Sixth Skandha · Chapter 11
Sourceजनमेजय उवाच भारावतारणार्थाय कथितं जन्म कृष्णयोः । संशयोऽयं द्विजश्रेष्ठ हृदये मम तिष्ठति ॥ १ ॥ पृथिवी गोस्वरूपेण ब्रह्माणं शरणं गता । द्वापरान्तेऽतिदीनार्ता गुरुभारप्रपीडिता ॥ २ ॥ वेधसा प्रार्थितो विष्णुः कमलापतिरीश्वरः । भूभारोत्तारणार्थाय साधूनां रक्षणाय च ॥ ३ ॥ भगवन् भारते खण्डे देवैः सह जनार्दन । अवतारं गृहाणाशु वसुदेवगृहे विभो ॥ ४ ॥ एवं सम्प्रार्थितो धात्रा भगवान्देवकीसुतः । बभूव सह रामेण भूभारोत्तारणाय वै ॥ ५ ॥ कियानुत्तारितो भारो हत्वा दुष्टाननेकशः । ज्ञात्वा सर्वान्दुराचारान्पापबुद्धिनृपानिह ॥ ६ ॥ हतो भीष्मो हतो द्रोणो विराटो द्रुपदस्तथा । बाह्लीकः सोमदत्तश्च कर्णो वैकर्तनस्तथा ॥ ७ ॥ यैर्लुण्ठितं धनं सर्वं हृताश्च हरियोषितः । कथं न नाशिता दुष्टा ये स्थिताः पृथिवीतले ॥ ८ ॥ आभीराश्च शका म्लेच्छा निषादाः कोटिशस्तथा । भारावतरणं किं तत्कृतं कृष्णेन धीमता ॥ ९ ॥ सन्देहोऽयं महाभाग न निवर्तति चित्ततः । कलावस्मिन्मजाः सर्वाः पश्यतः पापनिश्चयाः ॥ १० ॥ व्यास उवाच राजन् यस्मिन्युगे यादृक्प्रजा भवति कालतः । नान्यथा तद्भवेन्नूनं युगधर्मोऽत्र कारणम् ॥ ११ ॥ ये धर्मरसिका जीवास्ते वै सत्ययुगेऽभवन् । धर्मार्थरसिका ये तु ते वै त्रेतायुगेऽभवन् ॥ १२ ॥ धर्मार्थकामरसिका द्वापरे चाभवन्युगे । अर्थकामपराः सर्वे कलावस्मिन्भवन्ति हि ॥ १३ ॥ युगधर्मस्तु राजेन्द्र न याति व्यत्ययं पुनः । कालः कर्तास्ति धर्मस्य ह्यधर्मस्य च वै पुनः ॥ १४ ॥ राजोवाच ये तु सत्ययुगे जीवा भवन्ति धर्मतत्पराः । कुत्र तेऽद्य महाभाग तिष्ठन्ति पुण्यभागिनः ॥ १५ ॥ त्रेतायुगे द्वापरे वा ये दानव्रतकारकाः । वर्तन्ते मुनयः श्रेष्ठाः कुत्र ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १६ ॥ कलावद्य दुराचारा येऽत्र सन्ति गतत्रपाः । आद्ये युगे क्व यास्यन्ति पापिष्ठा देवनिन्दकाः ॥ १७ ॥ एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व विस्तरेण महामते । सर्वथा श्रोतुकामोऽस्मि यदेतद्धर्मनिर्णयम् ॥ १८ ॥ व्यास उवाच ये वै कृतयुगे राजन् सम्भवन्तीह मानवाः । कृत्वा ते पुण्यकर्माणि देवलोकान्व्रजन्ति वै ॥ १९ ॥ ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च नृपसत्तम । स्वधर्मनिरता यान्ति लोकान्कर्मजितान्किल ॥ २० ॥ सत्यं दया तथा दानं स्वदारगमनं तथा । अद्रोहः सर्वभूतेषु समता सर्वजन्तुषु ॥ २१ ॥ एतत्साधारणं धर्मं कृत्वा सत्ययुगे पुनः । स्वर्गं यान्तीतरे वर्णा धर्मतो रजकादयः ॥ २२ ॥ तथा त्रेतायुगे राजन् द्वापरेऽथ युगे तथा । कलावस्मिन्युगे पापा नरकं यान्ति मानवाः ॥ २३ ॥ तावत्तिष्ठन्ति ते तत्र यावत्स्याद्युगपर्ययः । पुनश्च मानुषे लोके भवन्ति भुवि मानवाः ॥ २४ ॥ यदा सत्ययुगस्यादिः कलेरन्तश्च पार्थिव । तदा स्वर्गात्पुण्यकृतो जायन्ते किल मानवाः ॥ २५ ॥ यदा कलियुगस्यादिर्द्वापरस्य क्षयस्तथा । नरकात्पापिनः सर्वे भवन्ति भुवि मानवाः ॥ २६ ॥ एवं कालसमाचारो नान्यथाभूत्कदाचन । तस्मात्कलिरसत्कर्ता तस्मिंस्तु तादृशी प्रजा ॥ २७ ॥ कदाचिद्दैवयोगात्तु प्राणिनां व्यत्ययो भवेत् । कलौ ये साधवः केचिद्द्वापरे सम्भवन्ति ते ॥ २८ ॥ तथा त्रेतायुगे केचित्केचित्सत्ययुगे तथा । दुष्टाः सत्ययुगे ये तु ते भवन्ति कलावपि ॥ २९ ॥ कृतकर्मप्रभावेण प्राप्नुवन्त्यसुखानि च । पुनश्च तादृशं कर्म कुर्वन्ति युगभावतः ॥ ३० ॥ जनमेजय उवाच युगधर्मान्महाभाग ब्रूहि सर्वानशेषतः । यस्मिन्वै यादृशो धर्मो ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तं तथा ॥ ३१ ॥ व्यास उवाच निबोध नृपशार्दूल दृष्टान्तं ते ब्रवीम्यहम् । साधूनामपि चेतांसि युगभावाद्भ्रमन्ति हि ॥ ३२ ॥ पितुर्यथा ते राजेन्द्र वुद्धिर्विप्रावहेलने । कृता वै कलिना राजन् धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः ॥ ३३ ॥ अन्यथा क्षत्रियो राजा ययातिकुलसम्भवः । तापसस्य गले सर्पं मृतं कस्मादयोजयत् ॥ ३४ ॥ सर्वं युगबलं राजन्वेदितव्यं विजानता । प्रयत्नेन हि कर्तव्यं धर्मकर्म विशेषतः ॥ ३५ ॥ नूनं सत्ययुगे राजन् ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः । पराशक्त्यर्चनरता देवीदर्शनलालसाः ॥ ३६ ॥ गायत्रीप्रणवासक्ता गायत्रीध्यानकारिणः । गायत्रीजपसंसक्ता मायाबीजैकजापिनः ॥ ३७ ॥ ग्रामे ग्रामे पराम्बायाः प्रासादकरणोत्सुकाः । स्वकर्मनिरताः सर्वे सत्यशौचदयान्विताः ॥ ३८ ॥ त्रय्युक्तकर्मनिरतास्तत्त्वज्ञानविशारदाः । अभवन्क्षत्रियास्तत्र प्रजाभरणतत्पराः ॥ ३९ ॥ वैश्यास्तु कृषिवाणिज्यगोसेवानिरतास्तथा । शूद्राः सेवापरास्तत्र पुण्ये सत्ययुगे नृप ॥ ४० ॥ पराम्बापूजनासक्ताः सर्वे वर्णाः परे युगे । तथा त्रेतायुगे किञ्चिन्न्यूना धर्मस्य संस्थितिः ॥ ४१ ॥ द्वापरे च विशेषेण न्यूना सत्ययुगस्थितिः । पूर्वं ये राक्षसा राजन् ते कलौ ब्राह्मणाः स्मृताः ॥ ४२ ॥ पाखण्डनिरताः प्रायो भवन्ति जनवञ्चकाः । असत्यवादिनः सर्वे वेदधर्मविवर्जिताः ॥ ४३ ॥ दाम्भिका लोकचतुरा मानिनो वेदवर्जिताः । शूद्रसेवापराः केचिन्नानाधर्मप्रवर्तकाः ॥ ४४ ॥ वेदनिन्दाकराः क्रूरा धर्मभ्रष्टातिवादुकाः । यथा यथा कलिर्वृद्धिं याति राजंस्तथा तथा ॥ ४५ ॥ धर्मस्य सत्यमूलस्य क्षयः सर्वात्मना भवेत् । तथैव क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च धर्मवर्जिताः ॥ ४६ ॥ असत्यवादिनः पापास्तथा वर्णेतराः कलौ । शूद्रधर्मरता विप्राः प्रतिग्रहपरायणाः ॥ ४७ ॥ भविष्यन्ति कलौ राजन् युगे वृद्धिं गताः किल । कामचाराः स्त्रियः कामलोभमोहसमन्विताः ॥ ४८ ॥ पापा मिथ्याभिवादिन्यः सदा क्लेशरता नृप । स्वभर्तृवञ्जका नित्यं धर्मभाषणपण्डिताः ॥ ४९ ॥ भवन्त्येवंविधा नार्यः पापिष्ठाश्च कलौ युगे । आहारशुद्ध्या नृपते चित्तशुद्धिस्तु जायते ॥ ५० ॥ शुद्धे चित्ते प्रकाशः स्याद्धर्मस्य नृपसत्तम । वृत्तसङ्करदोषेण जायते धर्मसङ्करः ॥ ५१ ॥ धर्मस्य सङ्करे जाते नूनं स्याद्वर्णसङ्करः । एवं कलियुगे भूप सर्वधर्मविवर्जिते ॥ ५२ ॥ स्ववर्णधर्मवार्तैषा न कुत्राप्युपलभ्यते । महान्तोऽपि च धर्मज्ञा अधर्मं कुर्वते नृप ॥ ५३ ॥ कलिस्वभाव एवैष परिहार्यो न केनचित् । तस्मादत्र मनुष्याणां स्वभावात्पापकारिणाम् ॥ ५४ ॥ निष्कृतिर्न हि राजेन्द्र सामान्योपायतो भवेत् । जनमेजय उवाच भगवन्सर्वधर्मज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद ॥ ५५ ॥ कलावधर्मबहुले नराणां का गतिर्भवेत् । यद्यस्ति तदुपायश्चेद्दयया तं वदस्व मे ॥ ५६ ॥ व्यास उवाच एक एव महाराज तत्रोपायोऽस्ति नापरः । सर्वदोषनिरासार्थं ध्यायेद्देवीपदाम्बुजम् ॥ ५७ ॥ न सन्त्यघानि तावन्ति यावती शक्तिरस्ति हि । नास्ति देव्याः पापदाहे तस्माद्भीतिः कुतो नृप ॥ ५८ ॥ अवशेनापि यन्नाम लीलयोच्चारितं यदि । किं किं ददाति तज्ज्ञातुं समर्था न हरादयः ॥ ५९ ॥ प्रायश्चित्तं तु पापानां श्रीदेवीनामसंस्मृतिः । तस्मात्कलिभयाद्राजन् पुण्यक्षेत्रे वसेन्नरः ॥ ६० ॥ निरन्तरं पराम्बाया नामसंस्मरणं चरेत् । छित्त्वा भित्त्वा च भूतानि हत्वा सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ ६१ ॥ देवीं नमति भक्त्या यो न स पापैर्विलिप्यते । रहस्यं सर्वशास्त्राणां मया राजन्नुदीरितम् ॥ ६२ ॥ विमृश्यैतदशेषेण भज देवीपदाम्बुजम् । अजपां नाम गायत्रीं जपन्ति निखिला जनाः ॥ ६३ ॥ महिमानं न जानन्ति मायाया वैभवं महत् । गायत्रीं ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे जपन्ति हृदयान्तरे ॥ ६४ ॥ महिमानं न जानन्ति मायाया वैभवं महत् । एतत्सर्वं समाख्यातं यत्पृष्टं तत्त्वया नृप । युगधर्मव्यवस्थायां किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ ६५ ॥
janamejaya uvāca bhārāvatāraṇārthāya kathitaṃ janma kṛṣṇayoḥ | saṃśayo'yaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha hṛdaye mama tiṣṭhati || 1 || pṛthivī gosvarūpeṇa brahmāṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ gatā | dvāparānte'tidīnārtā gurubhāraprapīḍitā || 2 || vedhasā prārthito viṣṇuḥ kamalāpatirīśvaraḥ | bhūbhārottāraṇārthāya sādhūnāṃ rakṣaṇāya ca || 3 || bhagavan bhārate khaṇḍe devaiḥ saha janārdana | avatāraṃ gṛhāṇāśu vasudevagṛhe vibho || 4 || evaṃ samprārthito dhātrā bhagavāndevakīsutaḥ | babhūva saha rāmeṇa bhūbhārottāraṇāya vai || 5 || kiyānuttārito bhāro hatvā duṣṭānanekaśaḥ | jñātvā sarvāndurācārānpāpabuddhinṛpāniha || 6 || hato bhīṣmo hato droṇo virāṭo drupadastathā | bāhlīkaḥ somadattaśca karṇo vaikartanastathā || 7 || yairluṇṭhitaṃ dhanaṃ sarvaṃ hṛtāśca hariyoṣitaḥ | kathaṃ na nāśitā duṣṭā ye sthitāḥ pṛthivītale || 8 || ābhīrāśca śakā mlecchā niṣādāḥ koṭiśastathā | bhārāvataraṇaṃ kiṃ tatkṛtaṃ kṛṣṇena dhīmatā || 9 || sandeho'yaṃ mahābhāga na nivartati cittataḥ | kalāvasminmajāḥ sarvāḥ paśyataḥ pāpaniścayāḥ || 10 || vyāsa uvāca rājan yasminyuge yādṛkprajā bhavati kālataḥ | nānyathā tadbhavennūnaṃ yugadharmo'tra kāraṇam || 11 || ye dharmarasikā jīvāste vai satyayuge'bhavan | dharmārtharasikā ye tu te vai tretāyuge'bhavan || 12 || dharmārthakāmarasikā dvāpare cābhavanyuge | arthakāmaparāḥ sarve kalāvasminbhavanti hi || 13 || yugadharmastu rājendra na yāti vyatyayaṃ punaḥ | kālaḥ kartāsti dharmasya hyadharmasya ca vai punaḥ || 14 || rājovāca ye tu satyayuge jīvā bhavanti dharmatatparāḥ | kutra te'dya mahābhāga tiṣṭhanti puṇyabhāginaḥ || 15 || tretāyuge dvāpare vā ye dānavratakārakāḥ | vartante munayaḥ śreṣṭhāḥ kutra brūhi pitāmaha || 16 || kalāvadya durācārā ye'tra santi gatatrapāḥ | ādye yuge kva yāsyanti pāpiṣṭhā devanindakāḥ || 17 || etatsarvaṃ samācakṣva vistareṇa mahāmate | sarvathā śrotukāmo'smi yadetaddharmanirṇayam || 18 || vyāsa uvāca ye vai kṛtayuge rājan sambhavantīha mānavāḥ | kṛtvā te puṇyakarmāṇi devalokānvrajanti vai || 19 || brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāśca nṛpasattama | svadharmaniratā yānti lokānkarmajitānkila || 20 || satyaṃ dayā tathā dānaṃ svadāragamanaṃ tathā | adrohaḥ sarvabhūteṣu samatā sarvajantuṣu || 21 || etatsādhāraṇaṃ dharmaṃ kṛtvā satyayuge punaḥ | svargaṃ yāntītare varṇā dharmato rajakādayaḥ || 22 || tathā tretāyuge rājan dvāpare'tha yuge tathā | kalāvasminyuge pāpā narakaṃ yānti mānavāḥ || 23 || tāvattiṣṭhanti te tatra yāvatsyādyugaparyayaḥ | punaśca mānuṣe loke bhavanti bhuvi mānavāḥ || 24 || yadā satyayugasyādiḥ kalerantaśca pārthiva | tadā svargātpuṇyakṛto jāyante kila mānavāḥ || 25 || yadā kaliyugasyādirdvāparasya kṣayastathā | narakātpāpinaḥ sarve bhavanti bhuvi mānavāḥ || 26 || evaṃ kālasamācāro nānyathābhūtkadācana | tasmātkalirasatkartā tasmiṃstu tādṛśī prajā || 27 || kadāciddaivayogāttu prāṇināṃ vyatyayo bhavet | kalau ye sādhavaḥ keciddvāpare sambhavanti te || 28 || tathā tretāyuge kecitkecitsatyayuge tathā | duṣṭāḥ satyayuge ye tu te bhavanti kalāvapi || 29 || kṛtakarmaprabhāveṇa prāpnuvantyasukhāni ca | punaśca tādṛśaṃ karma kurvanti yugabhāvataḥ || 30 || janamejaya uvāca yugadharmānmahābhāga brūhi sarvānaśeṣataḥ | yasminvai yādṛśo dharmo jñātumicchāmi taṃ tathā || 31 || vyāsa uvāca nibodha nṛpaśārdūla dṛṣṭāntaṃ te bravīmyaham | sādhūnāmapi cetāṃsi yugabhāvādbhramanti hi || 32 || pituryathā te rājendra vuddhirviprāvahelane | kṛtā vai kalinā rājan dharmajñasya mahātmanaḥ || 33 || anyathā kṣatriyo rājā yayātikulasambhavaḥ | tāpasasya gale sarpaṃ mṛtaṃ kasmādayojayat || 34 || sarvaṃ yugabalaṃ rājanveditavyaṃ vijānatā | prayatnena hi kartavyaṃ dharmakarma viśeṣataḥ || 35 || nūnaṃ satyayuge rājan brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | parāśaktyarcanaratā devīdarśanalālasāḥ || 36 || gāyatrīpraṇavāsaktā gāyatrīdhyānakāriṇaḥ | gāyatrījapasaṃsaktā māyābījaikajāpinaḥ || 37 || grāme grāme parāmbāyāḥ prāsādakaraṇotsukāḥ | svakarmaniratāḥ sarve satyaśaucadayānvitāḥ || 38 || trayyuktakarmaniratāstattvajñānaviśāradāḥ | abhavankṣatriyāstatra prajābharaṇatatparāḥ || 39 || vaiśyāstu kṛṣivāṇijyagosevāniratāstathā | śūdrāḥ sevāparāstatra puṇye satyayuge nṛpa || 40 || parāmbāpūjanāsaktāḥ sarve varṇāḥ pare yuge | tathā tretāyuge kiñcinnyūnā dharmasya saṃsthitiḥ || 41 || dvāpare ca viśeṣeṇa nyūnā satyayugasthitiḥ | pūrvaṃ ye rākṣasā rājan te kalau brāhmaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ || 42 || pākhaṇḍaniratāḥ prāyo bhavanti janavañcakāḥ | asatyavādinaḥ sarve vedadharmavivarjitāḥ || 43 || dāmbhikā lokacaturā mānino vedavarjitāḥ | śūdrasevāparāḥ kecinnānādharmapravartakāḥ || 44 || vedanindākarāḥ krūrā dharmabhraṣṭātivādukāḥ | yathā yathā kalirvṛddhiṃ yāti rājaṃstathā tathā || 45 || dharmasya satyamūlasya kṣayaḥ sarvātmanā bhavet | tathaiva kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāśca dharmavarjitāḥ || 46 || asatyavādinaḥ pāpāstathā varṇetarāḥ kalau | śūdradharmaratā viprāḥ pratigrahaparāyaṇāḥ || 47 || bhaviṣyanti kalau rājan yuge vṛddhiṃ gatāḥ kila | kāmacārāḥ striyaḥ kāmalobhamohasamanvitāḥ || 48 || pāpā mithyābhivādinyaḥ sadā kleśaratā nṛpa | svabhartṛvañjakā nityaṃ dharmabhāṣaṇapaṇḍitāḥ || 49 || bhavantyevaṃvidhā nāryaḥ pāpiṣṭhāśca kalau yuge | āhāraśuddhyā nṛpate cittaśuddhistu jāyate || 50 || śuddhe citte prakāśaḥ syāddharmasya nṛpasattama | vṛttasaṅkaradoṣeṇa jāyate dharmasaṅkaraḥ || 51 || dharmasya saṅkare jāte nūnaṃ syādvarṇasaṅkaraḥ | evaṃ kaliyuge bhūpa sarvadharmavivarjite || 52 || svavarṇadharmavārtaiṣā na kutrāpyupalabhyate | mahānto'pi ca dharmajñā adharmaṃ kurvate nṛpa || 53 || kalisvabhāva evaiṣa parihāryo na kenacit | tasmādatra manuṣyāṇāṃ svabhāvātpāpakāriṇām || 54 || niṣkṛtirna hi rājendra sāmānyopāyato bhavet | janamejaya uvāca bhagavansarvadharmajña sarvaśāstraviśārada || 55 || kalāvadharmabahule narāṇāṃ kā gatirbhavet | yadyasti tadupāyaśceddayayā taṃ vadasva me || 56 || vyāsa uvāca eka eva mahārāja tatropāyo'sti nāparaḥ | sarvadoṣanirāsārthaṃ dhyāyeddevīpadāmbujam || 57 || na santyaghāni tāvanti yāvatī śaktirasti hi | nāsti devyāḥ pāpadāhe tasmādbhītiḥ kuto nṛpa || 58 || avaśenāpi yannāma līlayoccāritaṃ yadi | kiṃ kiṃ dadāti tajjñātuṃ samarthā na harādayaḥ || 59 || prāyaścittaṃ tu pāpānāṃ śrīdevīnāmasaṃsmṛtiḥ | tasmātkalibhayādrājan puṇyakṣetre vasennaraḥ || 60 || nirantaraṃ parāmbāyā nāmasaṃsmaraṇaṃ caret | chittvā bhittvā ca bhūtāni hatvā sarvamidaṃ jagat || 61 || devīṃ namati bhaktyā yo na sa pāpairvilipyate | rahasyaṃ sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ mayā rājannudīritam || 62 || vimṛśyaitadaśeṣeṇa bhaja devīpadāmbujam | ajapāṃ nāma gāyatrīṃ japanti nikhilā janāḥ || 63 || mahimānaṃ na jānanti māyāyā vaibhavaṃ mahat | gāyatrīṃ brāhmaṇāḥ sarve japanti hṛdayāntare || 64 || mahimānaṃ na jānanti māyāyā vaibhavaṃ mahat | etatsarvaṃ samākhyātaṃ yatpṛṣṭaṃ tattvayā nṛpa | yugadharmavyavasthāyāṃ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi || 65 ||
English translation
1-10. Janamejaya said “O King of the Brahmanas! You said that Rama and Krisna took their incarnations to relieve the burden of earth. One great doubt arises in my mind on this point. At the end of the Dvapara Yuga, the Earth, burdened and oppressed very much, assumed, in anguish, the form of a cow and took refuge under Brahma. Brahma, then, went with the Earth to Visnu, the Lord of Laksmi, and thus prayed, “O Bibhu! Let You, with all the other gods, incarnate soon on earth at the house of Vasudeva to relieve the Earth of Her load, as well as to protect the righteous.” When Brahma thus prayed, the Bhagavan Visnu incarnated as the son of Devaki, along with Balarama to lessen the burden of the Earth. And, in fact, he relieved, to a certain extent, the Earth by killing many vicious persons and many wicked and irreligious Kings. But, along with that, Bhisma, Drona, Virata, Drupada, Somadatta, and Kama, the son of the Sun were killed. But, See! that those who plundered afterwards His riches, and stole away the wives of Hari, those crores of Abhiras, S’akas, MIechchas, and Nisadas and other vicious people remained alive; and how could it, then, be said that the Earth was relieved when Krisna did not kill those people! O Fortunate One! When I see all the people in this Kali Yuga addicted to sinful acts, this great doubt is not going out of my mind (how the Earth had been relieved of Her load).
11-14. Vyasa said O King! As the Yuga changes, so the people changes in course of time. Nothing can alter its course, for this is caused by the Yuga Dharma (the Dharma peculiar to each Yuga). Therefore if all the subjects that are considered wicked and vicious according to the law of the Yuga Dharma, then this creation would be destroyed; hence Krisna killed only those Danavas and vicious Ksattriyas that were really the burden of Earth. O King! The persons that are devoted to religion take their births in the Satya Yuga; those
that are fond of religion and wealth they become manifest in the Treta Yuga; those that like Dharma (religion), Artha (wealth) and Kama (desires), they are born in the Dvapara Yuga, and those that dote on wealth and lust, they are seen in the Kali Yuga. O King! Know this as certain that these characteristics, peculiar to each Yuga, never vary; and know this too, that Time, the Lord of Dharma and Adharma, is always present.
15-18. The King said “O Intelligent One! Where are those pious persons now that were born as high-souled religious persons in the Satya Yuga; where are those Munis now who were devoted to charity in the Treta or Dvapara Yuga? Again where will go these shameless and merciless persons, that are being seen now in this Kali Yuga, these vicious creatures that revile their own Gurus? O Highly Intelligent One! I am very eager to know how these religious matters are brought to a decision and settlement; kindly describe to me in detail all these secret truths.”
19-30. Vyasa said:-- O King! Persons, born in the Satya Yuga, that perform acts of merit, go to the Deva Loka. O King! The Brahmins, Ksattriyas, Vais’yas and S’udras, if they remain in their own spheres and if they be devoted to religious acts, go to their respective spheres, earned by their meritorious deeds. By virtue of truth, mercy, charity, going to one’s own wives, not injuring animals, and having no jealousy and showing mercy equally towards all, by practising these universal forms of religion, even the lowest castes, e.g., washermen and others all go to the Paradise. So in the Treta and Dvapara Yugas men go to Heaven by virtue of their merits, earned in practising their own Dharma; but in this Kali Yuga persons addicted to vicious acts go to terrible hells and remain there till the end of the Kali Yuga when they will be again born in this earth. O King! When the Satya Yuga begins and the Kali Yuga ends, at this junction time, the virtuous highsouled persons descend from Heaven and are born
on this earth; and when the Kali begins and the Dvapara ends, the vicious souls come on the earth again from their hells. O King! Know this as the course of Time; it never becomes otherwise. See, then, that the Kali Yuga tends to do vicious things and the people, therefore, become vicious. At times, the birth of beings takes place otherwise than the laws of Yugas, out of the strange combinations of Fate (i.e., good persons are seen in the Kali and vicious persons are seen in the Satya). For this reason those that do meritorious acts in the Kali Yuga are born as men in the Dvapara; so the Dvapara good persons take their births as men in the Treta; and the Treta good persons are born as men in the Satya Yuga. Again those who are vicious in the Satya Yuga become persons of the Kali Yuga. The JTvas suffer miseries on account of their own bad Karmas; they again suffer more miseries by doing over and over again those bad Karmas by virtue of the Yuga Dharma.
31. Janamejaya said “O Bhagavan! Describe particularly the details of the Yuga Dharma. I am now very desirous to hear which Dharma is for which Yuga?”
32-54. Vyasa said O King! I will now show to you by example the influence of the religion peculiar to each Yuga; hear it attentively. O King! The hearts even of saints are quite disturbed by the Yuga Dharma. See! Your father was a religious and high-souled monarch; still the wicked Kali defiled his mind and prompted him to do an act very insulting to a Brahmana. Otherwise why would he, being a renowned prince amongst the Ksattriyas and a descendant of Yayati, thus go and encircle a snake round the throat of an ascetic Brahmin? Therefore, O King! All actions are being influenced by the Yuga Dharma. The Pundits, also recognise this. If you try your best to perform any religious act, even then the Yuga Dharma would prevail, yet you would be able to perform to a certain extent, a part of your intention. O King! In the Satya Yuga, the Brahmins were versed in
the Vedas, always devoted to worship the Highest Force, with an ardent desire to see the Devi; they were devoted to Gayatri with Pranava, devoted to the meditation of Gayatri, always reciting silently Gayatri, and the Mayavija Mantram, the chief mantram. In every village, the Brahmins were very eager to erect temples of the Devi Maha Maya Ambika and were truthful, merciful and pure and devoted to their own respective works. The Ksattriyas, skilled in the science of the highest knowledge, were ever engaged in doing things ordained by the Vedas and were always intent in protecting well their subjects. The Vais’yas did their cultivation and trade and the S’udras always served the other three castes. Thus, in the Satya Yuga, all the Varnas (castes) were devoted to the worship of the Devi Ambika, the Highest S’akti; but in the Treta Yuga, the observance of the religion declined a little and in the Dvapara, it declined very much. O Ornament of Indra! Those who were Raksasas before, they become the Brahmins of the Kali Yuga; they are the flowers of atheists, deceptors of men, untruthful, without any Vedas, devoid of the Vedic practices, arrogant, cunning, egoistic, and capable only to serve the S’udras. Some of them try to find fault with the Sanatan Dharma and are the promulgators of various other creeds, wicked, fallen from their religion and given to much talking. O King! As Kali gets stronger, so the true religion declines and ultimately dies; and, in that proportion, the Ksattriyas, Vais’yas and S’udras are also devoid of their religion. When Kali will be in full swing, the Ksattriyas, Vais’yas and S’udras will all be untruthful, vicious; the Brahmins will act like S’udras and will accept other’s gifts. O King! The women in the Kali Yuga would be very passionate, avaricious and ignorant. They would be very powerful and insolent, wilful, vicious and untruthful and so would be a source of pain to the society. They would think themselves vainly religious and learned and would be always ready to impart religious instructions and deceive their own husbands and be exceedingly vicious. O King! Our minds are purified by the food that we take; when our minds are pure, the Light of Dharma shines clearly. The customs and practices of Varna and As’rama Dharmas get intermixed with each other and so arises the fault of Dharma S’amkara (i.e., mixture of the several
parts of religion with each other). When the Dharma S’amkara creeps in, the Varna S’ankara is seen (i.e., purity in blood and other matters of birth are lost). Thus, in the Kali Yuga, all the Dharmas will gradually die out and ultimately nothing will be heard about one’s own religion. O King! In this Yuga even the religious high-souled persons will be found to do irreligious acts! The nature of Kali is so; nobody will be able to quit it. O King! Thus, in this age, men naturally commit vicious things; with ordinary means, therefore, no one becomes able to extricate from the worst vicious habits.
55-56. Janamejaya said “O Bhagavan! You know all and you are versed in all the S’astras; what will be the fate of so many persons in this Kali Yuga? If there be any path, kindly describe it to me.”
57-65. Vyasa said O King! There is only one path and none other which can save a man from the sin of this Kali; and that is this The Jivas must meditate on the lotus-feet of the Highest Devi for the purification of all their faults and sins. O King! There is so much strength in Her sin-destroying Name, that the amount of sin in this world falls much less in proportion to that. Where, then, is the cause of fear? Her Name, uttered at random, even in an unconscious state, bestows so much unspeakable results that even Hari, Hara and others have not the capacity to know that. O King! The mere remembrance of the name of S’ri Devi is an atonement for a multitude of sins; then it behoves that every man, afraid of the Kali Yuga, residing in a place of pilgrimage, ought to remember incessantly the Name of the Highest Deity. Even if anybody cuts, pierces, and kills all the beings in this whole world, he won’t be touched with the sins, if he bows down, with devotion, before the Devi. O King! I have narrated to you all the secret truths of all the S’astras. Consider all these fully and always worship the lotus-feet of the Devi. All men are reciting silently the Japam called the Ajapa Gayatri; still they do not know the glory of it; such is the powerful
influence of Maya. All the Brahmanas are reciting in the depth of their hearts the Gayatri Mantram, yet they do not know the glory of it (otherwise they would have been liberated); such is the great influence of Maya. O King! I have described to you all that you asked me about the Yuga Dharmas; what more do you want to hear?
Here ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Sixth Book on the ascertainment of Dharma in the Maha Puranam, S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 33257, revision 86846 (2016-10-24T01:28:19Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk06ch11.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.