, and no one who speaks the truth.
नास्तिका ब्राह्मणा भक्ता ज्ञायंते तत्र मानवाः। अहंकारगृहीताश्च प्रक्षीणस्नेहबंधनाः
In that age, Brāhmaṇas are known to be atheists and devoted to base pursuits; they are seized by pride and have lost the bonds of affection.
विप्राः शूद्रसमाचारास्संति सर्वे कलौ युगे। आश्रमाणां विपर्यासः कलौ संप्रति वर्तते
In the Kali Yuga, all Brāhmaṇas behave like Śūdras; the proper order of the āśramas is now reversed in Kali.
वर्णानां चैव संदेहो युगांते कुरुनंदन। एषा द्वादशसाहस्री युगाख्या पूर्वनिर्मिता
And at the end of the age, O descendant of Kuru, there is confusion among the castes; this account of the ages, numbering twelve thousand, was composed in former times.
सहस्रयुगपर्यंतं तदहर्ब्राह्ममुच्यते। ततो ह निगते तस्मिन्सर्वेषामेव जीविनाम्
A day of Brahmā is said to last as long as a thousand cycles of ages; when that time comes to an end, all living beings—
शरीरनिर्वृतिं दृष्ट्वा कालः संहारबुद्धिमान्। देवतानां च सर्वेषां ब्राह्मणानां महीपते
When he sees the dissolution of bodies, Time, intent on destruction, brings about the end for all the gods and all the brāhmaṇas, O king—
दैत्यानां दानवानां च यक्षराक्षसपक्षिणाम्। गंधर्वाणामप्सरसां भुजंगानां च पार्थिव
For the daityas, dānavas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, birds, gandharvas, apsarases, and serpents as well, O ruler—
पर्वतानां नदीनां च पशूनां चैव सत्तम। तिर्यग्योनिगतानां च क्रिमीणां दंशिनां तथा
For the mountains, rivers, and also the animals, O best of beings, and for those born in nonhuman wombs, for worms and biting creatures likewise—
सर्वभूतपतिः पंच भूत्वा भूतानि भूतकृत्। जगत्संहरणार्थाय कुरुते वैशसं महत्
The lord of all beings, having become the five elements and the creator of beings, for the purpose of dissolving the world, brings about a great destruction.
भूत्वा सूर्यश्चक्षुषी आददानो भूत्वा वायुः प्राणिनां प्राणिजातम्। भूत्वा वह्निर्निर्दहन्सर्वलोकान्भूत्वा मेघो भूय उग्रोऽभ्यवर्षत्
Becoming the sun, he takes away the sight; becoming the wind, he takes the breath of living beings; becoming fire, he burns up all the worlds; becoming a fierce cloud, he rains down again.
भूत्वा नारायणो योगी सर्वमूर्ति विभावसुः। गभस्तिभिः प्रदीप्ताभिः संशोषयति सागरान्
Becoming Nārāyaṇa, the yogī, the all-formed, the radiant one, with blazing rays he dries up the oceans.