Linga Purana

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.

दुदोह गां प्रयत्नेन सर्वभूतहिताय वै तदाप्रभृति चौषध्यः फालकृष्टास्त्वितस्ततः

Pitāmaha milked the earth with effort for the benefit of all beings; from then on, medicinal herbs were drawn forth by ploughing.

वार्तां कृषिं समायाता वर्तुकामाः प्रयत्नतः वार्ता वृत्तिः समाख्याता कृषिकामप्रयत्नतः

Desiring sustenance, people diligently engaged in agriculture; this pursuit is called livelihood, and agriculture is known as the means of subsistence.

अन्यथा जीवितं तासां नास्ति त्रेतायुगात्यये हस्तोद्भवा ह्यपश्चैव भवन्ति बहुशस्तदा

Otherwise, at the end of the Tretā age, those plants would not survive; then, many water-born and hand-grown ones arise.

तत्रापि जगृहुः सर्वे चान्योन्यं क्रोधमूर्छिताः सुतदारधनाद्यांस्तु बलाद्युगबलेन तु

There, too, all seized one another, overwhelmed by anger, taking sons, wives, and wealth by force, according to the power of the age.

मर्यादायाः प्रतिष्ठार्थं ज्ञात्वा तदखिलं विभुः ससर्ज क्षत्रियांस्त्रातुं क्षतात्कमलसंभवः

For the establishment of boundaries, knowing all this, the Lord, born from the lotus, created the Kṣatriyas to protect from harm.

वर्णाश्रमप्रतिष्ठां च चकार स्वेन तेजसा वृत्तेन वृत्तिना वृत्तं विश्वात्मा निर्ममे स्वयम्

He established the order of varṇa and āśrama by his own power; by conduct and livelihood, the universal self himself fashioned the order.

यज्ञप्रवर्तनं चैव त्रेतायामभवत्क्रमात् पशुयज्ञं न सेवन्ते केचित्तत्रापि सुव्रताः

The initiation of sacrifice also occurred gradually in the Tretā age; some virtuous ones there did not practice animal sacrifice.

बलाद्विष्णुस्तदा यज्ञम् अकरोत्सर्वदृक् क्रमात् द्विजास्तदा प्रशंसन्ति ततस्त्वाहिंसकं मुने

Then, Viṣṇu, all-seeing, performed sacrifice by force; the twice-born praised it, and thereafter, O sage, it was non-violent.

द्वापरेष्वपि वर्तन्ते मतिभेदास्तदा नृणाम् मनसा कर्मणा वाचा कृच्छ्राद्वार्ता प्रसिध्यति

Even in the Dvāpara age, differences of opinion arose among people; by mind, action, and speech, livelihood was attained with difficulty.

तदा तु सर्वभूतानां कायक्लेशवशात्क्रमात् लोभो भृतिर्वणिग्युद्धं तत्त्वानामविनिश्चयः

Then, due to bodily hardship among all beings, gradually arose greed, wages, trade, war, and uncertainty regarding truths.

वेदशाखाप्रणयनं धर्माणां संकरस् तथा वर्णाश्रमपरिध्वंसः कामद्वेषौ तथैव च

The propagation of Vedic branches, the confusion of dharmas, the destruction of varṇa and āśrama, and desire and hatred likewise occurred.

द्वापरे तु प्रवर्तन्ते रागो लोभो मदस् तथा वेदो व्यासैश्चतुर्धा तु व्यस्यते द्वापरादिषु

In the Dvāpara age, passion, greed, and intoxication prevailed; the Veda was divided into four parts by Vyāsa in the Dvāpara and subsequent ages.

एको वेदश्चतुष्पादस् त्रेतास्विह विधीयते संक्षयादायुषश्चैव व्यस्यते द्वापरेषु सः

In the Tretā age, the one Veda is established with four divisions; due to the decline of lifespan, it is further divided in the Dvāpara age.

ऋषिपुत्रैः पुनर्भेदा भिद्यन्ते दृष्टिविभ्रमैः मन्त्रब्राह्मणविन्यासैः स्वरवर्णविपर्ययैः

Again, through the sons of the seers, divisions arise due to differences in perception, in the arrangement of mantras and Brāhmaṇas, and in the variations of tones and letters.

संहिता ऋग्यजुःसाम्नां संहन्यन्ते मनीषिभिः सामान्या वैकृताश्चैव द्रष्टृभिस्तैः पृथक्पृथक्

The collections of Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman are compiled by the wise; both general and altered versions are separately established by their respective seers.

ब्राह्मणं कल्पसूत्राणि मन्त्रप्रवचनानि च अन्ये तु प्रस्थितास्तान्वै केचित्तान्प्रत्यवस्थिताः

Brāhmaṇas, Kalpasūtras, and expositions on mantras—some proceed with these, while others remain with the earlier ones.

इतिहासपुराणानि भिद्यन्ते कालगौरवात् ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा

The Itihāsas and Purāṇas are divided due to the weight of time: Brāhma, Pādma, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, and Bhāgavata as well.

भविष्यं नारदीयं च मार्कण्डेयमतः परम् आग्नेयं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैङ्गं वाराहमेव च

Bhaviṣya, Nārada, Mārkaṇḍeya, then Āgneya, Brahmavaivarta, Laiṅga, and Vārāha also.

वामनाख्यं ततः कूर्मं मात्स्यं गारुडमेव च स्कान्दं तथा च ब्रह्माण्डं तेषां भेदः प्रकथ्यते

Then Vāmana, Kūrma, Mātsya, Gāruḍa, Skānda, and Brahmāṇḍa—thus their divisions are recounted.

लैङ्गम् एकादशविधं प्रभिन्नं द्वापरे शुभम् मन्वत्रिविष्णुहारीतयाज्ञवल्क्योशनो ऽङ्गिराः

The Laiṅga Purāṇa is divided into eleven forms in the auspicious Dvāpara age: Manu, Tri, Viṣṇu, Hārīta, Yājñavalkya, Uśanas, and Aṅgiras.