In the earliest age, the Kṛta Yuga, all people lived in a state of complete satisfaction. They enjoyed every happiness, and among them there were no distinctions of high or low—everyone was auspicious and equal. Their lifespans, happiness, and physical forms were all the same. Their affection for one another was unwavering; there was neither conflict nor hatred, and no one felt fatigue. People dwelled freely, sometimes on mountains and sometimes near the oceans, without fixed abodes. They were untouched by sorrow, abundant in sattva, and possessed single-pointed minds. Their actions were free from desire, and their hearts were ever joyful. In that age, deeds of good and evil did not arise, for the purity of their hearts made such distinctions unnecessary. The system of varṇa and āśrama existed then, but there was no mixing or confusion between them. Yet, as time moved forward and the Tretā Yuga approached, the abundance and essence of that age began to diminish, as is the way of time, O twice-born one. When the perfection of the Kṛta age faded, a new kind of perfection emerged, just as water, when it becomes subtle, returns to the clouds and then falls again as rain. From the clouds and thunder, rain began to pour down, and with that singular rainfall, the entire surface of the earth was saturated. Out of this, marvelous trees known as “house-trees” appeared. From these trees, all means of sustenance and enjoyment arose for the people. At the dawn of the Tretā Yuga, people lived by the bounty of these house-trees. But after a long time, a reversal occurred among them, and passion and greed suddenly took root. Because of this, all the house-trees perished. When these were destroyed, the bewildered people began to be born through sexual union. Yet, even then, those devoted to truth and meditation continued their practices, and for them, the house-trees appeared once more. From these trees, garments, fruits, and ornaments came forth, and things endowed with fragrance, color, and taste arose. There was honey, strong and nourishing as the earth, in every cluster, and by this, the people lived long, happy lives. By virtue of this accomplishment, people were joyful, well-nourished, and free from suffering. But as time passed, greed overcame them yet again. They seized the trees and honey by force, and because of this, the wish-fulfilling trees, along with the honey, disappeared from the earth. When only a little of that original abundance remained, the force of time brought a new era. With the turning of the Tretā Yuga, pairs of opposites appeared—intense cold, rain, and heat—and the people suffered greatly from these afflictions. To protect themselves, they fashioned coverings and built shelters on mountains to ward off these extremes. Once, they had wandered freely without fixed dwellings, but now, driven by need and desire, they began to live in homes. Having suffered from these dualities, people sought new means of livelihood, for the wish-fulfilling trees and honey were gone. Troubled by disputes, thirst, and hunger, another accomplishment arose for them in the Tretā Yuga. Rain began to fall as desired, and from this rain, streams and other waters came into being. Continuous rainfall gave rise to flowing streams, and rivers appeared when the rain fell again. The droplets of water that fell upon the earth, through their union with the soil, became medicinal plants. Then, fourteen kinds of trees and shrubs appeared—lesser and greater, wild and domestic, seasonal flowering and fruit-bearing. These varieties of trees and medicinal herbs provided sustenance for living beings in the Tretā age. But once more, passion and greed arose among the people, compelled by the nature of the age. They began to seize rivers, fields, mountains, trees, shrubs, and medicinal herbs by force, each according to their strength. In response, the fourteen varieties of medicinal herbs perished, and, seeking refuge, entered the earth itself. Thus, Oṣadhyaḥ is known as Pitāmaha. Pitāmaha, the Grandfather, then milked the earth with effort for the benefit of all beings. From that time onward, medicinal herbs were drawn forth by ploughing. Desiring sustenance, people diligently engaged in agriculture, which became known as the means of livelihood and subsistence. Otherwise, at the end of the Tretā age, those plants would not have survived. In their place, many water-born and hand-grown plants arose. Yet, even then, people, overwhelmed by anger, seized one another’s sons, wives, and wealth by force, driven by the power of the age. To establish boundaries and protect people from harm, the Lord, born from the lotus, created the Kṣatriyas. He established the order of varṇa and āśrama by his own power, and by conduct and livelihood, the universal self fashioned the social order. The initiation of sacrifice also began gradually in the Tretā age. Some virtuous people did not practice animal sacrifice. Then Viṣṇu, the all-seeing, performed sacrifice by force; the twice-born praised it, and thereafter, O sage, sacrifice became non-violent. Even in the Dvāpara age, differences of opinion arose among people. Through mind, action, and speech, they struggled to attain livelihood. With the hardship of physical labor, greed, wages, trade, war, and uncertainty regarding truths gradually arose among all beings.