hat 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. And for this,
covetousness and avarice will overwhelm them all. And wedded to avarice
and wrath and ignorance and lust men will entertain animosities towards
one another, desiring to take one another's lives. And Brahmanas and
Kshatriyas and Vaisyas with their virtue contracted and divested of
asceticism and truth will all be reduced to an equality with the Sudras.
And the lowest orders of men will rise to the position of the
intermediate ones, and those in intermedia