Vayu Purana

अत्र यज्ञप्रवृत्तिस्तु जायते हि महेश्वरात्। ततोऽत्र इज्यते यज्ञस्तिस्रो जिह्वास्त्रयोऽग्नयः । इष्ट्वा चैवाग्नयो विप्राः कालजिह्वा प्रवर्त्तते ।। ३२.

In this age, the performance of sacrifice arises from the Great Lord; therefore, in this age, sacrifice is performed, three tongues, three fires; and, O Brāhmaṇas, after offering into the fires, the tongue of Time is set in motion.

यदेतद्वै मुखं भीमं द्विजिह्वं रक्तपिङ्गलम्। द्विपादोऽत्र भविष्यामि द्वापरं नाम तद्युगम् ।। ३२.

That which is this terrible face, with two tongues, red and tawny, in this I will be two-footed; that age is called Dvāpara.

यदेतत् कृष्णवर्णाभं तुरीयं रक्तलोचनम्। एकजिह्वं पृथुश्यामं लेलिहानं पुनः पुनः ।। ३२.

That which is the fourth, resembling black in color, with red eyes, with one tongue, broad and dark, licking again and again—

ततः कलियुगं घोरं सर्वलोकभयङ्करम्। कल्पस्य तु मुखं ह्येतच्चतुर्थं नाम भीषणम् ।। ३२.

Then comes the dreadful Kali Yuga, terrifying to all the worlds; this is indeed the fourth, fearsome face of the age-cycle.

न मुखं नापि निर्वाणं तस्मिन् भवति वै युगे। कालग्रस्ता प्रजा चापि युगे तस्मिन् भविष्यति ।। ३२.

In that age, there is neither face nor liberation; in that age, the beings will be seized by Time.

ब्रह्मा कृतयुगे पूज्यस्त्रेतायां यज्ञ इच्यते। द्वापरे पूज्यते विष्णुरहम्पूज्यश्चतुर्ष्वपि ।। ३२.

Brahmā is worshipped in Kṛta Yuga, sacrifice is said to be in Tretā; in Dvāpara, Viṣṇu is worshipped, and I am worshipped in all four.

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च यज्ञश्च कालस्यैव कलास्त्रयः। सर्वेष्वेव हि कालेषु चतुर्मूर्तिर्महेश्वरः ।। ३२.

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and sacrifice are the three aspects of Time; in all the ages, the Great Lord is the four-formed one.

अहं जनो जनयिता (वः) कालः कालप्रवर्त्तकः। युगकर्ता तथा चैव परं परपरायणः ।। ३२.

I am the people, the creator (of you), Time, the mover of Time; the maker of the ages, and the supreme, the ultimate refuge.

तस्मात् कलियुगं प्राप्य लोकानां हितकारणात्। अभयार्थञ्च देवानामुभयोर्लोकयोरपि ।। ३२.

Therefore, upon the arrival of Kali Yuga, for the welfare of the worlds, and for the sake of fearlessness for the gods, in both worlds—

तदा भव्यश्च पूज्यश्च भविष्यामि सुरोत्तमाः। तस्माद्भयं न कार्यं च कलिं प्राप्य महौजसः ।। ३२.

Then I will be auspicious and worthy of worship, O best of gods; therefore, there should be no fear upon the coming of Kali, O mighty ones.

एवमुक्ता स्ततः सर्वा देवता ऋषिभिः सह। प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं पुनरूचुर्जगत्पतिम् ।। ३२.

Thus addressed, then all the deities, together with the sages, having bowed their heads to the god, again spoke to the Lord of the universe.

महातेजा महाकायो महावीर्यो महाद्युतिः। भीषणः सर्वभूतानां कथं कालश्चतुर्मुखः ।। ३२.

O one of great splendor, great form, great might, great radiance, O terrifying one of all beings, how is Time four-faced?

एष कालश्चतुर्मूर्तिश्चतुर्दंष्ट्रश्चतुर्मुखः। लोकसंरक्षणार्थाय अतिक्रामति सर्वशः ।। ३२.

This Time is four-formed, four-fanged, four-faced; for the protection of the worlds, he passes through all things.

नासाध्यं विद्यते चास्य सर्वस्मिन् सचराचरे। कालः सृजति भूतानि पुनःसंहरति क्रमात् ।। ३२.

There is nothing unattainable for him in all that moves and does not move; Time creates beings and again withdraws them in order.

सर्वे कालस्य वशगा न कालः कस्यचिद्वशे। तस्मात्तु सर्वभूतानि कालः कलयते सदा ।। ३२.

All are subject to Time; Time is subject to none; therefore, Time always measures out all beings.

विक्रमस्य पदान्यस्य पूर्वोक्तान्येकसप्ततिः। तानि मन्वन्तराणीह परिवृत्तयुगक्रमात् ।। ३२.

The seventy-one steps of his stride, as previously stated, are the Manvantaras here, in the succession of changing ages.

एकं पदं परिक्रम्य पदानामेकसप्ततिः। यदा कालः प्रक्रमते तदा मन्वन्तरक्षयः ।। ३२.

When Time completes one step, out of the seventy-one steps, then, when Time advances, there is the end of a Manvantara.

एवमुक्त्वा तु भगवान् देवर्षिपितृदानवान्। नमस्कृतश्च तैः सर्वैस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ।। ३२.

Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord vanished there itself, after being saluted by all the gods, sages, ancestors, and demons.

एवं स काले भगवान् देवर्षिपितृदानवान्। पुनः पुनः संहरते सृजते च पुनः पुनः ।। ३२.

In this way, at each moment, the Blessed Lord repeatedly withdraws and again creates the gods, sages, ancestors, and demons.

अतो मन्वन्तरे चैव देवर्षिपितृदानवैः। पूज्यते भगवानीशो भयात् कालस्य तस्य वै ।। ३२.

Therefore, in every Manvantara, the Blessed Lord is worshipped by the gods, sages, ancestors, and demons, out of fear of that Time.

तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन कलौ कुर्यात्तपो द्विजः। प्रपन्नस्य महादेवं तस्य पुण्यफलं महत्। तस्माद्देवा दिवं गत्वा अवतीर्य च भूतले ।। ३२.

Thus, in the Kali age, a twice-born should undertake austerity with all effort; for one who approaches Mahadeva, the great fruit of merit is obtained; therefore, the gods, having gone to heaven, descend again to earth.

ऋषयश्चैव देवाश्च कलिम्प्राप्य सुदारुणम्। तप इच्छन्ति भूयिष्ठं कर्त्तुं धर्मपरायणाः। अवतारान् कलिं प्राप्य करोति च पुनः पुनः ।। ३२.

The sages and gods, having entered the extremely harsh Kali age, desiring to perform abundant austerity, devoted to righteousness, repeatedly undertake incarnations upon entering Kali.

एवं कालान्तरे सर्वे येऽतीता वै सहस्रशः। वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे तस्मिन् देवराजर्षयस्तथा ।। ३२.

Thus, in the course of time, all those who have passed away by the thousands, in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, including the gods, royal sages, and others.

देवापिः पोरवो राजा मनुश्वेक्ष्वाकुवंशजाः। महायोगबलोपेताः कालान्तरमुपासते ।।३२.

Devapi, the ancient king, and the descendants of Manu in the Ikshvaku lineage, endowed with great yogic power, worship the passage of time.

क्षीणे कलियुगे तस्मिस्तिष्ये त्रेतायुगे कृते। सप्तर्षिभिश्चैव सार्द्धं भाव्ये त्रेतायुगे पुनः गोत्राणां क्षत्रियाणाञ्च भविष्यास्ते प्रकीर्तिताः ।। ३२.

When the Kali Yuga is exhausted, in the Tishya, Treta, and Krita ages, together with the seven sages, again in the future Treta age, the lineages of the Kshatriyas are proclaimed.

द्वापरान्ते प्रतिष्ठन्ते क्षत्रिया ऋषिभिः सह। कृते त्रेतायुगे चैव तथा क्षीणे च द्वापरे। नराः पातकिनो ये वै वर्त्तन्ते ते कलौ स्मृताः ।। ३२.

At the end of Dvapara, the Kshatriyas are established along with the sages; in Krita and Treta ages, and also when Dvapara is exhausted, those sinful men who exist are considered to belong to Kali.

मन्वन्तराणां सप्तानां सान्तानार्था श्रुतिः स्मृतिः। एवमेतेषु सर्वेषु युगक्षयक्रमस्तथा ।। ३२.

The tradition and memory concerning the seven Manvantaras with their ends, and likewise the sequence of the decline of all the ages.

परस्परं युगानाञ्च ब्रह्मक्षत्रस्य चोद्भवः। यथा वै प्रकृतिस्तेभ्यः प्रवृत्तानां यथा क्षयम् ।। ३२.

The mutual origin of the ages and of Brahmins and Kshatriyas, as well as the nature of their emergence and their decline.

जामदग्न्येन रामेण क्षत्रे निरवशोषिते। क्रियन्ते कुलटाः सर्वाः क्षत्रियैर्वसुधाधिपैः। दिवं गतानहं तुभ्यं कीर्त्तयिष्ये निबोधत ।। ३२.

When the Kshatriya order was exhausted by Rama, son of Jamadagni, all the families were established by the Kshatriya rulers of the earth; having gone to heaven, I shall recount them to you, listen.