Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed, the sons of Pritha and those bulls among men—­the twins, along with Draupadi, all bowed down unto Janardana.  And that tiger among men deserving of every respect thus revered by the sons of Pandu, then consoled them all with words of great sweetness.”

SECTION CLXXXIX

Vaisampayana said “Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, once more asked the great Muni Markandeya about the future course of the government of the Earth.

“And Yudhishthira said, ’O thou foremost of all speakers, O Muni of Bhrigu’s race, that which we have heard from thee about the destruction and re-birth of all things at the end of the Yuga, is, indeed, full of wonder!  I am filled with curiosity, however, in respect of what may happen in the Kali age.  When morality and virtue will be at an end, what will remain there!  What will be the prowess of men in that age, what their food, and what their amusements?  What will be the period of life at the end of the Yuga?  What also is the limit, having attained which the Krita age will begin anew?  Tell me all in detail, O Muni, for all that thou narratest is varied and delightful.’

“Thus addressed, that foremost of Munis began his discourse again, delighting that tiger of the Vrishni race and the sons of Pandu as well.  And Markandeya said, ’Listen, O monarch, to all that hath been seen and heard by me, and to all, O king of kings, that hath been known to me by intuition from the grace of the God of gods!  O bull of the Bharata race, listen to me as I narrate the future history of the world during the sinful age.  O bull of the Bharata race, in the Krita age, everything was free from deceit and guile and avarice and covetousness; and morality like a bull was among men, with all the four legs complete.  In the Treta age sin took away one of these legs and morality had three legs.  In the Dwapara, sin and morality are mixed half and half; and accordingly morality is said to have two legs only.  In the dark age (of Kali), O thou best of the Bharata race, morality mixed with three parts of sin liveth by the side of men.  Accordingly morality then is said to wait on men, with only a fourth part of itself remaining.  Know, O Yudhishthira, that the period of life, the energy, intellect and the physical strength of men decrease in every Yuga!  O Pandava, the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, (in the Kali age) will practise morality and virtue deceitfully and men in general will deceive their fellows by spreading the net of virtue.  And men with false reputation of learning will, by their acts, cause Truth to be contracted and concealed.  And in consequence of the shortness of their lives they will not be able to acquire much knowledge.  And in consequence of the littleness of their knowledge, they will have no wisdom.