यदैव भगवान्विष्णोरंशो यातो दिवं द्विज । वसुदेवकुलोद्भूतस्तदैवात्रागतः कलिः
When the divine portion of Lord Viṣṇu, born in the family of Vasudeva, ascended to heaven, then Kali entered here.
यावत्सपादपद्माभ्यां पस्पर्शेमां वसुंधराम् । तावत्पृथ्वीपरिष्वंगे समर्थो नाभवत्कलिः
As long as he touched this earth with his lotus feet, Kali was not able to embrace the earth.
गते सनातनस्यांशो! विष्णोस्तत्र भुवो दिवम् । तत्याज सानुजो राज्यं धर्म पुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
When that eternal portion of Viṣṇu departed from the earth to heaven, Dharma's son Yudhiṣṭhira, along with his brothers, renounced the kingdom.
विपरीतानि दृष्ट्वा च निमित्तानि हि पांडवः । याते कृष्णे चकाराऽथ सोऽभिषेकं परीक्षितः
And seeing inauspicious omens, the Pāṇḍava, after Kṛṣṇa had departed, performed the coronation of Parīkṣit.
प्रयास्यंति यदा चैते पूर्वाषाढां महर्षयः । तदा नंदात्प्रभृत्येष गतिवृद्धिं गमिष्यति
When those great sages are about to proceed to Pūrvāṣāḍhā, from that time onward, this increase in movement will occur.
यस्मिन् कृष्णो दिवं यातस्तस्मिन्नेव तदा हनि । प्रतिपन्नं कलियुगं तस्य संख्यां निबोध मे
On the very day when Kṛṣṇa ascended to heaven, know from me that the Kali Yuga began; I will tell you its duration.
त्रीणि लक्षाणि वर्षाणां द्विज मानुष्यसंख्यया । षष्टिश्चैव सहस्राणि भविष्यत्येष वै कलिः
O twice-born, by human reckoning, this Kali Yuga will last three hundred thousand and sixty thousand years.
शतानि तानि दिव्यानां सप्त पंच च संख्यया । निश्श्षोए!ण गते तस्मिन्भविष्यति पुनः कृतम्
Those are seven hundred and five in divine years; when that is completed, the Kṛta Yuga will arise again.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्त्रिया वैश्याश्शूद्रा श्च द्विजसत्तम । युगेयुगे महात्मानः समतीतास्सहस्रशः
O best of the twice-born, in every age, thousands of great souls have been born among brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras.
बहुत्वान्नामधेयानां परिसंख्या कुलेकुले । पौनरुक्त्याद्धि साम्याच्च न मया परिकीर्त्तिता
Because of the multitude of names and their repetition and similarity in each lineage, I have not enumerated them all.
देवापिः पौरवो राजा पुरुश्चेक्षाकुवंशजः । महायोगबलोपेतौ कलापग्रामसंश्रितौ
Devāpi, the Paurava king, and Puru, descended from the Ikṣvāku line, endowed with great yogic power, dwell in the village of Kalāpa.
कृते युगे त्विहागम्य क्षत्रप्रावर्त्तकौ हि तौ । भविष्यतो मनोर्वंशबीजभूतौ व्यवस्थितौ
In the Kṛta Yuga, those two will return here as the founders of the kṣatriya line, established as the seeds of Manu's lineage.
एतेन क्रमयोगेन मनुपुत्रैर्वसुंधरा । कृतत्रेताद्वापराणि युगानि त्रीणि भुज्यते
By this succession, the earth has been ruled by the sons of Manu through the three ages: Kṛta, Tretā, and Dvāpara.
कलौ ते बीजभूता वै केचित्तिष्ठंति वै मुने । यथैव देवापिपुरू सांप्रतं समधिष्ठितौ
In the Kali Yuga, some of those seed-bearers remain, O sage, just as Devāpi and Puru are presently established.
एष तूद्देशतो वंशस्तवोक्तो भूभुजां मया । निखिलो गदितुं शक्यो नैष वर्षशतैरपि
Thus, I have briefly described to you the lineage of kings; it cannot be fully recounted even in a hundred years.
एते चान्ये च भूपाला यैरत्र क्षितिमंडले । कृतं ममत्वं मोहांधैर्नित्यं हेयकलेवरे
These and other kings, blinded by delusion, have claimed ownership over the earth, though their bodies are ever subject to decay.
कथं ममेयमचला मत्पुत्रस्य कथं मही । मद्वंशस्येतिचिंतार्त्ता जग्मुरंतमिमे नृपाः
Thinking, 'How is this immovable earth mine? How will it belong to my son or my lineage?'—these kings met their end.
तेभ्यः पूर्वतराश्चान्ये तेभ्यस्तेभ्यस्तथा परे । भविष्याश्चैव यास्यंति तेषामन्ये च येऽप्यनु
Others came before them, and still others after them; and those who are yet to come will also be followed by others.
विलोक्यात्मजयोद्योगं यात्राव्यग्रान्नराधिपान् । पुष्पप्रहासैश्शरदि हसंतीव वसुंधरा
Seeing the kings, intent on conquest and anxious for expeditions, the earth seems to laugh in autumn with the blossoming of flowers.
मैत्रेय पृथिवीगीताञ्छ्लोकांश्चात्र निबोध मे । यानाह धर्मध्वजिने नजकायासितो मुनिः
Maitreya, listen to the verses sung by the earth, which the sage Asita spoke to the righteous king Dharmadhvaja.
पृथिव्युवाच । कथमेष नरेंद्रा णां मोहो बुद्धिमतामपि । येन केन सधर्माणोप्यतिविश्वस्तचेतसः
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?
पूर्वमात्मजयं कृत्वा जेतुमिच्छंति मंत्रिणः । ततो भृत्यांश्च पौरांश्च जिगीषंते तथा रिपून्
First, having conquered themselves, ministers desire to conquer; then, they seek to subdue servants, citizens, and likewise enemies.
क्रमेणानेन जेष्यामो वयं पृथ्वीं ससागराम् । इत्यासक्तधियो मृत्युं न पश्यंत्यविदूरगम्
Thinking, 'By this sequence we shall conquer the earth with its oceans,' their minds become attached, and they do not see death, which is close at hand.
समुद्रा वरणं याति भूमंडलमथो वशम् । कियदात्मजयस्यैतन्मुक्तिरात्मजये फलम्
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?
उत्सृज्य पूर्वजा याता यां नादाय गतः पिता । तां मामतीव मूढत्वाज्जेतुमिच्छंति पार्थिवाः
Having abandoned their ancestors, and departed without taking them, kings, out of great delusion, desire to conquer me.
मत्कृते पितृपुत्राणां भ्रातॄणां चापि विग्रहः । जायतेत्यंतमोहेन ममत्वादृतचेतसाम्
Because of me, conflict arises among fathers and sons, and brothers as well, due to extreme delusion and the attachment of their minds.
पृथ्वी ममेयं सकला ममैषा मदन्वयस्यापि च शाश्वतीयम् । योयो मृतेऽन्यत्र बभूव राजा कुबुद्धिरासीदिति तस्यतस्य
This whole earth is mine, it belongs to me and to my lineage forever; whoever, after death, became king elsewhere, had this mistaken thought.
दृष्ट्वा ममत्वादृतचित्तमेकं विहाय मां मृत्युवशं व्रजंतम् । तस्यानुयस्तस्य कथं ममत्वं हृद्यास्पदं मत्प्रभवं करोति
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?
पृथ्वी ममैषाऽऽशु परित्यजैनां वदंति ये दूतमुखैस्स्वशत्रून् । नराधिपास्तेषु ममातिहासः पुनश्च मूढेषु दयाऽभ्युपैति
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.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। इत्येते धरणीगीताश्श्लोका मैत्रेय यैश्श्रुताः । ममत्वं विलयं याति तपत्यर्के यथा हिमम्
Śrī Parāśara said: Thus, Maitreya, these are the verses of the Earth-song; when heard, attachment dissolves, just as snow melts in the heat of the sun.