"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 _Parana_ (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."