Linga Purana

सत्त्वं कृतं रजस्त्रेता द्वापरं च रजस्तमः कलिस्तमश् च विज्ञेयं युगवृत्तिर्युगेषु च

Kṛta is characterized by sattva, Tretā by rajas, Dvāpara by both rajas and tamas, and Kali by tamas; thus the nature of the ages should be understood.

ध्यानं परं कृतयुगे त्रेतायां यज्ञ उच्यते भजनं द्वापरे शुद्धं दानमेव कलौ युगे

Meditation is supreme in the Kṛta age; sacrifice is praised in Tretā; pure worship in Dvāpara; and only giving is extolled in Kali.

चत्वारि च सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्कृतं युगम् तस्य तावच्छती संध्या संध्यांशश् च तथाविधः

The Kṛta age consists of four thousand years; its twilight period is as many hundreds, and its portion of twilight is likewise.

चत्वारि च सहस्राणि मानुषाणि शिलाशन आयुः कृतयुगे विद्धि प्रजानामिह सुव्रत

Know, O steadfast one, that in the Kṛta age, the lifespan of people who eat stones is four thousand years.

ततः कृतयुगे तस्मिन् संध्यांशे च गते तु वै पादावशिष्टो भवति युगधर्मस्तु सर्वतः

Then, when the Kṛta age and its twilight portion have passed, only a quarter remains of the age's duties everywhere.

चतुर्भागैकहीनं तु त्रेतायुगमनुत्तमम् कृतार्धं द्वापरं विद्धि तदर्धं तिष्यमुच्यते

The excellent Tretā age is lacking one fourth; Dvāpara is half of Kṛta; Tiṣya is said to be half of that.

त्रिशती द्विशती संध्या तथा चैकशती मुने संध्यांशकं तथाप्येवं कल्पेष्वेवं युगे युगे

Three hundred, two hundred, and one hundred are the twilight periods, O sage, and the twilight portions likewise; so it is in each cycle, in every age.

आद्ये कृतयुगे धर्मश् चतुष्पादः सनातनः त्रेतायुगे त्रिपादस्तु द्विपादो द्वापरे स्थितः

In the first, the Kṛta age, dharma stands on four feet, eternal; in Tretā, it stands on three; in Dvāpara, on two.

त्रिपादहीनस्तिष्ये तु सत्तामात्रेण धिष्ठितः कृते तु मिथुनोत्पत्तिर् वृत्तिः साक्षाद्रसोल्लसा

In Tiṣya, it is deprived of three feet, supported only by sattva; in Kṛta, the origin of pairs is direct, and sustenance is full of essence.

प्रजास्तृप्ताः सदा सर्वाः सर्वानन्दाश् च भोगिनः अधमोत्तमता तासां न विशेषाः प्रजाः शुभाः

All people are always satisfied, enjoying all happiness; there is no distinction of low or high among them, all are auspicious.

तुल्यमायुः सुखं रूपं तासां तस्मिन्कृते युगे तासां प्रीतिर्न च द्वन्द्वं न द्वेषो नास्ति च क्लमः

Their lifespan, happiness, and form are equal in that Kṛta age; their affection is constant, there is no conflict, no hatred, and no fatigue.

पर्वतोदधिवासिन्यो ह्य् अनिकेताश्रयास्तु ताः विशोकाः सत्त्वबहुला एकान्तबहुलास् तथा

They dwell on mountains and in oceans, without fixed abodes; free from sorrow, abundant in sattva, and full of single-mindedness.

ता वै निष्कामचारिण्यो नित्यं मुदितमानसाः अप्रवृत्तिः कृतयुगे कर्मणोः शुभपापयोः

They act without desire, their minds always joyful; in the Kṛta age, there is no activity of good or evil deeds.

वर्णाश्रमव्यवस्था च तदासीन्न च संकरः रसोल्लासः कालयोगात् त्रेताख्ये नश्यते द्विज

The system of varṇa and āśrama existed then, but there was no mixing; the abundance of essence perishes in Tretā due to the influence of time, O twice-born.

तस्यां सिद्धौ प्रनष्टायाम् अन्या सिद्धिः प्रजायते अपां सौक्ष्म्ये प्रतिगते तदा मेघात्मना तु वै

When that perfection is lost, another perfection arises; when the subtlety of water returns, then, indeed, it comes from the nature of clouds.

मेघेभ्यस्तनयित्नुभ्यः प्रवृत्तं वृष्टिसर्जनम् सकृद् एव तथा वृष्ट्या संयुक्ते पृथिवीतले

From the clouds and thunder, rain began to fall; and with that single rainfall, the earth's surface became saturated.

प्रादुरासंस्तदा तासां वृक्षास्ते गृहसंज्ञिताः सर्ववृत्त्युपभोगस्तु तासां तेभ्यः प्रजायते

Then, from that, those trees called 'house-trees' appeared; all means of sustenance and enjoyment for them arose from these.

वर्तयन्ति स्म तेभ्यस्तास् त्रेतायुगमुखे प्रजाः ततः कालेन महता तासामेव विपर्ययात्

At the beginning of the Tretā Yuga, the people lived from those trees; but after a long time, due to a reversal among them,

रागलोभात्मको भावस् तदा ह्याकस्मिको ऽभवत् विपर्ययेण तासां तु तेन तत्कालभाविना

A state characterized by passion and greed suddenly arose; and because of that reversal, which occurred at that time among them,

प्रणश्यन्ति ततः सर्वे वृक्षास्ते गृहसंज्ञिताः ततस्तेषु प्रनष्टेषु विभ्रान्ता मैथुनोद्भवाः

All those house-trees perished; then, when those were destroyed, the people, bewildered, were born from sexual union.

अपि ध्यायन्ति तां सिद्धिं सत्याभिध्यायिनस्तदा प्रादुर्बभूवुस्तासां तु वृक्षास्ते गृहसंज्ञिताः

Even then, those who were devoted to truth meditated on that accomplishment; and for them, the house-trees appeared again.

वस्त्राणि ते प्रसूयन्ते फलान्याभरणानि च तेष्वेव जायते तासां गन्धवर्णरसान्वितम्

From them were produced garments, fruits, and ornaments; and for them, there arose things endowed with fragrance, color, and taste.

अमाक्षिकं महीवीर्यं पुटके पुटके मधु तेन ता वर्तयन्ति स्म सुखमायुः सदैव हि

There was honey, strong as the earth, in every cluster; by that, they always lived happily and with long life.

हृष्टपुष्टास्तया सिद्ध्या प्रजा वै विगतज्वराः ततः कालान्तरेणैव पुनर्लोभावृतास्तु ताः

By that accomplishment, the people became joyful, nourished, and free from suffering; but after some time, they were again overcome by greed.

वृक्षांस्तान्पर्यगृह्णन्ति मधु वा माक्षिकं बलात् तासां तेनोपचारेण पुनर्लोभकृतेन वै

They seized those trees and the honey by force; and because of that treatment, again caused by greed,

प्रनष्टा मधुना सार्धं कल्पवृक्षाः क्वचित्क्वचित् तस्यामेवाल्पशिष्टायां सिद्ध्यां कालवशात्तदा

The wish-fulfilling trees, along with the honey, disappeared here and there; and when only a little of that accomplishment remained, due to the force of time,

आवर्तनात्तु त्रेतायां द्वन्द्वान्यभ्युत्थितानि वै शीतवर्षातपैस्तीव्रैस् ततस्ता दुःखिता भृशम्

With the turning of the Tretā Yuga, pairs of opposites arose—intense cold, rain, and heat; and because of that, they became greatly afflicted.

द्वन्द्वैः सम्पीड्यमानाश् च चक्रुर् आवरणानि तु कृतद्वन्द्वप्रतीघाताः केतनानि गिरौ ततः

Afflicted by those dualities, they made coverings; to ward off those pairs of opposites, they built shelters on the mountains.

पूर्वं निकामचारास्ता ह्य् अनिकेता अथावसन् यथायोगं यथाप्रीति निकेतेष्ववसन्पुनः

Formerly, they moved about as they wished, without fixed dwellings; but then, according to need and desire, they began to live in homes.