ld numbering many men possessed of great
intelligence and bravery? Whence is it that one man rules the wide world
teeming with brave and energetic and high-born men of good behaviour? Why
do all men seek to obtain his favour? Why is it that if one man becomes
delighted, the whole world becomes delighted, and if that one man is
troubled, the whole world becomes troubled? I desire to hear this in
detail, O bull of Bharata's race! O foremost of speakers, discourse to me
on this fully. O king, there cannot but be a grave reason for all this
since it is seen that the whole world bows down to one man as to a god."

"'Bhishma said, "With concentrated attention, O tiger among kings, listen
to it in detail as to how in the Krita age sovereignty first began. At
first there was no sovereignty, no king, no chastisement, and no
chastiser. All men used to protect one another righteously. As they thus
lived, O Bharata, righteously protecting one another, they found the task
(after some time) to be painful. Error then began to assail their hearts.
Having become subject to error, the perceptions of men, O prince, came to
be clouded, and thence their virtue began to decline. When their
perceptions were dimmed and when men became subject to error, all of them
became covetous, O chief of the Bharatas! And because men sought to
obtain objects, which they did not possess, another passion called lust
(of acquisition) got hold of them. When they became subject to lust,
another passion, named anger, soon soiled them. Once subject to wrath,
they lost all consideration of what should be done and what should not.
Unrestrained sexual indulgence set in. Men began to utter what they
chose. All distinctions between food that is clean and unclean and
between virtue and vice disappeared. When this confusion set in amongst
men, the Vedas disappeared. Upon the disappearance of the Vedas,
righteousness was lost. When both the Vedas and righteousness were lost,
the gods were possessed by fear. Overcome with fear, O tiger among men,
they sought the protection of Brahmana. Having gratified the divine
Grandsire of the universe, the gods, afflicted with grief, said unto him,
with joined hands, 'O god, the eternal Vedas have been afflicted in the
world of men by covetousness and error. For this, we have been struck
with fear. Through loss of the Vedas, O Supreme Lord, righteousness also
has been lost. For this, O Lord of the three worlds, we are about to
descend