Adhyaya 1

Verse 1

व्याख्याता भवता सर्गवंशमन्वन्तरस्थितिः वंशानुचरितं चैव विस्तरेण महामुने

O great sage, you have already expounded in full the cosmic emanation (sarga), the lineages (vaṁśa), the successive Manvantaras and their order (sthiti), and also the chronicles of dynasties and their deeds (vaṁśānucarita).

Verse 2

श्रोतुम् इच्छाम्य् अहं त्वत्तो यथावद् उपसंहृतिम् महाप्रलयसंज्ञां च कल्पान्ते च महामुने

I wish to hear from you, O great sage, the true account—exactly as it is—of dissolution: both the reabsorption of the cosmos and that Great Dissolution called Mahāpralaya at the end of a kalpa.

Verse 3

मैत्रेय श्रूयतां मत्तो यथावद् उपसंहृतिः कल्पान्ते प्राकृते चैव प्रलये जायते यथा

O Maitreya, hear from me in proper order the doctrine of re-absorption: how dissolution arises at the end of a Kalpa, and likewise how it comes to pass in the Prākṛta Pralaya.

Verse 4

अहोरात्रं पितॄणां तु मासो ऽब्दस् त्रिदिवौकसाम् चतुर्युगसहस्रे तु ब्रह्मणो द्वे द्विजोत्तम

For the Pitṛs, the reckoning of day and night is different; for the dwellers in heaven, a month is their day-and-night and a year their measure of time. A thousand cycles of the four yugas make up Brahmā’s day-and-night, O best of the twice-born.

Verse 5

कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च कलिश् चैव चतुर्युगम् दिव्यैर् वर्षसहस्रैस् तु तद् द्वादशभिर् उच्यते

Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali—these four together are called a single caturyuga. Reckoned in divine years, that caturyuga is declared to measure twelve thousand years.

Verse 6

चतुर्युगाण्य् अशेषाणि सदृशानि स्वरूपतः आद्यं कृतयुगं मुक्त्वा मैत्रेयान्त्यं तथा कलिम्

All the cycles of the four yugas are alike in their essential nature. Yet, O Maitreya, setting aside the first, Kṛta-yuga, and the last, Kali-yuga, (the remaining two are to be understood as intermediate in character).

Verse 7

आद्ये कृतयुगे सर्गो ब्रह्मणा क्रियते यतः क्रियते चोपसंहारस् तथान्ते च कलौ युगे

In the first, the Kṛta-yuga, creation is set in motion by Brahmā; and likewise, at the close of the Kali-yuga, withdrawal and dissolution are brought about.

Verse 8

कलेः स्वरूपं भगवन् विस्तराद् वक्तुम् अर्हसि धर्मश् चतुष्पाद् भगवन् यस्मिन् विप्लवम् ऋच्छति

O Bhagavan, be pleased to describe in detail the true nature of Kali— that age in which, O holy Lord, four-footed Dharma itself is cast into upheaval and ruin.

Verse 9

कलेः स्वरूपं मैत्रेय यद् भवान् प्रष्टुम् इच्छति तन् निबोध समासेन वर्तते यन् महामुने

O Maitreya, the very nature of Kali—about which you wish to inquire—understand it now from me in brief, O great sage, as it truly prevails.

Verse 10

वर्णाश्रमाचारवती प्रवृत्तिर् न कलौ नृणाम् न साम-ऋग्यजुर्वेदविनिष्पादनहैतुकी

In the age of Kali, among men, there will no longer be a living order grounded in the disciplines of varṇa and āśrama; nor will there remain the true impetus that establishes and sustains the proper practice of the Sāma, Ṛg, and Yajur Vedas.

Verse 11

विवाहा न कलौ धर्म्या न शिष्यगुरुसंस्थितिः न दाम्पत्यक्रमो नैव वह्निदेवात्मकः क्रमः

In the age of Kali, marriages will no longer be grounded in dharma; the proper order between disciple and teacher will not endure. Even the sacred discipline of household life will collapse, and the fire-rite—once upheld as a living presence of the gods—will no longer be followed in its true form.

Verse 12

यत्र तत्र कुले जातो बली सर्वेश्वरः कलौ सर्वेभ्य एव वर्णेभ्यो योग्यः कन्यावरोधने

In the Kali age, a strong man—though born in any random family—will be treated as if he were the lord of all; and for the seizing of maidens, he will be deemed ‘fit’ regardless of caste or social order.

Verse 13

येन तेनैव योगेन द्विजातिर् दीक्षितः कलौ यैव सैव च मैत्रेय प्रायश्चित्तक्रिया कलौ

O Maitreya, in the Kali age a twice-born is deemed initiated by whatever means can be had; and likewise, whatever rite of expiation (prāyaścitta) one is able to perform—only that is the atonement in Kali.

Verse 14

सर्वम् एव कलौ शास्त्रं यस्य यद् वचनं द्विज देवताश् च कलौ सर्वाः सर्वः सर्वस्य चाश्रमः

O twice-born, in the age of Kali whatever anyone utters is taken as scripture itself; and in Kali all the gods are treated as though they were the same. Everyone becomes everything—each person claims for himself every āśrama and every order of life.

Verse 15

उपवासस् तथायासो वित्तोत्सर्गस् तथा कलौ धर्मो यथाभिरुचितैर् अनुष्ठानैर् अनुष्ठितः

In the age of Kali, dharma is performed through observances suited to one’s capacity—fasting, earnest exertion, and the relinquishing of wealth in dāna; thus righteousness is practiced by chosen disciplines, according to one’s inclination and strength.

Verse 16

वित्तेन भविता पुंसां स्वल्पेनाढ्यमदः कलौ स्त्रीणां रूपमदश् चैव केशैर् एव भविष्यति

In the age of Kali, men will be measured by wealth; even a little money will breed the arrogance of the rich. And among women, pride in beauty will prevail—resting merely upon the display of hair.

Verse 17

सुवर्णमणिरत्नादौ वस्त्रे चोपक्षयं गते कलौ स्त्रियो भविष्यन्ति तदा केशैर् अलंकृताः

When, in Kali-yuga, gold, gems, and precious jewels—and even fine garments—fall into scarcity, women will then adorn themselves chiefly with their hair, for the usual ornaments will be hard to obtain.

Verse 18

परित्यक्ष्यन्ति भर्तारं वित्तहीनं तथा स्त्रियः भर्ता भविष्यति कलौ वित्तवान् एव योषिताम्

In the age of Kali, women too will abandon a husband who is without wealth; for in that era, the ‘husband’ of women will indeed be only the wealthy man.

Verse 19

यो यो ददाति बहुलं स स स्वामी तदा नृणाम् स्वामित्वहेतुः संबन्धो भावी नाभिजनस् तदा

In that time, whoever gives abundantly becomes the ‘master’ of men. The very basis of lordship will be mere connection and advantage—not noble birth or lineage.

Verse 20

गृहान्ता द्रव्यसंघाता द्रव्यान्ता च तथा मतिः अर्थाश् चात्मोपभोगान्ता भविष्यन्ति कलौ युगे

In the age of Kali, collections of wealth will find their end within the household itself; possessions will terminate in possessions alone. Even thought will conclude in material things, and all aims will culminate merely in one’s own enjoyment.

Verse 21

स्त्रियः कलौ भविष्यन्ति स्वैरिण्यो ललितस्पृहाः अन्यायावाप्तवित्तेषु पुरुषाश् च स्पृहालवः

In the age of Kali, women will become self-willed and driven by a taste for indulgence; and men, too, will grow covetous—yearning after wealth obtained by unjust means.

Verse 22

अभ्यर्थितो ऽपि सुहृदा स्वार्थहानिं न मानवः पणार्धार्धार्धमात्रे ऽपि करिष्यति तदा द्विज

In that time, O brāhmaṇa, even when entreated by a well-wishing friend, a man will not accept the least loss to his own advantage—he will not yield even by a fraction of a coin.

Verse 23

समानपौरुषं चेतो भावि विप्रेषु वै कलौ क्षीरप्रदानसंबन्धि भावि गोषु च गौरवम्

In the age of Kali, the outlook among brāhmaṇas will turn uniformly toward mere worldly capability and advantage; and reverence for cows will arise chiefly from their connection with giving milk (as a commodity), rather than from sacred regard.

Verse 24

अनावृष्टिभयप्रायाः प्रजाः क्षुद्भयकातराः भविष्यन्ति तदा सर्वा गगनासक्तदृष्टयः

Then all people will live in constant dread of drought; tormented by fear of hunger, they will keep their gaze fixed upon the sky, anxiously awaiting the mercy of rain.

Verse 25

कन्दपर्णफलाहारास् तापसा इव मानवाः आत्मानं घातयिष्यन्ति तदावृष्ट्यादिदुःखिताः

Stricken by miseries such as drought and the failure of rains, people will live like ascetics—subsisting on roots, leaves, and fruits—and, tormented by suffering, will even turn to self-destruction.

Verse 26

दुर्भिक्षम् एव सततं तदा क्लेशम् अनीश्वराः प्राप्स्यन्ति व्याहतसुखप्रमोदा मानवाः कलौ

In the age of Kali, famine alone will be continual; then, powerless to govern their own lives, human beings will fall into suffering—bereft of happiness and joy, their pleasures struck down and broken.

Verse 27

अस्नानभोजिनो नाग्निदेवतातिथिपूजनम् करिष्यन्ति कलौ प्राप्ते न च पित्र्योदकक्रियाम्

When the age of Kali has arrived, people will eat without the purificatory bath; they will not worship Agni, the gods, or honored guests—and they will not perform even the ancestral water-rites.

Verse 28

लोलुपा ह्रस्वदेहाश् च बह्वन्नादनतत्पराः बहुप्रजाल्पभाग्याश् च भविष्यन्ति कलौ स्त्रियः

In the age of Kali, women will incline toward craving and restlessness; their bodies will grow diminished, and they will be intent on the ceaseless pursuit of abundant food. Though bearing many children, their fortune will be scant.

Verse 29

उभाभ्याम् अथ पाणिभ्यां शिरःकण्डूयनं स्त्रियः कुर्वन्त्यो गुरुभर्तॄणाम् आज्ञां भेत्स्यन्त्य् अनादृताः

And women, scratching their heads with both hands, will—out of sheer disregard—break the commands of elders and husbands, holding rightful authority in contempt.

Verse 30

स्वपोषणपराः क्षुद्रा देहसंस्कारवर्जिताः परुषानृतभाषिण्यो भविष्यन्ति कलौ स्त्रियः

In the age of Kali, women will be intent chiefly on self-maintenance; narrow in outlook, bereft of the disciplines that refine body and conduct; and they will speak with harshness and untruth.

Verse 31

दुःशीला दुष्टशीलेषु कुर्वन्त्यः सततं स्पृहाम् असद्वृत्ता भविष्यन्ति पुरुषेषु कुलाङ्गनाः

In that age, women of noble households will become ill-conducted—ever longing for men of corrupt character; turning away from right behavior, they will fall into unworthy ways among men.

Verse 32

वेदादानं करिष्यन्ति बटवश् च तथाव्रताः गृहस्थाश् च न होष्यन्ति न दास्यन्त्य् उचितान्य् अपि

In the age of Kali, students and those who keep vows only outwardly will even presume to “give away” the Veda itself; yet householders will no longer perform the sacred fire-offerings, nor give even what is proper. Thus the form of religion remains while its living duties fade.

Verse 33

वनवासिनो भविष्यन्ति ग्राम्याहारपरिग्रहाः भिक्षवश् चापि मित्रादिस्नेहसंबन्धयन्त्रणाः

In the time to come, even forest-dwellers will take up village ways—clinging to cooked food and to possessions; and even mendicants will be bound by attachments, ensnared by affection and social ties with friends and the like.

Verse 34

अरक्षितारो हर्तारः शुल्कव्याजेन पार्थिवाः हारिणो जनवित्तानां संप्राप्ते तु कलौ युगे

When the age of Kali arrives, the rulers of the earth will be no protectors but plunderers; under the pretext of taxes and levies they will seize the people’s wealth, turning kingship into sanctioned theft.

Verse 35

यो यो ऽश्वरथनागाढ्यः स स राजा भविष्यति यश् च यश् चाबलः सर्वः स स भृत्यः कलौ युगे

In the age of Kali, whoever is richly furnished with horses and chariots will be called “king”; and whoever is weak, lacking power—every such person will be treated as a servant.

Verse 36

वैश्याः कृषिवणिज्यादि संत्यज्य निजकर्म यत् शूद्रवृत्त्या प्रवर्त्स्यन्ति कारुकर्मोपजीविनः

The Vaiśyas, abandoning their ordained work—agriculture, trade, and the like—will take up the way of the Śūdras, sustaining themselves by crafts and manual labour.

Verse 37

भैक्ष्यव्रतास् तथा शूद्राः प्रव्रज्यालिङ्गिनो ऽधमाः पाषण्डसंश्रयां वृत्तिम् आश्रयिष्यन्त्य् असंस्कृताः

In that age, even Śūdras will take up the vow of living on alms; the lowest of men will wear the outward marks of renunciation, and—without inner refinement or sacred discipline—will seek livelihoods under the shelter of heresy and false doctrine.

Verse 38

दुर्भिक्षकरपीडाभिर् अतीवोपद्रुता जनाः गोधूमान्नयवान्नाढ्यान् देशान् यास्यन्ति दुःखिताः

Harassed by famine and the burden of oppressive exactions, people will be grievously afflicted; and, in misery, they will depart for regions rich in wheat, grain, and barley.

Verse 39

वेदमार्गे प्रलीने च पाषण्डाढ्ये ततो जने अधर्मवृद्ध्या लोकानाम् अल्पम् आयुर् भविष्यति

When the Vedic path has faded and people are filled with heretical, delusive doctrines, then, as unrighteousness swells, the lifespan of beings in the world will grow short.

Verse 40

अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यमानेषु वै तपः नरेषु नृपदोषेण बालमृत्युर् भविष्यति

When people undertake fierce austerities not sanctioned by the śāstras, then, through the king’s fault, untimely death of children will arise among men.

Verse 41

भवित्री योषितां सूतिः पञ्चषट्सप्तवार्षिकी नवाष्टदशवर्षाणां मनुष्याणां तथा कलौ

In the age of Kali, women will be able to bear children as early as the fifth, sixth, or seventh year; and people will be regarded as mature at nine, eight, or even ten years of age.

Verse 42

पलितोद्भवश् च भविता तदा द्वादशवार्षिकः नातिजीवति वै कश्चित् कलौ वर्षाणि विंशतिः

Then even one who is only twelve years old will show grey hair; and in Kali, indeed, no one will live beyond twenty years.

Verse 43

अल्पप्रज्ञा वृथालिङ्गा दुष्टान्तःकरणाः कलौ यतस् ततो विनङ्क्ष्यन्ति कालेनाल्पेन मानवाः

In the age of Kali, people become small in understanding, wearing hollow marks of religion while their hearts are corrupted; therefore, from every side and for many causes, human beings swiftly fall into ruin in a very short time.

Verse 44

यदा यदा हि पाषण्डवृद्धिर् मैत्रेय लक्ष्यते तदा तदा कलेर् वृद्धिर् अनुमेया विचक्षणैः

Whenever, O Maitreya, an upsurge of pāṣaṇḍa—deceptive teachings and conduct that corrode dharma—is seen, then the wise should infer that the power and spread of Kali are increasing.

Verse 45

यदा यदा सतां हानिर् वेदमार्गानुसारिणाम् तदा तदा कलेर् वृद्धिर् अनुमेया विचक्षणैः

Whenever the righteous—those who follow the path of the Veda—fall away and decline, then the wise should discern that the power of Kali is on the rise.

Verse 46

प्रारम्भाश् चावसीदन्ति यदा धर्मकृतां नृणाम् तदानुमेयं प्राधान्यं कलेर् मैत्रेय पण्डितैः

When even the undertakings of those who practice dharma begin to falter and sink into failure, then, O Maitreya, the learned may infer that Kali has gained predominance.

Verse 47

यदा यदा न यज्ञानाम् ईश्वरः पुरुषोत्तमः इज्यते पुरुषैर् यज्ञैस् तदा ज्ञेयं कलेर् बलम्

Whenever Puruṣottama—the Lord of all sacrifices—is no longer worshipped by people through the rites of yajña, then one should know that the strength and sway of the Kali age are rising.

Verse 48

न प्रीतिर् वेदवादेषु पाषण्डेषु यदा रतिः कलेर् वृद्धिस् तदा प्राज्ञैर् अनुमेया द्विजोत्तम

When delight in the teachings of the Veda fades and attachment turns toward heretical doctrines, then—O best of the twice-born—the wise are to infer that Kali has grown in power.

Verse 49

कलौ जगत्पतिं विष्णुं सर्वस्रष्टारम् ईश्वरम् नार्चयिष्यन्ति मैत्रेय पाषण्डोपहता नराः

In the age of Kali, O Maitreya, men—struck and led astray by heretical delusions—will no longer worship Vishnu, Lord of the universe, supreme Ruler and source of all creation.

Verse 50

किं देवैः किं द्विजैर् वेदैः किं शौचेनाम्बुजन्मना इत्य् एवं विप्र वक्ष्यन्ति पाषण्डोपहता नराः

“What need have we of the gods? What use are the twice-born or the Vedas? What profit lies in purity and sacred observance?”—thus, O brāhmaṇa, will men struck by heresy speak.

Verse 51

स्वल्पाम्बुवृष्टिः पर्जन्यः सस्यं स्वल्पफलं तथा फलं तथाल्पसारं च विप्र प्राप्ते कलौ युगे

O brāhmaṇa, when the age of Kali arrives, the rains will be scant, the crops will yield little, and even the fruits that appear will be meagre in essence—poor in nourishment and sustaining power.

Verse 52

शाणीप्रायाणि वस्त्राणि शमीप्राया महीरुहाः शूद्रप्रायास् तथा वर्णा भविष्यन्ति कलौ युगे

In the age of Kali, garments will be mostly coarse hempen cloth; trees will be largely of the śamī kind; and the social orders, in conduct and condition, will become predominantly śūdra-like.

Verse 53

अणुप्रायाणि धान्यानि आजप्रायं तथा पयः भविष्यति कलौ प्राप्ते उशीरं चानुलेपनम्

When the age of Kali has fully arrived, grains will become scant and meagre; milk, too, will be mostly of the goat. Even for anointing the body, people will resort to substitutes—using uśīra (vetiver) as a paste.

Verse 54

श्वश्रूश्वशुरभूयिष्ठा गुरवश् च नृणां कलौ श्यालाद्या हारिभार्याश् च सुहृदो मुनिसत्तम

In the age of Kali, O best of sages, men will take mothers‑in‑law and fathers‑in‑law as their chief authorities; even brothers‑in‑law and the like will be counted as ‘elders’; and the wives of other men will become their closest confidants—thus the natural order of respect and friendship will be overturned.

Verse 55

कस्य माता पिता कस्य यदा कर्मात्मकः पुमान् इति चोदाहरिष्यन्ति श्वशुरानुगता नराः

When a man is nothing but the embodiment of his own karma, those who cling to worldly ties and in‑law relations will still keep repeating, again and again: “Whose is the mother, and whose the father?”

Verse 56

वाङ्मनःकायिकैर् दोषैर् अभिभूताः पुनः पुनः नराः पापान्य् अनुदिनं करिष्यन्त्य् अल्पमेधसः

Over and over again, overpowered by the faults of speech, mind, and body, men of little discernment will continue, day after day, to commit sinful deeds.

Verse 57

निःसत्त्वानाम् अशौचानां निर्ह्रीकाणां तथा नृणाम् यद् यद् दुःखाय तत् सर्वं कलिकाले भविष्यति

For men who have lost all inner worth, who are impure and have cast off shame, everything that leads to suffering—whatever can become a cause of misery—will come to pass in the age of Kali.

Verse 58

निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारे स्वधास्वाहाविवर्जिते तदा प्रविरलो विप्र क्वचिल् लोको भविष्यति

When the world is bereft of sacred study and the ritual cry of vaṣaṭ, and when the offerings of svadhā to the Pitṛs and svāhā to the gods are forsaken, then, O brāhmaṇa, a true man will be found only here and there—rare among people.

Verse 59

तत्राल्पेनैव यत्नेन पुण्यस्कन्धम् अनुत्तमम् करोति यं कृतयुगे क्रियते तपसा हि सः

There, with only a small effort, one gathers an unsurpassed treasury of merit—equal to what, in the Kṛta Yuga, was attained only through austerity (tapas).