Linga Purana

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.

कृत्वा द्वन्द्वोपघातांस्तान् वृत्त्युपायमचिन्तयन् नष्टेषु मधुना सार्धं कल्पवृक्षेषु वै तदा

Having suffered from those dualities, they considered means of livelihood; for, at that time, the wish-fulfilling trees and honey had disappeared.

विवादव्याकुलास्ता वै प्रजास्तृष्णाक्षुधार्दिताः ततः प्रादुर्बभौ तासां सिद्धिस्त्रेतायुगे पुनः

The people, troubled by disputes, thirst, and hunger, then, in the Tretā Yuga, another accomplishment appeared for them.

वार्तायाः साधिकाप्यन्या वृष्टिस्तासां निकामतः तासां वृष्ट्युदकादीनि ह्य् अभवन्निम्नगानि तु

Another means of livelihood arose for them, with rain coming as desired; from that rain, streams and other waters came into being for them.

अभवन्वृष्टिसंतत्या स्रोतस्थानानि निम्नगाः एवं नद्यः प्रवृत्तास्तु द्वितीये वृष्टिसर्जने

Because of the continuous rainfall, there arose flowing streams; thus, rivers began to flow when the rain fell a second time.

ये पुनस्तदपां स्तोकाः पतिताः पृथिवीतले अपां भूमेश् च संयोगाद् ओषध्यस्तास्तदाभवन्

Those droplets of water that fell upon the earth, through the union of water and soil, became medicinal plants.

अथाल्पकृष्टाश्चानुप्ता ग्राम्यारण्याश्चतुर्दश ऋतुपुष्पफलाश्चैव वृक्षगुल्माश् च जज्ञिरे

Then, fourteen types of lesser and greater, wild and domestic, seasonal flowering and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs arose.

प्रादुर्भूतानि चैतानि वृक्षजात्यौषधानि च तेनौषधेन वर्तन्ते प्रजास्त्रेतायुगे तदा

These varieties of trees and medicinal herbs appeared, and with these medicines, living beings subsisted in the Tretā age.

ततः पुनरभूत्तासां रागो लोभश् च सर्वशः अवश्यं भाविनार्थेन त्रेतायुगवशेन च

Then, again, passion and greed arose among them in every way, inevitably, due to the destined influence of the Tretā age.

ततस्ताः पर्यगृह्णन्त नदीक्षेत्राणि पर्वतान् वृक्षगुल्मौषधीश्चैव प्रसह्य तु यथाबलम्

Thereafter, they seized rivers, fields, mountains, trees, shrubs, and medicinal herbs forcibly, each according to their strength.

विपर्ययेण चौषध्यः प्रनष्टास्ताश्चतुर्दश मत्वा धरां प्रविष्टास्ता इत्यौषध्यः पितामहः

Conversely, those fourteen medicinal herbs perished, and, considering this, they entered the earth; thus, Oṣadhyaḥ is Pitāmaha.