When the divine portion of Lord Viṣṇu, born in the noble family of Vasudeva, ascended to heaven, the age of Kali entered this world. As long as that sacred incarnation touched the earth with his lotus feet, Kali could not approach or embrace it. But when that eternal portion of Viṣṇu departed for heaven, Dharma’s son, Yudhiṣṭhira, along with his brothers, renounced their kingdom. After Kṛṣṇa’s departure, Yudhiṣṭhira witnessed inauspicious omens and, recognizing the change of times, performed the coronation of Parīkṣit, entrusting him with the throne. When the great sages were about to proceed toward Pūrvāṣāḍhā, from that moment onward, a marked increase in movement and change began to occur. On the very day that Kṛṣṇa ascended to heaven, the Kali Yuga commenced. Hear from me its duration: O twice-born, by human reckoning, the Kali Yuga will last three hundred and sixty thousand years. In terms of divine years, this amounts to seven hundred and five; when this period concludes, the Kṛta Yuga will dawn once more. O best among the twice-born, in every age, thousands of great souls have appeared among brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. Because of the multitude of names, their repetition, and similarity in each lineage, I have not enumerated them all. Devāpi, the Paurava king, and Puru, descended from the Ikṣvāku line and endowed with great yogic power, now dwell in the village of Kalāpa. In the coming Kṛta Yuga, these two will return as founders of the kṣatriya line, established as seeds of Manu’s lineage. Thus, through this succession, the earth has been ruled by Manu’s sons across the three ages: Kṛta, Tretā, and Dvāpara. Even in Kali Yuga, some of these seed-bearers remain, O sage, just as Devāpi and Puru are presently established. Thus, I have briefly described to you the lineage of kings; even in a hundred years, it cannot be fully recounted. These and other kings, blinded by delusion, have claimed ownership of the earth, though their bodies are ever subject to decay. They thought, “How is this immovable earth mine? How will it belong to my son or my lineage?”—and thus met their end. Others came before them, others after, and those yet to come will also be followed by others. Observing the kings, intent on conquest and anxious for expeditions, the earth herself seems to laugh in autumn, adorned with blossoming flowers. Maitreya, listen to the verses sung by the earth, which the sage Asita once spoke to the righteous king Dharmadhvaja. The Earth spoke: “How does this delusion arise even among wise kings, by which, though they share the same duties, their minds become excessively trusting? First, ministers conquer themselves, then seek to conquer servants, citizens, and enemies. Thinking, ‘By this sequence, we shall conquer the earth with its oceans,’ their minds become attached, failing to see death, which is close at hand. The ocean becomes a boundary, and the world falls under their control; but what is the liberation gained by conquering oneself, and what is its fruit? Having abandoned their ancestors and departed without taking them, kings—out of great delusion—desire to conquer me. Because of me, conflict arises among fathers and sons, and brothers as well, due to extreme delusion and the attachment of their minds. ‘This whole earth is mine; it belongs to me and my lineage forever’—whoever, after death, became king elsewhere, held this mistaken thought. Seeing a mind bound by attachment, leaving me and going under the sway of death, how does attachment, born from me, take hold in the heart of one who follows him? ‘This earth is mine—quickly abandon it!’ say kings through their messengers to their enemies; among them, my attachment is excessive, yet compassion arises again for the deluded.” Śrī Parāśara continued: “Thus, Maitreya, these are the verses of the Earth-song; when heard, attachment dissolves, just as snow melts in the heat of the sun. I have properly recounted to you the lineage of Manu, in which kings are portions and sub-portions of Viṣṇu, who sustains the world. Whoever listens with devotion to this lineage of Manu, all sin is destroyed for him, and his soul becomes pure. He attains incomparable wealth and prosperity, with undisturbed senses, who hears the entire illustrious lineage of the moon and the sun. Knowing of Ikṣvāku, Jahnu, Māndhātṛ, Sagara, Avikṣit, Raghu, Yayāti, Nahuṣa, and others who reached their end—the mighty, the powerful, those with endless stores of wealth, kings whose stories remain only as tales, overcome by time and strength—a wise man does not develop attachment to sons, wives, homes, fields, or possessions. The heroic men who performed austerities for countless years, who offered great sacrifices and possessed immense strength—their stories remain only as remnants, overcome by time. Pṛthu, who traversed all worlds, undefeated and victorious over enemies, was destroyed by the wind of time, like silk cotton thrown into fire. Kārtavīrya, who subdued all the continents and destroyed hostile kings, enjoyed their sovereignty—he is spoken of in stories, but is himself only the result of imagination and doubt. The splendor of the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, which illuminated all directions among the Raghavas, did not leave even ashes in a moment at the mere frown of the destroyer of Tripura. Thus, the stories of kings and their lineages reveal the truth of impermanence and the dissolving of attachment; all are overcome by time, and only wisdom endures.