Parva 3 Chapter 4: kaliyugavarṇanam - description of kaliyuga

janamejaya said: In the world which is tossed like this, under whose protection, the people shall live? What will be their customs? What shall they eat and how shall they live? kiṅkarmāṇaḥ kimīhantaḥ kiṁpramāṇāḥ kimāyuṣaḥ | kāṁ ca kāṣṭhāṁ samāsādya prapatsyanti kṛtaṁ yugam ||3-4-2 What will they do? How will they behave? What will be their sizes? What will be their life span? Arriving at what limits, will they reach the kṛta era? vyāsa uvāca ata ūrdhvaṁ chyute dharme guṇahīnāḥ prajāstataḥ | śīlavyasanamāsādya prāpsyante hrāsamāyuṣaḥ ||3-4-3 vyāsa said: (O janamejaya!) As the decline of dharma increases, all the people will become devoid of good qualities. As they lose good habits, their lives will become short. āyurhānyā balaglānirbalaglānyā vivarṇatā | vaivarṇyādvyādhisaṁpīḍā nirvedo vyādhipīḍanāt ||3-4-4 As the life span decreases, their strength will decrease. As the strength decreases, the splendor of their body will decrease. As the body splendor decreases they will suffer from diseases. Due to sufferings from diseases, the people will become indifferent to worldly objects. nirvedādātmasaṁbodhaḥ saṁbodhāddharmaśīlatā | evaṁ gatvā parāṁ kāṣṭhāṁ prapatsyanti kṛtaṁ yugam ||3-4-5 With indifference to worldly objects, they will become conscious of the soul. As they become conscious of the soul, they will have dharmic habits. In this way they will progress to the highest stage and reach the kṛta era. uddeshato dharmaśīlāḥ kechinmadhyasthatāṁ gatāḥ | vimarṣaśīlāḥ kechittu hetuvādakutūhalāḥ ||3-4-6 Some may observe dharma to some extent. Others may adopt the middle path. Some others, with thinking habits, may argue logically (for dharma) due to curiosity, but may not observe the same. pratyakṣamanumānaṁ ca pramāṇaṁ cheti niśchitāḥ | pramāṇaikaṁ kariṣyanti neti paṇḍitamāninaḥ ||3-4-7 Some with determination may accept only what is seen and inferred. Some others who consider themselves wise will accept only what is seen. apramāṇaṁ kariṣyanti vedoktamapare janāḥ | tadā mukhabhagāścaiva bhaviṣyanti striyo'parāḥ ||3-4-8 Others will not accept what is said in vedas. In this era many women will do with their mouth what is done by their sexual organs. nāstikyaparamāścāpi kechiddharmavilopakāḥ | bhaviṣyanti narā mūḍhā mandāḥ paṇḍitamāninaḥ ||3-4-9 Some may also become extreme atheists. Some may destroy dharma. Men will become bewildered and the dull-witted will consider themselves as wise. tadātvamātre śraddheyāḥ śāstrajṣānabahiṣkṛtāḥ | dāmbhikāste bhaviṣyanti vādaśīlakutūhalāḥ ||3-4-10 The people will pay attention only for the present, without having any knowledge of the scriptures. They will become hypocrites who are interested only in arguments. tadā vichalite dharme janāḥ śeṣapuraskṛtāḥ | śubhānyevācariṣyanti dānasatyasamanvitāḥ ||3-4-11 As they deviate from dharma, the people will follow the remaining dharmas (such as devotion to viṣṇu - see nīlakaṇtha commentary) and other auspicious ones along with the acts of giving and truth. sarvabhakṣo hyasaṅgupto nirguṇo nirapatrapaḥ | bhaviṣyani tadā lokastatkaṣāyasya lakṣaṇam ||3-4-12 The people will eat everything. They will be influenced by senses (see nīlakaṇṭha commentary). They will not have any qualities, they will be shameless. This will be the sign of the decline of the era. viprāṇāṁ śāśvatīṁ vṛttiṁ yadā varṇāvarā janāḥ | pratipatsyanti vṛttyarthaṁ tatkaṣāyasya lakṣaṇam ||3-4-13 When people of other castes take up the work of brahmins for their livelihood, then that will be the sign of the decline of the era. kaṣāyopaplave loke jṣānavidhyāpraṇāśane | siddhiṁ svalpena kālena yāsyanti nirupaskṛtāḥ ||3-4-14 As the knowledge of the scriptures and the self decline as the era declines, then people without any attachment will become accomplished within a short period of time. mahāyuddhaṁ mahānādaṁ mahāvarṣaṁ mahābhayam | bhaviṣyati yuge kṣīṇe tatkaṣāyasya lakṣaṇam ||3-4-15 Fierce battle, loud sounds, torrential rains and terrible fears will occur as the era declines. These will be the signs of the decline of the era. viprarūpāṇi rakṣāṁsi rājānaḥ karṇavedinaḥ | pṛthivīmupabhokṣyanti yugānte samupasthite ||3-4-16 As the era declines, the demons will appear in the form of brahmins. The kings will consider rumors as truth and will exploit the earth. niḥsvādhyāyavaṣaṭkārā aneyāścābhimāninaḥ | viprāḥ kravyādarūpeṇa sarvabhakṣā vṛthāvratāḥ ||3-4-17 (As the era declines), the brahmins will not recite sacred texts and the sacred word aum and will not conduct yajṣa. Losing order and becoming proud the brahmins will eat everything and observe penances in vain. mūrkhāḥ svārthaparā lubdhāḥ kṣudrāḥ kṣudraparicchadāḥ | vyavahāropavṛttāścha chyutā dharmāccha śāśvatāt ||3-4-18 As the era declines, they will become foolish, selfish, miserly and mean. They will have mean habits. Deviating from the eternal dharma, they will be interested only in activities such as eating and dressing up. hartāraḥ pararatnānāṁ paradārāpahārakāḥ | kāmātmāno durātmanaḥ sopadhāḥ priyasāhasāḥ ||3-4-19 As the era declines, the people will take away other's jewels and other's wives. They will become wicked souls, with their minds obsessed with desire. They will be false, preferring bad activities. teṣu prabhavamāṇeṣu tulyaśīleṣu sarvataḥ | abhāvino bhaviṣyanti munayo bahurūpiṇaḥ ||3-4-20 As people having similar (wicked) nature flourish all over, then hermits of various forms, advocating the absence of soul, will appear. utpannā ye kṛtayuge pradhānapuruṣāśrayāḥ | kathāyogena tānsarvānpūjayiṣyanti mānavāḥ ||3-4-21 All those born in the era of kṛta, who depend on the supreme person (the lord) will be worshipped by people with recital of stories (discourses). sasyacaurā bhaviṣyanti tathā chailāpahāriṇaḥ | bhakṣyabhojyāpahārāścha karaṇḍānāṁ ca hāriṇaḥ ||3-4-22 As the era declines, the people will steal vegetables and clothes of others. They will also steal the eatables and drinkables and also what is locked in boxes. caurāścaurasya hartāro hantā harturbhaviṣyati | cauraiścaurakṣaye cāpi kṛte kṣemaṁ bhaviṣyati ||3-4-23 Thieves will steal from thieves. The killers will be killed. As the thieves destroy the thieves, all will be well. niḥsāre kṣubhite loke niṣkriye vyantare sthite | narāḥ śrayiṣyanti vanam karabhāraprapīḍitāḥ ||3-4-24 As the world becomes full of poor people who do not observe rituals without any class differences, troubled by the burden of taxes, people will go to the forests. pitṝnājṣāpayiṣyanti putrāḥ karmaṇi sarvaśaḥ | snuṣā śvaśrūstathā caiva yugānte pratyupasthite ||3-4-25 (See Note 1) (As the era declines), all over, the sons will order the fathers to do the work. The daughters in law will ask the mother in law to do the work. vākcharairardayiṣyanti gurūṣchiṣyāḥ samantataḥ | (See Note 2) (As the era declines), all over the students will daunt the teachers with words as sharp as arrows. yajṣakarmaṇyuparate rakṣāṁsi śvāpadāni ca ||3-4-26 kīṭamūṣakasarpāścha dharṣayiṣyanti mānavān | As the sacrifices are discontinued, demons, dogs, worms (insects), rats and snakes will attack the human beings. kṣemaṁ subhikṣamārogyaṁ sāmagryaṁ vāpi bandhuṣu | uddeshato naraśreṣṭha bhaviṣyanti yugakṣaye || 3-4-27 O the best of kings! (janamejaya! vyāsa continued) As the era declines, welfare, abundant food supplies, health and the welfare of relatives - all will decline. svayaṁpālāḥ svayaṣcaurā yugasaṁbhārasaṁbhṛtāḥ | maṇḍalaiḥ prachaliṣyanti deshe deshe pṛthakpṛthak ||3-4-28 The people of the era, by protecting and stealing themselves, will accumulate items suitable to the era. In groups, they will roam around in region by region again and again. svadeśebhyaḥ paribhraṣṭā niḥsārāḥ saha bandhubhiḥ | narāḥ sarve bhaviṣyanti tadā kālaparikṣayāt ||3-4-29 As the era declines, all the people will be expelled from their native places, losing their wealth along with their relatives. tadā skandhe samādhāya kumārānvidrutā bhayāt | kauśikīṁ pratariṣyanti narāḥ kṣudbhayapīḍitāḥ ||3-4-30 In those days, terrified by hunger, carrying their children on the shoulders, people will cross the river kauśikī (the borders of their lands). aṅgānvaṅgānkaliṅgāṁścha kāśmīrānatha mekalān | ṛṣikāntagiridroṇīḥ saṁśrayiṣyanti mānavāḥ ||3-4-31 People will live in the lands of aṅga, vaṅga, kaliṅga as also kāśmīra and mekala and ṛṣīka and also in the valleys of mountains, depending on their livelihood. kṛtsnaṁ vā himavatpārśvaṁ kūlaṁ ca lavaṇāmbhasaḥ | araṇyeṣu ca vatsyanti narā mlecchagaṇaiḥ sahaḥ ||3-4-32 In those days, people will live on the sides of the mountain himvat, as also on the shores of the salt sea and the forests along with barbarians. naiva śūnyā na cāśūnyā bhaviṣyati vasuṁdharā | goptāraścāpyagoptāraḥ prabhaviṣyanti śastriṇaḥ ||3-4-33 The earth will neither be empty nor will be full with men. The men who are supposed to protect men will not be able protect any one even if they are armed. mṛgairmatsyairvihaṅgaiścha śvāpadaiḥ sarpakīṭakaiḥ | madhuśākaphalairmūlairvartayiṣyanti mānavāḥ ||3-4-34 In that era, the people will live eating deer, fish, birds, canines, snakes, insects, honey, fruits and roots. cīraṁ parṇaṁ ca bahulaṁ valkalānyajināni ca | svayaṅkṛtāni vatsyanti yathā munijanāstathā ||3-4-35 In that era, people will wear barks, large tree leaves, bark made garments, animal skins and other dresses made by themselves like the sages. bījānāmākṛtiṁ nimneśvīhaṁtaḥ kāṣṭhaśaṅkubhiḥ | ajaiḍakaṁ kharoṣṭraṁ ca pālayiṣyanti yatnataḥ ||3-4-36 People living in the caves of mountains, desiring the rural and wild grains will make effort to breed and maintain goats, sheep, donkeys and camels. nadīṁsrotāṁsi rotsyanti toyārthe kūlamāśritāḥ | pakvānnavyavahāreṇa vipaṇantaḥ parasparam ||3-4-37 In that era, people who live on the river banks will stop the flow of river for water. They will engage in buying and selling cooked food among themselves. tanūruhairyathā jātaiḥ sumūlāntarasaṁvṛtaiḥ | bahvapatyāḥ prajāhīnāḥ kulalakṣaṇavarjitāḥ ||3-4-38 In the same way as people fight among each other due to the children born from them, the people will conduct the business of giving and taking among themselves concealing the capital and interests. In those days, some will have many children and some others will be childless, not having the signs of the race. evaṁ bhaviṣyanti tadā manuṣyāḥ kālakāritāḥ | hīnāddhīnaṁ tadā dharmaṁ prajāḥ samanuvartsyati ||3-4-39 Due to the influence of time, people will become like this. The people of that era will follow the lowest of the lowest dharmas. āyustatra ca martyānāṁ paraṁ triṁśadbhaviṣyati | durbalā viṣayaglānā rajasā samabhiplutāḥ ||3-4-40 In that era, the life span of human beings will be at the most thirty years. Devoid of strength, the people will be thin and weak due to passions and emotions. bhaviṣyati tadā teṣāṁ rogairindriyasaṅkṣayaḥ | āyuḥprakṣayasaṁrodhādviṣādaḥ prabhaviṣyati ||3-4-41 In that era, due to diseases, their senses will become weak. The people will become sad due to decline of their life span. śuśrūṣavo bhaviṣyanti sādhūnāṁ darshane ratāḥ | satyaṁ ca pratipatsyanti vyavahāropasaṅkṣayāt ||3-4-42 The people (due to ill health) will have to be taken care of and attended. They will be interested in seeing good people. Due to the decline of their activities, they will adopt truth. bhaviṣyanti ca kāmānāmalābhāddharmaśīlinaḥ | kariṣyanti ca saṅkocaṁ svapakṣakṣayapīḍitāḥ ||3-4-43 When their desires are not fulfilled they will adopt dharmic habits. Distressed by self decline, the people will restrict their wicked deeds. evaṁ śuśrūṣavo dāne satye prāṇābhirakṣaṇe | catuṣpādaḥ pravṛttaścha dharmaḥ śreyo'bhipatsyate ||3-4-44 In this way, dharma, having the four feet of serving, act of giving, truth and saving of soul, will achieve progress. teṣāṁ labdhānumānānāṁ guṇeṣu parivartatāṁ | svādu kiṁ nviti vijṣāya dharma evaṁ vadiṣyati ||3-4-45 Those who achieved progress by guessing about the fruits (of dharma) and know which is tasty (preferable) will speak about the nature of dharma. yathā hāniḥ kramātprāptā tathā vṛddhiḥ kramādgatā | pragṛhīte yato dharme prapatsyanti kṛtaṁ yugam ||3-4-46 As the era declines in sequence and progress is achieved gradually by taking up dharma, the era of kṛta will arrive. sādhu vṛttaṁ kṛtayuge kaṣāye hānirucyate | eka eva tu kālaḥ sa hīnavarṇo yathā śaśī ||3-4-47 All doing good deeds will be well off in the era of kṛta. As the (dvāpara) era declines, they will suffer destruction. The same time is manifested (in both eras) differently, like the moon loses is brightness at different times. canno hi tamasā somo yathā kaliyuge tathā | pūrṇaścha tamasā hīno yathā kṛtayuge tathā ||3-4-48 The era of kali will be like moon, covered by darkness (on the new moon day). The era of kṛta will be like the full moon, not affected by darkness (on the full moon day). arthavādaḥ paraṁ brahma vedārtha iti taṁ viduḥ | anirṇiktamavijṣātaṁ dāyādyamiva dhāryate ||3-4-49 The true meaning of veda is manifested in the form of brahma. The wise recognize this as the true meaning of veda. Till the dirt is cleaned from it, a piece of gold is considered as having no value. iṣṭavādastapo nāma tapo hi sthāvaraṁ kṛtam | guṇaiḥ karmābhinirvṛttirguṇāstathyena karmaṇā ||3-4-50 Penance provides all results. Penance realizes invaluable fruits. Actions are achieved by qualities and truthful actions achieve good qualities. āśīstu puruṣaṁ dṛṣṭvā deśakālānuvartinī | yuge yuge yathākālamṛṣibhiḥ samudāhṛtā ||3-4-51 Considering the qualities of people, the sages provide appropriate blessings, since they follow the requirements of time and place. iha dharmārthakāmānāṁ devatānāṁ pratikriyā | āśiṣaścha śubhāḥ pūṇyāstathaivāyuryuge yuge ||3-4-52 In the human world, dharma, artha and the fruits of desires, the fruits of worship of deva-s, auspicious and holy blessings as well as the life span occur based on the attention of human beings. yathā yugānāṁ parivartanāni ciraṁ pravṛttāni vidhisvabhāvāt | kṣaṇaṁ na saṁtiṣṭhati jīvalokaḥ kṣayodayābhyāṁ parivartamānaḥ ||3-4-53 As the eras change always based on their nature ascribed by the creator, in the same way, the living world, with its decline and progress, do not remain constant even for a moment. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi kaliyugavarṇane caturtho'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the fourth chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, description of Kaliyuga Note 1 pitṝnputrā niyokṣyanti vadhvaḥ śvaśrūścha karmasu | ||3-3-39(1) The sons will ask fathers to do work. The daughters in law will ask the mothers in law to do work. Note 2 vākcharaistarjayiṣyanti gurūṣchiṣyāstathaiva ca | ||3-3-40(1) (As the era ends) the students will daunt the teachers with words as sharp as arrows. nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-4-1 evamiti | evaṁ vilulite kaluṣīkṛte || · 3-4-3 śīlavyasanam dharmanāśanam || · 3-4-4 nirvedaḥ dahādau vairāgyam || · 3-4-5 ātmasaṁbodhaḥ vivekādayaḥ eva gatvā dharmaśīlatvāt chittaśuddhijṣānotpattidvarā parāṁ kāṣṭāṁ mokṣadaṁ jṣānaṁ tadaiva sarvapāpanāśanāt kṛtayugam || · 3-4-6 uddeśataḥ leśataḥ vimarṣo vivekaḥ hetuvāda eva na tu kriyayā kautūhalaṁ yeṣāṁ te hetuvādakutūhalāḥ vṛthāpaṇḍitāḥ || · 3-4-7 niśchitāḥ saugatā vaiśeṣikāścha vedasya parato'pi prāmāṇyaṁ necchanti | pūrvaṁ sataḥ prāmāṇyaṁapare pramāṇyaikamekameva pratykṣameva pramāṇamiti cārvakā netityasya nānyatpramāṇamityarthaḥ | · 3-4-10 tadā tvamātraṁ vartamānakālikaṁ dṛṣṭārthamātre śraddheyāḥ shraddhavanta | vāde śīle ca kutūhalaṁ āścaryaṁ yeṣāṁ te | dharmavādo api durlabhaḥ | kimuta tadācaraṇamityarthaḥ | · 3-4-11 śeṣadharmapuraskṛtā avaśiṣṭo viṣṇusmaraṇādiryo dharmastadanusarāṇiḥ | śubhāni dayādīni || · 3-4-12 asaṁgupto ajitendriyaḥ kaṣāyasya kaluṣasya || · 3-4-13 śāśvatīṁ vṛttiṁ bhikṣām avaraḥ kṣatriyādiḥ || · 3-4-14 jṣānaṁ śāstrīyo bodhaḥ | vidyā ātmadarśanaṁ tayornāśane nirupaskṛtāḥ niṣparigrahāḥ tyāgamātreṇa svalpenāpi kālena siddhiṁ mokṣaṁ yāsyantīti kalerguṇaḥ || · 3-4-16 karṇavedinaḥ piśunavākyatatparāḥ || · 3-4-17 aneyā aśāsyā anayā iti pāṭhe nītihīnāḥ || · 3-4-18 vyavahāre bhojanāccādanādāveva upavṛtāstatparāḥ | · 3-4-19 sopadhāḥ chalavantaḥ || · 3-4-20 teṣu duṣṭeṣu prabhavamāneṣu aishvaryavatsu abhāvinaḥ vināsabhājaḥ bahurūpiṇaḥ cāturāśramyabhājaḥ || · 3-4-21 pradhānapuruṣaḥ īśvarastadāśrayāstadbahktāḥ kathāyogenaiva na tu tādṛśācareṇa || · 3-4-22 karaṇḍānāṁ karīṣāṇāmiti prāṣchaḥ snānasāmagrībhājanānāṁ vaṁśamayānāmiti vā || · 3-4-24 niḥsāre nirdhane niṣkriye saṁdhyopāsanādihīne vyantarasthite sarvavarṇasāmyena sthite || · 3-4-27 uddeśataḥ svalpataḥ || · 3-4-28 maṇḍalaiḥ saṁghaśaḥ || · 3-4-36 nimneṣu giradaryādiṣu sthitvā bījānām | ākṛtiṁ grāmyāraṇyadhānyānāṁ svarūpaṁ jṣātuṁ bhoktuṁ ca īhantaḥ icchantaḥ tatra tatprāpaṇakṣamaṁ ajaiḍakaṁ pālayiṣyanti | gandhārakāśmīrādau sthitāstu kharoṣtramiti bhedaḥ || · 3-4-37 pakveti | adya prathaudanaṁ gṛhītvā śvaḥ sapādaguṇaṁ dehīti vyavaharnta ityarthaḥ || · 3-4-38 samūlāntarasaṁvR+taiḥ mūladhanena sahitasya antarasya kalādravyasya saṁvṛtāni saṁsaraṇāni apalāpāstaiḥ nimittabhūtaiḥ | yathā kāntaistanūruhaiḥ kalahāyamānāḥ vyavaharanti tathottamavarṇā dharmaṇāpaṇanta Asata iti pūrveṇānvayaḥ || · 3-4-43 saṁkocaṁ durācārasyeti śeṣaḥ || · 3-4-44 evaṁ śuśrūṣādi pādacatuṣṭaye pravṛttaḥ dharmaḥ yataḥ śreyaḥ praśastataraṁ ahiṁsādidharmaṁ prapatsyate || · 3-4-45 teṣāṁ śreyaḥ prapannānāṁ labdhānumānānāṁ anvayavyatirekābhyāṁ nirjṣātadharmādharmaphalānāṁ madhye guṇeṣu śabdādi viṣayeṣu vā parivartanaṁ ramaṇaṁ svādu kimuta dharme iti saṁdihya vijṣāya tattvaṁ nishchitya evaṁ vakṣyapramāṇaṁ jano vadiṣyati || · 3-4-46 tadevāha | yatheti | yataḥ uktaniśchayāt || · 3-4-48 yathā śaśīti dṛṣṭāntaṁ vivṛṇoti Channa iti | kāla ityanukṛṣyate || · 3-4-49 sakalaśāstrarahasyaṁ saṁgṛhṇāti - artheti dābhyāṁ | paraṁ brahma yat tat arthavādaḥ satyasyaivārthasya kathanaṁ tattvabhūtasya kīṭabhṛṅganyāyena dhyānakriyayā bhavanaṁ tadeva ca vedārthaṁ ityuktaṁ || tāmiti vidheyāpekṣaṁ puṁstvaṁ siddhasyaivālābhe dṛṣṭāntamāha - anirṇiktamiti | malinaṁ pitryaṁ svarṇapiṇḍaṁ svarṇatvenāvijṣāya daridro'smīti manyate | tasya malāpagame tu dhanavānahamiti niśchinotyevaṁ brahmāpi pratyagananyatvenāvadhāryate || · 3-4-50 iṣṭeti | tapo dharmaḥ varṇāśramayogyaḥ sa ca iṣṭavādaḥ svargādyabhīṣṭakathanaṁ yatastapaḥ sthāvaraṁ anādi avyabhicāriphalakṛt śāstre niśchitaṁ | tatashcha guṇaiḥ dehādibhiḥ karmābhinirvṛttiḥ karmasiddhirbhavati | karmaṇā ca tathyena satyena guṇāḥ dehādayaḥ iha karmebhyo muktirnāsti | ato'śarīraṁ brahmāśrayedityarthaḥ | dvāveto puṣkaraprādurbhāvasya sūtrabhūtau ślokau || · 3-4-51 āśīḥ ekasmādeva karmaṇaḥ phalaprāptistattdyugīyapuruṣāṇāṁ śraddhāditāratamyāttāratamyena bhavatītyarthaḥ || · 3-4-52 iha bhaumapratikriyāphalaṁ tathaiva tāratamyenetyarthaḥ || · 3-4-53 yatheti uttarārthe tatheti pūraṇīyam || iti śrīharivaṁśe ṭīkāyāṁ caturtho'dhyāyaḥ ||