40 - Extent of four Yugas 

Indra said: 

1. In Kali age men excited by tamoguņa adopt Máyā deception) and jealousy. They do not hesitate to kill ascetics. They are always tormented by jealousy. 

2. In Kali age there is always carelessness, illness, hunger, fear, and terrible suffering from drought. There is also opposition from and among the different parts of the country. 

3. Shruti (i. e. Vedas) is not considered an authority. Men resort to sinful activity. People are sinful, irritable and narrowminded. They misbehave. 

4. Greedy and wicked subjects, born in Kali utter falsehood. They are engaged in evil desires, evil study, misbehaviour and misleading scriptural texts. 

5. Due to defects in the activities of the brahmins fear arises in the subjects. The twice-born neglect the study of Vedas and do not sacrifice as prescribed. 

6-7. Men perish Kshatriyas and Vaishyas decline gradually. In Kali Shūdras claim kinship with brahmins through their learning through interdining and sharing seats and beds. Kings become mostly. Shūdras and they harass brahmins. 

8. Killing of foetus and murder of heroes become prevalent Shūdras adopt the conduct of life prescribed for the brahmins and the brahmins adopt the ways of Shūdras. 

9. Thieves function as kings and rings function as thieves. The chaste lading cease to exist and wanton sluts increase in number. 

10. Stability and discipline of four castes and stags of life disappear frein all places. It that time the earth yields very little fruit in one place and great fruits in another. 

11. O Shilasana, the kings confiscate and misappropriate public property. They cease to be protectors Shūdras acquire knowledge and are honoured by the brahmins. 

12. Non-kșhatriyas become rulers. Brahmins depend on Shūdras. Shūdras proud of their intellect remain sitting in their seats and do not stir on seeing brahmins. 

13-18 Petty-minded Shūdras strike the leading brahmins. Out of humility, brahmins keep their hand over their mouth and whisper into the ears of base Šhūdras. O noble Brahmins, knowing that Shūdras are seated on lofty seats amidst brahmins, the king does not punish them. People of meagre learning, fortune and strength worship Shūdras with flowers, scents and other auspicious things. O brahmin, arrogant Shūdras do not even glance at the excellent brahmins. Waiting for their opportunity to serve them, the brahmins stand at their thresholds: The brahmins depending upon Shūdras serve them when they return seated in their vehicles and eulogise them by means of eulogies and prayers. In Kali, even the excellent brahmins demean themselves by selling the fruits of their austerities and sacrifices. 

19-25. In Kali there will be many ascetics. As the yuga draws to a close, men become reduced in number while women increase in proportion. In Kali even the brahmins censure Vedic learning and holy rites. In Kali lord Mahādeva, Shankara, Nilalohita reveals himself as one of deformed features, for the establishment of righteousness. The brahmins who resort to him by any means conquer the evils of Kali and attain the highest abode. 

It should be known that towards the close of yuga, the beasts of prey will be very violent. Cows will decline and good men will recede from active spheres. Their Dharma which is subtle, conducive to good results and difficult of access, which has its roots in charitable gifts, becomes shaky due to in stability in the four stages of life. The kings misappropriate shares from the oblations offered to God. They do not protect the people. Towards the close of yuga, they will be more interested in protecting themselves. In Kali cooked food will be kept for sale in living places. The selling of Vedas and other sacred literature will occur in cross streets; young women will sell even their honour259. 

259. attaśhulāh-attam kanyädravyam shūlo yeșhām ST.--those who indulge in the barter of girls. Or atta--cooked food. Shivashūlāh-those who indulge in the sale of Vedas. Chatushpathäh-brähmanas (Medini cited in ST.) Keśhaśhülāh-tyaktalajjāḥ ST. Or those who have bartered their chastity. * mukta-kešhāḥ-apagatahrikāḥ. Cf. Vishva cited in ST. 

26-31. The lord of rain will be wayward in making showers at the close of yuga. Merchants will resort to malpractices. They will be surrounded by heretics indulging in vain outward show. There will be many beggars and petitioners among the people soliciting one another. There will be no one not indulging in harsh words; there will not be any straightforward man; there will hardly be anyone who is not jealous; when the yuga comes to a close, there will scareely be any man readily willing to return the help rendered. Fallen people and censurers characterise this closing period of yuga. The earth will be devoid of kings, riches and foodgrains will not flourish; groups of conspirators will be formed in the cities and countries. The earth will have short supply of water and will be deficient in fruits. Those assigned to be protectors will not be so. They will not be subject to discipline. 

32-33. Men will rob others of their wealth and violate the chastity of other men's wives. They will be lustful, wicked at heart, base and foolhardy. They will lose proper perspective of things. Suffering from colic they will have their hairs dishevelled. Towards the close of the yuga people will be born whose age will be only sixteen years. 

34. When the end of the yuga is imminent Shūdras will begin the practice of dharma with white teeth, deerskin and Rudrāksha beads, with shaven heads and ochre-colured robes. 

35. Men will steal plants and grains. They will covet the clothes they see; thieves will rob other thieves of their wealth; one robber will rob another. 

36-37. When noble and befitting holy rites are no longer performed; when all the people become inactive and lethargic, germs, mice and serpents will torment men. Prosperity, welfare, health and efficiency will be dificult to attain. People afflicted by hunger and fear will resort to the lands near the Kaushiki260 river. 

260. Kaushiki. It is the modern Kosi that issues from the Himālayas, flows through Nepal and Tirhut and joins the Ganges below Patna. But originally the river passed through North Bengal and fell into the Brahmaputra. See Sircar, GAMI P. 42. 

38-39. People overwhelmed by misery will never see the maximum span of life of hundred years. In Kali all the Vedas will not be available. Yajñas perish afflicted by people of no virtue. Ochre-robed and naked anchorites will be wandering and many Kapālikas ascetics holding skulls as their begging bowls) will infest the territories. 

40-41. Some sell Vedas and others sell Tirthas (holy waters) ????? make illegal gain out of these. When Kali yuga begins ????? will be born, who will be opposed to the system of four castes and stages of life. Shūdras will learn the Vedas and will become experts in the meaning of dharma. 

 42-44. Kings born of Shudra womb will perform horse sacrifice. People begin to harass one another by killing women, ????? ows and one another.

Since people are inclined towards evil, their behaviour will be wrought by tamoguņa. At that time the crimes such as the laughter of a brahmin begin to appear. 

45. Hence during Kali longevity strength and features become less and less. Men attain perfection within a short while. 

46.47. Excellent brahmins of blessed nature will sull practise dharma without malice towards the end of yuga as laid down in the Shrutis and Smrutis. What is gained by the practiced dharma for a year in Tretă is attained by the practice of it for a month in Dvapara. In Kali an intelligent devotee attains the name in a day by practicing Dharma strenuously. 261

48. This is the state of affairs in the Kali yuga Understand the situation in the period of ending junction (sandhyāmsha) from me. In every yuga the Siddhis are reduced to three-fourths of what they were in the beginning. 

49. Only a quarter of the features of the yugas remains in their sandhyas (preceeding transition periods). Similarly, only a quarter of the features of the sandhyas abides in the sandhyamśhas (succeeding transition periods only 1/6th of the yuga Dharma will prevail). 

261. Cf. Vișhnu as cited in ST. द्वापरे यज्ञमासेन अहोरात्रेण तत्कलो ॥ तपसो ब्रह्मचर्यस्य नपादेश्च फलं द्विजाः । प्राप्नोति पुरुषस्तेन कतिः साध्विति भाषितम् ।। 

50-53. When the yuga has come to a close and the period of junction too has arrived, the chastiser of the wicked people will rise up in order to kill all the bad living beings. He will be born in the family of the Moon. He will be called Pramiti by name. Previously in the Svāyambhuva manvantara, he had been born of ite parts of Manu (i.e. in the family of then Manu); for full twenty years he will be roaming about on the earth. He will be taking along with him a big army consisting of horses, chariots and elephants. He will be surrounded by hundreds and thousands of brahmins wielding weapons. He will kill the Mlecchas (alien outcaste people) in thousands. 

54-55. After killing the kings of Shūdrā wombs he will exterminate the heretics completely. He will kill those who are not pious and virtuous. He will kill those who are born of different castes and those who depend upon them. 

56. Thus making himself powerful with an active army under his control, he the destroyer of the Mlecchas, invincible to all living beings, will roam about the world. 

57-58. In the previous birth he was born in the family of Manu who himself was a part incarnation of Vișhnu. When the Kali yuga is complete (i.e., coming to an end) he will be born in the line of the Moon as the powerful Pramiti.262 He will start his campaign in his thirty-second year and continue it for twenty years.

262. Pramiti-Chandragupta Vikramaditya II, son of Samudragupta. A similar account is found in Matsya, Ch. 144. For detail, see MP-A Study, by V.S. Agrawal, pp. 228-231. 

59. He will be killing hundreds and thousands of living beings. By means of this cruel act will reduce the entire earth to the seeds. 

60-69. Getting infuriated mutually (the people will attack one another). Pramiti will defeat all those alien outcastes and all unrighteous persons and ultimately rest in the middle land between the Ganga and Yamunā along with his ministers and followers, after killing all the kings and alien outcastes in thousands. When the sandhyāmsha period sets in at the end of the yuga there will be groups of people among the subjects left behind here and there. Getting unrestrained and covetous they will be attacking and killing one another. When anarehy spreads in view of the series of affairs in the yuga, when people begin to suspect one another, all those people will be afflicted by fear. Agitated and bewildered they will leave off their wives and houses. They will not care even for their own lives. Though themselves miserable yet they will be worthless. When the holy rites laid down in the Śhrutis and Smrutis perish, these people will attack and kill one another. When Dharma is destroyed, they will become mannerless, unbounded, shameless and unloving. They will not hesitate to attack one another. They will be stunted in growth and live as far as twentyfive years.263 Getting involved in disputes they will abandon wives and sons. When lack of rain affects them, they will. abandon agriculture. They will leave off their land and resort to frontiers.264 They will resort to rivers, oceans, mountains and wells.

263. pancavimśakāh i.e., with their span of life extending only to twentyfive years or whose gross and subtle bodies constitute twentyfive tattvas.

264. pratyantán-mlecchadeshãn ST. C.f. pratyanto mlecchadeśhah syät--Amaia. 

70. In their misery they will sustain themselves on wine, meat, roots and fruits. They will wear barks of trees, leaves or deer skin. They will not perform holy rites or accept monetary gifts. 

71. They will fall off from the rigid discipline of four castes and stages of life. They will be involved in a terrible calamity. Thus the few remaining subjects at the end of Kali yuga will be in miserable circumstances. 

72-73. They will be afflicted by old age, sickness and hunger. Due la sorrow their minds will become dejected. Through dejection thinking sets in. An even attitude of the mind is what is called vichāraņā (thinking). This attitude leads to knowledge. Through true knowledge arises pious nature. The subjects who survive the concluding years of Kaliyuga will be devoid of physical features and mental peace. 

74-78. At that time, the yuga changes for them overnight, after creating illusion in their minds as in the case of a sleeping or mad man. Thanks to the inevitability and force of future events Krutayuga will set in. When thus the Krutayuga is ushered in, the subjects surviving from the Kaliyuga, become those belonging to the Krutayuga. Those Siddhas (enlightened souls) who still remain and move about ?????, will be made manifest then alongwith the sleeping Saptarshis (seven sages) 266 There will be some brahmins, Kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras for the purpose of seeds ????? as nucleus for one subsequent generation. They will get mixed with the people surviving from the Kaliyuga. The seven sages and others ????? these people their Dharma.

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