In ancient times, the people of the world lived sustained by wondrous house-trees, which provided all that was needed for their existence. But a day came when these trees perished, and with their destruction, humanity became bewildered and began to be born through sexual union. Even then, among the people were those devoted to truth, who meditated deeply upon the lost accomplishment of the house-trees. For these steadfast souls, the house-trees appeared once again. From these miraculous trees, garments, fruits, and ornaments were produced, and a great variety of things endowed with fragrance, color, and taste arose for their delight. Sweet honey, as firm and nourishing as the earth itself, filled every cluster, and by this honey, the people lived happily and with long life. Nourished by such bounty, the people were joyful and free from suffering. Yet, as time passed, greed crept into their hearts once more. Driven by desire, they seized the trees and honey by force. Because of this greed-fueled behavior, the wish-fulfilling trees and the honey began to disappear from the world, vanishing here and there. When only a little of that wondrous accomplishment remained, the relentless force of time brought about the turning of the Tretā Yuga. With this change, the world became subject to pairs of opposites: intense cold, rain, and heat afflicted the people, causing them great distress. To protect themselves from these new hardships, they fashioned coverings and built shelters on the mountains, seeking relief from the harsh dualities of nature. Whereas before they had moved freely without fixed dwellings, now, according to need and desire, they began to live in homes. Suffering from these dualities, they sought new means of livelihood, for the wish-fulfilling trees and honey had vanished. Troubled by disputes, thirst, and hunger, the people were granted another accomplishment in the Tretā Yuga. Another means of sustenance arose: rain began to fall as desired, and from these rains, streams and other waters came into being. Continuous rainfall gave rise to flowing rivers, which began to course across the land. The droplets of water that fell upon the earth, merging with the soil, gave birth to medicinal plants. From this union, fourteen kinds of trees and shrubs appeared—lesser and greater, wild and domestic, those that flowered and fruited in season. These varieties of trees and medicinal herbs became the sustenance of living beings in the Tretā age. Yet, once again, passion and greed arose among the people, as was destined for that age. Driven by these impulses, they seized rivers, fields, mountains, trees, shrubs, and medicinal herbs by force, each according to their strength. As a result, the fourteen kinds of medicinal herbs perished, and, considering this, they entered into the earth itself—thus the Oṣadhyaḥ became known as Pitāmaha. Pitāmaha, the grandsire, then milked the earth with effort for the benefit of all beings; from that time on, medicinal herbs were drawn forth by ploughing. Yearning for sustenance, people turned to agriculture, diligently working the land. This pursuit became known as livelihood, and agriculture was recognized as the means of subsistence. Otherwise, at the end of the Tretā age, those plants would not have survived; then, many water-born and hand-grown plants arose. Even then, overwhelmed by anger, people seized from one another—taking sons, wives, and wealth by force, according to the power of the age. To establish order and protect from harm, the Lord, born from the lotus, created the Kṣatriyas, the warrior class, to set boundaries among people. He established the order of varṇa and āśrama by his own power; by conduct and livelihood, the Universal Self himself fashioned this order. It was in this time that the initiation of sacrifice gradually began in the Tretā age. Among the virtuous, some did not practice animal sacrifice. Then Viṣṇu, all-seeing, performed sacrifice by force; the twice-born praised this act, and from then on, O sage, sacrifice became non-violent. Even in the Dvāpara age, differences of opinion arose among people. Livelihood was attained with difficulty—by mind, action, and speech. With increasing hardship, greed, wages, trade, war, and uncertainty about truth all gradually arose. The branches of the Veda proliferated, confusion of dharmas ensued, and the established orders of varṇa and āśrama began to break down, as did desire and hatred. In the Dvāpara age, passion, greed, and intoxication prevailed. Vyāsa divided the one Veda into four parts, as lifespans declined in the Dvāpara and subsequent ages. In the Tretā age, the single Veda was established with four divisions; but as time progressed and lifespans shortened, it was divided further in the Dvāpara age. Through the sons of seers, further divisions arose—differences in perception, in the arrangement of mantras and Brāhmaṇas, and variations in tones and letters. The wise compiled collections of Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman, each establishing general and altered versions according to their respective traditions. Brāhmaṇas, Kalpasūtras, and expositions on mantras were developed—some followed these, while others adhered to the earlier teachings. The Itihāsas and Purāṇas, too, were divided under the weight of time: Brāhma, Pādma, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, and Bhāgavata emerged, along with Bhaviṣya, Nārada, Mārkaṇḍeya, Āgneya, Brahmavaivarta, Laiṅga, and Vārāha. Then came Vāmana, Kūrma, Mātsya, Gāruḍa, Skānda, and Brahmāṇḍa—thus their divisions were recounted. The Laiṅga Purāṇa itself was divided into eleven forms in the auspicious Dvāpara age: Manu, Tri, Viṣṇu, Hārīta, Yājñavalkya, Uśanas, and Aṅgiras among them. Thus, over the ages, as humanity changed and the world evolved, the divine order, wisdom, and sacred traditions were shaped and reshaped, always guided by the will of the Lord and the needs of the time.