The Purana Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age c4.s17: Chronological and Astronomical Particulars

The Purāṇa Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age c4.s17

Language: English

Chronological and Astronomical Particulars

c4.s17.1

Text—AMt 273, 35-52ᵃ ; AVā 99, 413-430 ; Bḍ iii, 74, 225-243.

c4.s17.2

Corresp. passages—CVṣ iv, 24, 30-42 ; GBh xii, 2, 24-34.

Concluding passages containing chronological and astronomical particulars about the Kali age are found, more or less full, in all the five Purāṇas. Here the Viṣṇu relinquishes its prose, and both it and the Bhāgavata adhere to an old śloka version (which the Viṣṇu introduces with the phrase *atr-ocyate*), similar to the version of the Matsya, Vāyu, and Brahmāṇḍa, but containing some verses not found in those three Purāṇas. Hence it is convenient to divide this subject into three parts.

c4.s17.4

The first part contains matter which is common to those three Purāṇas, and which the Viṣṇu and Bhāgavata give partially. The passages are these—AMt 273, 35-45ᵃ ; AVā 99, 413-423 ; Bḍ iii, 74, 225-236ᵃ ; CVṣ iv, 24, 30-33 ; GBh xii, 2, 24-28ᵃ. The Vāyu and Brahmāṇḍa give the whole, the Matsya all except the first two lines, and the Viṣṇu and Bhāgavata have ll. 1, 2, 4-6, 18-20, 22.

c4.s17.5

Then those three Purāṇas insert 8 or 9 lines alluding to the evils of the age, which may be omitted, and eVāyu omits most of them. The Viṣṇu and Bhāgavata offer instead other verses giving further particulars, and these constitute the second part, namely—CVṣ iv, 24, 34-39 ; GBh xii, 2, 28ᵇ-32. The verses in the Bh have been slightly re-arranged to correspond to the Vṣ.

c4.s17.6

The Purāṇas all unite again in the old śloka version and this forms the third part. The passages are—AMt 273, 49ᵇ-52ᵃ ; AVā 99, 428ᵇ-430 ; Bḍ iii, 74, 241-243 ; CVṣ iv, 24, 40-42 ; GBh xii, 2, 33-34. All give the whole, except that the Bhāgavata omits ll. 39, 40; but as there is considerable divergence, the Mt version and that of Vā and Bḍ are printed side by side, and the Vṣ and Bh versions are given in the notes.

c4.s17.7

As regards MSS cMt omits ll. 21-23; eMt ll. 21-23, 39 (second half)-41 (first half); jMt ll. 15-17, 19; kMt ll. 6-9, 18; lMt ll. 12-15; nMt ll. 13, 14; a²Vā ll. 11-14; eVā l. 16; hVā ll. 1, 2 (first half); mVā ll. 11, 13, 15, and places 12 after 14; hpMt, kVā, and tBh have nothing.

c4.s17.8

It is no part of the scope of this edition to discuss these chronological and astronomical particulars, beyond what is noticed in the Introdn. § 25, and in the notes to the translation of this passage, *infra*.

c4.s17.9

Yadā candraś ¹ ca-sūryaś ca tathā ² Tiṣya³-Bṛhaspatī
eka-rāśau ⁴ sameṣyanti ⁵ tadā Kṛta-yugam bhavet ⁶

c4.s17.10

¹ In mVā *vamśa vamśaś*.

c4.s17.11

² In jVṣ *yathā*; bVṣ, *f* Bh *yadā*.

c4.s17.12

³ *Śukra* in hVṣ.

c4.s17.13

⁴ Ca²-bfyhjlVā *rātre*; mVā *rāve*; kVṣ etair *amśeṣu*.

c4.s17.14

⁵ So eVā, Vṣ, Bh; lVṣ *sah-eṣyanti*. Vā genly, Bḍ *bhaviṣyanti*; CVā *bhariṣyanti* (misprint).

c4.s17.15

⁶ So Vā, Bḍ: eVā, Vṣ, arBh *bhaviṣyati* tadā (bdefgjVṣ *tataḥ*) *Kṛtam*; hVṣ gives the line twice and ends first *kṣayam* and then *Kaliḥ*. Bh *tadā bhavati tat Kṛtam*.

c4.s17.16

eṣa⁷ vaṃśa⁸-kramaḥ kṛtsnaḥ⁹ kīrtito yo¹⁰ yathā-kramam¹¹ atītā vartamānāś ca tath=aiv=ānāgatāś¹² ca ye¹³ Mahāpadm¹⁴-ābhiṣekāt tu¹⁵ | yāvat Parikṣito¹⁶ janma yāvaj janma¹⁷ Parīkṣitaḥ | yāvan Nand-ābhiṣecanam 5 evam¹⁸ varṣa¹⁹-sahasraṃ tu jñeyam²⁰ pañcāśad-uttaram²¹ Pulomās tu²² tath=Āndhrās tu²³ | pramāṇaṃ vai tathā vaktum²⁴ Mahāpadm-āntare²⁵ punaḥ²⁶ | Mahāpadm-āntaraṃ²⁷ ca yat²⁸ antaraṃ tac²⁹ chatāny³⁰ aṣṭau ṣaṭ-triṃśat³¹ tu³² samās tathā³³ tāvat³⁴ kāl-āntaraṃ bhāvyam³⁵ Andhr-ant-ādyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ³⁶

c4.s17.17

⁷ So Vā, Bḍ, bcde nMt. A CfgjklmMt evam.

c4.s17.18

⁸ In eVā eva.

c4.s17.19

⁹ So Mt, bdeh Vā. Vā genly kṛtsnam; eMt kṛtaḥ praśnaḥ, cMt kṣataḥ.

c4.s17.20

¹⁰ So Mt genly; cenMt 'yaṃ: eVā vā. Vā, Bḍ vo.

c4.s17.21

¹¹ Mt mayā kramāt.

c4.s17.22

¹² So CfgjMt, Vā, Bḍ, Vṣ. Mt genly reads the whole line in the nomin. sing., and bMt the first half in locat. sing. Bh says— ye 'tītā vartamānā ye bhaviṣyanti ca pārthivāḥ: but deBh ye bhaviṣyanti pārthivāḥ for the second half.

c4.s17.23

¹³ In fyMt tu ye. After this line Vṣ inserts this line— ete vaṃśeṣu bhūpālāḥ kathitā munisattama. Bh inserts this line— te ta uddeśataḥ proktā vaṃśiyāḥ* Soma-Sūryayoḥ: where *f Bh vaṃśayoḥ, adrsBh vaṃśa-jāḥ.

c4.s17.24

¹⁴ This line is in Mt, Vā, Bḍ. So Mt. Bḍ Mahānand-, Vā Mahādev-, which both no doubt = Mahāpadm-; see l. 7.

c4.s17.25

¹⁵ Bḍ °ṣek-āntam.

c4.s17.26

¹⁶ This line is in Vṣ, Bh. So Vṣ. Bh ārabhya bhavato equivalently.

c4.s17.27

¹⁷ So Mt. Vā, Bḍ janma yāvat.

c4.s17.28

¹⁸ So Mt, eVā: lnMt ekam; kVṣ ete: others etad.

c4.s17.29

¹⁹ In celnMt eva; bMt eka.

c4.s17.30

²⁰ Bh śatam; jBh satam.

c4.s17.31

²¹ So Mt genly, Vā, Bḍ: cejMt °śat-ottaram, bMt °śato trayam: lnMt, blVṣ pañca-śat-ōttaram. But eVā, Vṣ, Bh pañcadaś-ōttaram.

c4.s17.32

²² This line is in Mt. So f jMt; bcenMt °te; gMt Pulobhās tu; eVā also Pulomā ca. ACdklMt Paulomās tu. The correct reading would seem to be Pulomāt tu, referring to the last Andhra king.

c4.s17.33

²³ So ACdklmMt; bMt °Āndhrās tu; fgMt tato 'ndhrās tu; jMt tath=Endrās tu; nMt tathā c=Andhra; cMt †tathārv=Āndhrā; eMt †tathārvākaḥ. The correct reading seems to be tath=Āndhrāt tu.

c4.s17.34

²⁴ This line is in Vā, Bḍ. So a¹a³a⁴dfghfVā, Bḍ; mVā vaktu; 3 MSS of CVā °vaktam (= Pkt vuttam?); a²jVā, 3 MSS of CVā °ōktam: eVā (see note ²²) tato vaktum; bVā yathā vaktur. Vuttam is most prob. the original Pkt word, and all these are attempts to Sanskritize it without infringing sandhi.

c4.s17.35

²⁵ In bMt -ōttare.

c4.s17.36

²⁶ In jMt puraḥ.

c4.s17.37

²⁷ So Vā. Bḍ -ōttaram.

c4.s17.38

²⁸ In eVā yataḥ.

c4.s17.39

²⁹ So Vā. Bḍ °ca. Mt genly anantaram; jMt antare ṣaṭ. This half line in lMt is nā[nā]ntaram pakṣatāny aṣṭau; in bMt †anamtastaṣṭanāmatyau.

c4.s17.40

³⁰ In eMt śatā.

c4.s17.41

³¹ So also nMt ṣaḍiṃśat (= ṣaṭ-triṃśat); dMt śastr°: bMt, a³bVā ṣaḍ-viṃśac, dVā ṣaḍ-v°; hVā ṣatriṃśac or ṣaḍr°.

c4.s17.42

³² So Mt. Vā, Bḍ ca.

c4.s17.43

³³ So Mt. Vā, Bḍ smṛtāḥ.

c4.s17.44

³⁴ So Mt. Vā, Bḍ etat.

c4.s17.45

³⁵ So Mt, efmVā, Bḍ; cMt bhāvya. Vā genly bhāvyā.

c4.s17.46

³⁶ So a²-fghmVā, Bḍ; bdVā c=Ān°. Ca¹jlVā Andhr-āntā ye (l omits ye) pra°; eVā sandhān bhāvyāḥ pra°. Mt genly Andhr-āntād ā-Parīkṣitaḥ; fgMt Andhr°, cenMt kṣatr°: bMt †śambhrātrāḍayārākṣiṇāt, jMt athādyā dīpitās tataḥ. Mt reading is corrupt, because from Parīkṣit to the end of the Andhras comprises the two periods in

c4.s17.47

Bhaviṣye³⁷ te prasaṅkhyātāḥ³⁸ purāṇa-jñaiḥ śrutarṣibhiḥ³⁹ saptarṣayas tadā⁴⁰ prāmśu⁴¹ pradīptenāgninā⁴³ samāḥ⁴⁴ sapta⁴⁷-viṃśati-bhāvyānām⁴⁸ Andhrāṇānte⁵¹ 'nvagāt⁵² punaḥ⁵³ saptarṣayas tu vartante⁵⁷ yatra⁶⁰ nakṣatra-maṇḍale

c4.s17.48

saptarṣayas tadā prāhuḥ⁴² Pratīpe rājñi⁴⁵ vai śatam⁴⁶ sapta-viṃśaiḥ śatair⁴⁹ bhāvyā⁵⁰ Andhrāṇānte⁵⁴ 'nvayāḥ⁵⁵ punaḥ⁵⁶ sapta-viṃśati⁵⁸-paryante⁵⁹ kṛtsne nakṣatra-maṇḍale

c4.s17.49

ll. 5-8. The reckoning is from the end of the Andhras onwards into the future. ³⁷ So Mt: cMt °ṣyai; lMt omits. Vā, Bd bhaviṣyais; bVā na divyais. ³⁸ So Mt genly: celnMt °samākhyātaḥ; jMt, eVā tat prasaṅkhyātam. Ca¹d²a²jVā, Bd tatra saṅkhyātāḥ; a³Vā °khyātam; bdfghlmVā °khyānām: bMt naṣṭa-saṅkhyānāḥ. ³⁹ In lMt [śu]śrū[ṣa]tārṣibhiḥ; bMt surarṣibhiḥ; jMt maharṣibhiḥ: ceMt purāṇe śrutisarṣibhiḥ. ⁴⁰ In bcdefgjnMt tathā. ⁴¹ This line is in Mt. So ACdkmMt: eMt pāmśru (or yā°); cMt pāśu; nMt prāyuḥ or prāpuḥ; bMt āyuḥ; fgMt te syuḥ; jMt vācyaḥ. These readings and Vā, Bd readings appear to be crp. It seems necessary to the sense of this whole passage that some lunar constellation should be meant here, and the true reading may perhaps be Puṣye. Puṣya as the constellation in Pratīpa's time might tally with Maghā in Parīkṣit's time (see ll. 22, 24) about a century and a half later; see JRAS, 1910, p. 28. ⁴² So Vā; gVā prāhu. Bd prāptāḥ: eVā [ca] tathākhyaś ca. ⁴³ So Mt genly: dMt pradīpen°; kMt pratapte°; jMt pradīptā cāgni vai. Mt appears to be crp. ⁴⁴ So AClmMt: cdefgyknMt samam; bMt śamam; jMt śase. ⁴⁵ So Vā genly; hVā °rojni; eVā °rājā: dVā Pratīpam rājni, altered to Pratīparājni. Bd pitrye Pārīkṣite (omitting vai). ⁴⁶ In fjVā viṃśatam; eVā samsthite. All the readings of this line in Mt, Vā, and Bd are no doubt attempts to Sanskritize an old Prakrit śloka, which was obscure. Perhaps the true reading should be, having regard to the forms of letters in the old scripts— saptarṣayas tadā Puṣye Pratīpe rājñi vai samam: cf. samam in l. 19; or śatam, see l. 22. ⁴⁷ This line is in Mt: cMt saptā; bnMt aṣṭā. ⁴⁸ So ACkMt: cdefgjmnMt bhāryena; bMt bhāvena. ⁴⁹ So Vā genly, Bd: dVā °viṃśati tair; bhVā °viṃśatair (short): eVā sapta-viṃśe śate, prob. the true reading. ⁵⁰ In eVā bhārye. ⁵¹ So ACmMt for first 3 syll.: dMt Andh° fgMt Adh°: bcenMt astrāṇām; jkMt astrenām. For last syll. cefgjknMt te; ACbmMt tu; dMt tram. The whole is clearly Andhrāṇānte, see note ⁵⁴. ⁵² In kMt 'nvagā, ceMt °gāt, nMt °gat: fMt 'ndhakāt; gMt dhakāt; jMt 'ṣṭakā; ACMt yadā; bdmMt tataḥ. The correct word seems to be 'nvagāt (aorist of anugā) or 'nugāḥ, the. former meaning '(the cycle) followed on again', and the latter '(the Seven Ṛṣis were) following on again'. The readings are thus equivalent, but the former seems preferable, because the v appears to be original, and was easily misread as dh in the Gupta script, while yadā and tataḥ are obvious emendations. ⁵³ In jMt sudhāḥ. ⁵⁴ For first 3 syll. Vā, Bd Andhrāṇām, hVā °ṇā; eVā mantrāṇām. For fourth syll. Vā, Bd te. The whole is clearly Andhrāṇānte, which means Andhrāṇānte, Pkt for Andhrāṇām ante, as the sense shows. But mVā reads this half line Adhā saṅkhyayā smṛtam, which belongs partly to l. 15. ⁵⁵ So a³hVā, Bd; and dVā (altered from tvayāḥ); gVā 'nvayā; eVā 'nvayaḥ. Vā genly tvayā. ⁵⁶ In bVā punat; gVā yutaḥ; a³Vā śubhāḥ. ⁵⁷ This line is in Mt. So CGVa²a⁴mMt; dMt °pravartante: jMt saptarṣayeti paryante: a¹a²bMt sapta-viṃśati-paryante, ceMt °paryanta-ḥ, kMt °paryataḥ, fgMt °parjanyo. ⁵⁸ This line is in Vā, Bd: eVā °viṃś-eti or viṃśe 'ti.

c4.s17.50

saptarṣayas tu tiṣṭhanti ⁶¹ paryāyeṇa ⁶² śataṃ śataṃ ⁶³ saptarṣīṇāṃ yugaṃ hy etad ⁶⁴ divyayā saṅkhyayā smṛtam ⁶⁵ 15 māsā ⁶⁶ divyāḥ ⁶⁷ smṛtāḥ ⁶⁸ ṣaṭ ca ⁶⁹ divy-abdāni tu ⁷⁰ sapta hi ⁷¹ tebhyaḥ ⁷² pravartate kālo ⁷³ divyaḥ saptarṣibhis ⁷⁴ tu vai ⁷⁵ saptarṣīṇāṃ ⁷⁶ tu ⁷⁷ yau pūrvau ⁷⁸ dṛśyete ⁷⁹ uditau niśi ⁸⁰ tayor madhye tu nakṣatraṃ ⁸¹ dṛśyate yat ⁸² samaṃ divi ⁸³ tena saptarṣayo ⁸⁴ yuktā jñeyā ⁸⁵ vyomni śataṃ samāḥ ⁸⁶ 20 nakṣatrāṇāṃ ṛṣīṇāṃ ca ⁸⁷ yogasy=aitan ⁸⁸ nidarśanam saptarṣayo Maghā-yuktāḥ ⁸⁹ kāle Pārikṣite ⁹⁰ śatam ⁹¹ Andhr-ante ⁹² tu ⁹³ catur-viṁśe ⁹⁴ bhaviṣyanti ⁹⁵ śataṁ samāḥ ⁹⁶

c4.s17.51

⁵⁹ In dVā paryate; bVā payate.

c4.s17.52

⁶⁰ In bcdefyjMt kṛtsne.

c4.s17.53

⁶¹ In bMt bhidyanti.

c4.s17.54

⁶² In fMt paryāye sā.

c4.s17.55

⁶³ In fMt śataṃ śataṃ; dMt śataḥ śataṃ; a¹a²dfgI Vā śatāc chatam; bjVā śatān śatam; mVā śatā śatam: a¹bMt śataṃ samāḥ.

c4.s17.56

⁶⁴ So Vā; eVā hy ete; Bd tv etad; fgMt yuge hy etad, kMt °ete: bhVā sugaṃ hy etad. But bMt tu paryanta, cenMt °paryāye. Mt genly upary etat.

c4.s17.57

⁶⁵ So Vā, Bd: cenMt tat smṛtaṃ divya-saṅkhyayā: kMt smṛtaṃ vai divya-saṅkhyayā, ACMt °sañjñayā: fgMt smṛtaṃ divyaṃ tu saṅkhyayā; bmMt °sañjñayā, and dMt crp.

c4.s17.58

⁶⁶ So Bd. Vā genly sā sā; jVā sāsa; mVā sāpa; hVā sayā; f Vā sā[sā]ya. Mt samā; nMt samo; eMt kṣado; cMt tado. Instead of this line eVā has two other lines— ṣaṣṭir daivata-yugānāṃ c=aika saptabhir epi ca trimśac c=ānyāni varṣāṇi smṛtaḥ saptarṣi-vatsaraḥ.

c4.s17.59

⁶⁷ So Mt, Bd. Vā divyā: nMt ditās; ceMt ditvāt.

c4.s17.60

⁶⁸ Vā smṛtā; bcefglnMt tathā.

c4.s17.61

⁶⁹ So Bd. Mt, Vā ṣaṣṭir erroneously.

c4.s17.62

⁷⁰ So ACjklMt; cnMt °ca; eMt divy-āṣṭāni ca. Bd divy-abdāś c=aiva. Vā divy-āhnāś c=aiva: bdmMt °āhāni tu (b, ca), fgMt °āhānīś ca.

c4.s17.63

⁷¹ So Bd: cdefgnMt, gVā saptati-ḥ; other Mt, Vā genly saptabhiḥ; jVā saptāmiḥ: bhVā saptasaṇabhiḥ, where in bVā ṇabhiḥ represents tebhyaḥ in next line.

c4.s17.64

⁷² So Vā, Bd, boeklnMt: eVā ebhyaḥ; other Mt ebhiḥ: dVā reads this half line pravartate mahān kālo.

c4.s17.65

⁷³ In kMt pravartitaḥ, dMt pravartane°; bMt °tite kāle.

c4.s17.66

⁷⁴ In cenMt saptarṣitas.

c4.s17.67

⁷⁵ So Mt, eVā. Vā, Bd taiḥ.

c4.s17.68

⁷⁶ In fgMt sapta-śīrṣam.

c4.s17.69

⁷⁷ In ACdkmMt, Vṣ genly, aBh ca.

c4.s17.70

⁷⁸ So CGVa°mMt, Bd, Vṣ, Bh; arBh pūrvau yau. Vā ye pūrvā (altered in dVā to yau pūrvau), akVṣ °pūrve: a¹⁻³bcdefglnMt, eVā yaḥ pūrvam, kMt °pūrva, jMt °pūrve. The dual is right as there are two stars, and see next line.

c4.s17.71

⁷⁹ So CGVa°mMt, Bd, Vṣ, Bh, dVā. • Vā genly dṛśyante; ehVā, aVṣ dṛśyate. For this half line a¹⁻³bcdejklnMt read udyan (l, udyat; j, mudyan; k, sudhan) vai dṛśyate niśi (j, divi; k omits): fgMt udyāte dṛśyate niśi.

c4.s17.72

⁸⁰ CGVa°mMt hy uditau niśi; eVā hy udito°. Vṣ, Bh uditau divi; aVṣ °bhyuditau°; jkVṣ, jBh udito°; gbH udite°. Vā, Bd uttarā-diśi.

c4.s17.73

⁸¹ So Mt genly, Bd; fgMt °madhye °ti°; eVā °madhye ca [taṃ]°; bMt °mādye tu rajataṃ. Bh, blVṣ tayos tu madhye nakṣatraṃ; Vṣ °madhya-nak°; kVṣ °madhyamaṃ kṣatraṃ. In a³Vā tato madhye ca nakṣatraṃ; Vā genly °madhyena ca kṣetram; bdhVā °cākṣetraṃ (altered in d to ca nakṣatraṃ); mVā crp.

c4.s17.74

⁸² In nMt yaḥ; eVā, bVṣ, dfkqBh tat; ceMt sa; bMt ca.

c4.s17.75

⁸³ Vṣ, Bh niśi.

c4.s17.76

⁸⁴ Bh ten-aita ṛṣayo; aberBh ten-aiva°; fBh tena vai°.

c4.s17.77

⁸⁵ So Vā, Bd; lVā °yayā. Mt genly jñeyā yuktā, jMt °muktā, bdMt °bhuktā; lMt devā yuktā. Vṣ, Bh yuktās tiṣṭhanty, aVṣ mu-ktās°; kVṣ muktāsthityanty; fBh yuktā bhavanty.

c4.s17.78

⁸⁶ In bVā°śate°. Vṣ, Bh abda-śataṃ nṛṇām; hVṣ, gbH aṣṭa-ś°; kVṣ aka-ś°.

c4.s17.79

⁸⁷ In eVā ca sarveṣāḥ.

c4.s17.80

⁸⁸ So Mt, Vā genly: bdgVā yogyasy°. Bd

c4.s17.81

c4.s17.82

bhogasy°: hVā yogyasya tan; bMt tu yogasy=ēti; nMt reads this half line yāgasy=ēti darśayan. ⁸⁹ Bd hy ath=āyuktāḥ: fgMt mayā hy uktāḥ, dMt may=āpy°; eVā mayā proktāḥ. ⁹⁰ In jMt this half line is kālena paritoṣitāḥ, kMt °tām. ⁹¹ In nMt śrutam; bMt kṣutan; fgMt same; mMt divi. ⁹² So a¹a³a⁴ghVā; lVā Andh-°, bVā Adhm-°, dVā Adhry-°; eVā Andhān-ante (omitting tu) in Pkt form, see note ⁸⁴. Ca²jmVā, Pd Andhr-āṁśe, fVā Adhr°. Mt genly brāhmaṇas (= saptarṣayaḥ); cMt °ṇas; fgMt °ṇam. ⁹⁹ So Mt genly; jMt ca. Vā genly, Bd sa-. ⁹⁴ CbfgMt °śa; jMt, dVā °śo; nMt °śad. ⁹⁵ In f Mt, dVā °syati. ⁹⁶ So Mt, Pd; fMt śatam°; dVā sate° (altered to gate°): jmMt, fVā sate mama, bhMt °manā, gMt °matā: eVā śatan tadā; lVā same matā. AVā mate mama. ⁹⁷ In bVṣ Maghāś c=āsan; kVṣ †Maghādyāsan; ajVṣ crp. ⁹⁸ In qBh hy āśritā. ⁹⁹ So Vṣ. Bh tu. ¹ In hVṣ, gBh aṣṭa; lVṣ ātma. ² In dBh Viṣṇus tu bhagavān. ³ In abVṣ jāto; kVṣ aṁśa-jāto. ⁴ In kVṣ dvijottama. ⁵ In sBh sa: dBh Kṛṣṇo 'sau; eBh †Kṛṣṇasyotsau apptly. ⁶ In blVṣ °aiv=ātr=āgataḥ Kaliḥ. ⁷ In dBh manaḥ. ⁸ In f Bh āsīd. ⁹ In f Bh v=ās°; kqrEh c=āśakṛt. ¹⁰ In deVṣ -ānte. ¹¹ In kVṣ tvayo; aVṣ divo. ¹² In ahVṣ divi.

c4.s17.83

c4.s17.84

¹³ So all Vṣ, but CVṣ °kṣite.

c4.s17.85

¹⁴ In bBh °bhyām; dBh Maghāto.

c4.s17.86

¹⁵ In jVṣ °Nanda, eBh °Namtāt; dBh tadā tadā: rBh tato Nandāt.

c4.s17.87

¹⁶ In deVṣ prabhūm.

c4.s17.88

¹⁷ In bjkVṣ, eBh eva.

c4.s17.89

¹⁸ In eBh kariṣyati.

c4.s17.90

yasmin Kṛṣṇo divaṃ yātas ¹⁹ tasminn eva tad=āhani ²⁰ pratipannaṃ Kali-yugaṃ ²¹ tasya saṅkhyāṃ nibodhata ²² catuḥ-śata²³-sahasraṃ tu | sahasrāṇāṃ śatān=iha varṣāṇām²⁴ vai²⁵ smṛtam budhaiḥ²⁶ | trīṇi mānuṣa-saṅkhyayā ²⁷ ṣaṣṭi-varṣa²⁸-sahasrāṇi | ṣaṣṭiṃ c=aiva sahasrāṇi saṅkhyātam ²⁹ mānuṣeṇa tu ³⁰ | varṣāṇāṃ t=ucyate ³¹ Kaliḥ ³², ₄₀ divyaṃ varṣa-sahasraṃ tu tadā sandhyā pravartate ³⁴ nihśeṣe tu ³⁶ tadā ³⁷ tasmin ³⁸ Kṛtaṃ vai pratipatsyate ³⁹.

c4.s17.91

¹⁹ In eVā divā jāta : jMt reads— yadā Kṛṣṇaś chavi yātaḥ śuklo Nārāyaṇaś tathā.

c4.s17.92

²⁰ So Mt, eVā, Vṣ, Bh. Vā, Bd tadā dine, altered in dVā to tad-āditah.

c4.s17.93

²¹ So Mt, eVā, Vṣ, Bh. Vā, Bd °pannaḥ °yugaḥ.

c4.s17.94

²² So Vā, Bd. Vṣ °nibodha me. Mt pra-māṇaṃ tasya me śṛṇu; lMt prapannam°. Bh iti prāhuḥ purā-vidah; dBh iti-r-āhuḥ°, see Appendix I, § ii.

c4.s17.95

²³ So Mt; jMt śatā; eMt śatī : a²Mt ṣaṣṭi; dmMt ṣat (one syll. short).

c4.s17.96

²⁴ In bMt varṇāni : eMt reads this half line tadā sandhyā pravartate.

c4.s17.97

²⁵ In cMt yat; fgjkMt tat; dMt tu; bMt na (for nu ?).

c4.s17.98

²⁶ In jMt tathā.

c4.s17.99

²⁷ So Vā, Bd.

c4.s17.100

²⁸ So bjklnMt; a¹⁻³dmMt ṣaṣṭir°; cfgMt ṣaṣṭim. ACMt catvāry aṣṭa-.

c4.s17.101

²⁹ In hfgnMt °khyātā; dMt °khyāte.

c4.s17.102

³⁰ In jMt tat.

c4.s17.103

³¹ So Bd, ƒVā; gVā tyūc°; bVā tuc°; dVā tucyāta, altered to tu smṛtaḥ; mVā rūvyate (for r-ucyate?), see Appendix I, § ii. Vā genly ucyate.

c4.s17.104

³² Instead of this and the preceding line Vṣ has these lines— trīṇi lakṣāṇi varṣāṇām* dvija mānuṣa⁺-saṅkhyayā ṣaṣṭiṃ c=aiva sahasrāṇi bhaviṣyaty eṣa vai Kaliḥ : where * hIVṣ varṣāṇi; ⁺lVṣ varṣāṇān dvija. Bh omits this statement.

c4.s17.105

³³ In gMt divya-. CVā divye.

c4.s17.106

³⁴ So a²a⁴cfgklmnMt : CGVa¹a³bdMt °saṅkhyā°; jMt tathā sandhy=āpav°, unless it = °sandhyā prav°.

c4.s17.107

³⁵ So Vā genly : fmVā °āṃsaṃ hi kīrtite, Bd °āṃśe°; jVā ºsandhyā sihā kīrtite. But glVā °sandhy-āṃsa hi kīrtyate, a¹a³Vā °sandhyā sā hi°, bhVā °sandhyā sā hi [tā]° : dVā for this half line (with clerical errors uncancelled) samdvedhiś ca iti tathā saṃdhyā saṃdhy-āṃsa sahita kīrtyate: eVā sa-sandhy-āṃsam udāhṛtam. For this line Vṣ reads— śatāni tāni divyāni sapta pañca ca saṅkhyayā * : where * hVṣ divyayā; but sandhyayā appears to be the correct word since 1200

c4.s17.108

divyaṃ ³³ varṣa-sahasraṃ tu tat-sandhy-āṃśaṃ prakīrtitam ³⁵

c4.s17.109

divine years include the two sandhyās. Bh says— divy-ābdānāṃ * sahasr-ānte caturthe tu† punaḥ Kṛtam : where * gkpBh aṣṭānāṃ ; † eBh caturthena. ³⁶ This line is in Mt, Vā, Bḍ, Vṣ. So Mt, eVā. Vā, Bḍ °ca; dVā naiḥśeṣe ca. Vṣ niḥśeṣeṇa, jVṣ °śeṣanam. ³⁷ Vṣ tatas. ³⁸ In jMt tasya. ³⁹ So Mt, Vā, Bḍ. Vṣ bhaviṣyati punaḥ (aVṣ tadā) Kṛtam. Bh adds— bhaviṣyati yadā * nṝṇāṃ mana ātma-prakāśakam†: where * adqrBh and v. r. in GRh tadā; † cBh ātma-āp°.

c4.s17.110

the Roman world, and the most important events of the reign of Antoninus Pius, are related by his biographer, and the reader will not be sorry to find them here in a more concise form. The reign of Antoninus Pius is marked by the rare advantage of furnishing very few materials for history; which is only another mode of saying that its happiness was complete. During the twenty-three years of his administration, the Roman empire was governed by the same invariable maxims of justice and peace. The natives of a vast extent of country were protected by the same laws, and enjoyed the same privileges. The frontiers were defended by the same legions, and the same spirit of moderation and equity prevailed in the councils of the emperor. The death of Antoninus was lamented as a public calamity; and the memory of his virtues was preserved by the gratitude of his subjects, and the imitation of his successor.

c4.s17.111

The reign of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, which followed, was a period of great activity and of great events. The empire was attacked on all sides by the barbarians, and the emperor was obliged to spend the greater part of his life in the camp. He was a man of a mild and philosophical temper, and he would have preferred the quiet of the study to the tumult of the field. But he was a prince of a high sense of duty, and he did not shrink from the task which was imposed upon him. He defended the frontiers with vigour, and he defeated the enemies of Rome in many a hard-fought battle. His death was a loss to the empire, and it was felt by all classes of his subjects. He was the last of the good emperors, and with him the golden age of the Roman empire may be said to have terminated.

c4.s17.112

The character of the Roman government, under the Antonines, was that of a mild and paternal despotism. The emperor was the source of all power, and his will was the law of the land. But he was restrained by the influence of the senate, and by the force of public opinion. The senate was still a body of great dignity and importance, and its members were the principal officers of the state. The emperor was careful to consult them on all matters of importance, and he was always ready to listen to their advice. The public opinion was also a powerful check upon the actions of the emperor. The people of Rome were still a proud and independent race, and they were not afraid to express their dissatisfaction with the measures of the government. The emperor was aware of this, and he was always careful to avoid any act that would be likely to give offence to the people.

c4.s17.113

The administration of justice was one of the most important duties of the emperor. He was the supreme judge of the empire, and he was always ready to hear the complaints of his subjects. He was assisted by a council of jurists, who were the most learned men of the age. The laws were administered with impartiality, and the rights of the citizens were protected. The taxes were moderate, and they were collected with fairness. The public works were carried on with vigour, and the cities of the empire were adorned with magnificent buildings. The trade and commerce of the empire were encouraged, and the people were prosperous and happy. The Roman empire, under the Antonines, was a model of good government, and it was the envy of the world.

Cites (8)

Bhaviṣyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Vāyupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Viṣṇupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Kālī — Sanskrit
Māgha