“Markandeya continued, ‘Having exterminated the thieves and robbers,
Kalki will, at a great Horse-sacrifice, duly give away this earth to the
Brahmanas, and having established anew the blessed rectitude ordained by
the Self-create, Kalki, of sacred deeds and illustrious reputation, will
enter a delightful forest, and the people of this earth will imitate his
conduct, and when the Brahmanas will have exterminated the thieves and
robbers, there will be prosperity everywhere (on earth). And as the
countries of the earth will one after another be subjugated, that tiger
among Brahmanas, Kalki, having placed deer skins and lances and tridents
there, will roam over the earth, adored by foremost Brahmanas and showing
his regard for them and engaged all the while in slaughtering thieves and
robbers. And he will exterminate the thieves and robbers amid
heart-rending cries of ‘Oh, father--’ ‘Oh, mother!--‘O son!’ and the
like, and O Bharata, when sin will thus have been rooted out and virtue
will flourish on arrival of the Krita age, men will once more betake
themselves to the practice of religious rites. And in the age that will
set in, viz., the Krita, well-planted gardens and sacrificial compounds
and large tanks and educational centres for the cultivation of Brahmanic
lore and ponds and temples will re-appear everywhere. And the ceremonies
and rites of sacrifices will also begin to be performed. And the
Brahmanas will become good and honest, and the regenerate ones, devoted
to ascetic austerities, will become Munis and the asylums of ascetics,
which had before been filled with wretches will once more be homes of men
devoted to truth, and men in general will begin to honour and practise
truth. And all seeds, sown on earth, will grow, and, O monarch, every
kind of crop will grow in every season. And men will devotedly practise
charity and vows and observances, and the Brahmanas devoted to meditation
and sacrifices will be of virtuous soul and always cheerful, and the
rulers of the earth will govern their kingdoms virtuously, and in the
Krita age, the Vaisyas will be devoted to the practices of their order.
And the Brahmanas will be devoted to their six-fold duties (of study,
teaching, performance of sacrifices on their own account, officiating at
sacrifices performed by others, charity and acceptance of gifts), and the
Kshatriyas will be devoted to feats of prowess. And Sudras will be
devoted to service of the three (high) orders,
“These, O Yudhishthira, are the courses of the Krita, the Treta, the
Dwapara and the succeeding age. I have now narrated to thee everything. I
have also told thee, O son of Pandu, the periods embraced by the several
Yugas as generally known. I have now told thee everything appertaining to
both the past and the future as narrated by Vayu in the Purana (which
goes by his name and) which is adored by the Rishis. Being immortal I
have many a time beheld and otherwise ascertained the courses of the
world. Indeed, all I have seen and felt I have now told thee. And, O thou
of unfading glory, listen now with thy brothers to something else I will
presently tell thee for clearing thy doubts about religion! O thou
foremost of virtuous men, thou shouldst always fix thy soul on virtue,
for, O monarch, a person of virtuous soul obtaineth bliss both here and
hereafter. And, O sinless one, listen to the auspicious words that I will
now speak to thee. Never do thou humiliate a Brahmana, for a Brahmana, if
angry, may by his vow destroy the three worlds.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Hearing these words of Markandeya, the royal
head of the Kurus, endued with intelligence and possessed of great
lustre, spoke these words of great wisdom, ‘O muni, if I am to protect my
subjects, to what course of conduct should I adhere? And how should I
behave so that I may not fall away from the duties of my order?’
“Markandeya, hearing this, answered, ‘Be merciful to all creatures, and
devoted to their good. Love all creatures, scorning none. Be truthful in
speech, humble, with passions under complete control, and always devoted
to the protection of thy people. Practise virtue and renounce sin, and
worship thou the manes and the god and whatever thou mayst have done from
ignorance or carelessness, wash them off and expiate them by charity.
Renouncing pride and vanity, be thou possessed to humility and good
behaviour. And subjugating the whole earth, rejoice thou and let
happiness be thine. This is the course of conduct that accords with
virtue. I have recited to thee all that was and all that will be regarded
as virtuous. There is nothing appertaining to the past or the future that
is unknown to thee. Therefore, O son, take not to heart this present
calamity of thine. They that are wise are never overwhelmed when they are
persecuted by Time. O thou of mighty arms, the very dwellers of heaven
cannot rise superior to Time. Time afflicts all creatures. O sinless one,
let not doubt cross thy mind regarding the truth of what I have told
thee, for, if thou sufferest doubt to enter thy heart, thy virtue will
suffer diminution! O bull of the Bharata race, thou art born in the
celebrated family of the Kurus. Thou shouldst practise that which I have
told thee, in thought, word and deed.’
Yudhishthira answered, “O thou foremost of the regenerate ones, at thy
command I will certainly act according to all the instructions thou hast
given me, and which, O lord, are all so sweet to the ear. O foremost of
Brahmanas, avarice and lust I have none, and neither fear nor pride nor
vanity. I shall, therefore, O lord, follow all that thou hast told me.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Having listened to the words of the intelligent
Markandeya, the sons of Pandu, O king, along with the wielder of the bow
called Saranga, and all those bulls among Brahmanas, and all others that
were there, became filled with joy. And having heard those blessed words
appertaining to olden time, from Markandeya gifted with wisdom, their
hearts were filled with wonder.”