Canto 12: “The Age of Deterioration
1/2–çré-çuka uväca
yo ‘ntyaù puraïjayo näma
bhaviñyo bärahadrathaù
tasyämätyas tu çunako
hatvä sväminam ätma-jam
pradyota-saàjïaà räjänaà
kartä yat-pälakaù sutaù
viçäkhayüpas tat-putro
bhavitä räjakas tataù
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: The last king mentioned in our previous
enumeration of the future rulers of the Mägadha dynasty was Puraïjaya, who
will take birth as the descendant of Båhadratha. Puraïjaya’s minister Çunaka
will assassinate the king and install his own son, Pradyota, on the throne. The
son of Pradyota will be Pälaka, his son will be Viçäkhayüpa, and his son will be
Räjaka.
3–nandivardhanas tat-putraù
païca pradyotanä ime
añöa-triàçottara-çataà
bhokñyanti påthivéà nåpäù
The son of Räjaka will be Nandivardhana, and thus in the Pradyotana
dynasty there will be five kings, who will enjoy the earth for 138 years.
4–çiçunägas tato bhävyaù
käkavarëas tu tat-sutaù
kñemadharmä tasya sutaù
kñetrajïaù kñemadharma-jaù
Nandivardhana will have a son named Çiçunäga, and his son will be known
as Käkavarëa. The son of Käkavarëa will be Kñemadharmä, and the son of
Kñemadharmä will be Kñetrajïa.
5–vidhisäraù sutas tasyäjätaçatrur
bhaviñyati
darbhakas tat-suto bhävé
darbhakasyäjayaù småtaù
The son of Kñetrajïa will be Vidhisära, and his son will be Ajätaçatru.
Ajätaçatru will have a son named Darbhaka, and his son will be Ajaya.
6/7/8–nandivardhana äjeyo
mahänandiù sutas tataù
çiçunägä daçaivaite
sañöy-uttara-çata-trayam
samä bhokñyanti påthivéà
kuru-çreñöha kalau nåpäù
mahänandi-suto räjan
çüdrä-garbhodbhavo balé
mahäpadma-patiù kaçcin
nandaù kñatra-vinäça-kåt
tato nåpä bhaviñyanti
çüdra-präyäs tv adhärmikäù
Ajaya will father a second Nandivardhana, whose son will be Mahänandi. O
best of the Kurus, these ten kings of the Çiçunäga dynasty will rule the earth
for a total of 360 years during the age of Kali. My dear Parékñit, King
Mahänandi will father a very powerful son in the womb of a çüdra woman. He
will be known as Nanda and will be the master of millions of soldiers and
fabulous wealth. He will wreak havoc among the kñatriyas, and from that time
onward virtually all kings will be irreligious çüdras.
9–sa eka-cchaträà påthivém
anullaìghita-çäsanaù
çäsiñyati mahäpadmo
dvitéya iva bhärgavaù
That lord of Mahäpadma, King Nanda, will rule over the entire earth just
like a second Paraçuräma, and no one will challenge his authority
10–tasya cäñöau bhaviñyanti
sumälya-pramukhäù sutäù
ya imäà bhokñyanti mahéà
räjänaç ca çataà samäù
He will have eight sons, headed by Sumälya, who will control the earth as
powerful kings for one hundred years.
11–nava nandän dvijaù kaçcit
prapannän uddhariñyati
teñäà abhäve jagatéà
mauryä bhokñyanti vai kalau
A certain brähmaëa [Cäëakya] will betray the trust of King Nanda and his
eight sons and will destroy their dynasty. In their absence the Mauryas will rule
the world as the age of Kali continues.
12–sa eva candraguptaà vai
dvijo räjye ‘bhiñekñyati
tat-suto värisäras tu
tataç cäçokavardhana
This brähmaëa will enthrone Candragupta, whose son will be named
Värisära. The son of Värisära will be Açokavardhana.
13–suyaçä bhavitä tasya
saìgataù suyaçaù-sutaù
çäliçükas tatas tasya
somaçarmä bhaviñyati
çatadhanvä tatas tasya
bhavitä tad-båhadrathaù
Açokavardhana will be followed by Suyaçä, whose son will be Saìgata. His
son will be Çäliçüka, Çäliçüka’s son will be Somaçarmä, and Somaçarmä’s son
will be Çatadhanvä. His son will be known as Brhadratha.
14–mauryä hy ete daça nåpäù
sapta-triàçac-chatottaram
samä bhokñyanti påthivéà
kalau kuru-kulodvaha
O best of the Kurus, these ten Maurya kings will rule the earth for 137 years
of the Kali-yuga.
15/16/17–agnimitras tatas tasmät
sujyeñöho bhavitä tataù
vasumitro bhadrakaç ca
pulindo bhavitä sutaù
tato ghoñaù sutas tasmäd
vajramitro bhaviñyati
tato bhägavatas tasmäd
devabhütiù kurüdvaha
çuìgä daçaite bhokñyanti
bhümià varña-çatädhikam
tataù käëvän iyaà bhümir
yäsyaty alpa-guëän nåpa
My dear King Parékñit, Agnimitra will follow as king, and then Sujyeñöha.
Sujyeñöha will be followed by Vasumitra, Bhadraka, and the son of Bhadraka,
Pulinda. Then the son of Pulinda, named Ghoña, will rule, followed by
Vajramitra, Bhägavata and Devabhüti. In this way, O most eminent of the
Kuru heroes, ten Çuìga kings will rule over the earth for more than one
hundred years. Then the earth will come under the subjugation of the kings of
the Käëva dynasty, who will manifest very few good qualities.
18–çuìgaà hatvä devabhütià
käëvo ‘mätyas tu käminam
svayaà kariñyate räjyaà
vasudevo mahä-matiù
Vasudeva, an intelligent minister coming from the Käëva family, will kill the
last of the Çuìga kings, a lusty debauchee named Devabhüti, and assume
rulership himself.
19–tasya putras tu bhümitras
tasya näräyaëaù sutaù
käëväyanä ime bhümià
catväriàçac ca païca ca
çatäni tréëi bhokñyanti
varñäëäà ca kalau yuge
The son of Vasudeva will be Bhümitra, and his son will be Näräyaëa. These
kings of the Käëva dynasty will rule the earth for 345 more years of the
Kali-yuga.
20–hatvä käëvaà suçarmäëaà
tad-bhåtyo våñalo balé
gäà bhokñyaty andhra-jätéyaù
kaïcit kälam asattamaù
The last of the Käëvas, Suçarmä, will be murdered by his own servant, Balé
a low-class çüdra of the Andhra race. This most degraded Mahäräja Balé will
have control over the earth for some time.
21/22/23/24/25/26–kåñëa-nämätha tad-bhrätä
bhavitä påthivé-patiù
çré-çäntakarëas tat-putraù
paurëamäsas tu tat-sutaù
lambodaras tu tat-putras
tasmäc cibilako nåpaù
meghasvätiç cibilakäd
aöamänas tu tasya ca
aniñöakarmä häleyas
talakas tasya cätma-jaù
puréñabhérus tat-putras
tato räjä sunandanaù
cakoro bahavo yatra
çivasvätir arin-damaù
tasyäpi gomaté putraù
purémän bhavitä tataù
medaçiräù çivaskando
yajïaçrés tat-sutas tataù
vijayas tat-suto bhävyaç
candravijïaù sa-lomadhiù
ete triàçan nåpatayaç
catväry abda-çatäni ca
ñaö-païcäçac ca påthivéà
bhokñyanti kuru-nandana
The brother of Balé, named Kåñëa, will become the next ruler of the earth.
His son will be Çäntakarëa, and his son will be Paurëamäsa. The son of
Paurëamäsa will be Lambodara, who will father Mahäräja Cibilaka. From
Cibilaka will come Meghasväti, whose son will be Aöamäna. The son of
Aöamäna will be Aniñöakarmä. His son will be Häleya, and his son will be
Talaka. The son of Talaka will be Puréñabhéru, and following him Sunandana
will become king. Sunandana will be followed by Cakora and the eight Bahus,
among whom Çivasväti will be a great subduer of enemies. The son of Çivasväti
will be Gomaté. His son will be Purémän, whose son will be Medaçirä. His son
will be Çivaskanda, and his son will be Yajïaçré. The son of Yajïaçré will be
Vijaya, who will have two sons, Candravijïa and Lomadhi. These thirty kings
will enjoy sovereignty over the earth for a total of 456 years, O favorite son of
the Kurus.
27–saptäbhérä ävabhåtyä
daça gardabhino nåpäù
kaìkäù ñoòaça bhü-pälä
bhaviñyanty ati-lolupäù
Then will follow seven kings of the Äbhéra race from the ciq of Avabhåti,
and then ten Gardabhés. After them, sixteen kings of the Kaìkas will rule and
will be known for their excessive greed.
28–tato ‘ñöau yavanä bhävyäç
caturdaça turuñkakäù
bhüyo daça guruëòäç ca
maulä ekädaçaiva tu
Eight Yavanas will then take power, followed by fourteen Turuñkas, ten
Guruëòas and eleven kings of the Maula dynasty.
29/30/31–ete bhokñyanti påthivéà
daça varña-çatäni ca
navädhikäà ca navatià
maulä ekädaça kñitim
bhokñyanty abda-çatäny aìga
tréëi taiù saàsthite tataù
kilakiläyäà nåpatayo
bhütanando ‘tha vaìgiriù
çiçunandiç ca tad-bhrätä
yaçonandiù pravérakaù
ity ete vai varña-çataà
bhaviñyanty adhikäni ñaö
These Äbhéras, Gardabhés and Kaìkas will enjoy the earth for 1,099 years,
and the Maulas will rule for 300 years. When all of them have died off there
will appear in the city of Kilakilä a dynasty of kings consisting of Bhütananda,
Vaìgiri, Çiçunandi, Çiçunandi’s brother Yaçonandi, and Pravéraka. These kings
of Kilakilä will hold sway for a total of 106 years.
32/33–teñäà trayodaça sutä
bhavitäraç ca bählikäù
puñpamitro ‘tha räjanyo
durmitro ‘sya tathaiva ca
eka-kälä ime bhü-päù
saptändhräù sapta kauçaläù
vidüra-patayo bhävyä
niñadhäs tata eva hi
The Kilakiläs will be followed by their thirteen sons, the Bählikas, and after
them King Puñpamitra, his son Durmitra, seven Andhras, seven Kauçalas and
also kings of the Vidüra and Niñadha provinces will separately rule in different
parts of the world.
34–mägadhänäà tu bhavitä
viçvasphürjiù puraïjayaù
kariñyaty aparo varëän
pulinda-yadu-madrakän
There will then appear a king of the Mägadhas named Viçvasphürji, who will
be like another Puraïjaya. He will turn all the civilized classes into low-class,
uncivilized men in the same category as the Pulindas, Yadus and Madrakas
35–prajäç cäbrahma-bhüyiñöhäù
sthäpayiñyati durmatiù
véryavän kñatram utsädya
padmavatyäà sa vai puri
anu-gaìgam ä-prayägaà
guptäà bhokñyati mediném
Foolish King Viçvasphürji will maintain all the citizens in ungodliness and
will use his power to completely disrupt the kñatriya order. From his capital of
Padmavaté he will rule that part of the earth extending from the source of the
Gaìgä to Prayäga.
36–sauräñörävanty-äbhéräç ca
çürä arbuda-mälaväù
vrätyä dvijä bhaviñyanti
çüdra-präyä janädhipäù
At that time the brähmaëas of such provinces as Çauräñöra, Avanté, Äbhéra,
Çüra, Arbuda and Mälava will forget all their regulative principles, and the
members of the royal order in these places will become no better than çüdras.
37–sindhos taöaà candrabhägäà
kauntéà käçméra-maëòalam
bhokñyanti çüdrä vrätyädyä
mlecchäç cäbrahma-varcasaù
The land along the Sindhu River, as well as the districts of Candrabhägä,
Kaunté and Käçméra, will be ruled by çüdras, fallen brähmaëas and meat-eaters.
Having given up the path of Vedic civilization, they will have lost all spiritual
strength
38–tulya-kälä ime räjan
mleccha-präyäç ca bhü-bhåtaù
ete ‘dharmänåta-paräù
phalgu-däs tévra-manyavaù
There will be many such uncivilized kings ruling at the same time, O King
Parékñit, and they will all be uncharitable, possessed of fierce tempers, and great
devotees of irreligion and falsity
39/40–stré-bäla-go-dvija-ghnäç ca
para-dära-dhanädåtäù
uditästa-mita-präyä
alpa-sattvälpakäyuñaù
asaàskåtäù kriyä-hénä
rajasä tamasävåtäù
prajäs te bhakñayiñyanti
mlecchä räjanya-rüpiëaù
These barbarians in the guise of kings will devour the citizenry, murdering
innocent women, children, cows and brähmaëas and coveting the wives and
property of other men. They will be erratic in their moods, have little strength
of character and be very short-lived. Indeed, not purified by any Vedic rituals
and lacking in the practice of regulative principles, they will be completely
covered by the modes of passion and ignorance
41–tan-näthäs te janapadäs
tac-chéläcära-vädinaù
anyonyato räjabhiç ca
kñayaà yäsyanti péòitäù
The citizens governed by these low-class kings will imitate the character,
behavior and speech of their rulers. Harassed by their leaders and by each
other, they will all suffer ruination.
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