Markandeya Describes the Decay of Yugas

Markandeya replied: "I will recount this. I bow down before the one who creates himself, and the ancient and eternal being without decay, Janardana, whose eyes are long and wide and who is attired in yellow. He is the creator and special creator of all beings that are manifest. He cannot be thought of. He is a great wonder. He is supreme purification. He is without beginning and without end. He is the imperishable being that is everywhere in the universe. He is without decay. He is the creator. But he is not created. He is the reason behind all energy. He is the being whom even the gods do not know. "O tiger among men! In the beginning, after the destruction of the universe, there is krita yuga. It is said that this lasts for four thousand years. It is preceded by a sandhya (twilight period) of four hundred years and succeeded by a sandhya of the same duration. Treta yuga is said to last for three thousand years, with sandhyas of three hundred years each. Dvapara yuga has a measure of two thousand years, with sandhyas of two hundred years each. Kali yuga lasts for one thousand years, with sandhyas of one hundred years each. When kali yuga has decayed, krita yuga returns again. This total period of twelve thousand years is known as a yuga. One thousand such cycles are known as one of Brahma's days. When the entire universe retreats into Brahma's abode, the wise ones know this as the destruction of the worlds. "O bull among the Bharata lineage! When there is little time of one thousand years left at the end of a yuga, all men usually become the speakers of falsehood. They perform sacrifices through representatives. They donate through representatives. Vows are observed through representatives. The brahmanas perform the tasks of shudras. Shudras become the earners of wealth and resort to the dharma of kshatriyas. This is what occurs when the yuga decays. "When kali yuga arrives, brahmanas abstain from sacrifices and studying. They discard the offerings of oblations to ancestors. They resort to eating anything. Brahmanas no longer meditate and shudras become addicted to meditation. When the earlier form of the world decays, everything is perverse. There are many mleccha (foreign) kings. They rule on the basis of falsehood and evil. They resort to false promises. Andhras, Shakas, Pulindas and Yavanas become kings, and Kambojas, Ournikas, shudras and abhiras. Not a single brahmana makes a living from his own dharma then. Kshatriyas and vaishyas also do what they should not do. "Men are limited in life expectancy and feeble in strength. They are weak in energy and valour. They have little substance and their bodies are weak. They rarely speak the truth. The country is generally empty and the directions are infested with animals and predators. When the end of the yuga is at hand, learning about the brahman (ultimate reality) is futile. The shudras address as 'bho' and the brahmanas address as 'arya'. At the end of the yuga, there are many animals. Everything that is fragrant no longer possesses any smell. What is succulent is no longer fit to be eaten. There are many children, short in stature, devoid of good conduct. "When the destruction of the yuga is near, women use their mouths as their vaginas. The country is dotted with towers. The crossroads are infested with jackals. The women are covered with hair. The cows yield very little milk. The trees yield very little of flowers and fruit and are full of crows. Brahmanas accept gifts from kings who are guilty of killing brahmanas and are the makers of false accusations. The brahmanas are overcome by avarice and delusion. They falsely invoke their own dharma. They roam the land in search of alms. "Fearful of the burden of taxation, householders become robbers. Others assume the disguise of hermits, but earn a living from trade. Men bear nails and hair under false pretences. Those practising brahmacharya (celibacy) become greedy for riches. They observe evil conduct in hermitages and are addicted to drinking. They unite with the wives of their preceptors. They pander to the desires of this world, nourishing their flesh and blood. When the destruction of the yuga is near, hermitages are infested with many evil characters, who have the quality of living off the food of others. "The illustrious chastiser of Paka (Indra) no longer showers rain at the right time. All the seeds that are sown no longer sprout. The fruits of not following dharma become manifold. He who is united with dharma only has a short span of life. There is no dharma left then. People generally sell goods with false weights. There is a lot of deceit associated with trade. People who are devoted to dharma decay. The evil ones prosper. Dharma loses its strength and that which is not dharma becomes powerful. Men who are devoted to dharma have short spans of life and are poor. At the time of the destruction of the yuga, those who are against dharma have long spans of life and are prosperous. "Subjects seek to attain their objectives by resorting to that which is not dharma. Having accumulated only a little, they become insolent. Having become addicted to deceit, men generally rob riches that have been placed with them in trust. Predators that live off men, birds and animals roam around in parks and sanctuaries in cities. Women conceive at ages of seven years and eight. Men who are ten and twelve years of age beget sons. When they are sixteen years old, men become aged and a man's lifespan is swiftly over. Young ones act like the old. The conduct that should be seen in the young is seen in the old. Women exhibit perverse conduct and deceive their husbands. These lascivious ones pleasure with servants, and even animals."