Vishnupurana 6.1.p5

6.1.p5

In the Kali age, people will not serve caste, order and institutes, nor the ceremonial enjoined by the Sāma, Rik and Yayur Vedas. Marriages in this age will be celebrated according to the rituals, nor will the rules that connect the spiritual protector and his disciple be in force; the laws that regulate the conduct of husband and wife will be neglected and oblations to the celestials with fire no longer be offered. A powerful and rich man, in whatever family he may be born, will have right to marry maidens of every tribe. In the Kali age, a Brāhmana will be always regarded as such even if he be not initiated properly, and many forms of penance will be prescribed. O Maitreya, O twice-born one, all texts will be considered as Sastras in the Kali age; all celestials will be considered in equal light and all orders of life will be common alike to all persons. In this Kali age, fasting, austerity, liberality practised according to the pleasures of those by whom they are observed will constitute piety. Every trifling property will make men proud of their wealth. Pride of beauty will be inspired by hair. Gold, jewels, diamonds, clothes will all have perished, and then hair will be the only ornament with which women can decorate themselves. Wives will desert their husbands when they will lose their wealth; and the rich only will be considered by woman as their lords. He who will distribute immense wealth, will be considered as master of men and prestige of birth will no longer be a title to supremacy. Accumulated wealth will be spent on ostentatious dwellings. The minds of men will be wholly occupied with earning money and that even will be spent on the gratification of selfish desires. Women will follow their own inclinations and be given up to pleasure-seeking. Men will endeavour to acquire riches even dishonestly. No man will part with the smallest fraction of his wealth at the sacrifice of his own interest even when requested by his friends. In the Kali age all people will consider themselves as equal with the Brāhmanas; and cows will be held in reverence only because they supply milk. People will be always in fear of dearth and scarcity and will watch accordingly the appearances of the sky. They will all live, like anchorets, upon leaves and roots and fruits and put a period to their lives through fear of famine and want. Deprived of wealth, people will be perpetually subject to famine and other afflictions; and they will never enjoy pleasure and happiness. At the advent of the Kali they will take their food without previous ablutions and without worshipping fire, celestials or guests or offering obsequial libations to their progenitors. The women will be fickle, short of stature, gluttonous; they will all have many children and little means. And scratching their heads with both hands they will pay no attention to the commands of their husbands or parents. They will be selfish, abject and slovenly; they will be scolds and liars; they will be indecent and immoral in their conduct and will ever attach themselves to dissolute men. And disregarding the rules of studentship youths will study the Vedas. Householders will neither sacrifice nor practise becoming liberality. Anchorets will live upon food accepted from rustics and mendicants will be influenced by regard for friends and associates. Princes will plunder their subjects instead of protecting them and under the pretext of levying customs they will rob merchants of their property. In the Kali Vuga every one, possessing cars and elephants and horses, will be a Raja; every one who is feeble will be a slave. Vaiçyas will abandon agriculture and commerce and gain a livelihood by servitude or exercise of mechanical arts; Sudras, seeking a subsistence by begging and assuming outward marks of religious mendicants, will become the impure followers of impious and heretical doctrines.